6-Month Half Marathon Training Plan
The longest, safest, most sustainable path to your first half marathon. Start from walking. Build through 5K and 10K milestone races. Arrive at 13.1 miles healthy, confident, and ready.
Which Half Marathon Plan Fits You?
A half marathon is an official World Athletics road racing distance of 13.1094 miles (21.0975 km). The distance does not change. What changes is how much runway you give yourself, and that single choice decides how the training looks. Pick the runway that matches where you are today:
Crash Plan
Race already booked and only six weeks left? You need to be running 15 to 20 miles a week with a 6-mile long run today. The 6 week plan tells you what to keep and what to drop.
3 MonthsThe Default Build
Comfortable with 3 to 4 miles and want the balanced version? Twelve to thirteen weeks is the standard runway: real long run progression, a proper taper, no rushing.
From Zero
Cannot run 10 minutes yet, or you have been hurt every time you tried? This 26-week plan starts with walking and spends two full months building a base before half marathon training even begins.
Two other routes exist if none of those fit. If you can already cover 5 to 6 miles and want a schedule you can start tonight, the free 12 week half marathon plan is ungated week by week. If you have finished a half before and are chasing a number, the intermediate time goal plan adds tempo work and pace zones, and our goal time training plans break the same build down by target finish time.
Why 6 Months Is the Safest Option
Most half marathon training plans are 12 to 16 weeks. They work great if you already run 15 to 20 miles per week. But if you are starting from scratch, those plans require a dangerous shortcut: building your running base and training for a half marathon at the same time. That is how injuries happen.
A 6-month plan separates these into distinct phases. First you build a running base (months 1 to 2). Then you extend your distance gradually (months 3 to 4). Then you add half marathon specific training (month 5). Then you peak and taper (month 6). Each phase prepares you for the next one.
The result: you arrive at race day with 6 months of consistent running behind you instead of 12 weeks of rushed progression. Your bones are stronger. Your tendons are adapted. Your aerobic engine is built on a solid foundation.
Under 10 to 15%
Max week to week mileage increase
2 milestone races
5K at month 3, 10K at month 5
26 weeks
From walking to half marathon
3 to 4 days/week
Never more than 4 run days
6 Months of Runs. 6 Months of Territory.
Six months of half marathon training is a long journey. Motera turns it into a visible one. Every session peels back the Fog of War on your city, so by race day the map tells the whole story.
MoteraHow This Plan Compares
The Four Phases
The 26-week plan is divided into four phases. Each phase has a specific goal and builds on the previous one. You will never feel like you are in over your head because each phase only asks for a little more than the last.
Phase 1: Build a Running Base
Weeks 1 to 8Month 1 and 2 | 3 runs per week + 1 cross-train | 0 to 12 miles per week
Goal
Go from walking to running 30 minutes continuously
Weeks 1 to 2: Walk 20 to 30 minutes, 3 times per week
Weeks 3 to 4: Walk/jog intervals (walk 2 min, jog 1 min, repeat)
Weeks 5 to 6: Walk/jog intervals (walk 1 min, jog 3 min, repeat)
Weeks 7 to 8: Run 20 to 30 minutes continuously
Tip
This phase IS the Couch to 5K program. If you have already completed C25K, you can skip to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Extend to 5K and 10K
Weeks 9 to 14Month 3 and 4 | 3 to 4 runs per week + 1 cross-train | 12 to 20 miles per week
Goal
Build from 5K to 10K distance, run your first 5K race
Weeks 9 to 10: Run 3 miles 3x/week, one 4-mile long run
Weeks 11 to 12: Run 3 to 4 miles 3x/week, one 5-mile long run
Week 13: Enter a 5K race (celebrate this milestone)
Week 14: Recovery week, then add a 4th run day
Tip
Sign up for a 5K parkrun or local race at month 3. Crossing a real finish line makes everything feel worth it.
Phase 3: Build Half Marathon Endurance
Weeks 15 to 20Month 4 and 5 | 4 runs per week + 1 cross-train | 20 to 28 miles per week
Goal
Build long run to 10 to 12 miles, reach peak weekly mileage
Weeks 15 to 16: Long run builds to 7 to 8 miles
Weeks 17 to 18: Long run reaches 9 to 10 miles (recovery week at 18)
Week 19: Enter a 10K race as a confidence builder
Week 20: Long run peaks at 11 to 12 miles
Tip
Your long run increases by 1 to 1.5 miles per week with a recovery week every 4th week. Never increase weekly mileage by more than 10%.
