A 1:45 half marathon is a highly sought after goal for many runners. If you’re chasing after this goal, congratulations! For many, this is a stepping stone to even bigger goals including fast marathons and the 8:00/mi pace required can be a great mental barrier to break through! You’ll find that most people hitting the 1:45 target have training and workouts that look similar. If you want to know more about what that entails, keep reading!
The Race Demands of a Half Marathon
Every training plan I set out to make always starts with the race itself in mind. I personally am a fan of the half marathon distance, for example, because it doesn’t have the fueling and nutrition demands that a full marathon has. Most can make it to the finish while worrying little about additional gels and bars and drinks during the race. Most can tackle the half marathon distance and finish strong if they properly train.
Tempo runs are a staple of every half marathon training because they are great for building strength in your running (more on this later!). Long runs and general mileage, though, are still very important as the half marathon is still very aerobic (ie: endurance-based). It’s not enough to run 8 minute miles. You have to be able to do it for 13.1 miles! Now that we know the demands of the race, let’s get into the workouts!
1:45 Half Marathon Race Plan Here!
Tempo Runs
Why? Tempo runs are performed at what’s called the “anaerobic lactate threshold” of a runner. You should be able to maintain this pace for 60 minutes if you were racing. It’s not a comfortable pace but you can maintain it with some focus. These runs will build that strength to endure for long periods at a demanding pace – crucial for a half marathon! Start with a tempo run of 20 minutes and progress from there either using intervals (ie: 2×2 miles w/90 second rest) or long duration runs (ie: 4 mile run, 5 mile run, etc.).
How fast? If 1:45 is your goal, your tempo runs should be between 7:45-7:55. For tempo runs especially, it is best to error on the slower side and not overshoot it!
How often/How far? Early on, after you’ve built a solid base of miles, put these every week (that’s how important they are!). Some coaches will cap these runs at about 10% of your weekly mileage, depending on what that is.
Examples: 4-5 weeks out, try 3×2 miles w/2 minutes rest at 7:45/mile. Progress the next week to a 5-mile uninterrupted tempo run around 7:50/mi.
Long Runs
Why? Long runs are tremendous for building endurance. And even though we’re not talking full marathons or ultras, you cannot run a successful half marathon without a solid endurance base. Particularly, runs over 2 hours have been shown to provide great aerobic benefits.
How fast? A good rule of thumb for half marathon long runs is easy to moderate effort (in the 8:30-8:50/mi range). A few times during the last 4-7 weeks, speed up to race pace (8:00/mile) for the last 3-4 miles of the run.
How often/How far? Ideally, you should run a long run weekly, but most of these will be at easy pace. Build the distance slowly over the base period. Once you’ve reached about 13-15 miles, or 2 hours, stay there and then look at adding in some race pace every few weeks.
Examples: When I ran my half marathon PR, I did 16 miles three weeks out with the last 4 of those at race pace.
1:45 Half Marathon Email Series with More Tips
Interval Training
Why? In any race distance, it is important to run some miles faster than your race pace. For the half marathon, interval training at various paces accomplishes this. These paces will improve your VO2 max, which is your body’s maximum capacity for using oxygen. It’s not the top adaptation we’re seeking for a half marathon, but it WILL make 8:00/mi seem much easier if you’re able to run 7:30/mi comfortably in short bursts. Running faster also recruits more and more muscle fibers, making for a more efficient runner on race day. Speed work for the half marathon is best accomplished through interval training.
How fast? 3k to 5k paced intervals is the way to go if a 1:45 half marathon is your goal. This should be somewhere in the 7:10-7:25/mile range. In the beginning, you might do shorter and faster (3k pace) intervals and progress to longer and slower (5k pace). The difference between 5k training and half marathon training is you can use a longer rest with these since 5k pace is not actually your race goal.
How often/How far? When you throw speed work in every week, you risk being too fatigued for the other two sessions mentioned above. I think every other week is sufficient for a 1:30 goal. The total interval distance never needs to exceed 5 or 6 miles (ie: 6 x 1 mile repeats).
Examples: Mile repeats and 800m intervals are where you should end up towards the latter part of your training (ie: 4-5 weeks out). If you can work up to 5 x 1 mile repeats at 7:25/mile pace with a 3-4 minute rest, then you have more than enough speed endurance to nail a 1:45!
Finish line of My Half Marathon PR!
The “Other Stuff”
The bulk of your training should still come in the form of easy running. This will allow you to grow your weekly mileage, which is perhaps the biggest contributor to success at longer distances. Your weekly mileage should still be comprised of about 75-85% easy mileage.
How easy is easy? My easy pace is currently over 2 minutes slower per mile than my half marathon PR race pace. I’d say that’s on the slow end but I would at least slow down to 9:30/mi or slower for a 1:45 half marathoner. Your body is still getting an enormous benefit from running more slowly. In many cases, that benefit is sacrificed when you run too fast.
Put at least one easy day in between every hard workout (the ones above!). Add them as warm-ups and cool-downs on your hard days as well. If you do this, you’ll quickly see how they will make up the majority of your mileage. And if you’re running your hard days hard enough, you’ll be thankful you have them!
What About Mileage?
How much mileage is needed to run a 1:45 half marathon? I totally understand that question and it’s a good one to ask. For a gifted runner, it will be a lot less. For the rest of the population (like me!), it’s going to take more. I don’t want to be extraordinarily vague, so I’ll say that in my experience, most people start to see their true potential in longer distance when they are running close to 40-50 miles per week. At that mileage, you can bang out a 15 mile long run on the weekend and it’s still only 30% of your weekly mileage.
Think of it another way. If you’re trying a 15 mile long run and your total weekly volume is only 30 miles a week, that’s HALF of your weekly mileage in ONE run. That runner is likely getting injured in a matter of months. I always tell people that your chances are greatly improved if you can go from 30-40 miles a week to 40-50 miles a week.
All the Tips for a 1:45 Half Marathon Here
Good Luck!
If you’re within striking distance of a 1:45 or something close to it, I hope you’ve found something useful here. Let me know how your race goes. I believe very much in this process and its effectiveness. If you are committed to the plan, you can make it happen. Good luck!
If you want to see my training log for the last 16 weeks leading up to my previous half marathon PR (1:22:57), then click here!
I’ve written a training plan specifically for this 1:45 goal, complete with drills and motivation and detailed workouts, check out my plan here!
If you want a coach in your corner to help you nail your next goal, then I’m ready! Click here.
