Training plan · 12 weeks · km and miles
Sub 2 hour half marathon training plan 12 weeks on 4 or 5 runs a week, in km and miles
A half marathon in under 2 hours takes an average of 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile). This 12-week plan trains for it on 4 runs a week, building from 26 km (16 mi) to 43 km (27 mi), or on 5 runs a week, from 35 km (22 mi) to 55 km (34 mi). Weeks 1–4 are base, 5–8 build, 9–10 peak and 11–12 taper. Weeks 4 and 8 are recovery weeks, goal pace is practised from week 6, and the longest run is 18 km (11 mi) or 20 km (12 mi) in week 10. A recent 10K in 54:23 or a 5K in 26:05 means you are in sub-2 shape already.
From textfit.app/plans/sub-2-hour-half-marathon-training-plan/
Sub-2 half marathon pace: 5:41 per km, 9:09 per mile
To finish a half marathon in under 2:00, you need to average 5:41 per km or 9:09 per mile. Both are rounded down to the whole second, so holding 5:41 per km brings you home in 1:59:54, a few seconds inside the goal.
| 5 km | 28:25 |
|---|---|
| 10 km | 56:50 |
| 15 km | 1:25:15 |
| 20 km | 1:53:40 |
| Finish | 1:59:54 |
| Mile 3 | 27:27 |
|---|---|
| Mile 6 | 54:54 |
| Mile 9 | 1:22:21 |
| Mile 12 | 1:49:48 |
| Finish | 1:59:57 |
Are you ready for a sub-2 half marathon?
A recent race or time trial tells you how far away the goal is. The table shows the results that predict a 2:00 half marathon today, and the ones that predict a finish 5% and 10% slower, worked out the way TextFit’s race time predictor does it.
| Recent result | In sub-2 shape today | 5% away | 10% away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5K | 26:05 | 27:23 | 28:42 |
| 10K | 54:23 | 57:06 | 59:50 |
| Half marathon | 2:00:00 | 2:06:00 | 2:12:00 |
Anywhere between the first and the last column, this plan fits; the closer you start to the first, the more likely 12 weeks is enough. The last column is the line TextFit’s coach uses too: when your recent result predicts a finish more than 10% slower than your target time, it tells you so in your first plan. From there, train to your current fitness with the 12-week half marathon plan first and make sub-2 the goal of your next block.
The plan at a glance
| 4-day | 5-day | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 12 weeks | 12 weeks |
| Runs a week | 4: 1 key session, 1 long run, 2 easy | 5: 1 key session, 1 long run, 3 easy |
| Weekly distance | 26 km (16 mi) → 43 km (27 mi) in week 10 | 35 km (22 mi) → 55 km (34 mi) in week 10 |
| Long run | 10 km (6 mi) → 18 km (11 mi) in week 10 | 12 km (7 mi) → 20 km (12 mi) in week 10 |
| Recovery weeks | Weeks 4 and 8 | Weeks 4 and 8 |
| Phases | Base (weeks 1–4) → Build (weeks 5–8) → Peak (weeks 9–10) → Taper (weeks 11–12) | |
The rules behind every week
- Weekly distance rises by 10% or less from one week to the next.
- Every 4th week is a recovery week with 30–40% less distance than the week before.
- Two hard days a week at most, never back to back: the key session on Tuesday and the long run on Sunday.
- About 80% easy: the hard part of every training week stays under 20% of its distance.
- The long run is on the weekend and mostly easy; at most a quarter of it at race pace.
- A 2-week taper brings the distance down before race day.
These are the rules TextFit’s coach plans with, and a test checks every week of the tables below against them. More on the rules: how the coach builds and adapts a week.
4-day plan: 12 weeks, 4 runs a week
Tuesday key session, easy runs on Thursday and Saturday, long run on Sunday. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are rest days.
Before week 1
- You run 3–4 times a week, about 25 km (16 mi) in total, and have done for at least 2 months.
- Your long run is already 10 km (6 mi).
- A recent result of 59:50 or faster for 10K, or 2:12:00 or faster for a half marathon.
