What is a good half marathon time? It depends on who you ask. I believe the athletes who breaking the 2 hour half marathon are extremely fit. Of course, there are other runners who are aiming for even faster time. My goal is to help to get you there using some tactics that worked for me. I was able to lower my half marathon best from 1:10:31 to 1:07:06. In addition, my marathon time from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35. No, none of it was easy. In fact, all I did was focus on running. So, it depends on your level of expertise, focus and motivation.
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What is the Average Time to Run a Half Marathon?
The average time that many runners are able to achieve is running right around 1 hour and 55 minutes. Females usually can run 2 hours and 11 minutes or faster. Again, this is the average and there are many runners who can go faster or slower. Remember, the focus should always be on quality over quantity if you truly want to run fast in this event. The half-marathon is 21.1 kilometers or 13.1 miles. So, in order to sustain pace effectively you have to work on improving your body's lactate tolerance.
In addition, you have to watch your pacing early on in the race. A common mistake runners make is running far too aggressive in the early stages of the race. The result is they pay for it in the second half and slow significantly. So, you have to be smart about you train as well as race. We are not talking about a 5K here but the half-marathon. What percentage of your weekly mileage are you training at or below your goal half-marathon race pace? I would recommend you do what the best runners do. The top athletes are running about 40 percent of their weekly mileage at paces that are equal to or slightly faster than their goal race pace.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PRIVATE, MEMBERSHIP COMMUNITYIs a 90 Minute Half Good?
Yes, a 90-minute half marathon is a very good half-marathon time. Are you seeking to run a time like that? I have created a 1:30 half marathon training plan here you may want to check out. Remember, to run a sub 2 hour half marathon you need to sustain 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometer foe the entire distance. So, the faster you are aiming to run the more that is going to be required out of you. Yes, you must work on speed development in order to get goal race pace to feel easier on you.
I have my athletes doing 1, vo2max workout per week. Your vo2max is your maximum oxygen uptake. It is running at speeds so fast you cannot clear the lactic acid faster than it is building up in your muscles. So, we have to stop, take a break and then start again. The focus behind doing workouts like this is that it improves your lactate tolerance. You are able to sustain pace more effectively and the goal is to slow down less than your competition.
Is Running a Half Marathon Impressive?
I think it is. It is a test to determine how committed you are to get out there and compete in a race of this length. Of course, anyone can run slow for a number of miles or kilometers. That being said, it is an art form to run fast over 13.1 miles or 21.1 kilometers. So, it requires far more out of the athletes that is trying to race rather than just run a half marathon. Yes, running a half marathon from start to finish is a big accomplishment for many people. So, you should feel happy that you completed one.
The vast majority of runners who compete in half marathons have time goals. There is a lot more work that is involved when you want to race a marathon in a specific time. A big mistake many runners make is running too many of their weekly miles or kilometers too slow. Remember, to get race pace to feel easier you have to train at paces that are much faster. So, running 95 percent of your weekly mileage far slower than goal pace will not assist you. Yes, you will become very strong in terms of your endurance. That being said, you will be lacking in your speed, strength and stamina development.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TRAINING PLANSWhat Happens to Your Body after a Half Marathon?
There are micro tears within your muscle tissue. In addition, most athletes are very sore after an all-out half-marathon race. So, recovery is very important and what you do after the race. You may want to get a light massage or take an ice bath. No, ice baths are not fun but they work to pull oxygen fresh blood toward sore muscles. In addition, it helps to reduce inflammation which usually occurs after our races. The best option is complete rest and hydrating well before, during and most certainly after your race.
There are many runners who jog very slowly a couple days after a half marathon and keep training. They may be training for a marathon and use the half-marathon race as a preparatory effort. Athletes that want to do well in this event have to pay attention to rest and recovery. The reason is there is only so many times you can push the body hard before you see a diminished return on your investment.
Remember, all of the benefits of your hard training are going to come within the rest period. So, be smart in training and you will yield better results. I recommend a minimum of 24 and preferably 48 hours of easy jogging between hard workouts or a race.
How Many Miles a Week Should I Run for a Half Marathon?
It depends on the athlete. You can certainly run a strong half marathon with 25 to 30 miles a week. Of course, there are other runners who aim to run higher mileage. Remember, the focus should always be on quality versus quantity. You will not run fast if the majority of your mileage is too aerobic. So, you need to stress the body enough so that you adapt and become faster. I see a lot of runners running too short of tempo runs. A 3 to 4 mile tempo run is certainly a great workout for a miler or 5K athlete.
That being said, as a half marathoner you may want to start focusing on longer tempo runs of around 6 to 10 miles in length. Again, you need to work to get that goal race pace to feel more in control and less demanding. Also, it takes between 3 to 4 weeks to adapt. So, focus first on 3 to 4 mile tempo efforts and than gradually extend as you get fitter.
Closing Thoughts
How far are you running and at what pace? I write that because many runners are running far too slow during their long runs. The long run is the hardest workout that I do. I alternate running a long, varied pace long run followed the next week by an easy, relaxed long run. This tactic helped me lower my marathon best from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35. In addition, my half-marathon from 1:10:31 down to 1:07:06. So, start using this strategy in your own training and you will see some big gains. I recommend in investing in one of the running courses, training plans or monthly coaching here.
How often are you mentally training to prepare for your half marathon? The vast majority of runners focus only on physical training and neglect this. The best runners know how vital it is and pay attention to both. So, you need to spend some time each day during your 16 week half marathon training build up seeing yourself succeed in your mind. Lastly, stay as relaxed as you can in training and when you race. Let your competition be tense, up tight and nervous, not you.
Always make training the most difficult part of your preparation, not the race. Race day is the celebration of all your hard work. In fact, come race day, there should be nothing your competition can throw at you that you have not already experienced yourself in training. Remember, there is trained and there is un-trained. So, go in confident knowing that you did everything to succeed. I hope this post on what is a good half marathon time has been helpful to you.
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