How To Run a Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon in 12 Weeks

Running a half marathon in under two hours is an exciting milestone many runners dream of achieving.

It represents a significant fitness accomplishment and a testament to disciplined training.

But what exactly does it take to reach this ambitious goal?

By the end of this comprehensive guide, you’ll find a detailed, step-by-step training plan to guide you to success!

What Pace Do You Need?

To break the 2-hour barrier for a half marathon, you'll need to maintain an average pace of approximately 9:05 per mile, finishing precisely in 1:59:00.

However, it's wise to anticipate potential challenges such as crowded courses, hills, unexpected bathroom breaks, or aid station delays that can slightly affect your pace.

To comfortably achieve your sub-2-hour goal, aim to train at around a 9:00-minute mile pace.

This slightly faster pace gives you flexibility and ensures that minor setbacks won't derail your race-day performance.

Running at a 9:00-minute pace will yield a finish time around 1:57:54.

Fitness Requirements Before Starting

Before you dive into the training, evaluate if your current fitness level meets these basic requirements:

• Comfortably running at least 3 miles without stopping.
• Maintaining a steady pace of 9:00-9:15 minutes per mile over this distance without significant effort.

Meeting these criteria means you're well-prepared to follow this training program.

If you’re not quite there yet, spend a few additional weeks building your endurance and base mileage before beginning this plan, you can start with this walk-to-run method.

Key Components of Training for a Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon

The training plan targets two essential aspects to ensure success:

1. Building Endurance

Your endurance training revolves primarily around gradually lengthening your weekly long run.

These long runs build cardiovascular endurance and muscular resilience, crucial for maintaining consistent pacing over 13.1 miles.

Long runs should be done at a pace that’s 60-90 seconds per mile slower than your goal race pace to optimize aerobic fitness without excessive fatigue.

2. Enhancing Speed

Speed workouts prepare your body and mind for the physical demands of running at your target race pace.

The program includes tempo runs, interval workouts, and hill repeats to boost your strength, speed endurance, and efficiency.

Early in the training cycle, hill workouts build foundational strength, making tempo and interval workouts more effective as the program progresses.

Sub 2 Hour Half Marathon 12-Week Training Plan

Printable version available at the end of this article.

Weeks 1-3: Building Strength and Tempo Foundation

• Hill Repeats: Each Wednesday, run a warm-up mile, followed by 6-8 repetitions of 30-90 second hill sprints, finishing with a cooldown mile.
• Long Runs: On Sundays, run at a comfortable pace, incorporating some miles at goal race pace (9:00 per mile).
• Easy Runs: Mondays and Fridays are easy-paced, short runs designed for recovery and mileage accumulation.

Weeks 4-9: Intensive Endurance and Speed Development

• Tempo Runs (Mondays): Typically, a 3-5 mile run with 1-3 miles at tempo pace (around 15-25 seconds faster than race pace, approximately 8:35-8:45 per mile), bracketed by warm-up and cooldown miles.
• Intervals (Wednesdays): Following a mile warm-up, perform interval sessions at a pace slightly faster than race pace (around 8:30-8:45 per mile), with 2-3 minutes of rest or recovery jog between intervals.
• Long Runs (Sundays): Gradually increase weekly mileage, peaking around 10-12 miles. Incorporate 3-6 miles at your target race pace within these runs, progressively making the race-pace segments longer or positioning them toward the end of the run to build mental and physical toughness.

Week 11-12: Taper and Peak

The final week is all about reducing volume to allow your body complete recovery and peak performance on race day.

Maintain shorter easy runs and one shorter run at goal pace mid-week, ensuring your legs feel rested and ready.

Weekly Training Overview

Here's a clear breakdown of what your typical training week looks like:

• Monday: Easy short run (Weeks 1-3); Tempo runs (Weeks 4-11)
• Tuesday: Cross-training or rest. You can add a low-impact cardio (cycling, swimming), strength training (25-40 minutes) or a stretching routine like this one.
• Wednesday: Hill repeats (Weeks 1-3); Interval sessions (Weeks 4-11)
• Thursday: Rest day for recovery
• Friday: Easy-paced short runs (3-4 miles)
• Saturday: Complete rest day
• Sunday: Long runs with race-pace segments

Workout Specifics Explained:

• Easy Runs: Keep conversational, relaxed pacing (9:45-11:00 per mile).
• Hill Repeats: Run uphill strongly and jog or walk back down slowly.
• Tempo Runs: Comfortably challenging effort, slightly faster than race pace.
• Intervals: Faster than race pace segments, followed by active recovery.
• Long Runs: Mix slow-paced running with several miles at your target race pace.
• Cross-Training: Activities like swimming, cycling, or yoga are ideal.

Here's the Printable Version of The Training Plan:

Ready to Crush Your Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon Goal?

With your goal clearly defined and your workouts meticulously planned, you’re ready to tackle your sub-2 hour half marathon.

Good luck with your trainings! If you find this plan helpful feel free to share it with your running mates!