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So you want to run your first half marathon? You're going to need one thing: a desire to run ...

a lot. With the right approach, almost anyone can tackle 13.1 miles, but following a half-marathon training schedule for beginners is a major time commitment.



"To take on a half marathon, you have to really be excited for the training itself," says founder of Wellness in Motion Run Coaching, Amanda Nurse, and a two-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier. Beginners will need to run about 15 to 30 miles a week for at least 12 weeks to get ready, clocking regular long runs that range from six to 12 miles, with cross-training in between. If that doesn't sound like something your legs can pull off just yet, don't worry.

It is possible to do a couch-to–half marathon safely; you'll just need to give yourself extra time to train. "You need maybe a 20-week training plan where you're really slowly building up the mileage ," Nurse says. Pick a race farther in the future, and start slowly working up to a solid base of running so that when you're 12 weeks out, the beginning of the training plan feels doable.

Amanda Nurse is a two-time Olympic marathon trials qualifier and founder of Wellness in Motion Run Coaching . Things To Know Before Starting This Half-Marathon Training Schedule for Beginners As a UESCA-certified running coach, I created this 12-week beginner half-marathon training plan with three to five runs per week, building up to a 12-mile run two weeks before race day. You can see .

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