Phase 4: Peak and Taper
Weeks 21 to 26Month 6 | 4 runs per week (reducing in taper) + 1 cross-train | 28 to 18 miles per week (decreasing)
Goal
Peak fitness, taper, and race day
Weeks 21 to 22: Maintain peak mileage (26 to 28 mi/week)
Weeks 23 to 24: Begin taper, reduce volume by 20 to 25%
Week 25: Reduce volume by 40%, short easy runs only
Week 26: Race week. 2 short shakeout runs, then race day
Tip
The taper feels wrong. You will feel restless and worried about losing fitness. Trust it. A 2023 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE found tapers that cut training volume by 41 to 60 percent while holding intensity steady produced the biggest performance gains in endurance athletes. You are not losing fitness. You are gaining freshness.
Phase 1 in Detail: The Walk to Run Progression
Phase 1 is the part every other half marathon plan skips, and it is the reason this one takes 26 weeks. For eight weeks you are not training for a half marathon at all. You are teaching your tendons, ligaments, and bones to tolerate impact. Every session is three times a week, on non-consecutive days, at a pace where you could hold a conversation.
| Week | Session structure | Per session | Weekly running time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisk walk, no jogging | 20 min | 60 min across 3 sessions |
| 2 | Brisk walk, no jogging | 30 min | 90 min across 3 sessions |
| 3 | Walk 2 min, jog 1 min, repeat 8 times | 24 min (8 min jogging) | 72 min across 3 sessions |
| 4 | Walk 2 min, jog 1 min, repeat 10 times | 30 min (10 min jogging) | 90 min across 3 sessions |
| 5 | Walk 1 min, jog 3 min, repeat 6 times | 24 min (18 min jogging) | 72 min across 3 sessions |
| 6 | Walk 1 min, jog 3 min, repeat 8 times | 32 min (24 min jogging) | 96 min across 3 sessions |
| 7 | Continuous easy jog | 20 min | 60 min across 3 sessions |
| 8 | Continuous easy jog | 30 min | 90 min across 3 sessions |
What if week 3 already feels hard?
Repeat it. The jog intervals are the only variable that matters in Phase 1, and there is no prize for clearing them on schedule. Runners who repeat weeks 3 and 5 still finish Phase 1 inside ten weeks and still have sixteen weeks of runway left. Runners who push through sharp shin or knee pain lose a month. The plan is built with that slack in it on purpose.
Why three sessions and not four?
Three sessions on non-consecutive days gives you a full recovery day after every impact session. That recovery window is where the tissue adaptation happens. A fourth run day in Phase 1 adds load without adding much aerobic benefit, which is the worst trade available to a brand new runner. The fourth day arrives in Phase 2, once you have eight weeks of consistent running behind you.
What a Typical Week Looks Like in Each Phase
The shape of the week barely changes across 26 weeks. What changes is the size of the long run and whether a fourth run day exists. Shift the days to suit your schedule, but keep two rules: never run two hard days back to back, and keep the long run on the day you have the most time.
| Phase | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 (wk 1 to 8) | Rest | Walk or jog 30 min | Rest | Walk or jog 30 min | Rest | Walk or jog 30 min | Easy walk |
| Phase 2 (wk 9 to 14) | Rest | Easy 3 mi | Cross-train 30 min | Easy 3 mi | Rest | Long 4 to 5 mi | Easy walk |
| Phase 3 (wk 15 to 20) | Rest | Easy 3 to 4 mi | Easy 4 mi or gentle hills | Easy 3 to 4 mi | Rest | Long 7 to 12 mi | Cross-train 30 to 40 min |
| Phase 4 peak (wk 21 to 22) | Rest | Easy 4 mi | Easy 5 mi with strides | Easy 3 to 4 mi | Rest | Long 10 to 12 mi | Cross-train 30 min |
| Phase 4 taper (wk 23 to 26) | Rest | Easy 3 mi | Easy 3 mi with strides | Easy 2 mi | Rest | Long run shrinking to 6 mi, then race | Rest |
Cross-training means cycling, swimming, rowing, or the elliptical at an easy effort. It buys aerobic fitness without impact, which is exactly what a from-zero runner needs.
Worked Example: Turning Your Month 3 5K Into Race Day Numbers
The milestone 5K at month 3 is not just a motivation trick. It is the first real data point you have, and it sets every pace for the rest of the plan. Here is an illustrative walkthrough. The numbers below are an example, not a promise, and your own 5K result replaces them.
Step 1: the data point (illustrative)
You run your week 13 parkrun in 32:00. That is 10:18 per mile for 3.1 miles.
