Training for your first half marathon is as much about picking the right guide as it is about logging miles. A good app turns “run 13.1 miles” into a week-by-week plan you can actually follow, tells you how fast and how far to go each day, and adjusts when life gets in the way.
Table of Contents
This guide compares the apps beginners actually use to finish their first half marathon, including one free option that’s hard to beat and a paid option worth it if you want a plan that adapts to you in real time.
Quick Answer
For most first-time half marathoners, Nike Run Club is the best starting point: it’s free, includes a full half marathon training plan with audio-guided runs, and works on iPhone and Android. If you want a plan that automatically adjusts to your pace, missed runs, and recovery, Runna is the best paid option, though it runs a subscription after a free trial.
Top Apps for Beginner Half Marathon Training
Nike Run Club (free): Includes a structured 14-week half marathon training plan built around progressively longer runs, plus free audio-guided runs led by coaches and athletes that talk you through pacing, breathing, and mindset during the run itself. It tracks pace, distance, and splits, and lets you set reminders so you don’t skip scheduled runs. For a beginner who’s never followed a training plan before, the guided audio coaching is the biggest advantage over a plain spreadsheet plan.
Runna (paid, subscription with a free trial): Builds a custom half marathon plan based on your current fitness, goal time, and which days you can run, then adjusts the plan week to week based on how your runs actually go. It syncs with Apple Watch, Garmin, Fitbit, Coros, and Strava, and includes strength and mobility sessions alongside the running workouts. Strava acquired Runna and now sells a bundled Strava + Runna subscription, so Runna is effectively Strava’s own training-plan product if you’re already using Strava to track runs. Runna does let you preview the first week of a plan without paying, but a subscription is required to unlock the rest.
Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 plan (free): Not an app in the traditional sense, but a well-known, proven 12-week half marathon schedule available free on Hal Higdon’s website. It uses four runs a week, building the long run gradually up to 10 miles before race day, with cross-training and rest days built in. It’s rigid compared to adaptive apps, but it’s free and has helped generations of first-timers finish.
Garmin Coach (free, requires a compatible Garmin watch) is also worth a look if you already run with one: it builds a free adaptive training plan led by one of several named running coaches, synced directly to your watch, and adjusts workouts based on your recovery and performance data. Note that Strava no longer lets you build a new training plan directly on Strava itself; any new plan now routes through Runna, which requires a paid subscription after a free trial, available standalone or bundled with Strava’s paid tier.
How to Choose the Right One for You
If you want something free and simple to start today, pick Nike Run Club and use its half marathon plan with the guided runs turned on. If you’ve tried a fixed plan before and didn’t finish because it didn’t fit your schedule, pick an adaptive app like Runna, since it rebuilds your week automatically instead of leaving you to figure out how to catch up. If you already wear a compatible Garmin watch, test Garmin Coach’s free plan before adding another app, since fewer apps running at once means less friction on race morning.
Whichever app you choose, make sure the plan is built for beginners specifically (often labeled “novice” or “beginner”), runs 10 to 14 weeks, and includes at least one rest day and one long run per week. Avoid plans that jump straight to advanced interval workouts in week one.
Tips / Common Mistakes
Don’t pick a plan based on finish time alone if this is your first half marathon; pick one labeled for beginners and treat finishing, not speed, as the goal. Don’t skip the rest and cross-training days built into the plan, since they’re part of how you avoid injury, not optional extras. Don’t increase your long run distance faster than the app schedules it, even if you feel good, since overuse injuries are a common reason beginners drop out of training. And test your race-day gear (shoes, fuel, watch) during your longest training runs, not for the first time on race day.
Explore more: more fitness app guides.
Best app for first half marathon FAQs
Is Nike Run Club good enough for a first half marathon, or do I need a paid app?
Nike Run Club’s free half marathon plan and guided runs are enough for most beginners to finish. A paid app like Runna is worth it mainly if you want the plan to automatically adjust when you miss a run or want added strength and mobility coaching.
How many weeks should a beginner half marathon training plan be?
Most beginner plans, including Nike Run Club’s and Hal Higdon’s Novice 1, run 12 to 14 weeks, with three to four runs per week and a long run that builds gradually without reaching the full 13.1 miles until race day.
Can I still get a free half marathon training plan through Strava?
Not a new one. Strava no longer lets you create a new training plan directly in its own app; new plans now come through Runna, which requires a paid subscription after a free trial. Nike Run Club and Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 remain fully free alternatives.
Do I need a running watch to use these apps?
No. Nike Run Club and Runna both track pace and distance using your phone’s GPS, so a dedicated running watch isn’t required, though Runna can sync with one (Garmin, Apple Watch, Coros, Fitbit) if you have it. Garmin Coach is the exception — it does require a compatible Garmin watch.
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Images: Nike.com.