You liked your first couch-to-5K a lot more than you expected to. You trained for your 10K with much aplomb, and now you’re ready to take on your first half marathon. But it’s…how long, exactly? Here, I’ll lay out how many miles are in a half-marathon, how to plan your weekly mileage, and tips to get you ready for race day.
Key Takeaways
- A half marathon is 13.1 miles (21.0975 kilometers).
- The average time for a half marathon is two hours, the world record being 57:31.
- It takes about 15 weeks to train for a half marathon.
How Many Miles Are in a Half Marathon?
Before you take off, you’ll need to know the half-marathon distance you’re getting yourself into. A half-marathon is 13.1 miles (or 21.0975 kilometers), and a full marathon is 26.2 miles (or 42 kilometers).
[Read More: How Long Is a Marathon? Plus, How to Train for Your First Marathon]
What’s a good half-marathon time? The average time is about two hours. More specifically, RunRepeat released a state of running report in 2019 and stated the following average finish times for half-marathon runners in the United States. (1)
- Men: Two hours and two minutes (2:02:00)
- Women: Two hours and sixteen minutes (2:16:00)
We need more statistics on nonbinary runners.
The average pace varies based on fitness level and age group.
What about the fastest half-marathon? These individuals currently hold the world record.
- Men: Jacob Kiplimo crossed the finish line in 57 minutes at 31 seconds (57:31) in Lisbon, Portugal, in November 2021. (2)
- Women: Letesenbet Gidey had a finish time of one hour, two minutes, and 52 seconds (1:02:52) in Valencia, Spain, in October 2021. (3)
- Nonbinary Athletes: Winter Parts finished a half-marathon in one hour, 12 minutes, and 48 seconds (1:12:48) in Brooklyn, New York, in April 2022, but there needs to be more research on the world record for nonbinary runners. (4)
How Many Miles Do You Run During Half-Marathon Training?
A good half-marathon workout plan will be tailored to your fitness level. New, intermediate, and advanced runners may all have different average weekly mileage. Still, everyone needs to complete the 13.1 miles on race day.
A study on half-marathon runners found that those with the fastest finish times ran an average weekly mileage of 19.8 miles (32 kilometers). A half-marathon training plan may span 10 to 16 weeks, depending on your fitness level. If you run an average of 20 miles per week for 15 weeks, you’ll be running 300 miles total. (5)
[Read More: How Do You Stack Up? Here Are the Average Marathon Times for Different Types of Runners]
To reach that average of 20 miles, newer runners may build to 10 to 15 miles per week then continue to peak at 25 to 30 weekly miles. Experienced runners may start with 25 miles per week and build up to peak at 40 miles. (6)
Tips for Training for Your First Half Marathon
Getting ready for your first half-marathon? Working with a running coach and following a half-marathon training program is always ideal, but here are my top tips as a certified personal trainer.
Build Up Your Weekly Mileage
You won’t want to jump into a 13.1-mile run immediately. Instead, focusing on weekly mileage and slowly building up will help you get there. Your training plan will likely include at least one longer run per week, and eventually, you want that to be at least 10 miles.
[Read More: How to Balance Running and Strength Training, No Matter Your Goals]
Following a half-marathon training plan with progression will help you get there. In the running world, some people use the “rule of thumb,” where you increase your weekly mileage by 10 percent every three weeks. Cut it down by 10 percent in the fourth week, and start again.
Vary Your Running Workouts
If it’s your first half-marathon, your goal is to finish, not necessarily go as fast as possible. Still, most training schedules include a variety of running workouts throughout the week. You might do one longer run and one day of speed work. Speed work typically involves a shorter, faster run that might be interval training, fartlek training, or tempo runs for more experienced runners.
Include Cross-Training
When you’re training for a marathon event, cross-training means any type of training that’s not running. There are two areas to focus on to keep improving your fitness without running.
- Strength Training: Include at least one day of resistance training. For newbies, strengthening your muscles can help prevent injuries. For more advanced runners, resistance training boosts power and speed, which improves running performance (and may help prevent injury, too). (7)
- Cardio Cross-Training: You can also work on increasing your cardiovascular endurance while giving your legs a break from all that high-impact. Doing something low-impact like swimming, the elliptical, or cycling helps work your heart and lungs without added stress on your muscles, tissues, and joints.
Take Rest Days and Taper Off
You’ll need one to two rest days per week to give your body a chance to recover and adapt to the (good) stress of running. Research shows that endurance athletes who take fewer than two rest days per week have a much higher risk of injury than those who take more rest days. (8)
[Read More: Should You Be Running Every Day? A Certified Personal Trainer Gives You the Scoop]
You also want to taper off your mileage in the final weeks before race day.
Practice Good Running Nutrition
Be sure to eat well (and enough) throughout your half-marathon training. Proper running fuel can improve performance and recovery. Hydration (with or without electrolytes) and having carbohydrates before, during, and after long-distance running can help keep your energy up. (9)
[Read More: The Best Supplements for Runners]
Some runners have energy gels (a quick source of carbs) during long-distance runs. If you want to try it, experiment with it during your training to see how your body reacts. General running advice is to avoid trying something brand new on race day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here’s the bottom line on your most asked questions.
What is the half marathon distance?
A half-marathon is 13.1 miles or 21 kilometers.
How many hours does it take to run a half marathon?
The average half-marathon time in the United States is about two hours, but depending on your fitness level, it may take longer.
What does a half-marathon training plan look like?
A half-marathon training plan may span from 10 to 16 weeks, for an average of 15 weeks. During each week, you’ll likely have one longer run, one day of interval training or speed work, one to two lower-intensity runs, and cross-training.
Editor’s Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. When starting a new training regimen and/or diet, it is always a good idea to consult with a trusted medical professional. We are not a medical resource. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional.
References
- Andersen, J. The State of Running 2019. RunRepeat.
- Half Marathon Men. World Athletics.
- Half Marathon Women. World Athletics.
- Races Have Begun to Add Nonbinary Divisions. But Is That Enough? Runner’s World.
- Fokkema T, van Damme AADN, Fornerod MWJ, de Vos RJ, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, van Middelkoop M. Training for a (half-)marathon: Training volume and longest endurance run related to performance and running injuries. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2020 Sep;30(9):1692-1704.
- Half Marathon Training Plans for Every Level of Runner. Runner’s World.
- Šuc A, Šarko P, Pleša J, Kozinc Ž. Resistance Exercise for Improving Running Economy and Running Biomechanics and Decreasing Running-Related Injury Risk: A Narrative Review. Sports (Basel). 2022 Jun 24;10(7):98.
- Ristolainen L, Kettunen JA, Waller B, Heinonen A, Kujala UM. Training-related risk factors in the etiology of overuse injuries in endurance sports. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2014 Feb;54(1):78-87.
- Burke, L. M., Millet, G., & Tarnopolsky, M. A. (2007). Nutrition for distance events. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(sup1), S29–S38.
Featured Image: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock
