THE HALF MARATHON IS A FRIENDLY
DISTANCE. Beginners, who have gotten their introduction to road running in a 5-K
or 10-K, can look to the half as the next step upward. Experienced runners like
half marathons, because racing 13 miles requires somewhat less time commitment
than does a full 26-mile marathon. They can recover more rapidly.
There are also some very exciting events at this distance, from the Indy Mini Marathon in Indianapolis in May to the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota in June to the America's Finest City Half Marathon in San Diego, California in August to the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia in September. Recently, Walt Disney World split its January half marathon and marathon, scheduling the former on a Saturday, the latter on a Sunday and offering a special Goofy Challenge medal to runners who ran both.
The excitement around half marathons often is the same as at a marathon--except you get to go home early. Also, you can use half marathon races as part of your training for later marathons. Knowing your time at the half marathon gives you a good idea of what to expect when you run the full marathon. Multiplying your time by two and adding 10 minutes is one rule of thumb, but there also are some good prediction formulas comparing times at different races distances, such as one offered by Greg McMillan. Click here!
All you need to do to complete a half marathon is to dedicate yourself for 12 weeks leading up to your race. Simply follow the day-by-day training schedules for Novice, Intermediate and Advanced runners available here on my Web site. And if you would rather walk a half marathon than run it, I've created a special program for you. Click here!
To plan your training program for the half marathon, click on one of the appropriate links above or below. On those screens, you will find instructions on how to do the different workouts, but for more detailed instructions plus extra training advice and tips, consider signing up for one of my Interactive programs, available through TrainingPeaks. Click here to access the menu listing all of my Virtual Training programs. For twelve weeks leading up to the half marathon race of your choice, I will send you daily emails telling you how to train. Plus you can use my computer diary and ask me questions on my Interactive Forums (also known as my V-Boards, V for Virtual).
So lace up your running shoes. It's time to start training for your half marathon race.
--Hal Higdon
Hal Higdon’s
Virtual Training
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Copyright © 2002 by Hal Higdon. All rights reserved.