How To Run A Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon: A 12 Week Training Guide

While it is called a HALF-marathon, there is nothing small about this distance – 13.1 miles, 21.1 kilometers. By anyone’s standards, it is a challenge to be respected. Many beginner and experienced runners set the goal of running a sub-2 hour half marathon as their first big milestone.

Why? Running a half marathon in under 2 hours requires more intense training – it isn’t a pace that the average person will do by chance. The average time to complete a half marathon sits at an impressive 2 hours 55 seconds, but shaving an extra 56 seconds off that time is easier said than done.

If you want to know how to run a sub-2 hour half marathon, you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through everything you need to know about achieving this goal. 

From nutrition and pacing to tapering and hydration, we’ve got you covered. We will look at the 15 steps to break that 2-hour barrier and a 12 week training plan to help you get there.

Ready? Let’s do it!

Struggling to Get Sub-2 Hours? Here’s Why!

If you’ve ever watched experienced runners doing a 10k or half marathon, you’ll have noticed how smooth and easy they make it look. But don’t be fooled – it is just as hard for them to run fast as it is for you. Sure, your definitions of ‘fast’ may differ, but the effort is still the same.

And in the same way it took those athletes doing the proper training, stretching, strengthening, nutrition, and hydration, it will for you too. 

Most athletes who struggle to break the 2-hour mark have the same problems. They:

• Run too fast on their easy runs
• Don’t do strength training and stretching
• Prioritize weight loss over optimal fueling
• Forget how important hydration is
• Don’t stick to their training plan

Once you reign yourself in and focus on the above steps, you will start seeing major improvements in your running. Of course, that’s not all there is to it. Below, we will look at the 15 steps to running a sub-2 hour half marathon.

Whatever you choose as a ‘good half marathon time‘, it’s important to follow these steps.

15 Steps to Run a Sub 2-Hour Half Marathon

No one likes learning things the hard way, especially when it’s so unnecessary with our guide below. If this is the first half-marathon you’re doing, well done for signing up! Remember that the goal of your first half should be finishing. 

But if you already have relative fitness and want to challenge yourself, or if this is the next goal you’d like to achieve, these steps will get you there in no time. Well, in 12 to 20 weeks, but you know what we mean!

1. Know Your Pace

When running any distance, consistency is the key to achieving a time goal. To succeed at running a sub-2 hour half marathon, you need to find a pace that you can maintain and stick to that like glue.

Many first-time half marathoners head out the gate too fast and end up paying for it later. Don’t bank time – never start fast thinking it gives you wriggle room. You can’t make up at the end what you overdid at the start. The last thing you want is to get to the 10- or 11-mile mark and hit a mental low, struggle with cramps, or suffer from an injury.

Sadly, half marathons are full of runners with no pacing strategy. This won’t work – you need to be a structured, prepared runner with a set pace that you stick to as closely as possible.

So how fast do you need to run to complete a half marathon in sub-2 hours?

To complete the half marathon in 1:59:59, you need to run 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer. But it’s not that simple because there’s no such thing as a perfect race. Whether it’s cramps, fatigue, toilet breaks, hills, or a niggle, something may slow you down at some stage of the run.

Nothing could be worse than running for 2 hours in the hopes of breaking the 2-hour half marathon only to go over by a few seconds.

Because of these unknowns, it’s best to err on the side of caution and run at a pace that’s slightly faster than exactly 1:59:59. We advise allowing for 5 minutes leeway – so aiming for a finish time of 1:55. To achieve this, you need to set off at a pace of 8:47 per mile or 5:27 per kilometer.

You can see the exact split times required in our pacing charts.

Memorize that number and make it stick in your mind. Write it on your arm on race day if you need to. As your watch alerts you to each mile or kilometer, check that you’re hitting that pace within a few seconds on either side. The purpose of the cushion is to allow for these variations.

And if you do go over by a few seconds each mile, don’t stress. If you have trained properly, you can always aim for negative splits at the end of the race. What is a negative split? Let’s find out.

What Is a Negative Split?

Every race you do will be divided into several sections on the race organizers’ time trackers, called splits. 

When you run a consistent pace for each segment, you are running what is called ‘even splits,’ so each section takes around the same time. If you slow down throughout the race, it’s called running ‘positive splits.’ This is because each segment takes longer than the previous one as you progress through the course.

