Half Marathon Pacing — Plan Smart, Run Strong

Why You Need a Pacing Strategy

Many runners slow down significantly in the second half of a half marathon when they start too fast. A realistic pacing plan helps you:

• Run more evenly

• Finish strong rather than fade in the final kilometres

• Recover faster after the race

• Overtake others later in the race — boosting morale and satisfaction

Estimate a Realistic Finish Time

• If your half marathon course is fairly flat and conditions are typical (no extreme hills, wind, heat), use our fitness-based calculator with your most recent fitness test or race result to estimate a target finish time. 

• Then use a pace chart (km or mile-based) to convert your target finish time into target pacing per km/mile.

Use this predicted time and pace as a guide, not a guarantee — race-day conditions and how you feel that day will influence actual results.

When Pace Alone Isn’t Enough — Use Heart Rate or Effort

If your race includes hills, wind, heat, or other variables, stick to pace blindly can backfire. In these cases, consider:

• Monitoring heart rate (HR) to stay within a sustainable cardio load

• Running by Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) — focus on how hard the effort feels, not what the watch says

• Or combine all three (pace, HR, RPE) to guide your effort intelligently

Suggested Target Zones by Goal Time

* “Threshold pace” means the pace from your recent fitness test or a comparable benchmark run. 

Race Day — How to Pace It

• Start at your planned pace (or just slightly conservative), especially over the first half — avoid early surges that feel good initially but cost dearly later.

• Adjust pace when needed: on hills, wind, heat or when things feel tough — let HR or RPE guide effort rather than watch pace alone.

• If you feel good after halfway and conditions allow — consider a gentle push in the final quarter.

• Remember: even splits (or small negative split) often beat an aggressive start and fade finish, especially for long courses like a half marathon.

Pre-Race Checklist for Pacing Success

• Use a recent fitness test or recent run result for realistic pacing — don’t guess. 

• Choose a pace based on course profile and conditions — flat + calm: pace-based works; hilly/windy/heat: use HR/RPE mixed strategy.

• Plan nutrition & hydration according to expected race duration and effort, to support steady pacing and avoid late-race fade.

Final Thoughts

A half marathon is long enough that starting too fast almost always costs dearly later. Using a realistic pacing plan — based on data, adjusted for conditions, guided by feel — gives you the best chance to run smart, finish strong, and enjoy the race.

Copyright MyProCoach™ Ltd © May 2018. All rights reserved.