- You have about an hour on two weekdays and up to 2¼ hours for the longest Sunday runs.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Base | Rest | Hills 6 km (3.7 mi) 6×200 m uphill, jog down | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 10 km (6.2 mi) | 26 km 16.2 mi |
| 2 Base | Rest | Threshold 7 km (4.3 mi) 3×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 11 km (6.8 mi) | 28 km 17.4 mi |
| 3 Base | Rest | Intervals 7 km (4.3 mi) 4×800 m @ interval pace, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 12 km (7.5 mi) | 30 km 18.6 mi |
| 4 Base Recovery | Rest | Threshold 5 km (3.1 mi) 2×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Rest | Easy 3 km (1.9 mi) | Long run 8 km (5 mi) | 20 km 12.4 mi |
| 5 Build | Rest | Tempo 8 km (5 mi) 4 km @ tempo | Rest | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 13 km (8.1 mi) | 32 km 19.9 mi |
| 6 Build | Rest | Half marathon pace 10 km (6.2 mi) 3×2 km @ half marathon pace, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 14 km (8.7 mi) | 35 km 21.7 mi |
| 7 Build | Rest | Threshold 9 km (5.6 mi) 3×1.5 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Long run 16 km (9.9 mi) last 3 km @ half marathon pace | 38 km 23.6 mi |
| 8 Build Recovery | Rest | Threshold 6 km (3.7 mi) 2×1.5 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 10 km (6.2 mi) | 25 km 15.5 mi |
| 9 Peak | Rest | Intervals 10 km (6.2 mi) 5×1 km @ interval pace, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Long run 17 km (10.6 mi) last 3 km @ half marathon pace | 41 km 25.5 mi |
| 10 Peak | Rest | Half marathon pace 10 km (6.2 mi) 6 km @ half marathon pace | Rest | Easy 9 km (5.6 mi) | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Long run 18 km (11.2 mi) last 2 km @ steady | 43 km 26.7 mi |
| 11 Taper | Rest | Threshold 8 km (5 mi) 3×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Long run 13 km (8.1 mi) last 2 km @ half marathon pace | 33 km 20.5 mi |
| 12 Taper Race week | Rest | Half marathon pace 6 km (3.7 mi) 2×1 km @ half marathon pace, 400 m jogs | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Rest | Easy 3 km (1.9 mi) with 4 strides | Race day 21.1 km (13.1 mi) | 35.1 km 21.8 mi |
Key sessions include easy warm-up and cool-down in their distance. Paces: easy, steady, tempo, threshold, intervals and race pace are explained under How to pace each run.
5-day plan: 12 weeks, 5 runs a week
Tuesday key session, easy runs on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, long run on Sunday. Monday and Friday are rest days.
Before week 1
- You run 4–5 times a week, about 35 km (22 mi) in total.
- Your long run is already 12 km (7.5 mi), and you have raced a 10K or a half marathon.
- A recent result of 59:50 or faster for 10K, or 2:12:00 or faster for a half marathon.
- You have up to 75 minutes on Tuesday and up to 2½ hours for the longest Sunday runs.
