RW's Garmin-Ready Half-Marathon Schedule: Sub-1:30

Posted: 20 February 2008
Week One
Mon 5M (miles) (approx 41 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 800m (or 3 mins) fast, with 200m (1-min) recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 21 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 6M (approx 49 mins) easy
Sun 13M (approx 1hr 47) easy

Week Two
Mon 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Tue 1M jog, then 8 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Thu 1M jog, then 3M (approx 21 mins) brisk, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Sun 13M (approx 1hr 33) steady

Week Three
Mon 7M (approx 58 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1M (or 6 mins) brisk, with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed Rest
Thu 7M (approx 50 mins) easy
Fri 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Sat 5M (approx 40 mins) slow
Sun 14M (approx 1hr 40) steady

Week Four
Mon 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1K (or 4 mins) fast, with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 57 mins) steady
Thu 1M jog, then 12 x 200m (or 45 secs) fast, with 100m (30-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 1M jog, then 8M (approx 60 mins) fartlek, then 1M jog
Sun 16M (approx 1hr 55) steady

Week Five
Mon 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Tue 1M jog, then 2 x 2M (or 13 mins) fast, with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 9M (approx 65 mins) steady
Thu 1M jog, then 12 x 200m (or 45 secs) fast, with 100m (30-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 1M jog, then 7M (approx 53 mins) fartlek, then 1M jog
Sun 13M (approx 1hr 33) steady

Week Six
Mon 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Tue 1M jog, then 200m (or 45 secs) fast, 400m (or 90 secs) fast, 800m (or 3 mins) fast, 400m fast, 200m fast, all with 100m (30-sec) jog recoveries, then extra 200m (1-min) jog. Repeat sequence once, then 1M jog to warm-down
Wed 10M (approx 82 mins) steady
Thu 4M (approx 27 mins) brisk
Fri 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Sat Rest
Sun 10K Race

Week Seven
Mon 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 8M (approx 57 mins) steady
Thu 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Fri 1M jog, then 20 x 2 mins up hill, jog back. Then 1M jog at end of session
Sat Rest
Sun 18M (approx 2hr 09) steady

Week Eight
Mon 7M (approx 57 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 200m (or 45 secs) fast, with 100m (30-sec) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Thu 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Fri 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Sat Rest
Sun 12M (approx 83 mins) brisk

Week Nine
Mon 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Tue 1M jog, then 16 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 13M (approx 1hr 33) steady
Thu 1M jog, then 2 x 3M brisk (approx 21 mins), with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Fri Rest
Sat 4M (approx 27 mins) brisk
Sun 10K Race

Week Ten
Mon 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Tue 8M (approx 57 mins) steady
Wed 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Thu 5M (approx 36 mins) steady
Fri 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Sat Rest
Sun 16M (approx 1hr 55) steady

Week Eleven
Mon 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Tue 1M jog, then 12 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 10M (approx 1hr 12) steady
Thu 5M (approx 34 mins) brisk
Fri Rest
Sat 5M (approx 41 mins) easy
Sun 13M (approx 1hr 33) steady

Week Twelve
Mon 5M (approx 36 mins) steady
Tue 1M jog, then 10 x 400m (or 90 secs) fast, with 200m (1-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog
Wed 7M (approx 50 mins) steady
Thu 4M (approx 28 mins) brisk
Fri 5M (approx 36 mins) steady
Sat Rest
Sun Race Day!

Download This Schedule For Your Garmin

You can download this schedule onto your Garmin Forerunner 301, 205, 305 and 405 (it will work best on the 205, 305 and 405). Your Forerunner will then guide you through each session with target training paces or heart rates to aim for.

  • Decide whether you want to train by heart rate or pace (if in doubt, choose pace).
  • Download the schedule onto your PC desktop using either the quick-download buttons below, or the custom-download buttons further down the page. (The custom options allow you to refine your training paces and heart rates.)
  • Open your Garmin Training Centre software, use 'file>import sessions' to import the schedules from your desktop, then plug in your Forerunner to synchronise it. (You should make sure your Garmin software is up to date, especially as there is a new improvement to pace-smoothing for the 205 and 305. We suggest you use the 'WebUpdater option on these pages: 205; 301 ; 305)
  • If you are new to the 405, to ensure that you have the right software installed, click here.
Enter your race date:

(dd/mm/yyyy)
Enter your race date:
(dd/mm/yyyy)
Make A Version With Custom Training Paces

Here are the training paces recommended by this schedule. You can adjust them if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the paces is likely to be slightly too fast or too slow.
Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session :
Easy - Easy - a gentle jog at below 75% maximum heart rate (MHR) :
Slow - conversational pace (73-78% MHR) :
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace (79-84% MHR) :
Brisk (or Threshold (THR)) - around your target half-marathon pace (87-91% MHR). :
Fast-10K - 90-94% :
Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR :
Fast-above-5K :

You can also adjust the paces above by adjusting your half-marathon target slightly. The sessions and mileages in the schedule will stay the same but the paces will change.

