Peaking sample plan
8-Week Half Marathon Training Plan
A 8-week half marathon plan (advanced): 6 days, peak 74 km, long run 24 km. Phases Build (Weeks 1–4), Peak (Weeks 5–6), Taper (Weeks 7–8). Paces 5:00 /km / 4:10 /km. The preview is a structured Peaking plan, not an empty mileage calendar.
Generate your personalized 8-week half marathon plan
We preload distance, weeks and goal. Start free — the engine builds the plan from your PBs and real days.
Start freeA 8-week half plan for advanced runners. Peak week 74 km, key long session 24 km, 6 training days. Peaking periodization: Build → Peak → Taper.
- Peak week
- 74 km
- Key long
- 24 km
- Days / week
- 6
- Race pace
- 4:10 /km
- Easy
- 5:00 /km
- Tempo
- 3:59 /km
- Intervals
- 3:50 /km
Week-by-week overview
Weeks 1–4
Build
Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak.
Weeks 5–6
Peak
Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper.
Weeks 7–8
Taper
Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race.
| Wk | Phase | Focus | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | build | Threshold + long run | 70 km |
| 2 | build | Race-pace work | 70 km |
| 3 | build | Quality on volume | 71 km |
| 4 | build | Loading week | 71 km |
| 5 | peak | Peak specific load | 74 km |
| 6 | peak | Controlled down week | 74 km |
| 7 | taper | Taper — short quality | 41 km |
| 8 | taper | Race week | 32 km |
Sample week 5
Peak specific load · 74 km
Week 5 (peak): keep 5:00/km honestly easy. Quality lives at 4:10/km. If the long run feels heavy, cut 10% — don't add a day.
Mon
Rest
Tue
running
Intervals
74 min · RPE 6
- Warm-up15 min5:00/km
- Race pace4×2 km4:10/km · 90s jog
- Cool-down10 min5:00/km
Wed
running
Easy run
62 min · RPE 3
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set10 km5:00/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Thu
running
Tempo / threshold
62 min · RPE 6
- Warm-up12 min5:00/km
- Tempo3×12 min3:59/km · 2 min jog
- Cool-down8 min5:00/km
Fri
Rest
Sat
running
Long run
149 min · RPE 4
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set24 km4:45/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Sun
running
Recovery
50 min · RPE 2
- Warm-up10 minEasy Z1
- Main set8 km5:00/km
- Cool-down5 minWalk / jog
Who this plan is for
Eight weeks don't build a base — they use one. If you're coming off a half marathon block or volume near 74 km, this advanced squeeze makes sense. If you're coming off a layoff or 2 days a week, pick 12 or 16.
How the weeks are periodized
Weeks 1–4: Build — Threshold and race-pace work land on top of the base. Long run stretches toward its peak. Weeks 5–6: Peak — Highest quality + highest fatigue. Race-specific sessions, then a down week before taper. Weeks 7–8: Taper — Volume drops 40–60%. Keep a little intensity so you stay sharp, then race. Volume doesn't climb in a straight line: each phase has its own wave, plus a down week before taper. Peak load 74 km. No full base phase: aerobic fitness is assumed to already be there.
Race pace inside the long run
The key long run reaches 24 km. For marathon/half, build and peak weeks finish a segment at 4:10 /km after easy kilometres at 5:00 /km. Weekly tempo lives near 3:59 /km. 6 days: if you miss one, you cut an easy run, not the long run.
Half marathon: threshold, not heroics
The half is decided near threshold (3:59 /km), not VO2 max. That's why there's more tempo and race pace (4:10 /km) than 400s. Fueling: one gel usually covers it; the error is going out at 10K pace. The 24 km long run teaches you to still be standing on Sunday, not to simulate the whole race every Saturday.
From this preview to a plan that's yours
The preview is anchored to “8-Week Half Marathon Training Plan”: 6 days, 74 km, 4:10 /km. At signup Peaking preloads distance (half marathon), 8 weeks and advanced level. The live engine then asks for PBs, available days and constraints, and regenerates whole weeks — not a static PDF. The CTA below opens registration with those fields and this page's UTMs.
Generate your personalized 8-week half marathon plan
We preload distance, weeks and goal. Start free — the engine builds the plan from your PBs and real days.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
Is this 8-week half marathon a generic plan?+
The overview and week 5 come from Peaking's periodization composer (same phases and session types as an in-app plan). It's persisted per slug — it doesn't change on every visit. The paid plan personalizes from your PBs and real days.
How many kilometres / hours per week does it peak at?+
Peak 74 km, key long session 24 km, 6 days. Base weeks sit well below that; the taper (Weeks 7–8) cuts volume and keeps short quality.
What pace should I use if my mark isn't 1:28:00?+
This preview anchors race to 4:10 /km, easy to 5:00 /km and threshold to 3:59 /km. In the app, paces come from your PBs or a Riegel predictor — don't copy these splits if your current 10K sits at a different level.
Can I skip days or squeeze this into fewer than 8 weeks?+
Skip an easy day, never the long run or both quality sessions in the same week. Compressing 8 → 8 often works if the base is already there; the hub lists other durations for this half marathon.
How do I go from this page to a plan generated for me?+
Start free preloads half marathon, 8 weeks and advanced. You finish onboarding (sports, PBs, days) and the engine builds the full plan. This URL stays as the SEO reference; your plan lives on the dashboard.