How To Run A Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon | Running Training & Tips

There are many Half Marathon targets for runners, and the sub 2 hour is a big one! But how do you do it? Heather is here to run you through those steps towards cracking the sub 2 half marathon time!

The half marathon, 13.1 miles or 21.1km, it’s a long way, isn’t it? And that means it’s a milestone distance to complete for many runners, and rightly so as it’s a big achievement!

And a notable time that grabs the attention of many of you over the distance is the 2-hour barrier… dipping under that marker is a big deal and something you should get excited about. But how do you do it? Well in this video we’ll take you through those steps towards cracking the sub 2 half marathon time.

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[pedallife]

I am 13 years old . Never ran more than 10k but today I smashed through the sub 30 min 5k Barrie's and it felt absolutely awesome. Did it in 28min 34 sec

[Vidushaka]

Last 3 years I’ve run 37 half marathons but last 14 months done nothing, been back running 3 weeks and managed a 2hr 4min half today zone 2 and my mind got it done for me. 76kgs 53 yrs old. I encourage anyone to embrace the fact you can always do more than you think. Love this channel 🤘🏽🤘🏽

[ngdawgs]

This video inspired me to go after the Sub 2 half 😎! Proud to say I got it done in 1:54:42 🥳. Could have done better, but the heat kicked my tail 🥵. Thanks GTN for all the amazing vids 💪🏽.

[mohdshiddiqrazali]

my 1st hm was 2.54..now i can get 2.05..thnx for the info..hopefully can break this barrier soon

[leslie]

The thing that helped me most was losing 5kg bodyweight and focusing on improving my running form. That got me from 1hr 50min down to 1hr 28min half marathon

[MaxxDW]

Meanwhile Eliud Kipchoge runs a sub-2 hour marathon.

[preshx]

This video inspired me to do sub 2 half marathon. Finished in 01.57.59. thank you so much team

[AnTalk_blog]

Great video! Bookmarking it. Turning 50 this year and my goal is to run a HM under 2 hours. My current PB on 10km is 51:30, running 3-4 times a week around 40km per week. According to this guide I should have no problem reaching my goal with some structured plan.

[wesleyreyes]

Your video really helped me in my training journey. Thank you for this.

Ran yesterday's Trilogy Run Asia Leg 2 Half Marathon with a Strava record of 1:57:14. After 3 attempts (since November 2022), I finally nailed this personal goal.

Bonus: got to beat my personal 5k (sub25min), 10k (51:34) and 16k (sub90min) as well.🙂

Recovery time.

[jessewheeler]

Today I did 20.45km in 1h48m before my phone died 😅 almost hit this goal 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦

[jeffbrunton]

I managed, and I’m not that good, used to only do one 5k per week. Key was to take it gradual, and do lots of efforts at 10 then 15k before doing HM. As I’m over 60, I did a fair bit on a treadmill over the winter to make it a bit easier, which also let me watch movies to relieve boredom.

[gianmarcobellotti]

thank you so much !!! this video was incredibly helpful! today I ran my first half marathon with just 3 and a half week preparation, for someone who plays a lot of basketball and football with friends but never took running seriously, closed my first half marathon in 1:56:30 thank you so much !!!! i thought it would be impossible for me to break the 2h mark.

[JohnG]

Wish I had seen this a few months back. This will be part of my prep for next year. Just completed my second half marathon 2 hours 1 min 24 sec... so close.

[MrTraveller.]

Always ran sub 2hr 1/2 Marathons in the past. Still running 1/2 Marathons +10yrs later. 3 goals are more fat lose, get my weekly 21k run from 2:15-2:30 to sub 2hr.
Also just started building up to marathon 42km distance. Will take time. Tomo normal 21k will +5km so 26km run tomo ! Keep building each week to reach 42km again. Thx guys.

[erics]

The most useful half prep video I've seen. Thank you!

[pawefryc]

Last week I made my second half-marathon below 2hr. First one was faster but last time I used to run only 5-10 km each time, so I decided to walk after each 3 km to rest and to be sure that I will finish my run. Good luck runners!

[AlAdams]

Attempting my 1st half in 20 days, have a decent 10km time n have done a cpl 16ks in training, so I feel ready. Sub 2hr or bust! Thanks for the tips!

[svetlanaveljovic]

I started my running journey about 6 months ago and been running medium distances (up to 16km). The other day, I felt really good during my slow long run and decided to go for the HM distance for the first time, which I completed in 2 hours 10 minutes. Of course now, proving to myself that I can run for that long, the next goal is the sub-2 hour HM on a race day. Great tips in the video!!! Will definitely add a few of them to my training plan 💪

[KarenCooley]

Perfect timing for me to see this. About to start training for my first half marathon since 2015. It's coming up in November. My goal is to have fun and do the best I can, but there's also a part of me that wants to kick some butt and see if I can beat my best time of 2:20. I've been lifting for 2+ years and now adapting my weights to maximize running. Been working on zone 2 training since end of June. Will definitely take the advice you've given here! Thanks for sharing with us. :)

[DarkPaadin]

I am a newbie, hit sub 2 on time trial half marathon. 3 runs each week inclusive of 1 hard run, whether speed intervals or tempos/time trial 10km and under