INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE
Ryan Hall’s
Half-Marathon Training Plan
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Ryan Hall’s Half-Marathon Training Plan INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE
RYAN HALL’S
HALF-MARATHON
TRAINING PLAN
Running a half-marathon (13.1 miles) is a
fun and rewarding experience — with proper
training. Plan to spend at least 12 weeks
training and building mileage for a half-
marathon. Ideally, you’ll have been running
already and will have built up a mileage
base of 15 to 25 miles weekly if you’re
a first-time half-marathoner. Your weekly
program will include a mix of aerobic runs,
speed intervals, tempo runs, recovery runs,
and long runs to train your body to run
longer, faster, and stronger.
Ryan Hall’s Half-Marathon Training Plan INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE
TYPES OF WORKOUTS LISTEN TO YOUR HEART
RECOVERY RUN Wondering how hard you should run? Use a heart rate
Your recovery pace doubles for warm-ups and warm-downs. monitor. Each type of workout corresponds to a beats-per-
You should be running easily enough to hold a conversation. minute (bpm) heart rate (HR) range that will ensure you’re
giving the right amount of effort and reaping the benefits
LONG RUN – AEROBIC
of your run. In fact, wearing a heart rate monitor while you
This easy, but not too easy, pace builds up your capillaries run is the best tool for understanding your effort. Your local
and mitochondria to give you more power and endurance running store should carry a range of these devices; they
for race day. Long runs will usually increase by a mile every usually double as a sports watch and start at around $60.
week as you approach your race. Consider it the best investment you can make for improving
LONG RUN – INTERVALS your performance.
Adding fast but brief intervals near the end of your long
run gives you both a dose of speed training and activates
your fast-twitch muscle fibers to help your body find new WARM-UPS & -DOWNS 65-70% of Max HR
energy when your legs are growing tired.
RECOVERY RUNS 65-75% of Max HR
HALF-MARATHON RACE SIMULATION
Running at your goal race pace helps accustom your body AEROBIC RUNS 75-80% of Max HR
to speed you wouldn’t likely run in a workout.
LONG RUNS – AEROBIC 70-75% of Max HR
AEROBIC RUN
Like long runs, these slowly but surely improve your power. LONG RUNS – INTERVALS 70-75% of Max HR (Running)
The addition of hill repeats and strides also help your leg 90-95% of Max HR (Intervals)
strength and efficiency.
RACE SIMULATIONS 80-85% of Max HR
TEMPO RUN
This comfortably hard pace (about the same as half-
TEMPO RUNS 85-90% of Max HR
marathon pace) teaches your body to handle more lactic
acid and delays tired legs. Shorter tempo runs should be SPEED INTERVALS 88-93% of Max HR
on the top end of the heart rate range, with long tempo
runs on the low end.
SPEED INTERVALS
These teach your body how to run fast. You’ll become more Aerobic runs, for example, should be run with your heart rate
efficient and have a stronger finishing kick at races. To get between 75 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. If
the distance spot-on, use a nearby school track. Each lap you don’t know your maximum, subtracting your age from
is a quarter-mile (400 meters). 220 will give you a reasonably good estimate. The most
accurate test is to max yourself out with this stress test on a
“A” WARM-UP DRILLS track: Run a 2-mile warm-up followed by a comfortably hard
Before interval workouts do one round of each of these mile. After completing the mile, accelerate for 400 meters
drills to get your muscles firing so they’re fresh and ready and run another 400 all-out. Check your heart rate every
to hit your first interval at full speed. Each drill should take 100 meters during the final 400. The highest number is your
10-15 seconds. maximum heart rate.
