Intermediate Half Marathon Training Plan: 12 Weeks for 1:30 to 2:00
A 12-week intermediate half marathon plan for 1:30 to 2:00 runners: five runs a week, peak 53 km, threshold work and 18 km long runs. Free, from your race.
An intermediate half marathon plan runs 12 weeks at five runs a week, peaks at about 53 km, and is built on threshold running. It fits runners whose fitness predicts a 1:30 to 2:00 half: roughly a 19:30 to 26:00 5k, or a 10k between about 41 and 54 minutes. Sub-1:45 sits in the middle, sub-1:30 at the fast edge.
The 12 weeks
Sample plan · Intermediate half marathon
12 weeks, 5 runs a week, peak 53 km, longest run 18 km. Built for a recent 5k of 21:00 (VDOT 47.0). 81 % of the running is easy.
| Week | Km | Key sessions | Long run |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Base | 35 | Easy running only | 12 km long run |
| 2 Base | 38 | Easy running only | 14 km long run + strides |
| 3 Base | 40 | Tempo run: 15 min T | 14 km long run |
| 4 Base, recovery | 32 | Progression run: 11 min M · 11 min T | 11 km long run |
| 5 Build | 44 | Cruise intervals: 3 × 1.6 km T (1 min jog); Long intervals: 4 × 3 min I (3 min jog) | 15 km long run |
| 6 Build | 49 | Tempo run: 20 min T; 30/15 sets: 2 × (13 × 30 s I / 15 s jog), 3 min between sets | 17 km progressive long run |
| 7 Build | 53 | Broken tempo: 2 × 12 min T (2 min jog); 5k time trial | 18 km long run |
| 8 Build, recovery | 42 | Progression run: 18 min M · 18 min T; 1000 m repeats: 3 × 1000 m I (400 m jog) | 14 km long run |
| 9 Peak | 52 | Half-marathon pace reps: 2 × 3 km race pace (2 min jog); Long intervals: 3 × 3 min I (3 min jog) | 18 km long run with marathon-pace finish |
| 10 Peak | 52 | Race-pace run: 5 km race pace; 30/15 sets: 2 × (13 × 30 s I / 15 s jog), 3 min between sets | 18 km progressive long run |
| 11 Peak | 52 | Half-marathon pace reps: 2 × 3 km race pace (2 min jog); Hill repeats: 8 × 75 s I (2 min jog) | 18 km long run with marathon-pace finish |
| 12 Taper | 29 + race | Sharpener: 4 × 2 min race pace (2 min jog); race day | None, race week |
- Base, weeks 1 to 4. From 35 to 40 km a week, long runs of 12 to 14 km. Threshold starts in week 3 with a 15-minute tempo.
- Build, weeks 5 to 8. Up to 53 km. Threshold every week (cruise intervals, a 20-minute tempo, 2 × 12 minutes broken tempo, an 18-minute marathon-pace plus 18-minute threshold progression), plus short VO2max work. A 5k time trial in week 7.
- Peak, weeks 9 to 11. Half-marathon pace joins: 2 × 3 km, a continuous 5 km, 2 × 3 km. Long runs of 18 km finish with 4, 6, then 9 km at marathon pace.
- Taper, week 12. Volume cut to about half, inside the 41 to 60 % range Bosquet's meta-analysis found works best. Four 2-minute race-pace pickups, then race day.
Who counts as intermediate
The level comes from Jack Daniels' VDOT, one number from a recent race that sets every training pace. Intermediate means a predicted half of 1:30 to 2:00, roughly VDOT 36.5 to 51. A 1:45 half is VDOT 42.6 and a 1:30 half is VDOT 51.0. The sample runner has a 21:00 5k, VDOT 47, which predicts 1:36:28.
| Half marathon finish | Race pace | Easy | Marathon | Threshold | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:30 | 4:16 | 4:49–5:47 | 4:27 | 4:11 | 3:50 |
| 1:45 | 4:59 | 5:34–6:39 | 5:10 | 4:50 | 4:26 |
| 2:00 | 5:41 | 6:18–7:31 | 5:52 | 5:29 | 5:02 |
Look at the race pace and threshold columns. They are only 5 to 12 seconds per km apart.
