Best Half Marathon Training Apps UK 2026: 7 Tested for Beginners and PR Hunters

A half marathon is the sweet spot. Long enough to feel like a real distance event. Short enough to fit into a normal life with a job, kids, and a season of UK rain. The app you pick will sit on your home screen for the next 10 to 16 weeks. We tested the seven most-used half marathon training apps in the UK and ranked them by who they actually serve, not by who runs the loudest ad campaign.

The half marathon is the most popular event in UK road racing for a reason. It rewards consistent training without eating an entire weekend the way a marathon does. The Sunday long run tops out at around 12 to 14 miles, weekly volume sits in the 25 to 35 mile range at peak for a first-timer, and recovery is fast enough that most runners can race two or three halves a year without burning out. That accessibility has made the half marathon training app market enormous, and that is exactly where the marketing noise gets loud.

Every app promises a personal best. Most do not deliver one, because the plan is not what makes you faster. The plan is the scaffold. What actually delivers a PR is consistent training across 10 to 16 weeks, sensible long run progression, and a few well-chosen quality sessions. The right app makes that easier to do. The wrong app gets uninstalled in week 4.

We tested seven apps against three runner profiles. First-time half marathoner aiming to finish. Sub-2 hour runner who wants a clean time on race day. Sub-1:30 PR hunter chasing a specific pace. The recommendations below are based on what each app actually does in week 8, not what the App Store screenshots promise.

One overarching note before we get into it. The best half marathon app is the one whose plan you will still be opening in week 9 when motivation flags and the long run feels heavy. Fancy AI means nothing if the app annoys you. A rigid PDF means nothing if you cannot adapt it when life moves Tuesday's tempo run to Thursday. Pick the app that survives contact with a normal UK week.

What a half marathon app actually needs to do

Before the seven, here is the bar. If an app misses any of these four, it is not a half marathon app. It is a running app pretending.

1. Provide a 10 to 16 week structured plan

Twelve weeks is the standard half marathon training block. Beginners with low base mileage benefit from 14 to 16 weeks. Experienced runners with a strong base can manage 8 to 10. Anything shorter and the long run progression rushes, which is how people land at the start line with sore Achilles tendons. The plan needs phases: a base phase building easy mileage, a build phase adding quality sessions like tempo runs and intervals, a peak phase with the longest long runs, and a short taper that pulls volume down in the final 7 to 10 days.

2. Gradual long run progression

The long run is the workout that builds the half marathon. It usually peaks at 10 to 12 miles for a first-timer, 13 to 14 miles for experienced runners, two to three weeks out from race day. The progression should add a mile every week or two, with a step-back week every fourth week to let the body absorb the work. Apps that jump from 6 miles to 11 the following week are how people get hurt.

3. Adapt to your schedule

UK life is unpredictable. Work trips, weather, a poor night's sleep, a sick child. The app needs a way to move sessions around your real week. Either it reshuffles automatically when you flag a missed session, or it gives you a clean manual swap tool. Plans that refuse to move are plans that get abandoned.

4. Beginner-safe pace targets

Beginners do not know what easy pace feels like. Most run their easy days too fast, which leaves them too cooked for the quality sessions. A good half marathon app gives pace targets in plain language (easy, steady, tempo, threshold, intervals) and ideally in actual numbers tied to a recent race time or your current 5K pace. The app should also be honest about heart rate zones if you train by HR. No half marathon plan should leave you guessing how fast to run a 10-miler.

The 7 best half marathon training apps UK 2026

1. Edge. Best for hybrid half marathon training

What it is. Edge is a UK-built training app that programmes running, strength, and HIIT training into a single half marathon block. The differentiator is the hybrid part. Most other half marathon apps tell you to lift on your own time. Edge schedules the lifts into your week, with coach video demos for the general strength and mobility work, so you are not guessing whether Wednesday is a hinge day or a tempo day.

