Hal Higdon — Half Marathon Intermediate 1
A step up from Novice: adds pace runs and longer long runs for runners who want to race the half, not just finish it.
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Frequency
- 5 days / week
- Time / week
- 4.5–6 hrs
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Start if you can…
- You're running ~20 mpw with some long-run experience
- Builds up to
- 12-mile long run + race-pace runs
- Source
- Hal Higdon ↗
Best for
- ✓Chasing a half-marathon PR
- ✓Runners with a season or two behind them
- ✓Those ready for 5 days/week
Why the community recommends this
The natural next step after Novice — same trustworthy structure, with race-pace work that translates current fitness into a faster finish.
Check paces against your current fitness
Enter a recent race result to estimate training paces. A goal time shows the fitness that goal requires.
How the plan is structured
- 5 running days per week
- Marathon/half goal-pace runs during the week
- A tempo or faster session to sharpen
- Long runs building beyond race distance (to ~12 mi)
- Cross-training and rest to recover
Strengths
- +Genuinely prepares you to race
- +Still simple and well-structured
Trade-offs
- −Bigger time commitment
- −Needs a real base before week 1
We summarize this popular plan and link to the original rather than reproduce its copyrighted week-by-week schedule.
anystride plans are educational summaries of community-trusted training methodologies, not medical or individualized coaching advice. Listen to your body, and consult a doctor before starting a new program.
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