Goal time · Half Marathon
A 2:00:00 half marathon works out to 9:09 per mile, or 5:41 per kilometer. Below are the mile splits for a slightly faster second half, the halfway time to aim for, and the training paces that go with this goal.
The numbers
This plan starts about 1% slower than goal pace and finishes about 1% faster, so the second half is slightly quicker than the first. The elapsed column is what your watch should read as you pass each marker.
| Mile | Pace for That Mile | Elapsed Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:15 | 9:15 |
| 2 | 9:14 | 18:30 |
| 3 | 9:13 | 27:43 |
| 4 | 9:12 | 36:55 |
| 5 | 9:11 | 46:07 |
| 6 | 9:10 | 55:17 |
| Halfway (6.6) | 9:10 | 1:00:22 |
| 7 | 9:09 | 1:04:26 |
| 8 | 9:08 | 1:13:34 |
| 9 | 9:07 | 1:22:42 |
| 10 | 9:06 | 1:31:48 |
| 11 | 9:05 | 1:40:53 |
| 12 | 9:04 | 1:49:57 |
| 13 | 9:03 | 1:59:01 |
| Finish (13.1) | 9:03 | 2:00:00 |
Measured against the latest published results of 1,366 half marathons on RunSesh.
One edition per race, from RunSignup races with published results. Fields include walkers and charity entrants, so this describes these races, not every runner in the country.
These are the paces for a runner who can already race a 2:00:00 half marathon, worked out with Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas, the method behind the training tables in Daniels' Running Formula. If your most recent race is slower, train at the paces on the page for that time.
Most of your weekly miles, including the long run.
Steady longer runs at the pace this fitness would hold for a marathon.
A steady run of about 20 minutes, or longer repeats with short rests.
Repeats of 3 to 5 minutes, with easy jogs between.
McMillan Running calls negative splits its "preferred road-race strategy because it rewards patience and resists fading late, and the longer the race the bigger the payoff." This plan follows that view, with a second half slightly faster than the first. At the halfway marker, confirm you feel within yourself before you let the pace lift even a little.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 4:07:45 marathon as the same performance as a 2:00 half marathon. If you have a recent full marathon on record, that equivalence gives you a concrete cross-distance reference point.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is pointed on where to begin: "don't begin with a future goal time." The next faster goal page, 1:50, is 46 seconds per mile quicker, so read both if your recent results fall between them.
USATF certification measures courses along the "Shortest Possible Route," so official distance is a minimum. Pobiruchin et al. (2017) in JMIR mHealth and uHealth found GPS sport watches averaged 21.18 km on the half against the official 21.0975 km, 83 meters extra. At this pace that extra distance is worth about 28 seconds, roughly 2.2 seconds per mile, so a watch could read faster than 9:09 while you are exactly on target.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 54:07 10K as an equivalent performance to a 2:00 half marathon. Set your most recent 10K finish against that time to see whether your fitness today supports this goal.
