Running
Half Marathon Time-Crunched Four-Day Plan
Concentrated half marathon plan for a four-day week. Twelve weeks, four runs a week.
- Distance
- Half marathon
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Runs per week
- 4
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Run it faster
Who it's for
You already run a few times a week. It is built to help you run a faster half marathon.
It is built to work on limited time, with fewer and shorter runs than most plans for this distance.
How the weeks work
It runs for twelve weeks with four runs in each.
If life gets in the way you can stretch it to 16 weeks, or tighten it to 12 if you are already fit.
The last 12 days are a taper: less running, a little intensity, so you start the race fresh.
- Intervals: repeats a little faster than race pace, with easy jogging in between.
- Threshold runs of 15 to 30 minutes at a comfortably hard pace. You could say a few words, not hold a conversation.
- One long run a week that grows slowly. Run it easy; the time on your feet is the point.
Setting your paces
Start with a 10K time trial. Your result sets the paces for the rest of the plan, so run it honestly and on fresh legs.
Making it stick
- Keep easy days slow. Most plateaus come from running them too fast.
- Put an easy day or a rest day after every hard session.
- If you miss a week, pick up where you left off instead of cramming the sessions in.
