Your Essential Guide to a Spring Half Marathon

Training for a half marathon shouldn't feel like guesswork. Whether it's your first or your fifteenth, the difference between a good race and a great one usually comes down to preparation — not just fitness, but knowing exactly what to do in the weeks, days, and hours before you toe the start line.

This guide covers everything you need: the training fundamentals, race week logistics, pacing & fuelling strategy, and the mistakes that catch most runners out on race day. 

The 4 Workout Types Every Half Marathon Plan Needs

Every effective half marathon training plan is built from four key workout types. Understanding what each one does — and why it matters — helps you train with purpose rather than just logging miles.

• Easy runs are your foundation. They build your aerobic base and allow recovery between harder efforts. They should feel comfortable and conversational. If you can't hold a chat, you're going too hard.
• Long runs develop the stamina and endurance specific to your predicted race time. They teach your body to run efficiently when fatigued and strengthen your muscles and joints for the distance. This is typically your longest run of the week.
• Tempo runs build your threshold — the pace you can sustain for extended periods. They should feel "comfortably hard" and are critical for race day performance.
• Intervals are shorter, faster efforts with recovery in between. They improve your speed and running economy, making race pace feel easier when it counts.
  
  

The reality is that most runners struggle with knowing which workout to do, at what pace, and when. Training shouldn't require a degree in exercise science. That's exactly why RunDot builds personalised daily workouts that balance all training elements based on your current fitness — so there's no more wondering if you're doing enough, or too much.

Race Week: What to Do (and What to Avoid) 

Race week isn't the time for heroics. Your fitness is already built. Now it's about logistics, nutrition, and staying calm.

Sort your logistics early. Get packet pickup done, review the course (elevation, turns, aid station locations), confirm travel and accommodation, and plan your race day transportation. The fewer unknowns on race morning, the better.

Nail your nutrition. Stick to familiar foods all week. Avoid anything that could upset your stomach. Begin carb-loading two to three days before the race — not just the night before — and stay hydrated without overdoing it.

Prepare your gear. Lay out your complete race outfit, pin your bib to your shirt, test your timing chip, prepare your fuel and gels, and check the weather forecast so you can adjust clothing accordingly.

The night before, keep dinner light and familiar — resist the temptation of an enormous pasta feast. Set multiple alarms, prepare your race morning breakfast, review your race plan, and get to bed early. If you don't sleep perfectly, don't stress. That's completely normal.

Race morning should be calm and methodical. Wake two to three hours before the start, eat a familiar breakfast, arrive at the venue 60 to 90 minutes early, sort your bathroom strategy, complete your warm-up routine, and get to the start corral with time to spare.

The 7 Mistakes That Ruin Race Day 

These come up again and again, and they're all avoidable.

• Starting too fast. The most common mistake in distance running. Your first mile feels easy because of adrenaline — trust your plan, not your emotions.

• Wearing new gear or shoes. Race day is not the time to test anything. Blisters and chafing have ruined more races than lack of fitness ever has.

• Trying untested nutrition. Stick with what you know works. Your stomach will thank you at mile 10.

• Skipping the warm-up. Cold muscles don't perform. Ten to fifteen minutes of easy jogging and dynamic stretching prepares your body to run at pace from the gun.

• Ignoring weather conditions. Overdressing causes overheating. Underdressing wastes energy. Check the forecast and plan accordingly.

• Having no pacing plan. "I'll just see how I feel" leads to blown-up races. Have a target pace and commit to it for at least the first half.

• Training through the taper. Your fitness is built. Last-minute workouts won't help — they'll only leave you tired on the start line.

Ready to Train Smarter? 

Half marathon training doesn't have to feel like guesswork. RunDot builds personalised daily training that adapt to your fitness, schedule, and goals — so you can focus on running, not wondering if you're doing it right.

That means daily workouts tailored to your current fitness, automatic pace calculations for every workout type, race pace recommendations based on real data, and training that adapts when life gets in the way.