1. Walks with high knees
2. Walks with high knees to a kick-out
(extend your foot out at the top of your skip)
3. Skips with high knees
SOURCES: Dennis Kline, strength and conditioning specialist
4. Skips with high knees to a kick-out at Mammoth Track Club (www.mammothtrackclub.com) and the
5. Side walks with bent knees University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and owner of Fitness Motivations
6. Side shuffle with bent knees Systems (www.usathlete.net); Dan Pfaff, running mechanics expert
and strength and conditioning specialist; and Terrence Mahon,
7. Run with high knees coach at Mammoth Track Club and Run Mammoth, an online
8. Run with butt kicks coaching service for runners (www.runmammoth.com)
Ryan Hall’s Half-Marathon Training Plan INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE
TRAINING FOR A
HALF-MARATHON
WEEK 1: WEEK 2: WEEK 3: WEEK 4:
MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF
TUESDAY: Speed TUESDAY: Speed TUESDAY: Speed TUESDAY: Speed
Intervals 15 min warm- Intervals 15 min Intervals 15 min Intervals 15 min
up, “A” warm-up drills, warm-up, “A” warm- warm-up, “A” warm- warm-up, “A” warm-
6 x 100m strides, (6 up drills, 6 x 100m up drills, 6 x 100m up drills, 6 x 100m
x 800m @ w/90-sec strides, (5 x 1k w/ strides, (4 x 1200m strides, (4 x 1 mile
easy jog in between), 2 min easy jog in w/ 2:30 easy jog in w/ 3 min easy jog
15 min warm-down between), 15 min between), 15 min in between), 15 min
warm-down warm-down warm-down
WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY:
Recovery Run Recovery Run Recovery Run Recovery Run
30-35 min 40-45 min 30-35 min 40-45 min
THURSDAY: THURSDAY: THURSDAY: THURSDAY:
Steady Pace - Tempo Aerobic Run 30-35 min Steady Pace - Tempo Aerobic Run 30-35 min
Run 15-20 min warm- run, finish w/ 6 x 30 sec Run 15-20 min warm- run, finish w/ 6 x 45 sec
up, 3 miles @ Tempo hill sprints (mile pace up, 3 miles @ Tempo hill sprints (mile pace
pace, 15 min warm- effort), easy jog down pace, 15min warm- effort), easy jog down
down the hill for recovery down the hill for recovery
FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off
SATURDAY: SATURDAY: SATURDAY: SATURDAY:
Aerobic Run 30-35 Half-Marathon - Race Aerobic Run 30-35 Half-Marathon - Race
min run, finish w/ 6 x Simulation 6 miles min run, finish w/ 6 x Simulation 6 miles
20 sec strides (mile easy, 3 miles @ goal 20 sec strides (mile easy, 4 miles @ goal
pace) or 6 x 75m hill race pace, 2 miles pace) or 6 x 75m hill race pace, 2 miles
sprints w/ 1 min rest easy sprints w/ 1 min rest easy
in between in between
SUNDAY: SUNDAY: SUNDAY: SUNDAY:
Long Run (75 min Recovery Run Long Run (80 min Recovery Run
total): 50 min run, 8 x 40-45 min total): 55 min run, 8 x 40-45 min
(1 min @ 5k pace w/ (1 min @ 5k pace w/ 1
1 min @ easy jog in min @ easy jog pace in
between), 10 min run between), 10 min run
Ryan Hall’s Half-Marathon Training Plan INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE
WEEK 5: WEEK 6: WEEK 7: WEEK 8:
MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF
TUESDAY: TUESDAY: TUESDAY: Speed TUESDAY:
Speed Intervals 15 Speed Intervals 15 min Intervals 15 min warm- Speed Intervals 15
min warm-up, “A” warm-up, “A” warm-up up, “A” warm-up drills, min warm-up, “A”
warm-up drills, 6 x drills, 6 x 100m strides, 6 x 100m strides, (3 x warm-up drills, 6 x
100m strides, (3 x (2 x 2 miles, 1 x mile, 1.5 miles w/ 4min easy 100m strides, (4 x
1.5 miles w/ 4 min all w/ 4 min easy jog jog in between), 15 min 2k w/ 2 min easy
