Race Day 06.10.13 | 1 3 5 days to go

Take
Part

Secure your place in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon

Corporate
Challenge

Gather together your work mates and enter a corporate team

Charity
Information

Find out how to run for charity in 2013

Training
Plans

Prepare for the race with our useful training guides

Our
Gallery

Take a look at the photos from previous years

Royal Parks
Foundation

Find out about the charity behind the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon

Training Plans

Whether you want to beat your PB (personal best), run a good race or simply complete the 13.1 mile course, preparation and training is the key to running a fantastic, and enjoyable, Half Marathon.

Training Advice

If you were looking to run the best race of your life how would you prepare? Or if you even wanted to just survive a half marathon what is the minimum expected of you? Regardless of your aim, we look forward to seeing you on the start line! We will be continually updating these pages as various experts share their knowledge and best tips so do come back regularly.

In the build up to race day we will host live question and answer sessions with experts on our Half Marathon Facebook page and through Twitter. This online community is also a great way to ask fellow runners who will be joining you on the start line for training advice and tips. Ensure you’re part of the conversation and follow us today. You can also read inspiring stories and advice from our runners on our website here.

Looking for some quick training tips?

Look no further. Read on for tips from our experts at Runners Need:

Build a training base, particularly if you’re just starting out or returning to running after a break.

Aim to build to 4-5 miles before undertaking a training plan to allow your body to adapt to the demands of training.

Follow a training plan, once you’ve built up a base level of fitness.

Training plans help to manage training intensity and gradually adjust as you build speed and endurance. However don’t be afraid to adjust sessions if necessary (ie. replace a run session with a cross training or rest day if your body needs time to recover). Overall it’s important not to increase the distance of your runs too quickly. As a general rule you should only increase your weekly mileage by a maximum of 10% each week and drop back every third week to allow your body time to recover and repair itself.

For sample training programmes, please select your running ability for more information and plans:

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Set a realistic goal. Having a goal can help maintain motivation during the course of training.
Niggles are acceptable, injuries are not.

Training niggles are common and accepted aspects of physical progression. Often they indicate a natural phase of development as your body begins to adapt to enhanced activity levels. The key is to manage training overload, so at no point does it develop into an injury. Visit a physio for a MOT, take recovery days and introduce a foam roller into your weekly routine!

Take care to warm up and cool down adequately.

Ideally spend 10 minutes warming up with a slow jog followed by dynamic stretching to prepare the muscles for running. After your session, spend 10-20 minutes stretching key muscle groups: glutes, back, hamstrings, hip flexor, quads and calves.

Find a training group.

Running with others can help maintain motivation, enjoyment and keep training varied and interesting. Join your local running club or visit Run England for a full list of running clubs in your area. Many Runners Need stores also offer free weekly store runs that are open to runners of all abilities.