When you get faster towards the end of the race and run each segment faster than the last, this is called running ‘negative splits.’ Once you have trained properly and put in the correct preparation, this will be the goal for your half marathon. But if you are a beginner or running your first half marathon, it is best to aim for ‘even splits.’

2. Ensure Proper Running Form

This may seem like a redundant point, but we can’t say enough about ensuring you’re running with proper form. Why? Running with poor form reduces your efficiency and economy, so you spend more energy than necessary. It also increases your risk of injury and fatigue.

There are plenty of theories about what the “proper form” is, and you will get a different answer from one physician to another, but they can agree on a few things:

• Your core should be engaged
• Don’t slouch or slump your shoulders
• Keep your head up, and your chin parallel to the ground
• Reduce heel strike by landing on the ball of your foot
• Don’t ball your hands into fists
• Keep your arms moving in a north-south movement; don’t cross them over your body

How do you know when you have proper running form? Running should feel like you are gliding – it should be smooth, relaxed, quick, and light.

3. Include Heart Rate or RPE Training

Most training plans work based on a pace per mile or kilometer for the workout. But, depending on your sleep, nutrition, hydration, stress levels, and fatigue, sticking to those times can sometimes be unattainable and cause more damage than good.

That’s where heart rate training or rate of perceived exertion (RPE) training comes in. If you struggle to tell the difference between an easy or hard run, you can either look at your heart rate on your watch or base the judgment on how you feel.

Everyone’s heart rate is different based on age, fitness level, health conditions, etc., but the guide below outlines the RPE zones and what percent effort that equates to for your heart rate:

As you get fitter, the effort you can put in and the pace you can run will increase without impacting your heart rate. It’s important to ensure that you stick to the correct RPE or heart rate % based on your workout. This goes both ways – it keeps you in check that you hold yourself back on easy days and push yourself on hard runs, tempo workouts, and intervals.

How do you work out what your maximum heart rate is?

The general rule of thumb is to deduct your age from 220. If you are 30 years old, your 100% would be 190 bpm. Thus, your paces would be:

• Easy: 114 – 133 bpm
• Hard: 134 – 152 bpm
• Very Hard: 153 – 171 bpm
• Maximum: 172 – 190 bpm

Of course, the above is just a guide. The only proper way to know your heart rate zones would be to visit a sports science center and be assessed. But if you are running for fun and fitness, these numbers will work fine as a guide.

4. Warm Up Every Time

If you watch the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, or any marathon, you will always notice that the elite and professional athletes are doing the same thing pre-race: warm-ups. This isn’t because they are bored standing around waiting for the race to start. 

Warming up serves a vital purpose – it loosens up your muscles and gets your blood pumping oxygen to your legs. This maximizes your flexibility, increases mobility, and prepares your body for the activity.

Doing warm-ups reduces your risk of injury while increasing your speed and endurance. It may feel like a waste of time or counterintuitive to stretch and do a brisk walk or gentle jog for 10 minutes before running, but this small effort will help you run better.

5. Increase Your Cadence

First, let’s look at what cadence is. It’s the number of steps you take each minute and is also often referred to as foot turnover. The ideal cadence or turnover is 170 to 180 steps per minute (spm).

Most beginners and casual runners have a cadence of 150 – 170 spm. The first goal is to ensure your spm is above 160. Anything below this means you’re likely overstriding, which increases your risk for injury. Runners with an spm lower than 160 typically strike with their heels, which is a recipe for disaster.

Running at 180 spm may feel too fast initially, so incorporating strides in your running sessions is critical. This means you will run most of the workout at a specific pace with short pushes at various points to train your body to increase your foot turnover.

How can you check your cadence if you don’t have a GPS watch that measures spm?

On your next run, count how many steps your left foot hits the ground in 10 seconds. Double that number to get the total number of footfalls in 10 seconds, then multiply that by 6 to get your steps per minute.

Quick tip: If you want to keep yourself on track while running, download a metronome app and set it to 90 bpm, then ensure your left foot is landing with each beat. It’s okay if you don’t get it right the whole time, but this will be a good way to check whether your spm is correct.

6. Get a Running Coach

This is another point that can be demonstrated by observing what the professionals do. Having a coach will do wonders for your running. They set up your workout schedule, hold you accountable, ensure you are fuelling properly, and answer any questions you have.

