Is This Plan For You?
This 24-week Half Distance Beginner plan by GA Endurance is designed for athletes who want a long and progressive preparation phase to build a strong foundation before race day.
It is ideal for individuals who are already active in swim, bike, and run, and prefer a more gradual and controlled approach to developing endurance, consistency, and confidence across all three disciplines.
If you are looking for a structured and supportive roadmap that prioritizes steady progression and long-term development, this plan provides a clear and comprehensive pathway.
What You Can Expect
• A complete 24-week structured Half Distance progression leading into race day
• Extended base phase allowing gradual and controlled endurance development
• Balanced progression across swim, bike, and run disciplines
• Strong emphasis on aerobic capacity, consistency, and durability
• Progressive long sessions to build endurance and fatigue resistance
• Gradual and well-timed introduction of tempo and race-specific pacing work
• Strategically placed recovery weeks to support adaptation and reduce injury risk
• Focus on movement efficiency, pacing awareness, and training discipline
• Clear, easy-to-follow workouts using pace, heart rate, or perceived effort
• Optional strength guidance to support durability and injury prevention
Coaching & Support
This plan includes Coach Access.
If you have any questions during your training, you can reach out anytime via:
coachsupport@gaendurance.com
Requirements
To start this plan, you should be able to:
• Swim at least 800–1,500 meters (with rest as needed)
• Ride comfortably for 90–180 minutes
• Run continuously for 45–60 minutes
• Train consistently 3–4 days per week
• Have a basic aerobic base and recent activity across disciplines
A GPS watch is helpful, and a heart rate monitor is recommended for better intensity control.
Final Note
This 24-week beginner half distance plan is designed to give you enough time to build a strong, confident, and sustainable performance foundation.
With an extended preparation window, the focus is on consistency, gradual progression, and injury prevention. If followed with discipline, this plan will help you develop endurance, improve pacing awareness, and arrive at race day ready to successfully complete the distance.
Explore more training plans at GA Endurance
Goksen Cinar, MSc, is a sports scientist, national team coach, and founder of GA Endurance. With more than 25 years of coaching experience, he combines sports science, endurance coaching, and data-driven methodology to help athletes achieve sustainable performance improvements. He is a 4-time Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifier and 4-time full-distance Ironman finisher.