Step 2: project the half marathon
Standard race time prediction scales your 5K up to 13.1 miles and lands near 2 hours 27 minutes, or roughly 11:15 per mile. Run the same maths on your own 5K with our race time predictor. Treat it as a ceiling on a from-zero build, not a target, because you still have three months of endurance work to add.
Step 3: set your easy pace
Easy runs sit 1:30 to 2:00 per mile slower than projected race pace, so 12:45 to 13:15 per mile in this example. That feels absurdly slow. It is supposed to. Around 80 percent of the miles in Phases 2 and 3 belong at this effort.
Step 4: predict the month 5 10K
The same projection puts a 32:00 5K runner near 1 hour 7 minutes for 10K, which is why the milestone 10K in week 19 is described as a 60 to 80 minute effort for most runners at this stage. If your actual 10K comes in faster, recalculate your easy pace from the 10K instead.
Step 5: build in the beginner margin
On a first half marathon, start 20 to 30 seconds per mile slower than the projection and give yourself permission to walk the aid stations. In this example that means opening around 11:40 per mile. Finishing the second half faster than the first is the single best outcome available to a first timer.
When 26 Weeks Is the Right Call, and When It Is Not
Use this plan if
You cannot currently jog 10 minutes without stopping.
You have started running two or three times before and stopped each time because something hurt.
You carry extra weight and want the impact to build slowly rather than all at once.
You are over 45 and coming back after several years away from any structured training.
Your race is 6 or more months away and there is no reason to rush.
You want the finish line to be the start of a habit, not a one off.
Pick a shorter runway if
You already run 15 to 20 miles a week and your race is close. Six weeks of sharpening beats six months of waiting, so use the 6 week half marathon plan instead.
You can comfortably cover 3 to 4 miles today and your race is roughly three months out. The 3 month half marathon training plan is the balanced default for that starting point.
You have finished a half before and want a specific finish time. Start from a goal time instead, using our goal time plans.
You know six months of structure will bore you into quitting. A shorter plan you finish beats a long one you abandon in month two.
What to Do When Life Interrupts a 26 Week Block
Nobody completes 26 weeks cleanly. Work trips, colds, childcare, and heat waves all land somewhere in half a year of training. The advantage of the long runway is that almost none of it is fatal. Here is how to handle the three interruptions that show up most.
What if I miss one week?
Pick up where you left off. One missed week costs almost nothing in a 26-week block, and in Phase 3 it often functions as an unplanned recovery week. Do not try to make up the missed mileage by stacking it onto the following week. That jump is the exact pattern this plan exists to avoid.
What if I miss three weeks or more?
Restart two weeks earlier in the plan than where you stopped, then rebuild forward. If you were on a 9-mile long run when the break started, come back at 6 to 7 miles and add a mile a week. You will be back at 9 miles inside three weeks and you will have spent those weeks running rather than nursing a strain. In a 26-week plan there is room to do this twice and still make race day.
What if I get sick during the taper?
Rest, and do not try to reclaim the missed sessions. The fitness is already banked from Phases 1 to 3, and taper weeks are about freshness rather than gains. If symptoms are above the neck and clearing, a short easy run two days before the race is fine. If you have a fever, chest symptoms, or a resting heart rate well above your normal, skip the race. A half marathon happens again in eight weeks. Six months of training does not.
Watch: A Real First Half Marathon Build-Up
This first-person training journey shows what building up to a first half marathon really looks like week to week, the same gradual progression this 26-week plan is built around.
Month-by-Month Overview
Walking and walk/jog intervals
Continuous running base
Build to 5K distance
Extend to 10K territory
Build half marathon endurance
Peak, taper, and race
Milestone Races Along the Way
Six months is a long time. Milestone races break the journey into achievable chunks and give you something to celebrate every couple of months.
5K Race
By week 13, you will have been running consistently for about 10 weeks. A 5K race (3.1 miles) is the perfect first race experience. It is short enough to feel manageable but long enough to feel like a real achievement. Parkruns are free and held every Saturday worldwide.
Expected time: 30 to 40 minutes for most beginners
10K Race
A 10K (6.2 miles) at month 5 serves as a dress rehearsal for your half marathon. You will practice race morning logistics, fueling, pacing, and running in a crowd. The 10K distance is far enough to teach you about pacing but short enough that a mistake is not catastrophic.
Expected time: 60 to 80 minutes for most runners at this stage
Find local events using our race finder.
The Tortoise Wins
There is a reason the tortoise wins the race. In running, patience is not just a virtue. It is a performance strategy. Here is what the research says about gradual training:
Injury risk tracks the size of mileage jumps, not just total volume
A 2021 systematic review in the Journal of Athletic Training found the popular "10 percent rule" lacks strong scientific backing, but several of the studies it reviewed still linked weekly mileage increases of more than 30 percent to higher injury rates than gradual progression. This 6-month plan keeps every week-to-week increase under 10 to 15 percent for exactly that reason.