Coaches have varying rates for their service, so you may need to shop around to find one that suits your budget, needs, and personality. With the right coach, you will get your money’s worth, especially if you’re a beginner or intermediate-level runner.

If getting a coach is financially unfeasible, consider getting an accountability partner or joining a running club. Doing this will keep you on track and give you someone to pick you up when you feel tired or demotivated.

7. Run Lots of Hills

We can hear you already – “Hills?! Must I?!” Yes, absolutely! Hill training is handy for many reasons, so stop avoiding them! You should try to incorporate at least one hill training session per week as this strengthens your legs, quickens your stride, increases your running speed, and helps develop and strengthen your cardiovascular system.

Plus, most half marathon courses will have at least one or two hills, so preparing for them will help you conquer them on the day. Most people only worry about the uphill, but the downhill can be even more challenging.

You will learn how to relax while running downhill by practicing on hills.

The temptation is to open your stride and increase your speed, but this can lead to overstriding and moving faster than you have trained for. Practice makes progress, which couldn’t be more true than with hills. The more you do, the better you will get at doing them. It’s that simple.

8. Work on Your Mindset 

You need to get your head in the game and start thinking of yourself as an athlete. Rather than looking at your half marathon workouts as following a program, do what the pros do – look at it as being in training. This training includes stretching, hydrating, fuelling, and recovering as much as it includes running sessions.

Building your athlete mindset will keep you motivated to stay on the straight and narrow when the temptation to stay home on the couch watching Netflix creeps in. 

You need to figure out how much fluid you need for a half marathon, which gels/food you’ll eat, and which shoes give you the best support-to-speed ratio. These small things are the 10% that make the difference on half marathon day.

It all comes down to DOING THE TRAINING – mentally and physically. The most successful athletes enjoy the process and give each part equal attention and importance. It’s not only about getting the miles done. Your mind can be your worst enemy or your best friend. Working on your mindset allows you to pull yourself out the pain cave when you start meandering into it.

9. Don’t Over-Race

Races are a great motivation for many athletes, and they are great for measuring your success and improvements against other athletes. But when you’re training for a half marathon, which would be considered your “A-race,” you want to ensure you’ve got enough in the tank to have a good effort.

Why shouldn’t you race all the time?

The biggest downside to racing all the time is that you may become distracted from your bigger goal of running a sub-2 hour half marathon. If you run too hard too often, your weekly workouts will likely suffer.

If there’s a 10k race on a day you are meant to be running 10k anyway, you can use it as a training run in a race environment to get a feel for it. The trick here will be to pace yourself appropriately and pretend it is the first 10k of the half marathon. 

Run at the target half marathon pace and see what needs work. Do you go off too fast? Did you stretch and warm up properly? How is the food you ate pre-race sitting as you run? How much do you need to drink as you go? This race scenario will give you invaluable information if you stick to the plan.

Don’t sign up for random races throughout your training block, especially if it means your training plan will be affected or the race is on a recovery day. And if the race is within 4 weeks of your half marathon, it’s a definite no-no.

10. Practice Your Goal Race Pace

You shouldn’t be running your goal race pace during every workout, but you should practice it to see what it feels like. One of the main components athletes miss when training is including miles run at race pace.

If you run all of your workouts at your 5k race pace (very hard) or an easy pace of 11 minutes per mile, your brain and body won’t know what to do with your half marathon race pace, which sits somewhere in the middle.

The best way to practice your goal race pace is to include race pace miles in your long run or mid-week steady-state tempo run. Switch up the pace to your race pace for 1 to 3 miles in the middle of your run.

As you get closer to your half marathon, you’ll find that most training plans include a 10- or 11-mile long run in your peak training week, and 5 to 6 miles should be run at goal race pace.

See our training pace calculator for a detailed breakdown of the speeds you should be targeting.

11. Speed Isn’t Always the Goal

Starting too fast can result in you becoming overwhelmed with each session while also increasing your risk of getting injured. Rather build your speed gradually. Yes, we know your goal is to break 2 hours for a half marathon, but trust us when we say you must run slow to run fast.

You can build on your speed by adding 3 to 5 strides to the end of your easy runs. A stride is a pace just slower than a sprint (an RPE of around 8 or 85%) that you hold for 50 to 100 meters. Why are strides important? They allow you to run much faster without needing recovery, like after an interval session.

