Elite athletes follow a rigorous training plan and are capable of achieving an impressive pace over the 13.1 mile distance of a half marathon. For men the average time to run a half marathon is around 1:10-1:30 minutes, and for women around 1:20-1:40 – that’s over 8mph!

Take at least one or two days off from running during marathon week. Some people prefer to take off the two days before the race, while others will take off Friday before a Sunday marathon and do a very easy 20 to 30-minute run the day before the race to work out last-minute nerves.

Running a sub 2 hour or 1:59:59 half-marathon means maintaining an average pace of 9:09 minutes per mile, which is considered a respectable half-marathon time among runners. Highly competitive runners aim for harder targets, like a 1 hour and 30-minute half-marathon (6:51 minutes per mile pace or faster).

Despite the half marathon’s ever growing popularity and accessibility, finishing one is still a big deal for any runner—because it’s nearly impossible to fake it for 13.1 miles. You’ve got to train diligently and have the discipline to execute your race day plan.

I wouldn’t recommend running a half-marathon with no training. I’m incredibly lucky that the experience didn’t injure me. If you haven’t done so before though, I would recommend pushing yourself into doing a race of this length (or longer!).

Can you walk a half marathon in 3.0 hours? In order to walk a half marathon in 3.0 hours, you must maintain an average pace of 13:43 minutes a mile / 8:31 minutes a kilometer. I don’t recommend that walkers attempt to walk a half marathon at this pace unless they will be brisk walking almost the entire time.

After you reach 3 miles, give yourself at least 12 additional weeks to train for 13.1 miles. In total, this is 20 week of half marathon training. And yes, if you’re a beginner, you can start from nothing and work up to a half marathon in under six months.

The study concluded that marathons and half-marathons are associated with a low overall risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death. So, this busts the myth that people suffer from heart problems because they run. The issues with having a bad heart and running are very rarely related.

While you will more than likely lose weight while training for a half marathon, the key to losing weight is based on 80% of what you consume. By also including strength training and interval training, you increase the possibilities of weight loss during training.

Your weekly long run is vital in terms of any endurance event. It helps prepare your body both physically and mentally for the challenge ahead and also represents the developing progress of your plan. Doing a long run every week is extremely important, and you should increase your mileage slowly and carefully.

Minor injuries Thankfully, injuries are uncommon in half marathon runners. But you might experience lower body issues, including shin splints, plantar fasciitis, or muscle pain to your calves, hamstrings, or quads. Muscle aches can be treated with rest and gentle stretching.

Let’s revisit that golden rule: One rest day for every mile raced. So, if you ran a half marathon on November 1st, you can safely run another half marathon on November 14th. You’re looking at an average of 2 half marathons a month. The best amount of time to keep between two races will be roughly two weeks.