easy jog in between), in between), 15 min warm-down jog in between), 15
15 min warm-down warm-down min warm-down
WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY:
Recovery Run Recovery Run Recovery Run Recovery Run
30-35 min 40-45 min 30-35 min 40-45 min
THURSDAY: THURSDAY: THURSDAY: THURSDAY:
Steady Pace - Tempo Aerobic Run 30-35 min Steady Pace - Tempo Aerobic Run 30-35 min
Run 15-20 min warm- run, finish w/ 6 x 60 sec Run 15-20 min warm-up, run, finish w/ 6 x 45 sec
up, 3 miles @ Tempo hill sprints (mile pace 3 miles @ Tempo pace, hill sprints (mile pace
pace, 15 min warm- effort), easy jog down 15 min warm-down effort), easy jog down
down the hill for recovery the hill for recovery
FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off
SATURDAY: SATURDAY: SATURDAY: SATURDAY:
Aerobic Run 30-35 Half-Marathon - Race Aerobic Run 30-35 min Half-Marathon - Race
min run, finish w/ 6 x Simulation 6miles run, finish w/ 6 x 20 sec Simulation 6 miles
20 sec strides (mile easy, 5 miles @ race strides (mile pace) or 6 x easy, 6 miles @ race
pace) or 6 x 75m pace, 2 miles easy 75m hill sprints w/ 1 min pace, 1-2 miles easy
hill sprints w/ 1 min rest in between
rest in between
SUNDAY: SUNDAY: SUNDAY: SUNDAY:
Long Run (85 min Recovery Run 40-45 Long Run (85 min total): Recovery Run 40-45
total): 60 min run, 8 min 65 min run, 8 x (1 min min
x (1 min @ 5k pace @ 5k pace w/ 1 min
w/ 1 min @ easy jog @ easy jog pace in
pace in between), between), 10 min run
10 min run
Ryan Hall’s Half-Marathon Training Plan INNOVATION FOR ENDURANCE
WEEK 9: WEEK 10: WEEK 11: WEEK 12:
MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF MONDAY: OFF
TUESDAY: TUESDAY: TUESDAY: TUESDAY:
Speed Intervals 15 Speed Intervals 15 Speed Intervals 15 min Speed Intervals 15
min warm-up, “A” min warm-up, “A” warm-up, “A” warm-up min warm-up, “A”
warm-up drills, 6 x warm-up drills, 6 x drills, 6 x 100m strides, warm-up drills, 6 x
100m strides, (4 x 1 100m strides, (6 x (6 x 800m w/ 90 sec 100m strides, (8 x
mile w/ 3 min easy 800m w/ 90 sec easy easy jog in between), 600m w/ 2 min easy
jog in between), 15 jog in between), 15 15 min warm-down jog in between), 15
min warm-down min warm-down min warm-down
WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY: WEDNESDAY:
Recovery Run Recovery Run Recovery Run Recovery Run
30-35 min 40-45 min 30-35 min 25-30 min
THURSDAY: THURSDAY: THURSDAY: THURSDAY:
Steady Pace - Tempo Aerobic Run 30-35 min Steady Pace - Tempo Run Aerobic Run 30-35 min
Run 15-20 min warm- run, finish w/ 6 x 30 sec 15-20 min warm-up, 3 run, finish w/ 6 x 30 sec
up, 3 miles @ 15k-10k hill sprints (mile pace miles @ Tempo pace, 15 hill sprints (mile pace
pace, 15 min warm- effort), easy jog down min warm-down effort), easy jog down
down the hill for recovery the hill for recovery
FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off FRIDAY: Off
SATURDAY: SATURDAY: SATURDAY: SATURDAY:
Aerobic Run 30-35 Half-Marathon - Race Half-Marathon - Race Recovery Run 20 min
min run, finish w/ 6 x Simulation 6 miles Simulation Aerobic Run 30-
20 sec strides (mile easy, 4 miles @ goal 35 min run, finish w/ 6 x 20
pace) or 6 x 75m hill race pace, 1-2 miles sec strides (mile pace) or 6
sprints w/ 1 min rest easy x 75m hill sprints w/ 1 min
in between rest in between
SUNDAY: SUNDAY: SUNDAY: SUNDAY:
Long Run (95-100 Recovery Run 60 min Recovery Run 60 min HALF-
min total): 65-70 min MARATHON
run, 10 x (1 min @ RACE DAY!
5k pace w/ 1 min
@ easy jog pace in
between), 10 min run
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