Best speed/pace for a half marathon?

Question

I'm training for my first half marathon. I'm wondering what a good pace is.

My current pace is right now is 7:45 per mile.

Answer 1

The best pace is the one you do without getting injured. Since it's your first, don't worry about it! If you push too hard, you'll be sore and then it will be harder to beat next time! My advice would be to aim for 8:00 /mile, that way if you feel juiced you can speed up the last three miles. If you go out too fast you may have to jog in at the end, which stinks. Once you get the hang of racing that far, you can set higher goals.

My last 1/2 was 84 minutes and change, but the pace doesn't matter. As I recall, we got blasted with cold, driving rain in our faces for the first two miles, I could barely even see and am glad nobody fell in front of me or I would have been done for. Just have fun with it, do your best and remember it's not about speed, it's about a steady pace and remembering to wear your hat if it's raining.

Answer 2

This is difficult to answer without more information. For example, I'd really like to know how much you are training per week, how long you've been training and some recent race results.

When you write that your current pace is 7:45/mile, was that your pace racing a half marathon or is that your normal easy pace running a training run? Assuming the latter, i.e. 7:45/mile is your normal endurance training pace for a 10 mile run then your half marathon pace should be approximately 6:30 to 6:35 /mile for a 1:25 half marathon. Note, this number assumes you are running ~40 miles per week and 7:45 is really your average endurance pace.

Unfortunately, using the E pace to predict race pace is not very accurate because E pace has a pretty wide range. Have you done any tempo runs in training? Your half marathon race pace should be slightly slower than your tempo run pace. This is probably the best predictor of your half marathon race pace. Alternatively, if you have run a 10K race, your half marathon pace should be ~20 sec per mile slower than that.

Answer 3

If you're doing 4 and 5 -milers at 7:45, don't expect to do 13 miles at that speed unless you're working really really hard. Only you know what you are capable of, what the weather is on race day, how well you've trained, hydrated, and otherwise prepared. Assuming I'm right about the 4 & 5 -milers, I'd add at least 15 seconds a mile on race day.

Couple rules of thumb I'd suggest:

1. Always hydrate at least every 20 minutes while training, and as often as possible in a half-m.
2. Always run in the shade.
3. Plan your splits but leave room to adjust depending on how you feel.

Good Luck

Answer 4

yeah you would be nice. for go we would prepare with approximately 60 miles a week so working a 0.5 wasn't an excellent deal for me in any respect, yet once you do not prepare that a lot, which you in all probability do not, it somewhat is going to be a sprint harder. purely get some greater miles in you inspite of the indisputable fact that and you'd be nice. If available i'd propose racing longer distances first. it is not thoroughly necessary yet i think of it's going to assist you to study how briskly you may pass. For the 0.5 marathon itself be sure you initiate out sluggish and then purely artwork on shifting up the entire time. once I ran mine my first 3 miles have been 19:36 and that i led to a million:23:33 and that i felt super. (first 3 miles at 6:32 %. and complete at a 6:23 %.), so do exactly some thing like that and you'd be nice.

Answer 5

for me that is not a bad time. but it depends on your weight, age etc. i had friends when I was 13 that could run a mile in 6:20 but i doubt that they could keep up the pace. so I would say sense it's your first half marathon, you are in pretty good shape.

Once you do your half marathon, you will see what a good pace is.