What kind of strength-training should I be doing? Trust: This race plan will help you stay calm and collected when your half-marathon arrives, since you’ll know you’ve prepared as best as you can to cross the finish line-and you’ll be more likely to avoid painful injury. “Sticking to a plan allows you to not only physically, but mentally, prepare for the 13.1 journey,” she explains. “There’s nothing worse than feeling unprepared on race day,” says Nesi. Look, if you’re still on the fence, think back to high school, when you forgot to study for your math exam and you totally bombed when the big day came along. “It can be intimidating, but it’s manageable-and the sense of accomplishment at the end, and medal, is priceless!” says Nesi. “It’s a race that requires a bit more training, discipline, and planning for runners looking to take it to that next level,” says Jasmine Nesi, a USATF certified running coach, an instructor at Mile High Run Club in New York City, and cofounder of RUNGRL. While it’s half the distance of a true marathon, the length of the race can still be daunting for seasoned runners and newbies alike.ĭownload The Half-Marathon Training Guide Here

As the name suggests, it’s exactly half the distance of a full marathon, which is 26.2 miles and 42 kilometers. Here’s what else you should know before you start… Remind me: How long is a half-marathon, exactly?Ī half-marathon is 13.1 miles in length, or 21 kilometers. To access all that pre-race information goodness, all you need to do is sign up for a WH+ membership and you’re good to go. That's why Women’s Health put together this 12-week long half-marathon training guide PDF, created exclusively for WH+ members. Basically, all you need to know is that *you got this*.īut.what next? Like, how long do you even need to train for? Do you have to do other exercises, too, like cross-training? These are the tough questions. Another bonus? Because the distance is more doable, the training doesn’t take up so much of your life and time like it does when you’re doing a full marathon. Whether a half-marathon is a bucket list fitness item for you or your stepping stone to a greater distance (hi, full marathon training plan), a half-marathon can get you out of your cardio comfort zone while also testing your effort and endurance levels. (Like, you’re pretty darn tired even after just a couple of miles.) That said, tons of people run half-marathons each year-seriously! Nearly 1.79 people ran half-marathons in total in 2019, with over 60 percent of those runners being women. Look, running 13.1 miles can be a pretty intimidating feat, especially if you’re new-ish to running in general.

Download half marathon runs