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Final 5KFirst half-marathon guide

First half marathon

How Long Should Your Longest Run Be Before a Half Marathon?

Many beginner plans peak below 13.1 miles; the longest run is preparation, not a rehearsal race.

Plain answerMany first-timer plans peak around 9–10 miles or an appropriate time-on-feet session, then taper. You do not need to run 13.1 miles in training simply to prove the distance. The right maximum depends on your base, pace, schedule, recovery, and plan.

The long run has a job

It builds sustained easy effort, teaches clothing and fueling logistics, and reveals how form and judgment change with fatigue. It should not require race-level recovery every week.

SourceGreat Run run/walk half-marathon plan
Its run/walk track reaches a 10-mile longest session before two taper weeks; other tracks may use time instead of distance.

Why time matters

Ten miles may take one runner 90 minutes and another more than two hours. Terrain and heat change the dose again. Time on feet helps prevent the distance number from hiding how demanding the session actually is.

What not to do

Do not turn the final long run into a race simulation, add untested fuel, or place it so close to race day that recovery competes with the start line. The purpose is to create readiness, not evidence for social media.

Run More! You can do it!

RunTeaming is a running game for iPhone and Android. Your best qualifying run of the week becomes your score on a five-runner team. The app supplies the team and matches it against another team near its level, so you do not have to recruit anyone or share a time or place.

Use the button to choose iPhone or Android and see the current installation options.

Try RunTeaming

Run anywhere · No team to recruit · No shared schedule · Choose the installation page for your phone