16 Weeks to a Spring Half-Marathon
It’s a few months until spring race season and, though it’s cold. you should be picking races and starting a training plan.
We’ve revived some well-tested marathon and half-marathon plans for whatever your ability. They’re 12 weeks and 16 weeks long, respectively, and we’ll be posting the plans as the weeks go by. The plans are in kilometres. Remember to always train to how your body is feeling. It’s more important to think about the plan as a whole than sacrifice a week of running for a single workout.
Enjoy!
Beginner – Marathon
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Rest | Easy* | Intervals** | Rest | Steady*** | Easy | Long**** |
| Off | 5 | 5 (3 hills) | Off | 6 | Walk or XT | 10 |
| Off | 5 | 6 (4 hills) | Off | 6 | Walk or XT | 16 |
| Off | 5 | 7 (5 hills) | Off | 7 | Walk or XT | 18 |
| Off | 5 | 7 (6 hills) | Off | 8 | Walk or XT | 12 |
| Off | 5 | 9 (4 x 3 min) | Off | 8 | Walk or XT | 22 |
| Off | 5 | 9 (6 x 2 min) | Off | 9 | Walk or XT | 13 |
| Off | 5 | 10 (5 x 3 min) | Off | 9 | Walk or XT | 24 |
| Off | 5 | 11 (8 x 2 min) | Off | 10 | Walk or XT | 26 |
| Off | 5 | 11 (4 x 4 min) | Off | 11 | Walk or XT | 18 |
| Off | 5 | 10 (4 x 5 min) | Off | 12 | Walk or XT | 30 |
| Off | 5 | 11 (6 x 3 min) | Off | 11 | Walk or XT | 35 |
| Off | 5 | 10 (6 x 2 min) | Off | 10 | Walk or XT | 25 |
| Off | 5 | 8 (4 x 2 min) | Off | 8 | Walk or XT | 15 |
| Off | 5 | 7 (3 x 2 min) | Off | 6 | Walk or XT | 10 |
| Off | 3 | 4 | Off | Off | 2 | Marathon |
Intermediate – Marathon
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Rest | Intervals* | Easy** | Tempo*** | Rest | Easy | Long**** |
| Off | 5 (3 hills) | 5 | 6 (2 tempo) | Off | 5 | 10 |
| Off | 6 (5 hills) | 5 | 6 (2 tempo) | Off | 5 | 16 |
| Off | 7 (7 hills) | 5 | 7 (3 tempo) | Off | 5 | 18 |
| Off | 9 (9 hills) | 5 | 8 (4 tempo) | Off | 7 | 12 |
| Off | 9 (4 x 1000m) | 5 | 8 (4 tempo) | Off | 5 | 22 |
| Off | 9 (5 x 800m) | 5 | 12 (8 tempo) | Off | 7 | 13 |
| Off | 10 (5 x 1000m) | 5 | 10 (6 tempo) | Off | 5 | 24 |
| Off | 11 (8 x 800m) | 5 | 9 (5 tempo) | Off | 5 | 26 |
| Off | 12 (4 x 1600m) | 5 | 16 (12 tempo) | Off | 7 | 18 |
| Off | 10 (5 x 1000m) | 5 | 11 (7 tempo) | Off | 5 | 30 |
| Off | 11 (4 x 1600m) | 5 | 12 (8 tempo) | Off | 5 | 35 |
| Off | 12 (6 x 800m) | 5 | 10 (6 tempo) | Off | 5 | 30 |
| Off | 10 (4 x 1000m) | 5 | 8 (4 tempo) | Off | 5 | 15 |
| Off | 7 (3 x 800m) | 5 | 6 (2 tempo) | Off | 5 | 10 |
| Off | 4 | 6 (3 at MP) | Off | Off | 2 | Marathon |
Advanced – Marathon
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Rest | Intervals* | Easy** | Tempo*** | Easy | Easy | Long**** |
| Off | 5 (4 hills) | 8 | 10 (6 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Off | 6 (6 hills) | 8 | 10 (6 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| Off | 7 (8 hills) | 8 | 12 (8 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| Off | 9 (10 hills) | 8 | 12 (8 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| Off | 10 (4 x 1000m) | 8 | 16 (2 x 10 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 22 (5K at MP) |
| Off | 10 (5 x 800m) | 8 | 18 (2 x 10 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 13 |
| Off | 10 (5 x 1000m) | 8 | 18 (2 x 15 mins tempo) | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| Off | 12 (8 x 800m) | 8 | 16 (2 x 12 mins tempo) | 8 | 8 | 26 (10K at MP) |
| Off | 14 (4 x 1600m) | 8 | 18 (14 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 20 |
| Off | 13 (6 x 1000m) | 8 | 16 (12 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 32 |
| Off | 14 (10 x 800m) | 8 | 18 (3 x 8 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 38 (15K at MP) |
| Off | 12 (6 x 800m) | 8 | 18 (3 x 9 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 32 |
| Off | 10 (4 x 800m) | 8 | 12 (3 x 6 mins tempo) | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| Off | 7 (3 x 800m) | 5 | 8 (4 tempo) | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Off | 5 (2 x 400m) | 6 (3 at MP) | Off | Off | 2 | Marathon |
Beginner – Half-Marathon
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Rest | Easy* | Intervals** | Rest | Steady*** | Easy | Long**** |
