I fell in love with the half marathon one September morning on the streets of Philadelphia. I’d been doing long runs and speed workouts in preparation for the New York City Marathon, and lined up to race in Philly beside a more experienced training buddy.

Soon we were speeding along at a pace that took my breath away whenever I saw a split. Even though we were flying, I was running comfortably: working hard but controlled and not rapidly accumulating fatigue or worrying about holding on. By mile ten, my body began to send stress signals, but I was still moving well and feeling confident, with none of the gasping panic of shorter races or the soul-sucking exhaustion of the marathon. I finished with a huge smile and a personal record.

Never before had I run my best race and had such a good time doing it. The dozens of half marathons I’ve run since continue to confirm that this distance provides a uniquely enjoyable and satisfying race experience—if you’re prepared and race it smart.

In this training plan, I’ll take you through training priorities, key workouts, and proven race strategies. I’ve also prepared two day-by-day, 12-week training plans for you to follow—one for first-time half marathoners and one for intermediate runners with more experience and a bigger training base.

To design the training, I’ve drawn from two decades of coaching runners of all levels and years of interviewing the world’s top coaches and runners. Plus, I’ve gathered advice from two experienced coaches: Ryan Hall, who not only has run the half marathon faster than any American man but also coaches his wife, Sara, who recently set a new American women’s record for the distance; and Jenny Spangler, an Olympic marathoner turned club and online coach who excels at working with new and developing runners.