This plan builds you up over 12 weeks to run a half marathon while incorporating a Park Run on Saturday. If you enjoy your weekly Park Run and want to incorporate this into your training, this is the plan for you.

The first phase of the plan emphasises technqiues to improve your running efficiency and reduce your risk of injury.

As the long weekend runs increase you will utilise a run-walk strategy, where you take a short walk break every mile. This short 'power walk' allows you to settle your heart rate and give your calves a rest. It also is a good time to take on a drink or gel in those longer runs, as you will do in the race going through an aid station. It has been shown that those who use this run-walk strategy do not fade towards the end of the run and thus finish in a quicker time compared to those who try and 'run' the whole way but fade and end up walking large sections towards the end.

Most of the Park Runs are set as easy aerobic runs, but you have a couple which are assigned as benchmark tests where you can run hard and go for that personal best. There is also a 10k test if you can find a suitable race to do, otherwise do your own test run to check you are training at the right intensity.