It can be tempting to see yourself moving towards your goal race pace and pushing harder to achieve that pace for all your runs. But your training program is made to train you to handle your goal pace over 13.1 miles of a half marathon, NOT hundreds of miles through the whole training block.

Easy runs make up around 80% of the runs in your training plan. You are compromising the entire training block if you run too fast or hard on those runs. Speed isn’t always the goal, especially when training for a distance race, so slow down. Run your easy runs at an easy pace – you should be able to hold a conversation on your easy runs.

Before including speed sessions in your program, ensure that you’ve built up your base fitness over a few months. Next, include hill workouts to build muscular and cardiovascular strength. Once you are comfortable, ease into higher-intensity speed workouts and tempo runs.

12. Prioritize Pre-Hab

The concept of pre-hab has gained popularity in the last 5 years, but it’s been around for decades. Pre-hab is doing stretches, movements, and exercises to work on the weaknesses in your body to assist you in running injury-free.

Running without injuries means getting more consistent training under your belt, leading to a more successful training block. Pre-hab mainly consists of strength workouts (we’ll cover that next) which make you a much better, stronger runner, so it’s a win-win.

Should you run if you have a niggle or “minor” injury?

Non-runners may think this is silly, but the main cause of injuries with runners is that they are too stubborn to recognize and act when an injury is imminent. Instead, they decide to “push through it.”

Of course, running is uncomfortable most of the time, so we often push ourselves outside our comfort zone during speed sessions and long runs. But there’s a big difference between discomfort and pain. If you start feeling pain consistently when running or the pain stays after you stop running, you need to push the pause button.

A few missed workouts are better than several months of missed runs due to an injury. Consistency is the best way to run a sub-2 hour half marathon, including prioritizing pre-hab.

13. Incorporate Strength Training

In our modern world, time always seems to be a scarce commodity. And, when training for a half marathon, running is the priority, so the first thing we skip from the training plan when time is limited is strength workouts.

But this will negatively impact your running pace. Why? Because running uses many of your large muscles, including your hamstrings, quads, calves, and glute muscles, having stronger muscles will give you more power and endurance.

Plus, having a strong upper body and core means you’ll have better posture during your run, improving your speed and efficiency. Strength workouts have many benefits, so incorporate them as much as possible.

14. Do Longer Long Runs

Building up your stamina and endurance for long distances can only be done by running long distances. On your easy runs, add a few extra miles at the end at an easy cool-down pace to train your brain to keep going. 

A lot of the success you’ll achieve in distance running comes down to your confidence in covering the distance. Knowing you can cover the distance means you have one less thing to worry about. If your training plan allows for it, increase your long run to 12 – 14 miles at an easy pace about 4 weeks before race day.

Additionally, practice your hydration and fuelling plan for race day. You need to see what works and doesn’t work for you. This is the perfect opportunity and will help you avoid bonking (reaching exhaustion point that is hard to push through) on race day.

15. Learn Which Fuel Works for You

As we just mentioned, you can use your long runs to find which fuel works best. Nutrition is often overlooked in importance but can make or break your race. Getting enough calories is the first step to proper recovery, and athletes need to ensure they are eating enough protein to build and maintain muscles, and increase recovery.

Before and during the run, you need to find which source of carbohydrates is ideal for your body. Fuelling during long runs (anything past 90 minutes) is critical to provide your muscles with the energy they need to keep you moving forward.

Most athletes opt for simple carbs like bread, pasta, potato, or whole grains during training and the days leading up to the half marathon. On the morning of the run, you may opt for something like oatmeal and a banana or perhaps a bowl of rice or whole-grain toast.

During the run, you must take on fuel every 45 minutes or so. This means you will need two or three options for your half marathon. Most athletes go for the simple option of energy gels. Do not try these for the first time on race day – they take some getting used to but are easy to carry and eat while on the move.

Other race food options include bananas, mashed potatoes, orange slices, dried fruit, gummy candy, and high carb energy bars.

See more: our pick of the best foods for increasing stamina.

Bonus: Recover Correctly

We understand – you feel like you’ll lose your fitness if you take a few days off. You won’t. It will actually be incredibly beneficial for your body. During your training, you need to honor your rest days. Rest means REST – give your body a chance to recover and adapt to what you’re asking it to do.

After the half marathon, your body needs a break to decompress from the physical strain you have placed on it. We recommend taking around 3 days off after your half marathon; you can start doing active recovery activities like yoga, walking, and swimming.

