Below is the Official 2019 Raleigh Half Marathon 12 week Training Plan. The plan was created by 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon competitor, Stephen Furst. Coach Furst ran collegiately at NC State and is the Course Record Holder at the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run 4 Mile (18:12), held annually in Central Park. He is currently the Head Coach of the Raleigh Distance Project. Make sure and subscribe to the Blog at the bottom of the page for training tips!
Getting Started
What level should I do?
Peak weekly mileage for Level 1 is 36 miles per week, Level 2 is 47 mpw, and Level 3 is 60 mpw. The volume is the primary difference between the 3 plans. If you’ve never run more then 30 miles in a week before, try Level 1. Otherwise, make your own decision. There is progresssion within the 12-week plan, so if you want to use this to reach new heights, go for it! If you have run 60 miles/week before, but haven’t run a step in 2 months, it’s probably not a good idea to start with the 42 miles in week 1 of Level 3. Start with ~25, and slowly build into the plan’s mileage over the first 5 weeks. 
Official Training Plan
Weeks 1-3
Weeks 4-6
Weeks 7-9
Weeks 10-12
Paces
Definitions / FAQ
What does @HMP+10 mean?
HMP is your Half Marathon Goal Pace, per mile. If you want to run 1 hr 40 mins in the race, your HMP is about 7:40/mile. Then @HMP-10 is half marathon pace minus 10s/mile, or 7:30 pace. @HMP+20 is half marathon pace plus 20s is 8:00/mile.
What is a stride?
A stride is a fast, efficient interval that can be run basically at about a 1 mi race pace and done with perfect form. Recovery on strides should be a 30-60s walk. You want to feel like your breathing is stabilized before starting the next stride. 8×100 strides after a run should not feel like a big effort that tires you out; it should feel invigorating.
What is Fartlek?
A 8x60x/30s Fartlek involves running at a hard pace (e.g. your 5k race pace) for 60s and then an easy pace (the pace you run on regular easy days) for 30s, and repeating 8 times. There is no break between the hard/easy/repeat, its a continuous effort with no stopping. The first few reps should feel controlled, but as you get towards reps 4-5 your heart rate should become elevated and the effort increases significantly towards rep 8. If you are running with a buddy, you will probably have to part ways for the Fartlek, because this is an effort-based workout; you won’t get anything out of it if you run at your slower friend’s pace.
Can I switch days within the calendar?
The Saturday long run can be switched with the Sunday easy run any time. Other days – its not the end of the world to switch, but beware that its ideal to have at least 2 easy days between the hard efforts.
Where should I run my Tempo?
The paces specified are applicable for a flattish surface, such as American Tobacco Trail, sections of the Neuse River Trail including the race course, or flat roads without stop lights (try to avoid stop lights on tempos). Carriage trails in Umstead are great too, but you may need to slow your target pace by 10-20s per mile to account for hills.
What do I do on the day where there is only a mileage number but no instructions?
All of the days where the description is blank are “easy mileage.” This is probably @HMP+60-90s. If you’re feeling good, push it! If you’re legs are feeling exhausted, run more slowly.
Should I run on soft surfaces or roads?
You can get a boost to your workout by running on grass or single-track, but you will have to accept the fact that you’re not going to run as fast. That’s ok! Your heart and lungs receive their aerobic benefit based on your effort, not the pace measurement on your Garmin.
What should I do during the “recovery” section of workouts?
Take about the first half of the recovery to walk, and the second half jog slowly. Don’t stand still!
How fast should I run the warmup/cooldown?
The same pace as your easy days.
The mileage in the written workout doesn’t exactly add up to the daily mileage number in the box, what do I do?
If the workout comes out a little short, just add on to the cooldown a little – no problem! And if you miss mileage by a little on one day, its actually not a big deal at all. But beware missing mileage one day makes missing mileage tomorrow easier, and habitually missing mileage is a very big deal.
I missed a week of the training schedule (due to work, illness, injury, laziness, etc.), what should I do now?
Missing a week sets you back. Not only did you not progress as scheduled, but you also lost fitness from where you were. If you missed 7 days, you should take about 7 days to build your mileage again, then start back with the week you missed originally. This means you are 2 weeks behind and will have to remove 2 future weeks from the schedule. If you are nursing a cold or mild illness/injury, try doing some easy jogging every other day so that you can take fewer days to build back. Injury/Illness is a part of the sport though, so don’t give up just because you lost a couple of weeks. You can still have a great race, even if you don’t have perfect execution of the schedule!
How do I choose my Half Marathon Goal Pace – I’ve never run one before?
Have you run a 5k? Think 45-75s / mile slower. If not – start the plan and once you get through a few workouts, you can adjust the HMP. The workouts should feel pretty hard!