Tendons adapt 3 to 5 times slower than muscles
Your cardiovascular fitness improves within 2 weeks of starting to run. Your muscles adapt in 4 to 6 weeks. But your tendons, ligaments, and bones need 3 to 6 months to fully adapt. A 6-month plan respects this biological reality.
Consistency beats intensity every time
Runners who train consistently for 6 months at moderate volume outperform runners who train intensely for 12 weeks. The reason is simple: consistent runners miss fewer days to injury and illness, so their total training volume is higher.
The habit sticks
Research on habit formation shows that behaviors become automatic after about 66 days. By the time you reach Phase 3 of this plan, running is no longer something you have to force yourself to do. It is just something you do.
No single training error explains most running injuries
A 2012 systematic review in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy examined training volume, frequency, and intensity across dozens of studies and could not pin injury risk on any single factor. That is exactly why this plan spreads its progression across 26 weeks instead of concentrating it into a few aggressive jumps.
About This 6-Month Half Marathon Plan
This is a free 26-week (6-month) half marathon training plan published by Motera, a gamified running app for iOS. The plan is designed for true beginners who cannot currently run and want to build safely to half marathon distance with the lowest possible injury risk. It is divided into four phases: Phase 1 (weeks 1 to 8) builds a running base from walking, Phase 2 (weeks 9 to 14) extends to 5K and 10K distances, Phase 3 (weeks 15 to 20) builds half marathon endurance, and Phase 4 (weeks 21 to 26) covers peak training and taper.
The plan includes milestone races at month 3 (5K) and month 5 (10K) to maintain motivation and practice race skills. Weekly mileage starts at 5 to 8 miles and peaks at 26 to 28 miles before a 3-week taper. The plan never requires more than 4 run days per week and never increases weekly mileage by more than 10 to 15 percent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 6 months too long to train for a half marathon?
No. Six months is the ideal duration for a true beginner. Most half marathon plans (12 to 16 weeks) assume you already have a running base of 15 to 20 miles per week. If you are starting from scratch, you need time to build that base before layering on half marathon specific training. Six months gives you that time without rushing.
Can I start this plan if I cannot run at all?
Yes. Phase 1 (weeks 1 to 8) starts with walking and walk/jog intervals. By the end of Phase 1, you will be running 30 minutes continuously. No running experience is required to start this plan.
Why does this plan start with walking instead of running?
Because walking loads your tendons, ligaments, and bones without the impact spikes of running, and those tissues adapt far slower than your heart and lungs do. Weeks 1 and 2 are brisk walks of 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week. Weeks 3 to 6 mix walking with short jog intervals so the running dose climbs a minute at a time. By week 7 you are jogging 20 to 30 minutes continuously, and you get there without the shin and knee complaints that end most from-zero attempts in month one.
What pace should I target for my first half marathon?
For a first half marathon after a 6-month training plan, most beginners finish in 2:15 to 2:45. That is a pace of approximately 10:18 to 12:35 per mile. Your goal should be to finish strong and feel good, not to hit a specific time. You can chase a PR in your second half marathon.
How do I know when I am ready to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2?
Four checks. You can jog 30 minutes continuously without walking breaks. You can hold a conversation while you do it. You have completed three runs per week for four straight weeks without missing sessions to soreness. And you wake up the next morning without new joint pain. If any of the four is missing, repeat weeks 7 and 8 rather than moving on. There is enough slack in a 26-week plan to spend an extra fortnight in Phase 1 and still make race day.
What if I get injured during the 6-month plan?
The biggest advantage of a 6-month timeline is flexibility. If you need to take a week or two off for an injury, you have time to recover and resume without missing your race. With a 12-week plan, a 2-week injury could derail the entire thing. With 26 weeks, you have a cushion built in.
Should I sign up for the half marathon before starting training?
Yes. Pick a race 6 months from now and register. Having a specific date creates accountability. You can also sign up for a 5K at month 3 and a 10K at month 5 as milestone races along the way.
What does a typical training week look like in each of the four phases?
Phase 1 is three walk or jog sessions of 30 minutes with rest days between each one. Phase 2 adds a fourth run day and a weekend long run of 4 to 5 miles. Phase 3 is three easy weekday runs plus a long run that grows from 7 to 12 miles, with one cross-training session. Phase 4 keeps the same shape at peak volume, then strips it back to short easy runs and a race day. The time commitment runs about 4 to 6 hours per week depending on the phase.
