What pace is a sub-2 half marathon?

9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometre. Target 9:05 in training so race pace has a little room.

What 10K time equals a sub-2 half?

Roughly 54:00 to 56:00 for comfort. A 57:00 10K sits right on the line and will need a well-built block behind it.

How long does it take to go from 2:10 to sub-2?

One twelve to sixteen week block for most people. Ten minutes over the half is a large chunk but it is the range where consistent threshold work pays quickly.

How many days a week do I need to run?

Four. Three can get there but leaves no room for a bad week, and the fourth run is the cheapest fitness in the plan.

Train for

Breaking 2 hours in the half marathon

Two hours is the half marathon barrier most runners aim at first. It is 9:09 per mile, or 5:41 per kilometre, and it is genuinely achievable for most people who train consistently for three months.

The pace

Split	Time	Per mile	Per km
5K	28:24	9:09	5:41
10K	56:49	9:09	5:41
10 miles	1:31:30	9:09	5:41
Half	1:59:50	9:09	5:41

Are you close?

10K around 54:00. Comfortably on track. The block is about holding it for twice as long.
10K around 57:00. On the line. A good block gets you there.
5K around 26:00. The speed is there. Endurance is the gap.
10K over 62:00. Sub-2 is a stretch this cycle. Target 2:05 first, then come back.

The mileage

Peaking at 25 to 35 miles a week across four runs is the sweet spot. Below 20 the last 5K becomes attrition. Above 40 you are buying marathon durability you do not need for this distance.

The structure that works: two easy runs, one quality session, one long run. Easy pace will be somewhere around 10:45 to 11:45 per mile, which is more than a minute and a half slower than goal pace. Running those easy days at 10:00 because it feels better is the single most common reason people stall at 2:03.

The two sessions that matter

Threshold. The engine of the half. Build from 2 x 10 minutes to 2 x 20 minutes at roughly 8:35 to 8:45 per mile, with 2 to 3 minutes easy between. This is the pace you could hold for about an hour. It moves your sustainable pace more than anything else you can do.
Goal pace in the long run. From week six, finish the long run with 3 to 5 miles at 9:09. By the end of the block a 12 mile run with the last 5 at goal pace should feel controlled. If it does, you will break two.

Frequently asked

What pace is a sub-2 half marathon?: 9:09 per mile or 5:41 per kilometre. Target 9:05 in training so race pace has a little room.
What 10K time equals a sub-2 half?: Roughly 54:00 to 56:00 for comfort. A 57:00 10K sits right on the line and will need a well-built block behind it.
How long does it take to go from 2:10 to sub-2?: One twelve to sixteen week block for most people. Ten minutes over the half is a large chunk but it is the range where consistent threshold work pays quickly.
How many days a week do I need to run?: Four. Three can get there but leaves no room for a bad week, and the fourth run is the cheapest fitness in the plan.

Your block, written

Put a date on it and Shed builds the weeks.

Shed takes your goal, your race date, and the days you can actually run, then writes every session between here and the start line. It reads each run off your Apple Watch the same day and moves what needs moving. No spreadsheet, no guessing at paces.

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