Runners: GET FASTER With These 6 Half Marathon Specific WORKOUTS - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro This is a quick summary of Runners: GET FASTER With These 6 Half Marathon Specific WORKOUTS from The FOD Runner. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workouts today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Warm‑up with a short tempo (10‑15 min) at just a touch faster than half‑marathon pace to “burn the rust” before diving into intervals.
Use “cut‑down” intervals (e.g., 4‑2‑1 min repeats) to train the gears and finish strong.
Over‑/under‑tempo work (e.g., 10 min on / 3 min off) builds fitness and teaches you to hold a steady tempo.
Mix longer tempo blocks (15 min) with medium‑length intervals (6 min) and a short finishing effort to mimic race surges.
Short, fast leg‑spinners (5 × 50 s) sandwiched between longer tempos train you to handle race‑pace surges.
A big‑volume chunk (6 × 4 min with 90 s jog) followed by short 75‑sec and 30‑sec fast reps builds endurance and leg‑speed.
Bonus: 4 mi at marathon pace, 4 mi at half‑marathon pace, then 2 mi faster to practice pacing transitions.

Workout Examples

Tempo‑Cut‑Down – 10 min tempo (≈½ marathon pace) → 2 min easy jog → 2 × (4 min @ 4 min‑pace, 2 min jog, 4×1 min fast) → repeat.
Over‑Under Tempo – 10 min on @ slightly faster than half‑marathon pace, 3 min off, repeat for 60 min total.
3×10 min with 60 s float – 3 reps of 10 min at goal race pace (≈½ marathon pace) with 60 s easy jog between.
15‑min Tempo + 2×6 min + 3 min – 15 min tempo (≈1‑hour race pace) → 2×6 min at half‑marathon pace → 3 min fast finish.
10‑min Tempo + 5×50 s – 10 min tempo → 5×50 s fast legs (keep controlled) → 5 min tempo → repeat 5×50 s.
6×4 min (90 s jog) + 75 s/30 s – 6 repeats of 4 min at aerobic pace, 90 s jog, then three sets of 2×75 s fast + 30 s sprint.
Bonus – Pace Mix – 4 mi at marathon pace, 4 mi at half‑marathon pace, 2 mi faster (optional) to practice pacing transitions.

Practical Tips

Keep the tempo effort just a shade faster than your target half‑marathon pace to warm up lungs.
Keep recovery jogs short (30‑90 s) to maintain the aerobic benefit while still allowing quality reps.
Adjust distances/ times to fit your training volume – e.g., shorten 4‑min intervals to 3 min, or cut a 10‑min tempo to 8 min if needed.
Use terrain (hills vs. flat) to vary intensity; downhill sections can be used for fast leg‑spins.
Customize paces in the Pacing app to match your own race‑pace targets.

Closing Note Give one of these workouts a try this week, tweak the paces to fit your own speed in the Pacing app, and watch your half‑marathon speed improve. Keep training, stay consistent, and enjoy the process—your next PB is just around the corner!