Sub-1:30 Half Marathon — Training Paces and Fitness Profile
Sub-1:30 half marathon is a serious competitive milestone — typically top-third to top-quarter finishes at well-attended road races. This is where dedicated training begins to separate runners from casual participants.
Quick answer: To break Sub-1:30:00 in the Half Marathon (RPI 51), your training paces are: easy 8:21/mi, threshold 6:43/mi, interval 5:53/mi. Equivalent fitness: Marathon 3:07:30, 10K 40:38.
Training paces for Sub-1:30:00 Half Marathon
RPI 51 · Goal: 1:29:59 · All paces in min/mile
Calculated from Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations. Easy pace means "this pace or slower."
Equivalent race fitness
These are the predicted equivalent times at other distances for a runner with RPI 51 — assuming comparable training for each distance.
Marathon
3:07:30
7:09/mi
10K
40:38
6:32/mi
5K
19:36
6:19/mi
Training approach for Sub-1:30:00 Half Marathon
For sub-1:30 half marathon, threshold running is the most important quality session. The half marathon is sustained effort near the lactate threshold for 88–90 minutes — threshold training builds the specific metabolic capacity this requires. Long runs at easy pace (13–16 miles) develop endurance. Weekly volume of 40–55 miles with two quality sessions supports this standard.
Calculate your current training paces
The table above shows paces for Sub-1:30:00 Half Marathon fitness. Enter your current race time to see where you are now and how far from the goal you sit.
Training Pace Calculator
These paces are based on your race time — not your body
The Daniels/Gilbert formula predicts training zones from a single race result. StrideIQ goes further: it tracks how your body specifically responds to threshold and interval work — which sessions produce your biggest gains, how quickly you recover, and when your fitness is peaking. Population formulas start the conversation. Your individual response data finishes it.
Common questions
What training paces should I use to target sub-1:30 half marathon?
For sub-1:30:00 (1:29:59): Easy 8:21/mi, Marathon 7:09/mi, Threshold 6:43/mi, Interval 5:53/mi. RPI 51. Your threshold sessions at 6:43/mi (25–30 minutes) are the most race-specific preparation. Your long runs should be at 8:21/mi or slower.
What marathon does sub-1:30 half fitness predict?
Sub-1:30 half marathon fitness (RPI 51) projects to approximately 3:07:30 marathon potential. This is often BQ-adjacent territory — depending on age group and gender.
Is sub-1:30 half marathon a reasonable first-time goal?
Sub-1:30 is ambitious for a first half marathon — it requires a meaningful aerobic base and structured training. It is realistic for runners who have been running consistently (30+ miles per week) for 6–12 months and have done threshold training. Runners newer to structured training typically target sub-2:00 or sub-1:45 for a first half before building toward 1:30.
Other goal pace guides
Paces calculated using the Daniels/Gilbert oxygen cost equations (1979). All values derived from the same formula used by the StrideIQ training pace calculator. Goal times use the target-minus-one-second convention (e.g., sub-20 = 19:59 input).