Goal time · Half Marathon
A 2:15:00 half marathon works out to 10:18 per mile, or 6:24 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 | 10:25 | 10:25 |
| 2 | 10:24 | 20:48 |
| 3 | 10:22 | 31:11 |
| 4 | 10:21 | 41:32 |
| 5 | 10:20 | 51:52 |
| 6 | 10:19 | 1:02:11 |
| Halfway (6.6) | 10:18 | 1:07:54 |
| 7 | 10:18 | 1:12:29 |
| 8 | 10:17 | 1:22:46 |
| 9 | 10:16 | 1:33:02 |
| 10 | 10:15 | 1:43:16 |
| 11 | 10:13 | 1:53:30 |
| 12 | 10:12 | 2:03:42 |
| 13 | 10:11 | 2:13:53 |
| Finish (13.1) | 10:11 | 2:15:00 |
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 2:15:00 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." That view shapes this plan toward a second half that moves slightly faster than the first. Treat the halfway marker as your primary split check, confirming you have not gone out too hard.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 4:37:25 marathon as the same performance as a 2:15 half marathon. If you have a recent full marathon time, placing it against that time tells you how your fitness aligns with this goal.
The RRCA pace chart developed by Amby Burfoot is worth consulting before committing to any target: "don't begin with a future goal time." Basing paces on what you've actually raced, rather than where you hope to be, keeps your preparation grounded in current fitness.
USATF certification measures courses along the "Shortest Possible Route," so any step off that line adds distance. Pobiruchin et al. (2017) found GPS sport watches averaged 21.18 km on the half versus the official 21.0975 km, 83 meters more than the stated distance. At this goal's pace that difference is worth about 32 seconds, so a watch logging that much extra could read a little faster than 10:18 while you are exactly on goal.
Daniels and Gilbert's VDOT formulas treat a 1:00:56 10K as an equivalent performance to a 2:15 half marathon. A recent 10K near that time says your fitness is close to what this goal asks.
