Running
Trail Half Marathon Build
Trail half marathon plan with vert and durability focus. 14 weeks, five runs a week.
- Distance
- Half marathon
- Length
- 14 weeks
- Runs per week
- 5
- Level
- Intermediate
- Goal
- Finish
Who it's for
You already run a few times a week. It is built to get you to the finish of a half marathon in good shape.
Hill work is built in for a hilly course.
It is made for trails, not the road.
How the weeks work
It runs for 14 weeks with five runs in each.
If life gets in the way you can stretch it to 18 weeks, or tighten it to 12 if you are already fit.
The last 10 days are a taper: less running, a little intensity, so you start the race fresh.
- Hill repeats: run up at a strong effort, jog back down, repeat.
- One long run a week that grows slowly. Run it easy; the time on your feet is the point.
- Threshold runs of 15 to 30 minutes at a comfortably hard pace. You could say a few words, not hold a conversation.
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.
