For many runners, the half marathon is the perfect distance—challenging enough to test your limits but not as overwhelming as a full marathon. Among the various goals that runners set for themselves, one that stands out is breaking the 2-hour half marathon finish time.

At COROS, we’ve seen firsthand how this has become a widely sought-after goal among runners. It’s one of the most commonly asked for training plans that we receive messages about. That is why we are excited to share our new training plan to help reach this goal.

Why Running a Sub-2 hour Half Marathon is a Popular Goal

The half marathon is a unique distance that requires a blend of endurance and speed. Running a half marathon in under 2 hours means maintaining an average pace of about 9 minutes per mile. This pace balances speed and endurance, making it a challenging but achievable goal for runners of all levels.

For those who have already conquered the distance, the sub-2 hour goal represents a next-level achievement. It’s a way to measure improvement and see how far you’ve come in your running journey. For newer runners, it can be a long-term goal that motivates them to keep training and pushing their limits.

New Half Marathon Training Plan

COROS Coaches have put together our very first goal time-specific half marathon training plan that you can sync with your training calendar. Each week of the training plan is structured to build on the progress from the previous week, ensuring that you steadily improve without risking overtraining.

Sub-2:00 Half Marathon Training Plan

The plan will include 5-6 workouts a week made up of:

• Easy and Recovery Runs
• Long Runs
• Speed Workouts
• Intervals: this will include shorter workouts and long runs with goal pace interval repeats
• Fartleks: type of interval training that involves varying your running pace and intensity during a single run
• Strides: short bursts of faster running, typically lasting around 20 to 30 seconds at a 7-8/10 rate of perceived exertion
• Strength Training

Example of workouts you will see in the plan.

COROS Coaches Tips

If you’re aiming to break the 2-hour barrier, here are some tips from our team to help you get there:

• Gradually increase Training Load and Intensity: Build each week on the previous one, gradually increasing your mileage and intensity. By following this approach, your body has time to adapt to the increasing demands without being overwhelmed. It's important to incorporate down weeks into your training, where you reduce your mileage and intensity. These recovery weeks are important for allowing your body to rest, repair, and solidify the progress you've made, which ultimately helps prevent injuries and promotes consistent improvement over time.

COROS EDUCATION: Each activity you complete will have a Training Load score associated with it. The higher this score, the more stressful this activity was for your body. If you want to track how your fitness is changing throughout a training cycle, check your Base Fitness as it helps to determine your long-term stress and readiness to tackle more challenging sessions.

• Balanced Workouts: Include a mix of different types of runs—long runs, tempo runs, speed intervals, and easy recovery runs. By varying the types of workouts each week, your body is challenged in different ways, allowing you to develop both speed and endurance without overloading any single aspect of your fitness.

• Strength training: Include regular strength training sessions that complement your running workouts. These sessions are designed to enhance muscle endurance and stability, reducing the risk of injury as your mileage increases.
• Here are a few workouts from our training library that you can add to your training calendar:
• Beginner Plyometrics & Intermediate/Advanced Plyometrics
• Power Development - Running Specific
• Single-Leg Strength
• Strength Development - Running Specific
• Pacing: Learn to maintain a steady pace that’s slightly faster than 9 minutes per mile. Practice this pace during your long runs so you can get comfortable with the effort level required. Then on race day, avoid going out too fast and gradually settle into your goal pace that you practiced throughout training.

COROS EDUCATION: COROS Training Plans will be made up of structured workouts that you can follow directly on your watch. These workouts will have suggested pace zones for you to target and help you become more familiar with ahead of race day.

How Can COROS Coaches Help?

Running a sub-2 hour half marathon isn’t just about crossing the finish line—it’s about the journey you take to get there, and COROS Coaches are here to help make it a successful and rewarding one. Email them at coach@coros.com today and get the discussion going on how to best prepare for your half marathon!