Get started
Set your race date, your experience and the hours you have each day. GetRaceReady builds the whole block back from race day — recovery weeks, optional strength sessions and taper included.
What the half marathon distance is
A half marathon covers 21.1 km, or 13.1 miles — long enough that pacing and fuelling decide your result as much as fitness does, but short enough to fit around a normal training week.
Distance
21.1 km
13.1 miles
Typical long run peak
16-18 km
In the final build weeks
Train by
Pace, HR or RPE
Whichever you choose
Typical finishing times
A rough guide so you can place yourself. Courses, conditions and pacing move these bands considerably.
- First-timer finishing
- 2:15 – 2:45
- Solid club runner
- 1:45 – 2:15
- Competitive runner
- 1:20 – 1:45
How long you need to train
Your plan is generated backwards from your race date, so the length is simply the gap between your start date and race day. These are the runways we would suggest.
New to the distance
16 weeks
Longer base phase, gentler weekly progression and no hard intensity until the aerobic foundation is genuinely there.
Intermediate
12 weeks
A season or two of racing behind you. Standard progression with tempo and interval work from the base phase onwards.
Experienced
10 weeks
Already training consistently year round. Shorter prep, earlier race-specific intensity, higher peak mileage.
What a training week looks like
A real week from the app. Weeks start on Monday, dates are DD/MM/YYYY, and every session opens with its full structure, targets and fuelling guidance.
Sample build week · week 7 of 14
Half marathonLong run
Sun 12/07 · 1 h 40 · Long
Steady conversational pace, last 10 min at half marathon effort if form is still good.
Nutrition
Before: 60 g carbohydrate. During: gel every 30-40 min. After: full meal within 2 h.
Alternative session
Compressed option: 60 min steady, keeping the race-effort finish.
How the plan is built for 13.1 miles
Base phase
Establish the weekly rhythm and build your aerobic foundation with mostly easy mileage before load starts climbing.
Build phase
Race-specific intensity arrives: tempo runs, threshold efforts and intervals, alongside a steadily rising long run.
Peak phase
The biggest weeks of the plan, with the longest long run held just long enough to adapt from.
Taper phase
One to two weeks of reduced volume with short sharp efforts retained, so freshness returns without losing the edge.
- A recovery week every sixth week, with mileage and intensity deliberately down
- A one to two week taper before race day, intensity retained, volume cut
- Hard sessions never land on two consecutive days
- Optional strength sessions for stability, core and injury resilience
- Train by pace, heart rate or RPE — whichever you choose
- Sessions can be dragged to another day when life gets in the way
More detail on the periodisation and load model is on the training method page.
Fuelling and race day
A half marathon is won and lost on pacing and fuelling. Every session in your plan carries before, during and after guidance, with carbohydrate and fluid ranges scaled to the length of that session and to the dietary preferences and intolerances you set in your profile. Race week adds a race-morning checklist, a kit checklist, a pacing plan and a race-day timeline.
Practise your fuelling strategy in training rather than trying it for the first time on race day, and consult a qualified professional for individual medical or nutritional advice. GetRaceReady is a training planning tool, not a medical service.
Half marathon training questions
Build your half marathon plan today
Seven days free, then £12.99 a month, or £89.99 a year. Card details are required to start the trial and you can cancel any time from your profile.