| Week | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Base | Rest | Hills 8 km (5 mi) 8×200 m uphill, jog down | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 12 km (7.5 mi) | 35 km 21.7 mi |
| 2 Base | Rest | Threshold 9 km (5.6 mi) 4×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 13 km (8.1 mi) | 38 km 23.6 mi |
| 3 Base | Rest | Intervals 9 km (5.6 mi) 5×800 m @ interval pace, 400 m jogs | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Long run 14 km (8.7 mi) | 41 km 25.5 mi |
| 4 Base Recovery | Rest | Threshold 7 km (4.3 mi) 3×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Rest | Easy 3 km (1.9 mi) | Long run 9 km (5.6 mi) | 28 km 17.4 mi |
| 5 Build | Rest | Tempo 10 km (6.2 mi) 5 km @ tempo | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Long run 15 km (9.3 mi) | 45 km 28 mi |
| 6 Build | Rest | Half marathon pace 11 km (6.8 mi) 3×2 km @ half marathon pace, 400 m jogs | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Long run 17 km (10.6 mi) | 48 km 29.8 mi |
| 7 Build | Rest | Threshold 11 km (6.8 mi) 3×2 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Long run 18 km (11.2 mi) last 3 km @ half marathon pace | 51 km 31.7 mi |
| 8 Build Recovery | Rest | Threshold 8 km (5 mi) 4×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Rest | Easy 4 km (2.5 mi) | Long run 11 km (6.8 mi) | 34 km 21.1 mi |
| 9 Peak | Rest | Intervals 11 km (6.8 mi) 5×1 km @ interval pace, 400 m jogs | Easy 9 km (5.6 mi) | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Long run 19 km (11.8 mi) last 3 km @ half marathon pace | 53 km 32.9 mi |
| 10 Peak | Rest | Half marathon pace 12 km (7.5 mi) 8 km @ half marathon pace | Easy 9 km (5.6 mi) | Easy 8 km (5 mi) | Rest | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Long run 20 km (12.4 mi) last 3 km @ steady | 55 km 34.2 mi |
| 11 Taper | Rest | Threshold 10 km (6.2 mi) 4×1 km @ threshold, 400 m jogs | Easy 7 km (4.3 mi) | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Rest | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Long run 14 km (8.7 mi) last 2 km @ half marathon pace | 42 km 26.1 mi |
| 12 Taper Race week | Rest | Half marathon pace 8 km (5 mi) 3×1 km @ half marathon pace, 400 m jogs | Easy 6 km (3.7 mi) | Easy 5 km (3.1 mi) | Rest | Easy 3 km (1.9 mi) with 4 strides | Race day 21.1 km (13.1 mi) | 43.1 km 26.8 mi |
Key sessions include easy warm-up and cool-down in their distance. Paces: easy, steady, tempo, threshold, intervals and race pace are explained under How to pace each run.
How the 12 weeks are built
- Base weeks 1–4
- Easy running, a weekend long run and a first taste of faster work: hills in week 1, threshold reps in week 2, intervals in week 3. Week 4 drops the distance by about a third so the first block sinks in.
- Build weeks 5–8
- A continuous tempo run in week 5, the first goal-pace reps in week 6, and the first long run that finishes at goal pace in week 7. Week 8 is the second recovery week.
- Peak weeks 9–10
- The two biggest weeks. Week 9 pairs 1 km intervals with a goal-pace finish to the long run. Week 10 is the dress rehearsal: one continuous block at goal pace on Tuesday, and the longest run of the plan on Sunday.
- Taper weeks 11–12
- The distance drops by about a quarter in week 11 and by about half again before race day. Short threshold and goal-pace reps keep your legs sharp.
How to pace each run
Every pace in the plan is a band around your threshold pace, which you get from a 30-minute run test or a recent race. The examples are for a runner in sub-2 shape: a 2:00 half marathon goes with a threshold pace of 5:28 per km (8:48 per mile), and goal pace is about 96% of that speed, between tempo and threshold. If you are not there yet, set the bands from your own threshold pace and keep only the goal-pace reps at 5:41 per km.
| Run | How it feels | % of threshold speed | At 5:28 /km threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy and long runs | Conversational: you can talk in full sentences. | 75–82% | 6:40–7:18 /km · 10:44–11:44 /mi |
| Steady (a long run’s finish) | Comfortable but purposeful; still mostly easy. | 84–88% | 6:13–6:31 /km · 10:00–10:29 /mi |
| Tempo (marathon-pace effort) | Comfortably hard: a few words at a time. | 89–94% | 5:49–6:09 /km · 9:22–9:53 /mi |
| Threshold | Hard but controlled; you can say a word or two. | 97–102% | 5:22–5:38 /km · 8:38–9:04 /mi |
| Intervals | Hard, roughly your 5K race effort. | 104–110% | 4:58–5:16 /km · 8:00–8:28 /mi |
| Half marathon pace | Your goal pace: target time divided by 21.1 km. | About 96% | Sub-2 half marathon: 5:41 /km · 9:09 /mi |
Half marathon pace by goal time
The pace each finish time needs, and the split to see at halfway. Use it for the half marathon pace blocks and long-run finishes in the tables above.