How the plan works. At sign-up you pick a half marathon date, set your current weekly mileage, log what equipment you have, and tell the app which days you can train. Edge builds an adaptive starting plan from that. The plan is one-time personalised at the start. You then use Flexi Swap to move sessions around your week when life intervenes, or you ask Edge AI to adjust the week in under 30 seconds when something bigger has gone wrong, like a missed Sunday long run or a small niggle. Members can also speak directly to Edge coaches.

What the half marathon plan actually looks like. Three runs a week on the standard hybrid plan: an easy run, a quality session (tempo, intervals, or race-pace work), and the Sunday long run. Two strength sessions a week, focused on general lower-body and core work that supports running mileage. The strength load tapers down as the long runs get bigger, which is the right way round.

UK specifics. Pricing in pounds, kilometre splits supported, syncs directly with Strava, Garmin, Apple Watch, and Coros, and indirectly with Polar, Suunto, Fitbit, and Samsung Health via Strava. 17,000+ UK members already on the platform. Lean voice prompts during runs (cues at key splits, not chatty audio coaching).

Honest limits. Edge does not have full audio coaching during runs like Runna does. Voice prompts are lean. Edge does not auto-adjust to weather or temperature, and it does not have race-week nutrition or hydration guidance built into every plan. There is no shoe mileage auto-tracking. The plan does not rebalance itself automatically when you miss a session, you have to use Flexi Swap or ask Edge AI. Cadence is not tracked directly (only via watch sync). The strength and mobility work is general, not race-specific drills.

Price. Free 7-day trial (no card on web). Then £19.99 a month or £119.99 a year.

Best for. First-time half marathon runners who do not want to give up the gym while training. Sub-2 hour chasers who need structured strength to stay injury-free across a 12-week build. Anyone who has tried a running-only app and missed having lifts in the plan.

2. Runna. Best running-only half marathon plan

What it is. The UK-born running app that put adaptive race training on the map. Acquired by ASICS in 2024, Runna does runs and only runs. Tempo, intervals, easy, long, and that is the menu. It builds a plan around your goal time, your current mileage, and your race date, and it adjusts the plan based on workouts you actually complete.

How the plan works. You input goal time and the app suggests a weekly mileage you should already be running. Quality sessions are programmed at specific paces tied to your goal time, so a 1:45 half marathon plan has tempo runs around 5:00 per kilometre and intervals at faster than goal pace. The long run progression is conservative and sensible. The standout feature is the in-run audio coaching, which is genuinely chatty and motivating. Many UK runners stay on Runna for the audio alone.

UK specifics. Founded in London, kilometre-first, integrates with Strava, Apple Watch, and Garmin. Heavy presence at parkrun and the Royal Parks Half. Now backed by ASICS, which has poured resources into the product since the 2024 acquisition.

Honest limits. No strength training in the plan. If you want to lift, you do it yourself or you pair Runna with a separate strength app. Runna also assumes you will hit your goal time, so if your fitness is below what the plan demands, the workouts can grind you down. The audio coaching is divisive: some runners love it, some find it distracting after a few weeks.

Price. £89 a year, or roughly £14.99 a month, with a free trial.

Best for. Runners who already have a strength routine they like and just want a clean, pace-driven running plan with talking shoes. Runners chasing a specific time on their second or third half marathon.

3. Garmin Coach. Best free half marathon plan with a Garmin watch

What it is. A free half marathon plan baked into the Garmin Connect app, pushed straight to a Garmin watch. You pick a coach, set a race date, and the workouts appear on your wrist day by day.

How the plan works. Garmin Coach offers half marathon plans from three named coaches: Greg McMillan (the McMillan Run Coach founder, well known for structured pace-based training), Jeff Galloway (run-walk method specialist, famous for getting first-timers across the line injury-free), and Amy Parkerson-Mitchell (also a McMillan coach, programmes more aerobic-base focused plans). You pick whichever coach matches your style. The plan adjusts moderately based on your completed workouts and your Garmin watch's training-readiness and HRV data.

UK specifics. Works in miles or kilometres. Free as long as you have a compatible Garmin watch. Most mid-range Garmins from the Forerunner 165, Vivoactive, and Fenix lines upwards work fine.

