Whats a good half marathon time for a beginner?

So, you’ve caught the running bug and your sights are set on completing a half marathon. Congratulations! You’re about to embark on an epic journey of perseverance, sweat, sore muscles, and hopefully moments of euphoria as you cross that finish line.

But before we dive into what constitutes a good half marathon time for beginners, let’s first address the elephant in the room:what even is considered a beginner runner?

The Many Faces of Beginner Runners

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to defining what makes someone a “beginner” runner. That being said, if any of the following statements apply to you, then chances are high that we can consider you relatively new to running:

  • You’ve never participated in organized races before
  • You only started running recently (within six months or so)
  • Your current weekly mileage is below 10 miles/week
  • Your longest run so far hasn’t exceeded eight miles

If none of those descriptions fit your situation – hey,kudosto you! Consider yourself ahead of the pack(we’ll save some tips for more advanced runners in another article). But if they do sound like what you had going on pre-half marathon goal-setting decision… buckle up.

First Things First: General Goals

Alright,newbie,before I start giving recommendations willy-nilly here , let’s discuss what formulating general race goals entails…

Know Thyself For A Great Future Race

Take self-inventory but not quietly.Before settling on realistic pace expectations,it’s best to assess which training plan will work best with them..here are some things worth considering:

Points Details
Going solo Do prefer exercising alone ?Or maybe group settings energize and motivate.
 Race type What type of Half Marathon are you planning on signing up for (trail or pavement)?
With/without music Be sure to consider whether or not running with music is allowed, safe and/or effective for your race. Or maybe silence slow you down.

Obviously , there’s more that could be included in this table….but wait,there’s more…

Okay Okay! Enough With The Prologue and Onto the Main Event: What Is A Good Half Marathon Time For Beginners?

Everyone has their own standards when it comes to what can be considered a good half marathon time (psst – keep reading until the end)But If you’re looking for something concrete to aim for,a realistic goal would likely fall within the following ranges:

Finishing Times

  • Sub 2:30 – Expectation is perhaps too high ? Fear not! It’s possible if your consistent weekly miles exceeds at least a dozen miles by Week one of training.If weekends allow,you may find some relief even in doing a quick ten minutes run Saturday morning,five Sunday morning.

  • Between 2:30 –3 hours –For Just Starting Out,this pace range tends to be fairly common;including those new runners just now working towards finishing such an event.

  • Over three hours -Wait,start again.Given how long covering thirteen point one miles takes already.the possibility of beginner trainees taking around four hours instead becomes infinitely less probable,but hey,it will make next year so much easier!

Note:Don’t get discouraged if these numbers seem intimidating. Anytime spent crossing that finish line after months of diligent training and determinaton should rightfully fill someone with immense pride .

Average Half-Marathon Times By Age Group

“The Slowtwitch”-having started out slower than most,the sound-alike space aliens striking back ;also as an honorific second name of the community of triathletes who swim and bike as well like to make a table.Provided by Let’s Run in 2019-

Age Group Average Half-Marathon Time (Hours: Minutes: Seconds)
All ages  2:04:00 
16-19  2:05
20-24 1:55
 25-29 2:01
30-34 2.06

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You get the idea.

Tips for Improving Your Training Plan

Obviously, it’s all about you-and there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to training plans …but here’s some highly adaptable tweaks

Strength Training—Not Only for Body Builders!

If your current routine doesn’t include strength training,don’t just stop at push-ups!Sargent Nicholas Martino,an officer from Connecticut Army National Guard,and certified running coach online has said:

Implementing a weekly,whole-body resistance program built mainly around moves or activities that specifically complimented road race utilizing exercises such as [deadlifts] and bench presses.
-Martino ,N(2018)

Long Runs….Are How Long Now?

The magic of the long run is an undeniable tool towards success with any endurance distance. Long runs train you not only physically,but also mentally / For example,you’ll learn invaluable lessons on what makes up proper pacing,and how proper fueling impacts performance rates.Be sure to build them up gradually – starting with shorter distances and slowly prolonging until reaching fourteen miles.

Pace Yourself-Literally Because It Might Hurt More Later On If You Don’t

A common pitfall committed by many rookies racing novices is going too fast at the beginning of the race. Avoid listening to your fellow runners talking about “negative splits” if you don’t feel safe doing so this early on into training. 

Stick to what our dear Sargent Martino says:

“starting conservatively and gradually increasing as much work is left behind”.
-Martino ,N(2018)

In Conclusion

As much as we all would like straightforward response «What’s a good half marathon time for beginners?»,it just doesn’t exist.Relax,that only means that getting your personal benchmark should be more oriented towards overall objectives,such as finishing or really focusing on building up weekly base mileage.For now,don’t worry too much about perfecting every undulation.Quite frankly,the running life is tough enough already why juice it out more?

Remember, any progress made – whether in terms of a new PR, recently increased training volume,maybe even having found great running shoe can come together offer some glimmerings sunshine amidst sometimes chaotic world.Let’s embrace the challenge  and get cracking!

P.S: Unspoken Secret About Training Plans

You’re allowed flexibility! If something isn’t worth sacrificing mental well-being-  (i.e maybe choose yoga class over additional run) DON’T STRESS ABOUT IT ! Running has been known have effect relieving stress but not burdening one-self with expectations becoming counter-productive.A successful finish line experience starts at being patient with oneself-both in regard to physical limits,&leisure activity lifestyles.

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