Long runs increase running economy (efficiency) and help you cover the half-marathon distance comfortably-so you can then worry about running it fast rather than just completing the race.ĭuring a 12–20 week half-marathon training period, add a mile to your long run every 1–2 weeks, but take a recovery week every 4–6 weeks in which the long run distance dips slightly. If you’re a beginner, long runs are even more critical, as endurance is the top limiting factor for new runners. Long runs build your general endurance so you can run further, complete longer and more intense workouts, and help you maintain faster paces for a longer period of time. photo: 101 Degrees West Ingredient #1: The Almighty Long RunĮvery runner should be doing a weekly long run-no matter what distance you’re training to complete. We’ll start with more general guidelines and move to specific workouts.

Let’s cover three of the bread-and-butter ingredients to every successful half marathon training program. With the right half marathon training approach that prioritizes general endurance and race-specific fitness, you’ll see plummeting race times while having more fun than ever as you cruise through the miles. But at 13.1 miles, you can’t fake your way through a half like you can with a shorter race like the 5K distance. Unlike a marathon, which requires more fuel than your body can store in its muscles, a half marathon is short enough that you don’t have to worry about “hitting the wall” in the final miles. But it’s manageable - and you can do it, with smart, specific half marathon training. So, you want to run a fast half marathon? You’re in luck: the half is one of the longest race distances that’s also approachable and relatively easy to run fast.

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