New target: :
Enter your race date:  (dd/mm/yyyy)
Finished? When you're happy with the paces, download your schedule

(You can revise your paces partway through your training – just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner.)

Make A Version With Custom Heart Rates

Here are the percentages of maximum heart rate used in the different sessions in this schedule. Insert your maximum heart rate to see which targets you will have to aim for. You can adjust the '% max' figures if you feel that the overall schedule is right for you but that one or two of the heart rates is likely to be slightly too high or too low.

Your maximum heart rate:
Pace in schedule % max Your target heart rate
Jog recovery - a period of extremely slow running in between the efforts in a speed session - 104-180
Easy - a gentle jog - 138-148
Slow - conversational pace - 146-156
Steady - a comfortable, but purposeful, pace. About marathon pace - 158-168
Brisk (or Threshold (THR)) - around your target half-marathon pace - 174-182
Fast-10K - 180-188
Fast-5K - 186-194
Fast-above-5K - 192-198
Enter your race date:  (dd/mm/yyyy)
Finished? When you're happy with the heart rate zones, download your schedule

(You can revise your heart rate zones partway through your training - just come back to this page, change the values and reupload to your Forerunner)

Your Questions Answered

Choosing and customising a schedule

Downloading the schedule from RW onto your Forerunner

Using Training Center

Following the sessions

More help... If you don't find the answer to your question in the above FAQs, then please email Garmin's helpline, inputting 'Runner's World training plans' in the subject field of your email to aid our product support teams.
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Discuss this article


daniel clarke 4

I'm following the Garmin half marathon schedule, but using my Garmin 50 rather than downloading the schedule to a fancier model. 

My question is how to read the pace requirements.

 eg  Tue 1M jog, then 6 x 1M (or 6 mins) brisk, with 400m (2-min) jog recoveries, then 1M jog .

 My "brisk" pace (for a 1:30 target time) is 6:52.  So should I be running 1m in 6:52?  or 1m in 6mins?  Quite a difference for my level.

 Also could you clarify the "fast " paces Fast-10K - 90-94%:Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR:Fast-above-5K:

Again for track sessions i'm confused about which of these paces to use.  In the schedule the distance and time always seems to suggest 1:30 laps...

thanks!


Posted: 01/08/2008 at 14:55


Heckenhocker

On Tuesday, you should jog, then run for 6 minutes at your 6.52 pace, then jog 400metres taking 2 minutes....repeat the 6 minutes / 400metres 5 more times....then jog 1 mile.

 The schedule is saying "do a mile at brisk pace, but don't run more than 6 minutes....if that doesn't bring you to a mile, so be it"

 The fast paces are linked to you maximum heart rate.  Roughly this is 220 minus your age.  But this measure can be very different for some people....to check yours you do a track or treadmill test.

Once you know your MHR you can run hard watching your HR, and work out what the paces are.

Or if you don't use a HR monitor, but have some recent races done when fit, then you can use your race results to determine your fast paces. 


Posted: 01/08/2008 at 22:10


daniel clarke 4

That's great.  Many thanks Heckenhocker.  Makes sense in terms of intensity compared to other runs.  Just to clarify on the "fast" pace...:

When it says Fast-10K - 90-94%:Fast-5K - 93-97% MHR:Fast-above-5K:

 Do I read this as any distance up to 5k "fast" = 6:05 min miles.

5k-10k "fast" = 6:18 min miles.

Over 10k "fast" = 6:35 min miles.

Thanks again.


Posted: 04/08/2008 at 08:24


Heckenhocker

To be honest, out of context, it's impossible to be sure.  But I suspect the definitions are to be used for speed work.  So you might get a session that says

"run 1 mile fast at 5k pace" or "run 1 mile fast at 10k pace"...meaning for you 1 mile at 6.18, or 1 mile at 6.35 (if those are your race paces).

So you're not doing 5k....but working at that intensity.


Posted: 04/08/2008 at 13:00


daniel clarke 4
thanks again.  much appreciated.
Posted: 04/08/2008 at 13:09


craigtdavies
Just a quick one, Where I live it is very hilly and on this schedule there is for example an 18 mile run @ 7:09 min/miles.  How am I expected to sustain that pace on hills for 18 miles.
Posted: 17/01/2012 at 15:05


Paul Wright 34
If by week 5 I can run 13 miles at a steady pace in 1:33 are the next 6 weeks needed?
Posted: 11/11/2012 at 16:11

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