| Finish time | Pace per km | Pace per mile | Halfway split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:50 | 5:13 /km | 8:23 /mi | 0:55:00 |
| 1:55 | 5:27 /km | 8:46 /mi | 0:57:30 |
| 2:00 | 5:41 /km | 9:09 /mi | 1:00:00 |
| 2:05 | 5:55 /km | 9:32 /mi | 1:02:30 |
| 2:10 | 6:10 /km | 9:55 /mi | 1:05:00 |
By heart rate, easy means zones 1–2: at most 89% of your threshold heart rate, about 80% of your maximum. The heart rate zones calculator gives you the numbers in bpm. Don’t know your threshold pace? Enter a recent race in the race time predictor for a realistic goal, or read how to set your running training paces.
Key workouts in this plan
Hills
About 200 m up a moderate hill at a hard effort, then jog back down and go again. Strength and form, with less pounding than fast running on the flat. Week 1 only: strength and form before the faster sessions start. See the hill repeats for how to run it and scale it.
Tempo
One continuous block at tempo, after an easy warm-up. Settle into the pace in the first kilometre and hold it evenly. Week 5: one continuous block a little slower than goal pace, the first practice at running hard without a break. See the tempo run for how to run it and scale it.
Threshold
Reps of 1 to 2 km at threshold with 400 m jogs. Split into reps, you can hold the pace cleanly for longer than in one block. Sub-2 pace sits just below threshold, so every second you gain here makes 5:41 per km feel easier. See the threshold intervals for how to run it and scale it.
Intervals
800 m to 1 km reps at interval pace with 400 m jogs. Run every rep at the same pace; the last one should feel hard, not desperate. Faster than goal pace, at about your 5K effort, so goal pace feels controlled by comparison. See the VO2max intervals for how to run it and scale it.
Short of time on a Tuesday? 400 m repeats work in the same slot, with the same jogs.
Half marathon pace
Reps or a long-run finish at your goal half marathon pace. Practise the rhythm, your breathing and, on the long run, your race-day gels and drinks. Goal pace, 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile): 2 km reps in week 6, the last kilometres of the long run in weeks 7, 9 and 11, and one continuous block in week 10. See the race time predictor to turn a recent 10K into a goal pace.
Race week
Tuesday’s short goal-pace session is the last hard run. Keep Thursday easy, rest on Friday, and run 3 km on Saturday with 4 strides of about 20 seconds. On race day, run 5:41 per km from the first kilometre, not faster: that is 28:25 at 5 km, 56:50 at 10 km and 1:25:15 at 15 km, for a 1:59:54 finish. If you feel good at 16 km, push from there.
Adjusting the plan to your life
- Missed a run or two: let them go and carry on with the plan as written. If it was the key session, move it to the next easy day only when there is a rest or easy day between it and the long run.
- Missed a week or been ill: once you feel well, run 2–3 easy days, then repeat the last week you completed before moving on. Don’t squeeze two weeks into one.
- Travelling: keep the key session and the long run, drop easy runs first, and keep the two hard days apart.
- Long run on Saturday instead: swap Saturday and Sunday. With a different day off, shift the whole week and keep at least one easy or rest day between the key session and the long run.
- Race on a different date: repeat early weeks if you have more time; start later only if you already run that week’s distance. The last 2 weeks always stay the taper.
- Feeling flat for days: swap the next key session for an easy run. An easy week costs you less than a forced one.
Get this plan built around your week
TextFit’s coach builds your half marathon plan from your race date, target time, the days you can run, your day off and a recent result in your own words (“10K in 52 minutes”), with the same rules as the tables above.
- Your paces, on your watch. Each run goes to your Garmin or Apple Watch as a structured workout with pace targets from your threshold, and the next 7 days are pushed automatically.