Honest limits. Adaptation is fairly basic. If you miss a week, the plan does not rebuild itself, it just keeps pushing the next scheduled workout. No strength programming. The workouts are running-only. The interface for swapping days around is clunky compared to Edge or Runna. And the long-run progression on the Galloway plan in particular is gentle to the point that sub-1:45 hunters will outgrow it.

Price. Free with a Garmin watch.

Best for. Garmin owners who want a structured plan without paying a subscription. Beginners who are happy with a 2:00 to 2:30 finish target.

4. Nike Run Club. Best free plan with audio runs

What it is. Nike's running app, free with no subscription tier, that pairs a basic half marathon plan structure with Coach Bennett's famous guided audio runs. Nike Run Club is less an adaptive training app and more a library of structured runs with a friendly voice in your ear.

How the plan works. You set a half marathon goal in the app and Nike Run Club programmes a sequence of runs across roughly 14 weeks. The plan is generic rather than personalised, but each run has a Coach Bennett audio option that walks you through the workout in real time. The audio coaching is widely considered the best in the running app world. Coach Bennett, Headspace co-runs with Andy Puddicombe, and the Nike coaching team have produced hundreds of guided sessions across pace, mood, and distance.

UK specifics. Free worldwide including the UK. Syncs with Apple Watch, Garmin, and Strava. The audio runs work offline once downloaded, which matters in rural UK areas with poor signal.

Honest limits. Not adaptive in the way Edge or Runna are. The plan is the same for everyone at your goal level. No strength integration. The interface has not had a major design refresh in a while. Some runners find the relentless positivity of the audio coaching tiring after a few weeks.

Price. Completely free.

Best for. Beginners who want a friendly audio voice in their ear. Runners who train alone and want the motivation of a coach without paying a subscription. Anyone who likes the Nike brand and ecosystem.

5. Hal Higdon. Best free classic 12-week half marathon plan

What it is. Hal Higdon's free half marathon plans have been in print since 1992 and have brought more first-time half marathon runners across the line than any other plan in history. They are also free. You can read the entire Novice 1 plan on Higdon's website without entering an email address. The Hal Higdon Training App is a paid wrapper around the same plans, with a calendar and reminders, but you do not need the app to use the plans.

How the plan works. Higdon offers Novice 1 (4 days a week, beginner mileage, peak long run 10 miles), Novice 2 (a step up), Intermediate (5 days a week, faster paces), and Advanced (6 days, race-pace work, peak 12 miles). You pick one and follow it. The plan does not move. The plan does not adapt. The plan does not care if you missed Tuesday.

UK specifics. American in origin, but the plans translate perfectly to UK runners. Miles can be converted to kilometres easily. The plans assume nothing about your watch or app.

Honest limits. Zero adaptation. The plans are 30+ years old and they still work, but they expect you to be honest about your starting fitness and disciplined about completion. If you miss a week, you have to figure out how to rejoin the plan yourself. No analytics. No strength. No pace-specific guidance beyond "easy" and "race pace".

Price. Plans are free on the website. App is around £4 to £6 one-off purchase if you want it.

Best for. First-time half marathon runners who want a proven plan with zero monthly subscription. Anyone who finds modern training apps overwhelming.

6. TrainingPeaks. Best for serious PR chasers with a coach

What it is. The analytics platform that more than 90 percent of certified endurance coaches use to programme their athletes. TrainingPeaks itself does not write your plan unless you buy a structured plan from its library or hire a coach through the platform. What it does is give you a workout builder, a calendar, and the most detailed performance analytics in endurance sport: TSS, CTL, ATL, TSB, intensity factor, normalised graded pace, and so on.

How the plan works. Three paths. One, buy a structured half marathon plan from the TrainingPeaks marketplace, often written by a known coach, typically £30 to £80 one-off. Two, hire a coach who uses TrainingPeaks to push workouts to you and review your data weekly. Three, build your own plan in the workout builder and use the analytics to manage fatigue and form.

