12 Week Half Marathon Plan

Better form, better finish. Your complete week-by-week training system, from first benchmark to 13.1.

You've entered the half. Now what?

I remember standing on my first start line wondering if I'd done enough, or too much, or the wrong thing entirely. This is the plan I wish I'd had: every run, every strength session, every rest day mapped out across 12 weeks, built from 20+ years of coaching runners as a sports scientist and coach, and best-selling author of Find Your Pace. No guesswork. No second-guessing. Just tie up your shoes and follow the page.

What you're getting

A beautifully designed digital blueprint you can print or follow on any device. Each week sits on a single landscape page, so you always know exactly what today's session is at a glance. It's evergreen, meaning no fixed dates, so you can start any week of the year and slide the days to fit your life.

Inside:

• 12 weeks of complete training. Running, strength, mobility and recovery, structured across four phases: Base, Build, Peak and Taper, with your long run climbing to a peak of 11 miles before a smart taper to race day.
• Tempo, threshold, hill and benchmark sessions written in plain English, with goal-pace guidance so you know exactly how fast to run.
• Full strength programming to build the resilient body that carries you to the finish, upper, lower and core, progressing week on week.
• "Niggle Watch" prehab tips every fortnight, targeting the classic runner trouble spots (calves, hip flexors, feet, knees, shins, Achilles) with exactly what to add to your warm-up before they become injuries.
• Mindset coaching woven through every week: goal-setting, positive self-talk, reframing, and my race-day chunking technique, because the half is won in the head as much as the legs.
• Optional Zone 2 cross-training on Thursdays for the days you want more.

Plus the essentials most plans skip: how to nail your sleep, food and hydration; how to choose the right running shoe; and how to fuel on the move, taking on energy roughly every 30 minutes so you finish strong instead of fading.

Who it's for

Whether this is your first half or your fastest yet, whether you're chasing a time or simply chasing the finish line, this blueprint meets you where you are. Every session scales to your level. And my biggest promise woven through all 12 weeks: walking is not failing. This is about getting you to that start line stronger, and over that finish line prouder than you've ever been.

The half marathon is the distance that hooks you for life. Run one well, and you'll always want another.

Let's get after it together.

Emma Kirk-Odunubi
Sports scientist & coach