B.A.A. HALF MARATHON TRAINING PLANS
The B.A.A. has created three different 12-week training plans to prepare you for the B.A.A. Half Marathon
- Be willing to adjust and adapt to your individual circumstances: work, school and home life, illness and injury.
- The goal is to get to the starting line fit and ready to race your best.
- The B.A.A. Half Marathon Training Plan material is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute any fitness and/or medical advice.
- You should always consult a qualified and licensed medical professional prior to beginning or modifying any exercise program.
- Please use personal judgment when participating in any training or exercise program.
- Information contained within the B.A.A. Half Marathon Training Plan may not be reproduced or repurposed without approved written consent from the Boston Athletic Association.
Training Plan Design
There are three unique training plans for the B.A.A. Half Marathon, based on your goal and ability level:
- The Level One Plan is intended for those runners who are attempting to complete their first half marathon. The step by step increase in daily and weekly mileage is designed to challenge you while also minimizing the risk of training too hard.
- The Level Two Plan is intended for those who have already competed in half marathons before and are looking to finish faster this time around. The plan is designed to challenge you through its implementation of higher intensity running workouts as well as our signature half marathon race simulations.
- The Level Three Plan is for runners who already have a solid base of running fitness and are now looking to maximize their race performance. The plan incorporates both high intensity interval training as well as sustained tempo efforts along with our signature half marathon race simulations. This is the plan you follow when you are looking to get more out of your training than ever before.
PACE CHART
Use the pace guides below when determining your pace for the various workouts within the four levels of coaching:
| GOAL TIME | 1:30:00 | 1:45:00 | 2:00:00 | 2:15:00 | 2:30:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5k Interval Pace | 6:15 | 7:15 | 8:15 | 9:15 | 10:20 |
| 10k Interval Pace | 6:30 | 7:30 | 8:40 | 9:40 | 10:50 |
| Half Marathon Interval Pace | 6:52 | 8:00 | 9:10 | 10:20 | 11:30 |
| Long Runs | 8:00 | 9:00 | 10:20 | 11:40 | 12:45 |
All paces above are approximate average per mile
Training Plan Instructions
- You can incorporate races into your training program.
- They are a good opportunity to practice running in a competitive environment, simulate racing conditions, and run at your half marathon pace.
- As with any training program, what is outlined is merely a guide on how to build and structure your weekly running routine.
- Choose the training plan that best fits your running experience and race goals.
- For the higher intensity training days (Level Two and Level Three Plans) it is best to begin and end each of these workouts with 10-20 minutes of easy running.