Half Marathon
Under 1:45
Goal pace: 4:58/km. The step between the consistent runner and the fast runner over 21k.
What it takes.
Sub-1:45 means holding 4:58/km for 21.1k — around VDOT 42. If you run 10k near 47:30 or 5k around 22:50 you already have the engine; what's missing is the specific endurance to hold the pace to the finish.
The difference from sub-2h is not just pace: at this level the tempo run becomes the central session of the week and volume needs to climb to 50-65km, or the last 5k of the race will collect the debt.
Calculate your sub-1:45 training paces
Enter a recent result to confirm your VDOT is at 42+ — and which pace to use for every workout type.
Training paces for sub-1:45.
Aerobic base. Most of the week.
25-40 min at threshold.
Reps of 800m to 1200m.
Blocks inside specific workouts.
What the training looks like.
Volume
50-65km per week at peak, across 5 runs. The volume jump over sub-2h is what holds the pace late in the race.
2 quality sessions
The tempo run as the key session (up to 40 min at threshold) + 800-1200m intervals at 10k pace.
Long run
16-20km, with progressive blocks down to race pace in the final weeks.
Specificity
Mid-week runs of 10-14km with long segments at 4:58/km — your body must know goal pace before the start line.
Half marathon plans.
What sub-1:45 means.
Under 1:45 you join the front group of amateur fields — typically the fastest 15-20% at big races. It is the level where training stops being about accumulating kilometers and becomes about executing every zone at the right pace.
It is also the natural base for the next jump: run 21k at 4:58 with growing comfort and you are on the road to sub-1:30 — with a half strong enough to target a sub-3:40 marathon.
Race strategy.
Slightly negative split: first 5k at 5:02-5:05/km, then lock into 4:56-4:58. At sub-1:45 the margin is already tight — every km at 4:45 early costs two late.
Gel between minutes 45 and 55, water at every station from km 5. At km 17-19, shrink your focus: think about the next km, not the ones remaining. That is where the race is decided.
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