Sample plan

Half marathon training plan for 2:00

Diego wants to see a one in front of his half.

Diego is 38 and has run for three years: three days a week, about 22 km, and a 2:11 half in the spring. Twelve weeks to take eleven minutes off it and finally break two hours.

Built by Tuin on 8 September 2026
Shown from this week, so it reads like a plan starting today — every weekday, distance and session is exactly as it was written.

The runner is made up. The plan is not: it is exactly what Tuin built from these numbers, through the same door every athlete's first plan goes through. It was written in Spanish — the other two languages are translated word for word, never renumbered, and strength exercises are named from a standard glossary so they read the same everywhere.

Why this plan looks like this

Eleven minutes sounds like a lot and is thirty seconds a kilometre. With three runs a week the long run has to do most of the work, so it is the session the plan grows first and protects hardest — and the reason the midweek pair stays deliberately easy is that they exist to make Sunday possible, not to be training in their own right.

What the coach was told

Goal
Winter half marathon
Race day
3 January 2027
Distance
21.1 km
Target
2:00:00
Runs per week
3
Weekly volume
~22 km
Longest run
14 km
Recent effort
21.1 km · 2:11:00
Threshold pace
5:38/km

The eight weeks before

Weekly kilometres the coach read before writing a single session — the runs it built on.

22
22
23
24
15
25
24
23

What the coach said, handing it over

I've built your twelve-week plan toward the winter half marathon (3 Jan), with the goal of breaking 2:00:00 (pace 5:41/km). Good news: your tempo from August-October is already hovering around 5:38/km at 169 bpm — that's almost your threshold pace, so the goal is realistic and we're not starting from zero.

Assumptions I'm making, correct me if needed: (1) I'm using your threshold derived from those tempos and your July half marathon (2:11) as the anchor for all paces; (2) I'm respecting your three real training days (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday) instead of fitting a race in tomorrow Wednesday, so the first session falls on Thursday the 15th; (3) I'm adding 1 strength session per week on Fridays (you can tell me another day); (4) since you chose the most conservative mode (cruise), the long run climbs slowly from 10 km to a peak of 17 km, with a recovery week every 3-4 weeks, and only one quality session per week.

Structure: Tuesday = quality (tempo/easy intervals), Thursday = easy run, Sunday = long run, Friday = strength. Recovery week in week 4 and week 8. Race week with a threshold workout on Tuesday, short easy run on Thursday, activation with strides on Saturday, and the race on Sunday — never all easy, so you arrive with fresh legs.

If you find that 22 km/week is too short or too long for you, let me know and I'll adjust the ramp pace.

The plan, week by week

Sixteen weeks is a lot to scroll. Every week is folded — open the ones you want, and week one is open already.

12 weeks · Peak week 12 · 34 km planned

Week 1from 12 Oct3 sessions16 km planned

Easy start

  • Thu 15
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run to begin the plan with fresh legs.
  • Fri 16
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · bodyweight
  • Sun 18
    Long · 10 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 60–75 min
    Long run at comfortable pace, barely glancing at the watch.
Week 2from 19 Oct4 sessions23 km planned

First taste of quality

  • Tue 20
    Tempo run · 6 km · 35–45 min
    Progressive tempo: start comfortable and finish near your threshold pace.
  • Thu 22
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 35–45 min
    Easy recovery run.
  • Fri 23
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · bodyweight
  • Sun 25
    Long · 11 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 65–85 min
    Long run, a bit more than last week.
Week 3from 26 Oct4 sessions25 km planned

Continuous threshold

  • Tue 27
    Tempo run · 7 km · 40–50 min
    Continuous tempo of 20 minutes at threshold pace, comfortably hard and sustained.
  • Thu 29
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Fri 30
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · bodyweight
  • Sun 1
    Long · 12 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 75–90 min
    Long run, already in your familiar zone.
Week 4from 2 Nov4 sessions14 km planned

Deload week

  • Tue 3
    Easy · 5 × (25s / 1 min) · 5–10 min
    Easy run with 4-6 short progressions at the end to loosen up.
  • Thu 5
    Easy · 5 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, deload week to reduce volume and absorb training.
  • Fri 6
    Strength
    Goblet squat 3 × 6 · moderate · Split squat 2 × 8 per side · light-moderate · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 2 × 10 · bodyweight · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 2 × 10 · bodyweight
  • Sun 8
    Long · 9 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 55–70 min
    Short long run this week, body absorbing the load.
Week 5from 9 Nov4 sessions27 km planned

