The Official #TTOM2023 Sub-2:00 Training Plan for the

Half Marathon
Brought to you by SSISA, the Official Health, Fitness and Wellness partner of the 2023
Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon

Here’s your 16–week programme to get you ready to chase a sub-2:00 finish in the Totalsports Two
Oceans Half Marathon 2023. This programme presupposes that you have at least been training the past
couple of months, that you are fit and healthy; and are capable of managing 4 runs per week at
approximately 20−25 km/week to start.

Please take note of both the key below which explains the various abbreviations and colour codes used
in the programme that follows, as well as the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale to guide your
training efforts. Then, all you need to do is kick the New Year off with a bang and start your training for
the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon 2023 on the 16th of April 2023! Good luck – Conquer the
Current!

Key
WU: Warm Up
E: Easy
LSD: Long Slow Distance
HD: Hard
SPD: Speed
TT: Time Trial
CD: Cool Down
RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion
Base
Transition
Peak
Taper
Race
Rest Day
Recovery

MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL

Week 1 REST 5km E REST 5km SPD REST 8km LSD 4km E 22
02–08 Jan (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 4 x 1 min (RPE 2–3) (RPE 2)
HD (RPE 6–7) with
1min E between;
CD
Week 2 REST 5km E REST 5km SPD REST 10km LSD 5km E 25
09–15 Jan (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 3 x 2 min (RPE 2–3) (RPE 2)
HD (RPE 7) with 1
min E between; CD
Week 3 REST 5km E REST 6km SPD REST 5km TT 12km LSD 28
16–22 Jan (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 4 x 2 min (RPE 2–3)
HD (RPE 7) with 1
min E between; CD

Week 4 REST 6km E REST 8km SPD REST 5km E 12km LSD 31
23–29 Jan (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 6 x 2 min (RPE 2–3) 3km WU;
HD (RPE 6) with 1 3km at sort
min E between; CD of HD effort
(RPE 5)
hilly route;
6km E
(RPE 2–3).
Week 5 REST 6km E REST 8km SPD REST 15km LSD 5km E 34
30 Jan – 5 (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 5 x 3 min (RPE 3) (RPE 2–3)
Feb HD (RPE 6) with
1:30 min E
between; CD

MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL

Week 6 REST 5km E REST 6km SPD REST 8km E 5km E 24
6–12 Feb (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 4 x 2 min (RPE 2–3) (RPE 2–3)
HD (RPE 7) with 1
min E between; CD
MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL
Week 7 REST 7km E REST 8km SPD REST 6km E 10km TT 31
13–19 Feb (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 4 x 4 min (RPE 2–3)
HD (RPE 8) with 2
min E between;
1km CD

Week 8 REST 7km E REST 8km SPD REST 5km E 16km LSD 36
20–26 Feb (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 3 x 6 min (RPE 2–3) 3km WU;
HD (RPE 6) with 3 5km sort of
min E between; HD effort
2km CD (RPE 4)
include
hills; 8km E
(RPE 2).
Week 9 REST 8km E REST 8km SPD REST 5km E 18km LSD 39
27 Feb – (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 5 x 4 min (RPE 2–3) 3km WU;
05 March HD (RPE 8) with 2 6km at sort
min E between; of hard
2km CD effort (RPE
4); 9km E
(RPE 2–3).
Week 10 REST 5km E REST 9km SPD REST 6km E 15km TT 35
06–12 (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 3 x 8 min (RPE 2–3)
March HD (RPE 6) with 4
min E between;
2km CD

MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL

Week 11 REST 6km E REST 8km SPD REST 8km E 6km E 28
13–19 (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 6 x 1 min (RPE 2–3) (RPE 2–3)
March very hard (RPE 7)
with 2 min E
between; 2km CD
MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL
Week 12 REST 10km E REST 7km SPD REST 5km E 21km LSD 43
20–26 (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 4 x 2 min (RPE 2–3) (RPE 3–4).
March HD (RPE 8) with On a hilly
2:00 min E route
between; 1km CD
Week 13 REST 8km E REST 6km SPD REST 7km E 17km LSD 38
27 Mar – (RPE 2–3) 1km WU; 6 x 1 min (RP7km E 3km WU;
02 Apr hard (RPE 8) with (RPE 2– 7km at sort
1:00 min E 3)E 2–3) of hard
between; CD effort (RPE
4); 7km E
(RPE 2–3)

MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL

Week 14 REST 5km E REST 6km SPD REST 10km LSD 4km E 25
03–09 Apr (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 6 x :45 (RPE 3–4) (RPE 2–3)
HD (RPE 8) with
1:15 min E
between; 1km CD
Week 15 REST 5km E REST 5km SPD REST REST TOTALSP 31
10–16 Apr (RPE 2–3) 2km WU; 5 x :30 ORTS
sec HD (RPE 8) TWO
with 2 min E OCEANS
between; 1km CD 21,1km
RACE
MON TUES WED THUR FRI SAT SUN TOTAL
Week 16 REST 3km Walk REST Cross–training REST 5km E REST 8
18–24 April (RPE 2–3)