| Off | 5 | 7 (5 hills) | Off | 7 | Walk or XT | 10 |
| Off | 5 | 7 (6 x 2 min) | Off | 7 | Walk or XT | 12 |
| Off | 5 | 9 (6 hills) | Off | 8 | Walk or XT | 12 |
| Off | 5 | 10 (5 x 3 min) | Off | 9 | Walk or XT | 14 |
| Off | 5 | 11 (4 x 4 min) | Off | 11 | Walk or XT | 16 |
| Off | 5 | 12 (4 x 5 min) | Off | 10 | Walk or XT | 18 |
| Off | 5 | 11 (6 x 3 min) | Off | 11 | Walk or XT | 20 |
| Off | 5 | 11 (8 x 2 min) | Off | 12 | Walk or XT | 22 |
| Off | 5 | 8 (4 x 2 min) | Off | 8 | Walk or XT | 20 |
| Off | 5 | 7 (3 x 3 min) | Off | 6 | Walk or XT | 10 |
| Off | 4 | 5 (3 x 2 min) | Off | 3 | Off | Half-Marathon |
Intermediate – Half-Marathon
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Rest | Intervals* | Easy** | Tempo*** | Rest | Easy | Long**** |
| Off | 8 (5 hills) | 5 | 6 (2 tempo) | Off | 5 | 14 |
| Off | 10 (8 x 400m) | 5 | 7 (4 tempo) | Off | 5 | 16 |
| Off | 10 (8 hills) | 5 | 10 (6 tempo) | Off | 5 | 16 |
| Off | 10 (5 x 1000m) | 5 | 10 (6 tempo) | Off | 5 | 20 |
| Off | 12 (4 x 1600m) | 5 | 12 (8 tempo) | Off | 5 | 18 |
| Off | 12 (6 x 1000m) | 5 | 11 (7 tempo) | Off | 5 | 22 |
| Off | 11 (4 x 1600m) | 5 | 12 (8 tempo) | Off | 5 | 22 |
| Off | 12 (6 x 800m) | 5 | 10 (6 tempo) | Off | 5 | 22 |
| Off | 10 (4 x 1000m) | 5 | 8 (4 tempo) | Off | 5 | 18 |
| Off | 7 (3 x 800m) | 5 | 6 (2 tempo) | Off | 5 | 14 |
| Off | 6 (2 x 1000m) | 3 | 6 (3 at HMP) | 4 | Off | Half-Marathon |
Advanced – Half-Marathon
| Mond | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| Rest | Intervals* | Easy** | Tempo*** | Easy | Easy | Long**** |
| Off | 8 (6 hills) | 8 | 10 (6 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 14 |
| Off | 9 (8 x 400m) | 8 | 10 (6 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| Off | 10 (8 hills) | 8 | 12 (3 x 4 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 20 |
| Off | 10 (4 x 1000m) | 8 | 12 (2 x 10 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 22 (5K at HMP) |
| Off | 10 (5 x 1000m) | 8 | 12 (2 x 10 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| Off | 12 (8 x 800m) | 8 | 10 (3 x 5 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 22 (6K at HMP) |
| Off | 14 (4 x 1600m) | 8 | 12 (8 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| Off | 13 (6 x 1000m) | 8 | 12 (8 tempo) | 8 | 8 | 22 |
| Off | 14 (10 x 800m) | 8 | 14 (3 x 9 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 24 (8K at HMP) |
| Off | 12 (6 x 800m) | 8 | 12 (3 x 8 min tempo) | 8 | 8 | 18 |
| Off | 10 (5 x 800m) | 5 | 8 (4 tempo) | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Off | 6 (2 x 800m) | 4 | 5 (2 HMP) | 4 | Off | Half-Marathon |
| NOTE: This plan is a guide only. The program is in kilometres.The intervals and tempo runs should all be sandwiched with at least 2-3K of very easy running as a warmup and another 2-3K cool-down If you feel worn out or on the verge of an overuse injury, don’t be afraid to rest. No single workout is worth sabotaging the 16-week program. Consistency is key. | ||||||||
| *Intervals: For the hills, run a hill that takes about a minute or so at a steady pace and recover with a slow jog back down. For the intervals, run them on a 400m track (or estimate the distance on the road) at a challenging but controlled pace, somewhere between 5K and 10K race pace, with a one-lap (or 2-3 minute) recovery jog between each. Run a consistent pace for each interval – if you have to slow down, you’re going out too fast. | ||||||||
| **Easy: The easy runs should be done at a very comfortable pace. Skip the Friday easy run or cross-train if you’re feeling burned out. | ||||||||
| ***Tempo Run: These runs should be done at a challenging but sustainable pace, somewhere between 10K and half-marathon race pace. Jog easy for 2-3 minutes between timed sets. Ease to pace to near half-marathon pace for longer tempo runs. | ||||||||
| ****Long Run: The Sunday long run is the key component of your marathon training. Every third week, there’s a shorter long run and the longer long runs build to 38K. Back off on the distance if you feel worn out or injured. Three runs include a section at marathon pace (MP). |
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