Beginner's training section: Half marathon

Who is this programme for?

This programme is designed for an inexperienced runner who has already put in at least 6-8 weeks of walking and running. The start point would ideally be a runner who can complete a 5km run in 30 to 40 minutes even if they have used a mixture of walking and jogging to get round. If this doesn't sound like you, we have a pretraining programme: beginner's training guide for a 5km fun run.

How does this programme work?

The mileage guide and progression are an adaptation of the guide advocated by Peter Elliot for newcomers to complete the Great North Run in 2001.

For simplicity the training pattern is a regular 4 days of exercise a week. This is well established and advocated by many runners as it fits into a person's life and daily schedules. It can be broken down into specific elements that provide a variety that should help keep you motivated and focused.

The best advice is to get organised with your running. If know you what you are doing each session and why, it will help you to keep up your training momentum and give you the confidence to adapt your programme to suit your routine (while keeping the benefits and progress coming). The idea is not to find yourself slogging it out on the road for an hour just because it says so on the schedule or because you feel guilty about eating a pizza the night before.

The programme is designed to lead you up to a race or event but, equally importantly, it can form a framework for a lifelong habit of running for health and enjoyment. Too many runners complete their race after three months of training, don't put on their trainers for another six months and then feel that all their hard work has gone to waste.