Why threshold is the half-marathon workout
Daniels defines threshold pace as the pace you could hold for about an hour in a race. An intermediate half marathon lasts 90 to 120 minutes, so race pace sits just below threshold. That makes every threshold session close to race-specific. For the sample runner, a 20-minute tempo at 4:28 per km is only 7 seconds per km faster than the 4:35 of a 1:36 half.
The plan uses four threshold formats and rotates them, so the stimulus stays the same while the session changes:
- Cruise intervals, 3 × 1.6 km with a minute of jogging. Easier to hold on pace than a continuous run.
- Tempo runs of 15 to 20 minutes continuous.
- Broken tempo, two long threshold blocks with a short jog between.
- Progression runs, marathon pace straight into threshold.
Around them, 81 % of the running is easy, close to the 80 % Seiler found in well-trained endurance athletes. Casado (2021) found world-class distance performance is best predicted by the volume of easy running plus deliberate practice of tempo and short intervals. The same two ingredients carry this plan, at a smaller scale.
Your own plan, in a minute
The sample is one runner. The half marathon training plan generator takes your recent race, your weeks, your running days and your long-run day, and paces every session for you. Add a goal like 1:29:59 and it shows the gap to your prediction. The paces update when you enter the week-7 time trial. Free, no email, PDF included.
FAQ
What 5k time do I need for a sub-1:30 half marathon? About 19:36, VDOT 51. A 10k of 40:39 predicts the same half.
How many kilometres a week for a 1:40 half? This plan peaks at 55 km on five days. A 1:40 half is VDOT 45, inside the intermediate band, so the same volume applies.
How long should the long run be for a half marathon? 18 km in this sample, about 95 minutes. The plan caps it at 35 % of the week and 22 km, so peak-phase long runs are 85 % of the race distance.
Should I run intervals or tempo runs for a half marathon? Both, but tempo first. Threshold appears every week from week 3. VO2max intervals come in smaller doses and keep the top end honest.
Only need your training paces? Enter a recent race:
VDOT
49.8
Daniels running fitness score
| Zone | Range | What it trains |
|---|---|---|
| E | Easy / Long 4:54–5:53 /km | Aerobic base, capillaries, fat metabolism; most weekly volume. RPE 3–4, conversational. |
| M | Marathon 4:26–4:51 /km | Marathon-specific endurance and economy. RPE 5–6, steady. |
| T | Threshold 4:16–4:28 /km | Lactate threshold; comfortably-hard tempo and cruise intervals. RPE 7, ~1h race effort. |
| I | Interval 3:51–4:01 /km | VO₂max; 3–5 min hard reps. RPE 9, hard. |
| R | Repetition 3:19–3:42 /km | Speed, economy and running power; short fast reps with full recovery. RPE 9–10, fast and controlled. |
E · Easy / Long. Aerobic base, capillaries, fat metabolism; most weekly volume. RPE 3–4, conversational.
M · Marathon. Marathon-specific endurance and economy. RPE 5–6, steady.
T · Threshold. Lactate threshold; comfortably-hard tempo and cruise intervals. RPE 7, ~1h race effort.
I · Interval. VO₂max; 3–5 min hard reps. RPE 9, hard.
R · Repetition. Speed, economy and running power; short fast reps with full recovery. RPE 9–10, fast and controlled.
- Your VDOT of 49.8 is a single number that captures current running fitness (a 'VO₂max' adjusted for running economy). Every training pace is derived from it.
- VDOT comes from one recent, hard race or time trial. Use a result you raced all-out, ideally 5 km or longer; a half-marathon or 10 km gives the most stable estimate.
- Switch the units toggle to read paces per mile. As you get fitter, re-race; your VDOT and all paces will update.
- These are Daniels’ discrete training paces (E, M, T, I, R), not continuous zones: you run at each one for a specific purpose. The gaps between the harder paces (T, I and R) are intentional, not a glitch.
A PDF of your personalized results, with a QR code to reopen them anytime.
More in this series: the beginner, advanced and sub-elite half marathon plans, the intermediate 10k plan and the intermediate marathon plan.
Sources
- Casado et al. 2021, predictors of world-class long-distance performance
- Seiler 2010, training intensity distribution
- Bosquet et al. 2007, tapering meta-analysis
Cover image: TrainingZones.