UK specifics. Works fine in the UK, prices in dollars but currency conversion is automatic. UK coaches who use it are easy to find through the platform's coach directory. Popular with British Triathlon athletes and serious club runners.

Honest limits. Steep learning curve. If you do not know what CTL or TSB means, the analytics will overwhelm you before they help you. Plans bought from the marketplace are not adaptive in the same way Edge or Runna are. They are structured but rigid. And there is no strength programming unless your coach adds it.

Price. Free tier exists but the useful version is Premium, around £14.99 a month. Coaching on top is £150 to £400 a month depending on the coach.

Best for. Sub-1:30 PR chasers, serious club runners, triathletes who already understand training load metrics. Anyone working with a coach.

7. McMillan Run Coach. Best paid classic half marathon plans

What it is. The digital home of Greg McMillan's training philosophy, which has produced more sub-elite half marathon runners than just about any other coach writing for the public. McMillan's plans are paid, rigid, and proven. You buy a plan, you follow it for 10 to 16 weeks, the workouts do not move based on your week.

How the plan works. You pick a plan type (Just Finish, Sub-2, Sub-1:45, Sub-1:30) and a current weekly mileage tier (low, medium, high). The plan you get is the same plan every other runner at your level gets. There is no per-runner adaptation. What you do get is the famous McMillan pace calculator that turns a recent race time into precise training paces for every type of workout in the plan. The pacing maths is some of the best in the business.

UK specifics. Works fine in the UK. Plans are in miles by default but the calculator outputs paces in kilometres if you prefer.

Honest limits. No real adaptation. If you miss a week, you do not get a rebuilt plan. You either skip the missed workouts or compress them and hope. No app-native strength programming, though McMillan sells separate strength plans. The interface is dated compared to Edge or Runna.

Price. Around $30 one-time per half marathon plan, or roughly $29 a month for Run Club membership.

Best for. Runners who want a coach-quality plan without paying for a coach, and who have the discipline to follow a rigid plan without complaint. Especially good for sub-2 to sub-1:30 hunters.

Pricing and features comparison table

Which half marathon are you training for?

The training is half the battle. The race itself is the other half, and the half marathon distance rewards a specific kind of preparation: a steady long run progression, two or three sharp quality sessions a week, and a smart taper. Pair this app round-up with the right tools for the rest of your build:

• 12-Week Half Marathon Training Plan for Beginners (Edge's flagship beginner plan)
• Half Marathon Time Predictor (calculator)
• Race Day Checklist for half marathon runners

"The best half marathon app is the one you actually open in week 8 when motivation dips. Match the app to your style, not to the marketing."

Why Edge for half marathon training

Edge is built for the runner who wants to do more than just run for 12 weeks. The hybrid programming means your half marathon plan includes the general strength and mobility work that keeps your hips, glutes, and core strong enough to absorb 30-mile weeks without breaking down. It is the difference between hobbling through the back half of a long run and finishing strong with something left in the legs. Coach video demos walk you through each strength and mobility move, so you are not guessing at form.

The half marathon plan is built around your real fitness and your real schedule. At sign-up you tell Edge your current weekly mileage, your goal time, which days you can train, and what equipment you have. The app builds an adaptive starting plan from that. When life intervenes, and it will, Flexi Swap lets you move sessions around your week without breaking the structure. When something bigger goes wrong, like a missed long run or a small niggle, you can ask Edge AI to adjust your week in under 30 seconds, or speak directly to Edge coaches if you need a human in the loop.

Edge is honest about what it is and what it is not. It does not have the chatty in-run audio coaching that Runna does. It does not auto-adjust to weather or temperature. It does not have race-week nutrition or hydration guidance built into every plan. It will not auto-track your shoe mileage. The strength and mobility work is general, not half marathon specific drills. What Edge does give you is the structured spine of a 12-week half marathon block, with general strength built in, sync to Strava, Garmin, Apple Watch, and Coros, and 17,000+ UK members already training on the platform. Edge is part of a brand that makes fitness feel good for everyone.

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