Summary:
These ten run sessions provide different ways to develop your half marathon training as you prepare for the distance. Each workout brings its own focus, giving you a collection of sessions that can be adapted around your experience and wider training.
Developing Your Half Marathon Training Through Different Sessions
Half marathon preparation asks you to become comfortable with running for longer, but that does not mean every session needs to place the same demands on you. Changing the intensity and structure of individual workouts gives you different ways to develop your running while keeping the sustained nature of 13.1 miles in perspective.
The ten sessions below offer different ways to approach that preparation rather than forming a training plan you need to follow. Some give you more time within a sustained effort, while others introduce shorter periods of harder running. The duration or number of repetitions can be adjusted to suit where you are in your training, with recovery changed when a session needs to be made more manageable.
For a closer look at intensity, our Where Do Running Zones Fit Into Half Marathon Training? guide explores how the different zones can contribute to the demands of the distance.
10 Example Half Marathon Run Sessions
1. Zone 2 Long Run
Purpose: Develops the endurance to maintain steady running for longer periods while managing the overall intensity of the session.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 60–90 min @ Zone 2
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
2. Zone 3 Tempo Session
Purpose: Develops your ability to hold tempo pace for extended periods while using the recovery to maintain the quality of both efforts.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 2 x 15 min @ Zone 3 (4 min recovery jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
3. Zone 4 Threshold Intervals
Purpose: Accumulates quality threshold work across longer intervals, developing your ability to maintain pace as the demands of each effort build.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 3 x 8 min @ Zone 4 (3 min recovery jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
4. VO2 Intervals
Purpose: Challenges the upper end of your fitness through repeated high-intensity efforts, with recovery helping you maintain the intended quality across the session.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 6 x 2 min @ Zone 5 (2–3 min recovery between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
5. Progression Long Run
Purpose: Develops your ability to gradually increase the effort during a longer run, finishing at tempo after an extended period of easier running.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 60–75 min, progressing from Zone 2 → Zone 3
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
6. Half Marathon Pace Blocks
Purpose: Gives you repeated practice at your target half marathon pace, helping you become familiar with the effort and judge it consistently across longer blocks.
Warm-Up: 12 min jog
Main Set: 3 x 3K @ estimated half marathon pace (3 min recovery jog between)
Cool-Down: 8–10 min jog
7. Back-to-Back Run Days
Purpose: Develops your ability to run effectively on already fatigued legs by placing the second session before you have fully recovered from the first.
Day 1: 50 min easy run @ Zone 2
Day 2: 50 min run with final 15 min @ Zone 3
8. Hill Repeats
Purpose: Uses the incline to increase the force required with each stride, developing running strength while maintaining quality across repeated uphill efforts.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 6 x 75 sec uphill @ Zone 5 (walk down recovery between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
9. Tempo Into Threshold
Purpose: Progresses from tempo into threshold work, requiring you to increase the intensity and maintain quality after fatigue has already begun to accumulate.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set:
10 min @ Zone 3
2 x 8 min @ Zone 4 (2 min jog between reps)Cool-Down: 10 min jog
10. Active Recovery Run
Purpose: Maintains easy running and regular movement while keeping the additional training demand low between more demanding sessions.
Warm-Up: Optional
Main Set: 35–45 min @ Zone 1
Cool-Down: Gentle walk or mobility work
Fitting Sessions Around Your Half Marathon Training
As your half marathon training develops, the sessions that fit well within it may change. Longer runs can begin to take more from your week, while harder workouts bring their own recovery demands. This makes it useful to consider each session alongside the running you are already doing rather than treating it as an isolated workout.
You do not need to include every type of session for your training to feel complete. Some workouts may become regular features, while others can be adjusted or left out when they do not fit comfortably with your current workload. Having different options gives you room to make those choices as your preparation develops.
Taking on the distance for the first time? Our Beginner’s Guide to Half Marathon looks at the wider process of preparing for 13.1 miles and what to consider as you build towards it.
Final Thoughts
Half marathon training gives you plenty of room to find sessions that suit the way you enjoy running and the demands of your preparation. As the distance of your longer runs increases, having different workout options can help you decide what fits comfortably around them without every week needing to look the same.
These ten sessions are there to give you a collection to draw from rather than a set you need to complete. You may return to certain workouts throughout your training, while others might suit a particular stage of your preparation. Give yourself the flexibility to make those choices as you build towards your half marathon.
Always consult with a medical professional or certified coach before beginning any new training program. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized advice.