Training Plan To Run A Half Marathon In Under 2 Hours

You now know the pace to run, the food to eat, what heart rate zones and RPE are, and why your mindset is your biggest asset. Now, we need to look at the actual training you need to do to achieve a sub-2 hour half marathon.

Two inputs are needed to create the ideal training plan:

• Your starting fitness level determines how much work you’ll need to do.
• Time to the half marathon determines how quickly you’ll need to increase your mileage and speed.

The training plan below is 12 weeks long and requires you to run 5 miles without stopping or walking. If you can’t do that yet, start working on getting to that point. Allow 6 – 8 weeks to reach this point, then start the training plan.

Week 1

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 20 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical)
• Thursday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (arms, chest, back, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 4 miles (long run, easy)

Week 2

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 20 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 2 miles (easy)
• Thursday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (arms, chest, back, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 4 miles (long run, easy)

Week 3

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 miles (easy) + 6 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 20 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 2 miles (easy)
• Thursday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (arms, chest, back, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 5 miles (long run, easy)

Week 4

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 miles (easy) + 8 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 20 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 2 miles (easy)
• Thursday: 4 miles (easy) + strength (arms, chest, back, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 6 miles (long run, easy)

Week 5

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 4 miles (easy) + 6 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Thursday: 4 miles (easy) + strength (arms, chest, back, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 6 miles (long run, easy)

Week 6

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 4 miles (easy) + 8 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Thursday: Intervals (800m warm-up, 10 x 400m @ 5K pace w/2 minute recovery, 800m cool-down) + strength training (back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 5 miles (long run, easy)

Week 7

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 4 miles (easy) + 6 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3.5 miles (easy-moderate)
• Thursday: Intervals (800m warm-up, 4 x 800m @ 10K pace w/2 minute recovery, 800m cool-down) + strength training (back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 7 miles (long run, easy)

Week 8

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 4.5 miles (easy) + 6 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Thursday: Intervals (800m warm-up, 5 x 1k @ 10K pace w/2 minute recovery, 800m cool-down) + strength training (back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 8 miles (long run, easy)

Week 9

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 5miles (easy) + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 40 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 4 miles (easy)
• Thursday: Intervals (1 mile warm-up, 2 x 1 mile @ 10K pace w/4 minute recovery, 800m cool-down) + strength training (back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 9 miles (long run, easy)

Week 10

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 5 miles (easy) + 8 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery + strength (core and lower body)
• Wednesday: 40 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 4 miles (easy)
• Thursday: Intervals (800m warm-up, 12 x 400m @ 5K pace w/2 minute recovery, 800m cool-down) + strength training (back, chest, arms, and shoulders – bodyweight only)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 10 miles (long run, easy)

Week 11 – Tapering Starts

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (core and lower body – bodyweight only)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Thursday: 3 miles (easy) + intervals (6 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery) + strength training (arms, chest, back, and shoulders – bodyweight only)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Sunday: 11 miles (long run, easy)

Week 12

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 miles (easy) + strength (core and lower body – bodyweight only)
• Wednesday: 30 minutes cross-training (swim, cycle, elliptical) OR 3 miles (easy)
• Thursday: 3.5 miles (easy) + intervals (8 x 25-second strides w/40-second recovery) + strength training (arms, chest, back, and shoulders – bodyweight only)
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 2 miles (super easy) – shakeout walk/jog
• Sunday: Half Marathon Race Day!

If your half marathon falls on a Saturday, you can still follow the above plan. Instead of having a shakeout jog the day before, you will rather have the Friday rest day.

Why Do You Need to Taper?

Tapering is the wind-down of mileage in the lead-up to the race. You reduce the number of runs and the distance of each run so your body can recover and rest, so it is race-day-ready. For a half marathon, you only need around 2 weeks for tapering.

You want to arrive on the start line with your legs feeling fresh and bouncy, ready to take on the challenge. If you don’t taper, your legs will feel tired and overtrained, and while you may not struggle to cover the distance, you likely won’t perform at your best.

Final Thoughts on a Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon

And there you have it – everything you need to know to get to the finish line of your half marathon in sub-2 hours. It’s not going to be easy, but nothing worth doing is.

We hope your race day is everything you hoped it would be and that you cross the line with a smile on your face. Good luck!