Half Marathon in 2 Hours Pace

Are you seeking how to handle half marathon in 2 hours pace? If so, welcome to Nutrition Geeks. I am excited that you have made it here. I have run 1:07:06 for the half-marathon and 2:19:35 for the marathon. So, I hope that the tips that I share here will help you to succeed. A sub 2 hour half marathon time is a highly competitive effort. You need to sustain 9:09 per mile for 13.1 miles or 5:41 per kilometer for 21.1 kilometers to run a 1:59:59.

So, pace sustainment must be improved on in order to break the barrier. You also really have to focus on your pacing as well. I always tell the athletes I mentor to focus on a negative split. You want to aim at running the first 6.5 miles slower than the second half, if possible. What I don't want for you is to go out too fast and go into oxygen debt. The result is you will suffer in the latter stages of the race and slow down.

Again, you are going after a highly competitive time. I would focus on a minimum of 16 weeks and preferably 20 weeks to prepare properly. Of course, you can still get in great shape in a matter of 8 to 12 weeks. That being said, a longer build up is better than a shorter one. You won't be in a rush to get into great, anaerobic shape. Also, you will allot sufficient time for your body to adapt to the hard training that you are doing.

Is 2 Hours Good for a Half Marathon?

Yes, a sub 2 hour half marathon is a highly competitive time. Again, you will need to sustain 5:41 per kilometer for 21.1 kilometers or 9:09 per mile for 26.2 miles to achieve this time. I would recommend focusing on your base-building phase for at least 4 weeks. I would not start a training plan until you have first done this. The reason being is you want to be in good, overall shape before starting any training plan.

Half marathon in 2 hours pace is competitive but it can get easier with time. So, the key is to train at a higher percentage of your max heart rate more often. The world's top middle to long distance runners spend about 40% of their weekly volume at or below their anaerobic threshold.

We run between 85 to 89% of our max heart rate at our lactate threshold. Sure, many runners can run half marathon in 2 hours pace for a few minutes, miles or kilometers. It is something entirely different to do that for the entire distance.

Half Marathon in 2 Hours Pace KM

The pace per kilometer you need to sustain to run 1:59:59 is 5:41 per kilometer. So, the key tactic here is to improve your body's lactate tolerance. Yes, easy running is still important. That being said, easy, aerobic mileage will not help you maintain half marathon in 2 hours pace. You have train for longer durations of time running at your anaerobic threshold. Our anaerobic threshold is the point where lactic acid begins to build up in the blood stream.

What has been the longest tempo run you have done in the past? Has it been 3 miles? 4 miles? If so, your tempo runs are still too short. It could be the reason you have not been able to break 2 hours for the half-marathon.

Again, we want to get that sub 2 hour half marathon pace to feel easier for you. So, I would focus on working your way toward 7 to 10 miles (16 kilometers). Of course, you need to first adapt to a 3 to 4-mile tempo before jumping to a 7 to 10 miler.

How Hard is a 2 Hour Half Marathon?

It ins't easy but if others can do it then so can you. I would highly recommend investing in a heart rate monitor. I use the Garmin 245 myself regularly to ensure I am not over training. Heart rate monitors will ensure that you are running at the proper intensities. For example, not running too fast on easy days and not too slow during tempo runs or speed work.

Of course, you don't want to wear one during every workout that you do. That being said, they are a great tool to add to your tool kit to train smarter. I would also highly recommend you doing at least 1, vo2 max workout per week. Again, we have to get half marathon in 2 hours pace to feel easier. The only way to do this is to train at significantly faster than goal half marathon race pace.

Remember, the faster you train the more fast twitch muscle fibers you will recruit. The more of these you can recruit the more efficient you are going to race. In addition, the less you are going to slow down in the race. Examples of vo2 max workouts are speed intervals, hill repetitions, fartklek workouts and faster long runs. Once you break the 2 hour half marathon you can then start aiming for a sub 4 hour marathon.

Faster Long Runs

One major tactic that you can use to drop significant time off of your current half marathon best is faster long runs. Are you running long, slow and easy every single weekend? If so, you need to stop doing that starting now. Of course, I am not saying you need to run fast during every long run that you do. I would alternate running easy one weekend followed the next weekend with a faster, varied paced long run.

Below are some examples of the types of varied paced long runs I was doing prior to running 2:19:35 for the marathon. It helped me to lower my marathon best from 2:43:36 to 2:19:35. In addition, my half-marathon best from 1:10:29 to 1:07:06.

• 2 mile warm-up, 5 miles@5:35 mile pace, 2 miles easy, 2 miles in 10:25, 2 miles easy, 5 miles@5:30 mile pace, 2 mile easy, 1 mile in 4:55, 1 mile jog cool-down (22 miles)
• 2 mile warm-up, 10 miles@5:30 mile pace, 2 miles easy, 1 mile in 5:00, 5 miles@6:05 mile pace, 2 miles easy, 1 mile in 4:55, 1 mile cool-down (24 miles)

Again, the following week after I did runs like this would be run at 9 minute mile pace.

Jog on Recovery Days

One of the biggest mistakes runners make is running too fast on easy days. Remember, you need to adapt to the hard training that you are doing. The only way you will master half marathon in 2 hours pace is if you allot sufficient time to recover. The harder, anaerobic training you will undergo is going to test you to the limits. So, you have to ensure that you are jogging on those easy days.

I trained with marathoners who could break 2:10:00. Remember, these athletes could run under 5 minute mile pace for 26.2 miles. Yet, they ran between 8 to 9 minute mile pace on their easy days. So, if these great runners can slow down then so can you and I. Again, a sub 2 hour half marathon is a slow time. You will need to be in supreme shape in order to run this type of time. So, be smart and jog on your easy days.

Closing Thoughts

I hope that this post on how to sustain sub 2 hour half marathon pace has been helpful to you. Make sure to subscribe to the RunDreamAchieve YouTube channel. I create new training and racing videos there each week to help runners such as yourself get to the next level. I also want you to start mentally rehearsing this 1:59:59 time. Remember, it has to start in the mind before it will ever become reality in real life.

So, spend 10 to 15 minutes daily seeing yourself crossing the finish line with 1:59:59 on the clock. Also, passing people, running relaxed and in control. The world's top runners combine both physical as well as mental preparation. The vast majority of runners only focus on physical workouts and bypass mental training. You need to implement this tactic into your daily routine so you can get superior results. Make sense?