Couch to Half Marathon
You’ve just signed up for your first half marathon either on a whim or as a way to raise money for charity.
But now the reality has hit home, and you need a bit of help to go from Couch to Half Marathon in time for the big day. Well, look no further, our 20-week plan will get you to the finish line in a safe and fun way!
Can You Do a Half Marathon Without Training?
The simple answer is, it's certainly not advisable. Going from couch to running 13.1 miles (21km) would put your body under intense strain and you would likely injure yourself in the process.
This is especially true if you are new to running or haven’t exercised in a while. Instead, it is better to slowly build up your stamina and fitness by following a plan like the one below.
This will allow your body time to adjust and recover between workouts reducing your risk of injury and making the whole experience far more enjoyable.
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Couch to Half Marathon Training Plan
Below is our 20-week roadmap to achieving a half marathon even if you’re a complete beginner. It uses the walk-run-walk method in which you alternate between running and walking.
This method gives your body the opportunity to adapt and slowly build up the fitness and stamina you need to run longer distances. You’ll also see that each week you’ll do a longer run, this is to get you used to exercising for longer durations. You can do these longer runs by alternating with periods of walking too, but you should try to keep moving if you can.
This will help you start training your mind as well as your body so you can keep going mile after mile. We’ve included cross-training in this plan as it's great for breaking up the repetitiveness of running, helps to improve overall fitness, and rests your running muscles. Things like gentle strength training, swimming or even yoga are great on days like these.
Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 30 Mins (Run 1 Min, Walk 2 Mins x 10) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 1 Min, Walk 2 Mins x 10) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 3 Miles (Run 1 Min, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
2 | 30 Mins (Run 1 Min, Walk 2 Mins x 10) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 28 Mins (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 7) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 3 Miles (Run 1 Min, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
3 | 28 Mins (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 7) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 28 Mins (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 7) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 4 Miles (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
4 | 28 Mins (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 7) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 3 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 6) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 4 Miles (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
5 | 30 Mins (Run 3 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 6) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 3 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 6) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 4 Miles (Run 2 Mins, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
6 | 30 Mins (Run 3 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 6) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 4 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 5 Miles (Run 3 Mins, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
7 | 30 Mins (Run 4 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 4 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 5 Miles (Run 3 Mins, Walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
8 | 30 Mins (Run 4 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 4 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 6 Miles (Run 4 Mins, walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
9 | 30 Mins (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 6) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 4 Mins, Walk 2 Mins x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 6 Miles (Run 4 Mins, walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
10 | 30 Mins (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 6) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 30 Mins (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 6) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 4 Miles (Run 4 Mins, Walk 1 Mins) | Rest |
Week | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11 | 36 Mins (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 6) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 36 Mins (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 6) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 7 Miles (Run 4 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
12 | 30 Mins (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 6) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 35 Mins (Run 6 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 8 Miles (Run 4 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
13 | 35 Mins (Run 6 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 35 Mins (Run 6 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 5 Miles (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
14 | 35 Mins (Run 6 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 40 Mins (Run 7 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 9 Miles (Run 5 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
15 | 40 Mins (Run 7 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 40 Mins (Run 7 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 6 Miles (Run 6 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
16 | 40 Mins (Run 7 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 36 Mins (Run 8 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 4) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 10 Miles (Run 6 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
17 | 45 Mins (Run 8 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 45 Mins (Run 8 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 7 Miles (Run 7 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
18 | 45 Mins (Run 8 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 5) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 44 Mins (Run 10 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 4) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 10 Miles (Run 7 Mins, Walk 1 Min) | Rest |
19 | 44 Mins (Run 10 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 4) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 44 Mins (Run 10 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 4) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | 6 Miles (Run 8 Mins, walk 2 Mins) | Rest |
20 | 44 Mins (Run 10 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 4) | Cross Training – 30Mins | 44 Mins (Run 10 Mins, Walk 1 Min x 4) | Rest | Cross Training – 30Mins | Rest | RACE DAY! |
Can You Train for a Half Marathon on a Treadmill?
A treadmill is a great way to maintain your training no matter what the weather or time of day. Treadmill running is a great way to practice your running form and can help you prepare for the mental challenges that come with long-distance running like boredom.
It’s also great for setting pace and specific interval times letting you easily keep on track with your training plan.
It is important to make sure that you schedule some of your longer runs outdoors, this will help prepare you for the marathon itself. If you can, try running some of the route you’ll take on the day, so you’ll have an idea of what to expect.
What Not to Do the Week Before the race
in the last week of the training plan the intensity and length of workouts reduce, this is called tapering and is an important part of training for a half marathon. There are a few things you should avoid in the week running up to your half marathon.
Training too much or not enough
Maintaining your routine, fitness and endurance is important. You can do this by reducing the miles you run but maintaining the intensity at which you work out, this strategy has been proven to be effective for most athletes.
Unfamiliar exercises
trying exercises your body is unfamiliar with could lead to tired, sore muscles and potential injuries, all of which could put your performance at risk in your half marathon.
Poor diet
It might be tempting to treat yourself to some comfort food. But it's important to maintain a healthy balanced diet with all the protein and carbohydrates your body needs to perform at its best
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep gives our body time to heal and repair any microtears in the muscles so you can be at your best and smash every one of those 13.1 miles.
Changing your gear
New shoes can cause sore feet and injuries that could stop you from running, and a new outfit might rub in all the wrong places, making your half marathon a very uncomfortable one.
Best warm-up exercises
Stretching exercises are essential to preparing your body for high-intensity workouts
With all this said, it's important to remember to listen to your own body. Remember to have a chat with your doctor if you have any health conditions before you start any training just to make sure it’s safe.
You can adapt the plan and information here to what best suits your lifestyle and fitness level, and rest whenever you need to.
Whether you follow the schedule as is or develop your own version, by the end of it, you should be able to decide for yourself whether to run the whole way on race day or use walk-run-walk intervals to cover the distance. Both are great ways of racing, and it’s best to go with what feels good for you.
Remember to have fun, you’ve got this!