Jessie Zapo finished her first half marathon—in 2006 in the NYRR New York City Half Marathon—in around 2:17. The following year in the same race, she finished in 2:05. “I'd been running, but not really training,” she says, adding that a sub-two half was definitely a goal.
Ive gotten really into promoting Adidas Runners what you eat before Girls Run NYC, spent about seven years running more casually—with multiple half marathon and other distance attempts—before deciding to incorporate speed work into her training, which finally led to a 1:59:55 finish at the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in Washington D.C. in 2014.
How to Master the Half Marathon any runner to strive for, whether you’re new to the distance or more experienced, says Greg Laraia, Why Running Volume Matters Motiv in New York City, who has also achieved the feat. “I think a lot of people have the ability to do it, it’s just a matter of how they actually train and attack it,” he says, adding that it also depends on how willing you are to push your own limits.
To help you do it, Zapo, Laraia, and more runners who have broken two hours in the half marathon share their top tips for achieving a shiny new PR.
1. Assess Your Experience and Fitness
Best Half Marathon Workouts finish times and then compares those to the half-marathon distance. “Knowing that the two-hour half marathon means you need to be running about a 9:00 mile consistently, I want to see that someone has run faster than that in the 10K,” she says.
Other factors she says are important are how close they’ve come in the past to achieving two hours. “I would want to see that they’re in that 2:00 to 2:10 range to successfully go toward running a bit faster,” she says.
2. Pick a Training Plan—and Stick to it
“The bottom line is you need a progressive training plan,” says Zapo, adding that it’ll help you run consistently, Health - Injuries endurance. Luckily, Runner’s World has and being able to have a training shoe and a specifically for the sub-two-hour half marathon.
After you choose a plan, you also need to have an honest conversation with yourself around whether you’re truly willing to commit to it. “One of the first things I’m talking with athletes about is are you going to be able to make the time? Let’s look at your schedule over these next three to four months leading up to your goal [and see if] it’s realistic that you can put the time in,” Zapo says.
Other Hearst Subscriptions strength training, sleep, and even dialing in your nutrition.
3. Consider Giving Yourself More than One Season
sleep, and even dialing in your nutrition right now—say if you’re averaging a 10-minute pace for your 10K—that doesn’t mean that you couldn’t set your sights on 1:59 or faster… eventually.
“Seasons build on each other, so this year is building on last year because you’ve been consistently running,” says Zapo. “You may not unlock that [sub-two-hour] goal at your first attempt, but every time you are going for it is a part of that journey of getting there.”
Like Zapo, some runners may need to chip away at this goal over time. That could mean signing up for a spring half marathon and aiming to come in at 2:10, then in the fall or in the following spring, you aim for a sub-two.
4. Be Thoughtful About Your Race
“Choosing a race that has good conditions for your goal is important because not all races are the same [due to] things like weather, time of year, terrain, and travel,” Zapo says. “Take into account that the more variables involved, the more different things can happen on race day, so choosing a race that would be ideal for hitting a time goal is something to think about.”
For example, that might mean choosing a local half that doesn’t involve a flight and a hotel room and/or passing on notoriously hilly courses.
5. Add a 10K to Your Training Cycle
To build confidence, Laraia has clients race a 10K within their Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. “If you can run that 10K at your goal half marathon pace or faster, you know you’re well on your way to your ultimate goal,” he says.
Erika Foster, 32, who broke two hours in her first half marathon (with a 1:45 time) in Central Park in December 2014, says this strategy has helped her a lot in continuing to achieve sub-two-hour finishes in every half marathon she’s run since then. “One thing I found particularly helpful was signing up for smaller races, like 5Ks and 10Ks, during my training block,” says Foster. “These races gave me the opportunity to practice race-day logistics while pushing myself harder than I might during a workout alone.”
6. Actually Do Speed Work
“For a lot of folks who go for the two-hour goal, maybe they’ve never followed the training plan with speed work,” says Zapo, who has seen athletes dramatically improve their half marathon times simply by adding this one ingredient. One of the women in her running group shaved about 17 minutes off her half marathon time in the Staten Island Half Marathon just by incorporating speed work into training.
