“What time are you going for?” It’s a question we’ve been asked (and probably asked others) many, many times. But running a race doesn’t have to be about the time on the clock when you cross the finish line to make it a great experience.

Running is great for our mental health. Many of us use it as a way to unwind and de-stress. Sometimes, though, if you’re working towards a specific and challenging goal, it can actually do the opposite. Yes, our beloved running could actually become the source of extra pressure in our life.

With this in mind, we’ve created a half marathon training plan that will get you ready for race day. Unlike traditional half marathon training plans, it uses time, not distance, to track your training. This means that you don’t need to focus on how fast you’re running any specific distance. Read on for more on race training for enjoyment, or scroll down to get straight to the Half Marathon Time Training plan

If I’m training for enjoyment, why do I need a plan?

Training plans aren’t just about clocking new PBs. Training plans are there to guide you through your training and to help you prepare your mind and body for a great race day.

The number-one cause of bad race day experiences is undertraining and being unprepared. After all, if your body isn’t well prepared to run the distance that’s in front of it, you’re not going to enjoy it.

While the aim of this training plan isn’t to run a certain time on race day, it is a plan that will maintain and improve your fitness. It will give you a gentle nudge out the door on the days you need it, without making you dread your runs.

Why would I want a goal that isn’t a PB?

First of all, you might be a first time half marathon runner. Training without a specific time in mind can really help you to complete the distance without so much pressure.

Even seasoned half-marathon runners might want to approach their next race without a PB goal. Some of us don’t enjoy the pressure of training for a time. Maybe we have other races coming up that will need our full effort and attention, but still want to follow a training plan in the mean time. If you’re coming back to running from pregnancy or injury, this plan could be a great way to run to feel, as you can adjust your speed and distance to suit your body’s needs.

What do I do after I’ve completed the Half Marathon Time Training plan?

The best thing about this plan is that it can be repeated many times over. Because you’re training for time, not a specific distance, you can add in extra challenges such as doing it with trail running, hillier terrain, or with a weight vest.

The Half Marathon Time Training plan

Here’s our half marathon training plan for time, not distance. We’ve split this plan into three parts, each of which has a different focus. We’ve also done away with distances and focussed on time on feet instead.

This plan is designed to prepare your body and mind for the half marathon, but it aims to do that without adding too much pressure. It is a flexible plan so it won’t tell you which days to run on. That’s up to you. Just try to space your runs out within your week so you don’t do more than two runs on consecutive days.

The choice of a fourth run or cross training, and which strength workout you do, is also up to you but do make sure you have at least one rest day each week. Try to also ensure that you do some stretching for running recovery. All your runs should be done at a comfortable pace and we encourage you to run/walk as much as you’d like.

Weeks 1-4: Building a routine

The first four weeks of training are all about establishing your routine and finding out what works for you. If you’ve had a period away from running or have been finding it difficult to get out recently, this is particularly important.

Week 1

Run 1: 20 mins
Run 2: 30 mins
Run 3: 30 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 20 mins

Week 2

Run 1: 20 mins
Run 2: 30 mins
Run 3: 40 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 20 mins

Week 3

Run 1: 25 mins
Run 2: 30 mins
Run 3: 50 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 20 mins

Week 4

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 30 mins
Run 3: 60 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 30 mins

Weeks 5-8: Try something new

Hopefully you’re back in the swing of things, so now your challenge is to try something new each week for these four weeks. It could be a new route, a new time of day to run or meeting up with a group that’s new to you. This will keep you motivated, and offer different challenges for your body.

Week 5

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 35 mins
Run 3: 60 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 30 mins

Week 6

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 40 mins
Run 3: 1 hour 10 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 40 mins

Week 7

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 45 mins
Run 3: 1 hour 20 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 40 mins

Week 8

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 50 mins
Run 3: 1 hour 30 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 45 mins

Weeks 9-12: Race day prep

Your long runs will continue to build, and then taper off towards race day. Use these long runs as dress rehearsals for race day: start your run at the same time as your race will start, trial your fuel, test your kit. If you like running with music, it’s also time to start building your race day playlist.

Week 9

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 60 mins
Run 3: 1 hours 30 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 45 mins

Week 10

Run 1: 30 mins
Run 2: 60 mins
Run 3: 1 hour 45 mins
Cross-train: 30 mins
Strength: 30 mins

Week 11

Run 1: 20 mins
Run 2: 45 mins
Run 3: 60 mins
Cross-train: 20 mins
Strength: 30 mins

Week 12

Run 1: 20 mins
Run 2: 20 mins
Race day!

Want to stick this plan on your fridge door? You can download and print the full plan by clicking the button below. By entering your email, you’ll be joining our weekly Edit newsletter list to help support you with your training, as well as the odd promotional message, that you can unsubscribe from at any time.

Here’s a preview of what your plan will look like…