First Half Marathon Tips | How To Run Your First Half Marathon - The Running Channel
Taking on your first half marathon is an exciting challenge. To help you get started, we’re breaking down the fantastic advice from First Half Marathon Tips | How To Run Your First Half Marathon by The Running Channel. Here are the key takeaways to get you training today. For all the details, be sure to watch the full video.
Key Points for Your First Half Marathon
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Set Tiered Goals: To stay motivated and properly calibrate your training intensity, establish three goal times: an A-goal (your ultimate stretch), a B-goal (realistic and achievable), and a C-goal (one you can hit even on a tough day).
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Choose the Right Training Plan: Your plan should be tailored to your goal. A 90-minute finish requires a different approach than a 2-hour finish. Crucially, ensure Week 1’s volume mirrors your current weekly mileage to avoid injury. While these tips are for a half marathon, the core principles of structured training apply to any distance. If a half feels like too big a leap, consider Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance as a fantastic stepping stone.
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Prioritise Key Workouts: A cornerstone of your training will be the weekly long run (building up to ~10 mi/16 km) paired with interval sessions. These intervals, which involve running at paces both faster and slower than your goal race pace, are critical for building speed and endurance. To get the most out of these sessions, it’s worth understanding the science behind them. You can learn more in our guide to Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
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Nail Your Nutrition and Fueling: Carb-load for 2–3 days before the race to max out your glycogen stores. Just as important, use your long runs to practice with on-the-run fuel like energy gels, gummies, or low-GI drinks to see what works best for your stomach.
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Taper for Peak Performance: In the final 2–3 weeks, you’ll taper by reducing your training volume and intensity. This allows your body to recover fully so you arrive at the starting line feeling fresh and ready to perform.
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Execute on Race Day: Resist the urge to start too fast. Aim to hold back for the first 5 km, settling into your goal race pace. A positive mantra or mental cue can be a powerful tool to keep you focused and strong when things get tough.
Sample Training Week
Here’s what a sample week might look like for a runner targeting a 2-hour finish time:
- Long run: 10 mi (16 km) at an easy pace + 10 sec/km slower than your goal race pace.
- Interval day: 5 × 1 km at 10 sec/km faster than race pace, with a 400 m jog for recovery. These targeted speed sessions are powerful, and similar strategies can dramatically boost your performance over shorter distances too, as we explore in our guide to Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.
- Tempo run: 4 mi at your goal race pace (≈5 min/km).
- Easy run: 3 mi at a comfortable, conversational pace.
Final Thoughts
Try this framework, tweak the paces in the Pacing app to match your personal goals, and enjoy the journey to your first half marathon. With smart training, you’ll feel stronger and more prepared than you thought possible. Good luck out there!
Remember to watch the full video from The Running Channel for deeper insights and extra tips.
References
Workout - First Half Marathon Speed Builder
- 10min @ 7'00''/km
- 5 lots of:
- 1.0km @ 5'31''/km
- 3min rest
- 10min @ 7'00''/km
to import the workout after you install it.
