LET’S TRAIN!
Join Pacers Running for an 10-week half marathon training plan for runners of all skill levels, including new runners. The training program will culminate in the PNC Alexandria Half Marathon on April 26, 2026!
ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN
3 weekly planned runs: Pacers Social Runs in DC or Virginia, Pacers Track in DC or Virginia, and Saturdays on your own!
Our social runs begin at 6:30 pm and are held at:
Pacers 14th Street on Monday
Pacers Navy Yard on Tuesday
Pacers Alexandria on Thursday, and
Pacers Clarendon on Thursday
Pacers Track workouts are held at Washington Liberty High School in Virginia on Tuesday, and
Banneker Community Track in DC on Thursday.Social runs are focused on base mileage: easy to moderate pace runs emphasizing on building an endurance base.
Track workouts: focused on gaining speed and really challenging ourselves on shorter intervals! (your goal race pace and FASTER!)
Saturday runs: on your own and will continue to help you build a base to get to your half marathon goal – whether that is finishing your half marathon or a new PR!
Track Etiquette
Share the track: Run on the inside, pass on the outside, ALWAYS LEAVE SPACE FOR OTHERS TO PASS YOU! Walking and recoveries should happen in the outside lane or grass.
Move out of the way as soon as you finish; NEVER stop on the track, and never walk on inside lanes.
Track basics
1 lap of a standard track is 400 meters or ¼ of a mile. This makes it easy to gauge pace during speed days!
Our track workouts will often reference “goal pace” for your half marathon. This is the minutes per mile pace that you are shooting for on race day. We will often alternate between reps at your goal pace and reps FASTER than your goal pace. The purpose of this is to help you learn to “feel” the pace you hope to race at AND to build speed and endurance.
WEEK 1
Steady State: See what it feels like to just move for this amount of time/distance! This will be the base you build from!
Track: 800s at faster than goal half marathon pace.
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within two minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace! Aim for a conversational pace!
WEEK 2
Steady State: Just move in a way that feels good!
Track: 1000s at goal half marathon pace, 400s faster than goal half marathon pace.
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within two minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace! Aim for a conversational pace!
WEEK 3
Steady State: For steady state runs, we just move in whatever way is comfortable for us!
Track: 1000s at goal half marathon pace or faster.
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within two minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace! Aim for a conversational pace!
WEEK 4
Steady State: Today's goal is just to move!
Tuesday Track: 400s at faster than goal half marathon race pace
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within 2 minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace or try to get progressively faster! Test to see how your goal half marathon pace feels on longer runs.
WEEK 5
Steady State: See what you feel like! Today we are listening to our bodies and moving accordingly.
Track: Descending Ladder, as distance decreases, speed increases!
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within 2 minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace or try to get progressively faster! Test to see how your goal half marathon pace feels on longer runs.
WEEK 6
Steady State: Move in a way that works for you today!
Track: Miles, 800s, and 400s! Well get faster as we go!
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within 2 minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace or try to get progressively faster! Test to see how your goal half marathon pace feels on longer runs.
WEEK 7
Steady State: Embrace the simple pleasure of running. No pressure, no expectations, just the joy of movement!
Track: 800s at faster than goal half marathon pace.
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within 2 minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace or try to get progressively faster! Test to see how your goal half marathon pace feels on longer runs.
WEEK 8
Steady State: Enjoy a relaxed run at a pace that allows you to chat with a friend or listen to your favorite podcast/music!
Track: 800s and 400s at faster than goal half marathon pace.
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within two minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace! Aim for a conversational pace!
WEEK 9
Steady State: Focus on a comfortable pace. This run is about active recovery and feeling refreshed afterward!
Track: 800s and 400s at faster than goal pace.
Saturday Long Run: See if you can hold a pace within two minutes/mile of your goal half-marathon goal pace! Aim for a conversational pace!
WEEK 10
Steady State: You know the drill! Listen to your body, it's race week!
Track: 800s, 400s, and 200s at moderate effort, it's race week!
Saturday Long Run: This week it's a shakeout, that means just move at an easy pace that makes sense for you today, get those legs loose for the race SUNDAY!