- Change it in one sentence. “I’m travelling Thursday, move the long run to Saturday” or “I had a cold, ease this week”: the coach changes the plan and shows each change with Undo.
- It reads your runs and recovery. After a key session you see how many reps stayed in the target band, and the recovery check compares your HRV, resting heart rate and sleep with your own normal range.
- Strength if you want it: 1–2 sessions a week, on an easy day or after the key session, never on the day before a key session or the long run.
More on how it works for runners: the AI running coach.
Your half marathon plan on your Garmin or Apple Watch
Tell the coach your race date and a recent result. It builds your first two weeks with your paces and keeps the next 7 days on your watch.
14 days free, then $14.99/month or $99.99/year. Cancel anytime in your App Store or Google Play settings.
FAQ
What pace is a sub 2 hour half marathon per km and per mile?
5:41 per km, or 9:09 per mile. Held evenly, 5:41 per km brings you through 5 km in 28:25, 10 km in 56:50 and 20 km in 1:53:40, and across the line in 1:59:54.
Am I ready to train for a sub 2 hour half marathon?
You are in sub-2 shape today if you can run a 5K in 26:05 or a 10K in 54:23. The plan is written for runners up to 10% away from that: a 5K in 28:42, a 10K in 59:50 or a half marathon in 2:12:00. The closer you start, the more likely 12 weeks is enough.
What if my half marathon time is 2:10 or slower?
Up to about 2:12 you can follow this plan, but take your easy, tempo and threshold paces from your current threshold pace, not from the sub-2 table; only the half-marathon-pace reps are run at 5:41 per km. If you are slower than that, train to your current fitness with the 12-week half marathon training plan first and make sub-2 the goal of your next block.
Can I run a sub 2 hour half marathon on 4 runs a week?
Yes. The 4-day version has one key session, two easy runs and a long run, and builds from 26 km (16 mi) to 43 km (27 mi) a week. The 5-day version adds one easy run and peaks at 55 km (34 mi). Both practise goal pace in the same weeks.
How fast should my easy and long runs be for a sub-2 half?
Slower than most runners expect: 6:40–7:18 per km (10:44–11:44 per mile) for a runner in sub-2 shape, whose threshold pace is 5:28 per km. That is 75–82% of threshold speed, a pace at which you can talk in full sentences. The long run stays there too, apart from the last 2 to 3 km at goal pace in weeks 7, 9 and 11.
How long should my longest run be before a sub-2 half marathon?
18 km (11 mi) in the 4-day version and 20 km (12 mi) in the 5-day one, both in week 10, two weeks before the race. You don’t need to cover the full 21.1 km in training; the taper and race-day freshness carry you the rest of the way.
I have 16 weeks. How do I use a 12-week sub-2 plan?
Run weeks 1 to 4 twice, recovery week included, then carry on with week 5. With 10 weeks, start at week 3 only if you already run that week’s distance and long run; the last 2 weeks always stay the taper.
Where does strength training fit in this plan?
One or two short sessions a week, on an easy day or after Tuesday’s key session. Keep it off Monday and Saturday, the days before the key session and the long run, so your legs are fresh for the two runs that matter most.
Can I download this sub 2 hour half marathon training plan as a PDF?
Yes. Use the Print this plan button above each table and choose Save as PDF in the print dialog. It prints that version’s 12 weeks in km and miles with the sub-2 pace key, without the rest of the page.
More plans and guides
- 12-week half marathon training plan: Beginner, 4 runs a week up to 35 km (22 mi), or intermediate, 5 runs a week up to 55 km (34 mi). The long run peaks at 16 or 20 km.
- 16-week marathon training plan: Beginner, 4 runs a week up to 60 km (37 mi), or intermediate, 5 runs a week up to 79 km (49 mi). The long run peaks at 32 km (20 mi) in week 14.
- All training plans
- Interval training for a half marathon : which sessions to run and how to progress them.
- Best marathon training apps: Runna, Garmin Coach, Nike Run Club and more, compared.