How many miles a week should you run? Weekly mileage for half marathon and beyond

Weekly mileage for half marathon training, in one line: a popular first-timer plan builds from about 12 miles a week to the low 20s, and a widely used intermediate plan for runners chasing a time peaks in the mid-30s. For a first 5K, single digits is plenty. For a first marathon, a popular beginner plan peaks around 40. Those numbers come from real, widely used training plans, not a guess, and they're all broken down below.

The bigger point: weekly mileage is an outcome of a good plan, not the plan itself. Run often, mostly easy, with one long run that grows gradually, and the mileage takes care of itself. If you also lift, the number needs to fit around your gym days, which is the whole job of an app that schedules runs around your gym days.

How many miles a week should you run? Start where you are

The right mileage is the one that's a little more than you're doing now, not the one a stranger posted online. Before you look at any table:

• ›If you're not running yet, mileage doesn't matter. Time does. Build to 30 minutes of easy running, three times a week, first. A first-month training plan should look like that: three short, easy runs and a bit of strength work.
• ›If you're running already, take your average from the last four weeks. That's your starting point, whatever your goal says.
• ›If you lift two or more times a week, expect to run a bit less than a runner-only plan suggests, and make each mile count.

Weekly mileage by goal

These ranges come from adding up the runs in coach Hal Higdon's free, widely used training plans, from the first week to the biggest week. Where a plan says "run or cross-train", the totals assume you run.

Kilometers rounded. These plans also include cross-training and rest days, so the running is only part of each week.

Two things stand out. First, beginner mileage is lower than most people expect. You don't need 40-mile weeks to finish a half. Second, the biggest jump between "finish" and "race" is mostly more running days and longer midweek runs, not heroic long runs. Drills and strides barely register in the total either, but a guide to running drills explains why ten minutes of them before your quality session is still worth it.

Weekly mileage for half marathon training

The half is where weekly mileage questions get serious, because 13.1 miles is long enough that you can't fake it.

First half marathon: about 12 to 25 miles a week

Higdon's Novice 1 plan assumes you can already run 3 miles, three to four times a week, and over 12 weeks the longest run grows from 3 to 10 miles (Higdon, Novice 1). Add up the runs and the weekly total goes from about 12 miles in week one to about 23 at its peak.

That matches the usual half marathon template: three to five runs a week, mostly easy, a long run peaking at 10 to 12 miles, and one quality session.

Faster half marathon: about 25 to 35-plus miles a week

To race a half rather than finish it, most plans add a fourth or fifth run and longer midweek runs. Higdon's Intermediate 1 plan peaks at about 34 miles, with an 11-mile long run in that week. Advanced runners go higher, but for a hybrid athlete, the 25 to 35 range is usually the sweet spot where running improves without eating your lifting.

Half marathon training weekly mileage, week by week

A sample build for a first-timer who also lifts twice a week. Easy runs at a conversational pace, the long run on the weekend:

This is an example, not a prescription. If week 3 feels too much, repeat week 2.

How fast to increase weekly mileage

The famous rule says increase by no more than 10% a week. It's a reasonable guardrail, but the evidence for it is thinner than its fame.

• ›In a randomized trial of 532 novice runners training for a 4-mile event, a graded 13-week program based on the 10% rule had about the same injury rate as a standard 8-week program: 20.8% against 20.3% (Buist et al., 2008).
• ›In a one-year study of 874 novice runners, those who increased their running distance by more than 30% over a two-week period seemed more vulnerable to certain distance-related injuries than those who increased by less than 10%, though the authors called the study exploratory and said randomized trials are needed (Nielsen et al., 2014).

The practical version: build gradually, avoid big jumps, add a lighter week every third or fourth week, and pay more attention to how you feel than to a percentage. Pain that gets worse as you run, or changes how you move, is a reason to stop and see a professional.

How to add mileage without adding problems

• ›Add a run before you add length. Going from three to four runs a week is often easier than making three runs longer.
• ›Keep most of it easy. More miles should mean more easy miles, not more hard ones.
• ›Grow the long run slowly. About a mile a week, with a shorter long run every third or fourth week.
• ›Warm up before faster sessions. Easy runs warm themselves up. Hard ones need a guide to running warmup and a few drills.
• ›Fuel the long run. Once runs pass an hour, eating first starts to matter. Should I run on an empty stomach? For short easy runs, maybe. Before a 10-miler, usually not.

Weekly mileage if you also lift

Most mileage advice assumes running is all you do. If you lift, three adjustments:

1. ›Pick a priority. In a half marathon block, running leads and lifting holds steady. In a strength block, mileage drops and running stays easy.
2. ›Count the long run as a hard day. Nothing heavy for the legs the day before it.
3. ›Low-impact aerobic work counts for something. On days your legs need a break from impact, a walk or our guide to rucking can add aerobic work without more pounding. It's not running, but it's not nothing.

Where the runs go matters as much as how many miles they add up to. A morning run with an evening lift six or more hours later is one of the cleanest ways to fit both into a day.

Treadmill miles count

Bad weather, dark evenings and kids' bedtimes all push runs indoors. Treadmill miles count. For variety, a hill workout on treadmill lets you add effort without adding speed, which is a nice way to make a short run count for more.

Warm-ups, cool-downs and the little extras

Warm-up and cool-down jogging adds up. Before a hard session, 10 to 15 minutes of easy jogging plus a few minutes at the end can add a couple of miles to the week. A sensible warm up and cool down for running is part of your weekly mileage, so include it in the total and don't add extra miles on top to "make up" for it.

And if you get stitches as the runs get longer, a side stitch when running is common, and slowing down and breathing deeply is the usual first move. If pain is severe or keeps coming back, see a doctor.

Signs your mileage is too high (or too low)

Too high:

• ›Easy runs feel hard for more than a week.
• ›Your quality sessions are getting slower.
• ›You're constantly sore, or aches don't fade with a warm-up.
• ›Your lifting is sliding and you're not in a planned running block.

Too low:

• ›The long run feels like a huge jump from the rest of your week.
• ›You're not improving after a couple of months of steady training.
• ›The last few miles of races feel much harder than the rest.

How exrsz handles weekly mileage

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, with running and lifting balanced in one plan. Mileage builds in steps with lighter weeks built in, each week adapts to how you actually trained, and missed runs get reshuffled rather than tacked onto next week's total.

FAQ

What should my weekly mileage be for a half marathon?

For a first half marathon, about 12 to 25 miles a week is typical: Higdon's Novice 1 plan adds up to about 12 miles in week one and about 23 at its peak (Higdon). Runners chasing a time often go to 30 miles or more.

How many miles a week should a beginner run?

Most beginner 5K plans start under 10 miles a week. Higdon's Novice 5K goes from 4.5 to 8 miles of running per week, plus walking.

Is 20 miles a week enough for a half marathon?

For finishing, yes, for most people, as long as the long run builds to around 10 miles. For racing a time, more mileage usually helps.

How much should I increase my weekly mileage?

Gradually. The 10% rule is a reasonable guide, but a randomized trial found a 10%-rule program didn't change injury rates compared with a standard plan (Buist et al., 2008). Avoid big jumps and take a lighter week every three or four weeks.

What is the peak weekly mileage for half marathon training?

In Higdon's plans, about 23 miles for the Novice 1 half and about 34 for Intermediate 1, with the biggest week landing in the last few weeks before the race (Higdon, Intermediate 1).