Smash your PR goals with these tips from running coaches and real runners interval training on the track in addition to tempo runs, which she says help people sustain a faster pace over time. “[Tempo runs are] very important in increasing your overall threshold pace, but they’re also big mindset helpers in that once you start seeing yourself holding a pace that maybe you didn’t think was sustainable and you’re holding it over miles, that builds a lot of confidence,” she says.
7. Talk to Yourself
Lauren Flanagan, 35, broke two hours (at 1:52) in her first half in New York City in April 2014. “For me, racing is equal parts physical and mental, and when I get too inside of my head, I tend to self-sabotage,” she says. “I like to try and focus on staying positive and come up with a few mantras to say to myself during the race to keep the spirits high,” she says, such as “you can do this," or "you’ve trained and are ready to do this."
Foster, too, says that the mental aspect of the race is key when things get tough: “For me, I draw strength from reflecting on difficult workouts I’ve completed successfully,” she says.
Dylan Shrier, 28, who ran the 2017 Rock ‘n’ Roll half in Savannah, Georgia in 1:53, also leverages self-talk. “When things get difficult, it’s tempting to give up, but you have to remind yourself that the pain is temporary and keep pushing through,” he says.
8. Prioritize Sleep
“I’m always encouraging people [that the] number-one recovery tool is sleep,” says Zapo. “You need to allow yourself the time to sleep and you need to plan that,” she says, adding that going to bed even 15 minutes earlier can compound and be helpful. “Even if you’re just laying there, you’re making that effort to get enough sleep so that you're recovering from your workouts.”
Other recovery methods Zapo likes and personally uses include Epsom salt baths for 20 minutes, stretching, and mobility work.
9. Practice Fueling During Training—Even If You Don’t Need It
“Obviously nutrition in general is important for us, but specifically for the half you should be practicing on your long runs,” says Zapo, even if you’re “just” going out for a 90-minute run. “You need to ‘train’ your stomach and GI system to eat while running” she explains. “It takes time and practice for your body to become accustomed to eating on the run, so the more practice in training, the more confident you can be in your race.”
Of course, Health & Injuries and We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back is key, too. Before a long run, go for easy-to-digest carbs, such as oatmeal with a banana and maple syrup, to top off your fuel stores and help you perform optimally. Afterwards, don’t skimp on muscle-rebuilding protein—like you’ll find in eggs, Greek yogurt, or lean meat—along with more carbs, which can restore glycogen and help with the recovery process, too.
10. Incorporate Strength Training
“I’ve gotten really into promoting strength training over the last five-ish years,” says Zapo, who has brought in a strength coach for groups she’s worked with and even works with one herself. “It helps dramatically in terms of injury prevention and also understanding your body better,” she says.
Smash your PR goals with these tips from running coaches and real runners tapering it off as you get closer to race day. If you decide to work with a trainer or coach, make sure it’s someone who understands running and racing so they can help optimize the program for your specific goal. You can also try one of Runner’s World’s strength training plans.
11. Invest in Two Pairs of Shoes If You Can
“Strength Training for a Half Marathon Advertisement - Continue Reading Below, types of running racing shoe is a luxury,” says Zapo. “Often your racing shoe is a lighter shoe where you can feel snappy and fast, but your training shoe is [what] you’re doing the majority of your miles in.”
If you can only get one pair, Zapo suggests thinking about getting a great all-around shoe that can support your long, easy miles as well as your tempo workouts Give A Gift.
12. Train With a Group or Partner
Zapo suggests joining a training group or even seeking out one training partner with similar goals to your own. “Training partners make a significant difference in going after goals like [the sub-two-hour half], because you may run a lot faster just because you’re alongside other people that are doing that [pace],” she says.
Shrier has found this particularly helpful: “Joining a running club or finding friends to run with makes training more enjoyable and keeps you motivated,” he says. “It also helps the miles fly by and keeps everyone accountable.”
Eugene Pinder, 24, who broke two hours in the 2023 Brooklyn Half, with a time of 1:54:48, also attributes his continued success to his running group: “For my first ever 10-mile run, I ran with Endorphins [a running group] in NYC and had one of the best runs of my life,” he says, adding that he now co-leads the NYC chapter. “There is space for everyone so try a couple different clubs,” he suggests, adding that it’s also a great way to socialize while getting in a workout.
Zapo also recommends joining a pace group on race day, which many larger races will have. You can seek out the 2:00 or even 1:55 finish time pace group to stay accountable and not have to constantly keep checking your watch.