Threshold intervals

  • Tue 10
    Cruise intervals · 3 × (1.6 km) · 45–60 min
    3x1.6 km at threshold pace with 1' jog between reps.
  • Thu 12
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 35–45 min
    Easy run.
  • Fri 13
    Strength
    Back squat 4 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Single-leg calf raise (straight knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+ · Single-leg glute bridge 3 × 8 per side · bodyweight
  • Sun 15
    Long · 13 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 80–100 min
    Long run, continuing to build at an easy pace.
Week 6from 16 Nov4 sessions28 km planned

Progressive towards race pace

  • Tue 17
    Progressive run · 7 km · 35–50 min
    Progressive run: start easy and finish near your 10K pace.
  • Thu 19
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Fri 20
    Strength
    Back squat 3 × 5 · heavy ~5RM · Bulgarian split squat 3 × 6 per side · moderate-heavy · Pogo jumps 3 × 8 · bodyweight · Single-leg calf raise (bent knee) 3 × 10 · bodyweight+
  • Sun 22
    Long · 14 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 85–105 min
    Long run, already near your previous peak.
Week 7from 23 Nov4 sessions30 km planned

Specific block - over/unders

  • Tue 24
    Over/unders · 8 km @ 5:40-5:55/km · 40–55 min
    4x1km alternating marathon pace/10K pace.
  • Thu 26
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Fri 27
    Strength
  • Sun 29
    Long · 15 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 90–115 min
    Long run.
Week 8from 30 Nov4 sessions21 km planned

Deload week

  • Tue 1
    Easy · 5 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 30–40 min
    Easy with short progressions.
  • Thu 3
    Easy · 5 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 30–40 min
    Easy run, reducing volume to absorb training.
  • Fri 4
    Strength
  • Sun 6
    Long · 11 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 65–85 min
    Short long run this week.
Week 9from 7 Dec4 sessions31 km planned

Ladder pace

  • Tue 8
    Tempo ladder · 8 km @ 5:40-6:10/km · 40–55 min
    Descending ladder: 3km/2km/1km building pace.
  • Thu 10
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Fri 11
    Strength
  • Sun 13
    Long · 16 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 100–120 min
    Long run, new block maximum.
Week 10from 14 Dec4 sessions33 km planned

Threshold peak

  • Tue 15
    Tempo run · 9 km @ 5:35-5:45/km · 45–60 min
    Continuous tempo 30 minutes at threshold pace.
  • Thu 17
    Easy · 7 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 40–55 min
    Easy run.
  • Fri 18
    Strength
  • Sun 20
    Long · 17 km @ 6:45-7:00/km · 105–130 min
    Longest long run of the block, peak mileage.
Week 11from 21 Dec4 sessions25 km planned

Start of taper

  • Tue 22
    Cruise intervals · 7 km @ 5:35-5:45/km · 35–45 min
    Short threshold pace work, volume reducing.
  • Thu 24
    Easy · 6 km @ 6:45-6:55/km · 35–45 min
    Short easy run.
  • Fri 25
    Strength
  • Sun 27
    Long · 12 km @ 6:50-7:00/km · 75–90 min
    Last long run before race week, easy.
Week 12from 28 Dec4 sessions34 km planned

Race week

  • Tue 29
    Cruise intervals · 2 × (1.6 km) · 35–45 min
    Sharpener: same type of intervals as two weeks ago, but much less volume. You should finish feeling you could repeat it.
  • Thu 31
    Easy · 4 km @ 6:50-7:00/km · 25–30 min
    Very easy run, fresh legs for Sunday.
  • Sat 2
    Easy · 5 × (25s / 90s) · 20–30 min
    Activation: easy run with 4-6 short progressions at race pace.
  • Sun 3
    Race day · 21.1 km @ 5:38-5:45/km · 110–130 min
    Race day! Head out controlled for the first kilometres, distribute the effort and chase negative splits if you can.
Other plans
Half under 1:30 →Half in 1:45 →Half in 2:10 →Half in 2:15 →First half, 2:30 →5K under 20:00 →5K in 22:00 →5K under 25:00 →5K in 30:00 →10K under 40:00 →10K under 42:00 →10K in 45:00 →10K in 50:00 →10K in 55:00 →Marathon under 3:00 →Marathon in 3:30 →Marathon in 3:45 →Marathon in 4:00 →First marathon, 4:30 →First trail, 25K →Trail marathon, 42K →50K trail →

Yours would look different

Tuin writes every plan from the runs it can actually see and the goal you set — then keeps rewriting it as your weeks happen. The whole of it is free for 7 days.

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Half marathon training plan for 2:00 · Tuin