Half Marathon – Your Complete Guide

When tackling a half marathon, a 13.1‑mile road race that tests endurance and strategy. Also called a 13‑mile run, it sits between a 10K and a full marathon, demanding a blend of speed and stamina. Success hinges on three core pillars: the right running shoes, a solid training plan and smart race pace management. Ignoring injury prevention can derail weeks of hard work. Below we’ll break down how each piece fits together, so you can plan, train, and race with confidence.

Key Elements for a Successful Half Marathon

The first step is choosing shoes that match your foot‑strike and mileage. Minimalist options like barefoot‑style shoes can improve proprioception, but they require a gradual transition to avoid calf strain. Traditional cushioned trainers, on the other hand, protect joints during long runs and help you maintain a consistent cadence. Next, your training plan should balance easy runs, tempo work, and long‑run weekends. A typical 12‑week schedule might look like this: three short runs (including one interval session), a mid‑week steady‑state run, and a progressively longer weekend run that peaks at 10–12 miles. Incorporating a weekly stride‑out or hill repeat builds strength without adding excessive volume, which supports faster race pace later on. Nutrition and hydration are equally important. Aim for a carbohydrate intake of 5‑7 g per kilogram of body weight on heavy‑training days, and practice your race‑day fueling during long runs. Many runners find a 30‑gram gel every 45 minutes keeps energy stable without causing stomach upset. Hydration strategy varies with climate; a rule of thumb is to sip 150‑250 ml of fluid every 20 minutes, adjusting for heat. Monitoring urine color can give you a quick cue on whether you’re over‑ or under‑hydrated. Recovery ties the whole system together. Stretching alone won’t prevent soreness; active recovery like low‑intensity cycling or swimming boosts blood flow and speeds up muscle repair. Foam‑rolling key muscle groups—calves, quads, IT band—after each hard session reduces tightness that often leads to overuse injuries. Sleep is non‑negotiable: 7‑9 hours per night supports hormone balance and glycogen restoration, two factors that directly affect your training quality. When race day arrives, pacing is the game‑changer. Start slightly slower than your target average—about 10‑15 seconds per mile—so you avoid the dreaded “bonk” in the later miles. Use a wearable or the mile markers to lock in your split, then gradually increase effort in the final 2–3 miles. This negative‑split approach maximizes energy efficiency and often results in a personal best. Putting it all together, the half marathon ecosystem looks like this: Running shoes enable proper biomechanics, training plan builds aerobic capacity, race pace translates fitness into finish time, and injury prevention keeps you on the road week after week. Each element influences the next, creating a feedback loop that drives improvement.

Now that you’ve got the fundamentals, the articles below will dive deeper into each topic—whether you need shoe recommendations, a step‑by‑step training calendar, or tips on staying injury‑free. Scroll on to explore practical advice that fits every experience level and helps you cross that 13.1‑mile finish line stronger than ever.