‘How to Run a Half Marathon’

For most runners, running a half marathon is an achievable goal – if you can run 10km, it’s not so hard to scale up to a half marathon. It’s easier and less time consuming to train for than the full marathon distance, but still requires a higher weekly mileage, longer runs and a greater variety of training sessions to develop the endurance you’ll need.

How long is a half marathon?

A half marathon is 13.1 miles or 21km.

Should I follow a Training Plan?

In short, yes. My training programme for the 2021 Oxford Half Marathon is 12-weeks long and features two rest days per week, and switches between easy, steady, speed, threshold, fartlek and long runs. I created this plan to get progressively harder and to make sure that I’m getting the most out of my training by including pace goals to prevent the risk of injury from training too hard.

What should I do if I do get injured?

I wouldn’t recommend ever training through an injury. If you’re worried about losing fitness, you can cross-train in a way that doesn’t put stress on the injured area (depending on the severity of the injury). If you can’t run for one week, just skip that week on your plan and pick up the training schedule the following week. If you can’t run for two weeks, I would recommend that you repeat the previous weeks training plan and continue from there. If you can’t run for three or more weeks though, I would suggest that you continue training by repeating the previous three or more weeks training plan, but adjust your goals by aiming for a slower time.

I don’t feel like I’m improving, what should I do?

Trust me, you are improving! A goal like this needs time and above all else, it needs consistent training. I’ve lost count of the times that my training runs have all felt awful but I somehow manage to pull it out of the bag on race day. Stick at it, each run will improve your fitness.

Should I be doing strength training alongside my run training?

YES! Strength training is essential to avoid injuries in runners as it will strengthen muscles and joints. My strength training routine while I am focussing on running includes movements like squats, lunge variations, press ups and core work.

Tips for Race Day:

1.       Make sure you warm up. A warm up will prepare your body and your mind for the task at hand. I usually do 10-15 minutes of light jogging, gradually increasing the pace to match your pace plan for the race.

2.       Don’t rush off. Yes, it is a race but don’t forget that it’s a long one and if you rush off of the start line, you risk burning out too quickly and injuring yourself or not being able to maintain your pace plan.

3.       Take it one mile at a time. I like to break my race down into one-mile chunks. If I’m feeling good then great, I can carry on at that pace according to my pace plan. If not, then I just have to ride it out until the end of the mile and see how I’m feeling then.

4.       Take advantage of the free high-fives from the spectators and marshals. For me, nothing boosts me on more than a spectator screaming my name or bib number, waving at the small children whose parent is running, or getting a high-five from a cheer squad. They’ve made time to watch you race, so give them a big smile and remember to thank them!

written by Nicky Marie