Who this plan is for
- ✓You've run a half marathon between 1:48 and 2:00 and have been running consistently for 2+ years
- ✓Your easy run pace is under 9:39/mi (6:00/km) and you know the difference between threshold and VO2max effort
- ✓You can run 15+ km without significant fatigue
- ✓You train 4–6 days a week and want a plan that respects your experience — no hand-holding, clear reasoning
- ✓You're ready to run sessions that are genuinely hard and want to know exactly what they're training
What your training actually looks like
Every session in the plan comes with a plain-English reason, not just a pace. Choose your schedule below to see what Week 1 looks like.
💡 Aerobic foundation: every run should be conversational this week. Easy runs are doing real work — mitochondrial density, fat oxidation, connective tissue conditioning. Miss a session? Skip it and move on.
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Build my Sub 1:45 Plan plan →The four phases
Base phase (weeks 1–3)
High-volume easy running to build aerobic capacity. One medium-long run midweek and the long run on the weekend. No formal speed work — the easy running is doing real physiological work.
Strength phase (weeks 4–6)
Extended tempo efforts (5–8 km at threshold) develop the lactate clearance that sub-1:45 pace demands. Long runs build to 20–22 km. Midweek mileage increases.
Speed phase (weeks 7–9)
1 km and 1200m repeats at 7:31–7:39/mi (4:40–4:45/km) train the top end. Long runs include sustained goal-pace segments. Total volume near peak before taper.
Taper phase (weeks 10–12)
Volume drops 35–45%. Quality sessions shorten but intensity is preserved. Final week includes two short runs and race-day logistics. Trust the training.
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Build my Sub 1:45 Plan →Frequently asked questions
What is goal pace for sub 1:45?
To finish in 1:44:59, you need to average 8:01/mi (4:59/km). For training purposes, your threshold pace (the hardest tempo effort) will be around 8:03–8:19/mi (5:00–5:10/km). Your easy runs should be meaningfully slower — 9:39–10:28/mi (6:00–6:30/km) — to allow genuine recovery between quality sessions.
How do interval sessions differ for a sub-1:45 goal vs sub-2:00?
At sub-1:45 level, interval sessions shift from 800m repeats to longer efforts: 1 km repeats, 1200m repeats, and cruise intervals of 3–5 km at threshold. Shorter, faster repeats are replaced by longer sustained efforts at a pace close to threshold. This reflects the race's aerobic demand — 21 km at threshold-adjacent effort.
I ran 1:50 last year and trained hard. Why didn't I improve?
The most common reason experienced runners plateau is running their easy sessions too hard. If your easy runs are at 8:51/mi (5:30/km) when they should be 10:04/mi (6:15/km), you're arriving at quality sessions already fatigued and not hitting the right intensity. The improvement comes from polarising your training: genuinely easy easy runs, genuinely hard hard sessions.
Should I add strength training alongside this plan?
One or two sessions of strength training per week improves running economy at this level. Focus on single-leg movements (Bulgarian split squats, single-leg deadlifts) and hip stability exercises (clamshells, hip thrusts). Avoid heavy leg sessions within 48 hours of a quality running session — schedule strength on easy run days or immediately after a short easy run.
What is the difference between threshold (T) and VO₂max (I) pace in this plan?
Using Jack Daniels' VDOT system: T pace (threshold) is your approximate 60-minute race effort — faster than your half marathon goal pace. I pace (interval) is your 3K–5K effort, approximately 15% faster than HM goal pace. At sub-1:45 level, the tempo run trains your lactate clearance; the interval session trains your aerobic ceiling. Both are faster than race pace — which is why race day feels controlled by comparison.
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