Summary:
Tempo running can sit naturally within half marathon training, where longer periods at a moderately hard effort can complement the endurance demands of the distance. These ten workouts give you different ways to bring Zone 3 into your training as you prepare for 13.1 miles.
Bringing Tempo Into Your Half Marathon Training
Half marathon training gives you plenty of room to explore what it feels like to stay with a moderately hard effort for longer. Tempo running can bring a different rhythm to the week, where the challenge comes from settling into Zone 3 and becoming comfortable spending time there rather than continually looking to increase the intensity. Longer intervals can work particularly well, while continuous efforts give you the chance to find that rhythm and stay with it as the run develops.
The workouts below offer different ways to bring that longer tempo work into your training without suggesting that every session will suit you straight away. You can shorten an interval or complete fewer repetitions if you need to bring the overall session down, while a little more recovery can make some of the interval sessions easier to manage. As your endurance develops, you may find that spending longer within Zone 3 begins to feel more familiar and opens up different options for how you use tempo running within your half marathon preparation. Our Where Do Running Zones Fit Into Half Marathon Training? guide explains the intensity metrics used across each zone and how the different training zones can fit within your half marathon preparation.
10 Example Half Marathon Tempo Sessions
1. Longer Tempo Intervals
Purpose: Develops your ability to maintain tempo pace for extended periods, while the recovery lets you accumulate more quality work than a single continuous effort.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 2 × 15 min @ Zone 3 (4 min jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
2. Sustained Tempo Repeats
Purpose: Accumulates a substantial amount of tempo running while the short recoveries help maintain consistent pacing and quality across the full session.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 3 × 10 min @ Zone 3 (2 min jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
3. Tempo With Stride Finish
Purpose: Adds brief faster running after the tempo work to practise increasing your speed and maintaining good running coordination when some fatigue has already developed.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set:
20 min @ Zone 3
4 × 20 sec strides (easy recovery between)Cool-Down: 10 min jog
4. Tempo Pyramid
Purpose: Develops your pacing judgement across changing interval lengths, requiring you to keep the tempo effort controlled as both the duration and accumulated fatigue change.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 6 min → 7 min → 8 min → 7 min → 6 min @ Zone 3 (2 min jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
5. Zone 2 to Tempo Progression
Purpose: Develops your ability to increase your pace later in a longer run, maintaining tempo after already accumulating aerobic work and fatigue.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 20 min @ Zone 2 → 20 min @ Zone 3
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
6. Sustained 30-Minute Tempo
Purpose: Develops the pacing control needed to settle into tempo and hold an even effort throughout a prolonged, uninterrupted block of running.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 30 min @ Zone 3
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
7. Broken Tempo Set
Purpose: Uses brief recoveries to help maintain consistent pacing and running quality while building up your total time at tempo.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 4 × 8 min @ Zone 3 (90 sec jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
8. Hill Tempo Intervals
Purpose: Increases the muscular demand of your tempo running, with the incline requiring greater force production while you maintain the intended Zone 3 effort.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 5 × 4 min uphill @ Zone 3 (walk/jog downhill recovery)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
9. Tempo Within an Aerobic Run
Purpose: Adds focused tempo work to a longer aerobic run, combining pace development with the endurance demands of a longer session.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set:
15 min @ Zone 2
20 min @ Zone 3
10 min @ Zone 2Cool-Down: 10 min jog
10. Short-Recovery Tempo Intervals
Purpose: Limits the recovery between efforts to keep the aerobic demand elevated while developing your ability to maintain consistent tempo running across the full set.
Warm-Up: 10 min jog
Main Set: 6 × 6 min @ Zone 3 (90 sec jog between)
Cool-Down: 10 min jog
Developing Your Tempo Running for the Half Marathon
Throughout your half marathon training, tempo running can give you different ways to spend longer at a stronger effort without every workout needing to follow the same format. You might enjoy the rhythm of a continuous tempo run or prefer intervals that give you some recovery along the way. The amount of Zone 3 running can change between sessions too, allowing tempo to take on a slightly different role depending on where you are within your preparation.
There is no need to treat the longer workouts as the ones you should eventually be aiming for. Different sessions can remain useful at different points in your training, and sometimes a workout you already know well will be exactly what you want. Having a selection to choose from gives you the freedom to use tempo in a way that makes sense alongside the rest of your running rather than following a fixed progression.
Our Building Half Marathon Endurance With Tempo Running guide takes a deeper look at the role of Zone 3 and how tempo running can support your preparation for the distance.
Final Thoughts
Tempo running can become an enjoyable part of half marathon training, particularly when you find sessions that suit the way you like to train. There can be something satisfying about settling into Zone 3 and finding your rhythm, whether that comes through intervals or a continuous tempo run.
The ten workouts give you a collection to draw from rather than a schedule you need to follow. Some may become sessions you enjoy returning to, while others might suit particular stages of your half marathon preparation. Having that choice can help keep tempo running fresh and give you something different to look forward to as your training unfolds.
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.
