A 14-Week Half Marathon Training Plan for Beginners

Running your first half marathon is a special experience. It’s often the first time you’ll race a double-digit distance, which is a huge accomplishment, and training doesn’t require all your spare time in the process.But getting to the start and finish line strong requires choosing the right training plan.You want a program that allows you to build an aerobic base, practice running farther, and recover in time for race day. As a first-timer, a beginner-level plan safely builds you up to longer runs that boost your confidence to run 13.1 miles.Our 14-week half marathon plan fits all your training needs, especially if you’ve been running consistently for the past few months and you’re officially ready to jump into race training.The plan features just four runs per week, starting at 17 miles per week, and gradually builds your endurance (peaking at 26 miles per week) so you’re fully prepared to tackle your first long-distance race.Your 14-Week Beginner Half Marathon PlanWhat to Know About This PlanThis plan is designed for beginner runners who have about a year of experience running a few days per week and can log an average of about 15 to 20 miles per week.Each week consists of three rest days, three easy runs, and one long run. Your long runs start at six miles and build gradually, peaking at 12 miles to increase endurance and get you comfortable running for about two hours at a time.“It’s got a good progression and a nice taper into the race,” says Will Baldwin, USATF and VDOT-certified run coach. “Four days a week is a great amount for people. I think it’s really fun when you hit that amount because you are running more days than you’re not,” which can help boost your confidence as a runner.The plan gradually increases your long run mileage by adding just one to two miles at a time, so the progression isn’t overwhelming. Plus, you get seven weeks to build your aerobic base with easy running before hitting double digits in that long run.“A lot of injuries happen from long run spikes, so the fact that it never jumps more than two miles is really great and important,” says Baldwin. “We want to get comfortable and accustomed to training.”The three built-in rest days not only offer flexibility because you’re able to move around workouts to different days when life gets busy, but they also give you time to recover after hard days and adjust to a higher volume for the first time, Baldwin adds.Below is a breakdown of each type of activity listed on the plan so you know what you’re signing up for over the next 14 weeks.Easy RunsFor easy runs, you’ll keep a comfortable, conversational pace. They should feel truly easy. Try to start extra slow so you can finish strong. If you’re huffing and puffing, you’re going too fast.Easy runs allow you to increase your time on feet and weekly mileage, building endurance while lowering risk of injury. This is pretty much the foundation of your plan because they also generally strengthen your lungs and your legs and allow you to increase volume so you have the stamina required for race day.Long Slow Distance RunsYour long, slow distance runs are crucial for building endurance and giving you confidence you can handle 13.1 miles on race day. Run them at a very comfortable, conversational pace. You should be able to speak in full sentences.Cross-TrainWhile not specifically listed on the calendar, you can swap an easy run day for cross-training by going for an easy bike ride, swim, or hop on the elliptical for the same amount of time you’d spend running. Baldwin also recommends cross-training one to two times a week on a rest day if you feel you can handle more activity.“If someone is wanting to do more or is feeling really great, [cross-training is] the best thing to start with, as it adds more fitness with low impact and less running mileage,” says Baldwin.Rest DaysYour rest days are designed to absorb all the adaptations from your runs. Ideally, don’t do any workouts. You can use this time to relax, do some meditation, or incorporate light mobility work or an easy yoga class. These days give your body a chance to recover, allowing you to progress, and they get you ready for the next run.Expert Advice for Beginners Training for Their First Half Marathon1. Add Race Pace Miles to Long RunsWhen you’re training for a half marathon, you want to familiarize yourself with your race pace. You can calculate your half marathon pace by plugging a recent race time into a pace calculator, like the Runner’s World pace calculator or VDOT.But if you don’t have that, you could use a race pace estimate from a wearable or other platform, like Garmin, Coros, or Strava, Baldwin says.A great way to enhance this plan is adding half marathon pace miles to the ends of your long runs, Baldwin suggests. For example, you might run eight miles easy then finish with two miles at half marathon pace during a 10-mile long run during peak week to see if you can handle that pace and get more familiar with that effort. The rate of perceived exertion should be a 5 out of 10 rate of perceived exertion (RPE), with 10 being all-out effort, for the easy portion, and a 6 to 7 for those last two miles, Baldwin explains.If you want to practice race pace even more, you might alternate between easy pace and half marathon pace for the majority of a long run, starting with two to three miles easy, then alternating between the two paces every mile for the remainder of the run, Baldwin adds. This helps you home in on race pace even more and practice switching gears.“That would be a great place to start because those days are already the hardest days, so adding a little bit of quality in them has the least amount of risk, and those all have built-in rest days after them,” says Baldwin.2. Add Strides to Midweek RunsAdding some strides to a few midweek runs introduces you to some intensity and adds variety to your runs, “which not only makes it more enjoyable, but also brings out a higher level of fitness and training,” Baldwin says.Baldwin recommends adding four to five 20-second strides, particularly after a Wednesday run. For these, you want to run across a fairly flat surface at about an 8 out of 10 RPE, gradually increasing in speed until you reach that effort, then gradually decelerating. This offers a small burst of speedwork without fully sprinting or overspending yourself. Walk for a few minutes to bring your heart rate down in between these efforts and calm your breathing before you start the next stride. (You can even do these on a treadmill, as long as you make it a point to safely increase the speed as you accelerate and decelerate.)“Strides do so much for us. It really engages some of the end range muscles of our stride, which for one, feels really good, but then it makes our easy running and our half marathon pace feel a lot better and more efficient,” says Baldwin. “Over time, it really raises our efficiency and our easy pace for little to no cost.”3. Trust the ProcessThe key to getting the most out of this plan is trusting that it takes time to see all your hard work pay off in the end. Baldwin explains that early on in the plan, you might feel fatigue and wonder if you’re making progress, but the aerobic adaptations take time to build and develop, so it’s okay if you don’t notice yourself getting faster right away or you’re still feeling normal fatigue levels after your runs.You can expect it to take four to eight weeks of consistent running with this plan for your bones, joints, ligaments, and tissues to adapt to the load. Eventually, you’ll notice your perceived effort and heart rate go down while running at the same pace, or even a little faster, Baldwin explains.4. Add Strength TrainingBoth strength training and cross-training fit into this plan and can help you adapt to the load, build strength, and prevent injuries. “Anytime we’re doing a plan like this, we have to think about training our bones, joints, tissues, and ligaments to handle the training load,” says Baldwin. “The things that are going to stop us are some type of injury because we didn’t load some part of our body in the correct way or in the correct progression.”Baldwin recommends strength workouts that work for you, whether it’s weighted or bodyweight. You can strength train one to three times a week on days you’re not running or pair strength workouts with midweek easy runs.CHECK OUT OUR GUIDE TO STRENGTH TRAINING5. Treasure ConsistencyWhile it’s okay to miss a workout here and there, the key is staying consistent over time. Following a plan like this gives you a way to fit training into your life consistently, with a manageable amount of running to fit into most busy schedules.Baldwin explains that he sees a stark difference between runners who are less consistent versus runners who know how to make running a routine part of their life. “Consistency doesn’t need to be crazy impressive, but if you’re consistent, it’ll almost always work out better,” he adds.Kristine Kearns, a writer and avid runner, joined Runner’s World and Bicycling in July 2024. She previously coached high school girls cross country and currently competes in seasonal races, with more than six years of distance training and an affinity for weightlifting. You can find her wearing purple, baking cupcakes, and visiting her local farmers market.