Training for a Half Marathon

The first step in training for a half marathon, even for beginners, is simple — find one and sign up. Having concrete deadlines and registration information is a way to kick start any runner’s training.

Once you’ve committed, training can be as simple or as rigorous as you make it. If you can already run three miles or more, you can easily train for about 12 weeks in order to be ready for your first half marathon.

If you haven’t run three miles yet or in a while, begin with a little extra assistance and sign up for a Couch to 5K program. Work up the miles from zero to three in about eight weeks, or faster — depending on your body and athleticism. Once you’ve run three miles and feel comfortable training harder, take another 10–12 weeks to train for 13.1 miles.

Don’t worry about the time right away; focus on the distance first. Try to add on one to three miles a week. If you’re running three miles each day for four–five days a week, try to run four–six miles before your rest day, and so on.

Once you are able to comfortably run five miles, put together a high tempo playlist and begin working on your speed. You don’t need to sprint, but push yourself to keep up with the beat. You’ll start to see your time improving and, inevitably, run a bit further each time.

Keep in mind, you don’t necessarily need to run 13.1 miles before your race. As long as you know you can complete 10–11 miles in one shot, the last few will fly by on race day once fellow runners and supporters surround you.