Don’t Skip Your Half Marathon Warm-Up

You’ve trained for weeks or months.

You’ve completed your long runs, practised your race pace, worked on your fuelling and arrived at the start line ready to run 21.1km.

But there’s one final piece of preparation before the gun goes:

Your warm-up.

For runners wanting to race their half marathon, I don’t believe the first few kilometres should be used to gradually get the body ready. If you’re expecting to settle into a meaningful race intensity from the start, you want to arrive on the start line already prepared for that effort.

At the other end of the spectrum, if your goal is simply to complete the event comfortably at Level II, you don’t necessarily need the same warm-up as somebody chasing a PB.

The important thing is matching your warm-up to how you intend to run the race.

Why Your Half Marathon Goal Changes Your Warm-Up

There isn’t one half marathon warm-up that everybody needs to follow.

Think about three different runners.

One wants to race hard and chase the best performance they’re capable of.

Another is a recreational runner who wants to run strongly but isn’t necessarily trying to squeeze every second from their performance.

The third simply wants to enjoy the event, complete 21.1km and run at a comfortable Level II intensity.

Those three runners don’t need identical warm-ups.

For the competitive runner, we need to prepare the body for a relatively high intensity from the start.

For the recreational runner, we still want to get the body moving and ready to run, but there’s less need for higher-intensity work.

For someone treating the half marathon effectively as a Level II long run, the opening kilometres themselves can form part of the warm-up—as long as they have the discipline to keep them genuinely controlled.

That’s an important distinction.

If You’re Racing, Don’t Use the Opening Kilometres as Your Warm-Up

If you’re intending to race your half marathon, I recommend completing a purposeful warm-up before you start.

My preferred starting point is a minimum of:

10 minutes at Level II.

That’s easy, conversational running.

You’re not trying to prove your fitness.

You’re simply getting the body moving and preparing yourself for the harder work to come.

After that initial 10 minutes, I like to introduce some intensity:

3x 1 minute at Level IV, with 30 seconds jogging at Level II between each effort.

These aren’t all-out efforts.

Level IV is controlled threshold work. The objective is to lift your intensity, prepare your body for the demands of racing and make your eventual half marathon pace feel less abrupt when the race begins.

The sequence is straightforward:

10min Level II

then:

3x 1min Level IV, 30sec Level II RI

After the final Level IV effort, you can return to easy movement before transitioning towards the start area.

You should finish this warm-up feeling ready to race—not tired from warming up.

Why Include Level IV Before a Half Marathon?

If you’re going to race hard from the start, I want your body to have already experienced an intensity above your expected half marathon race intensity before the gun goes.

That’s the purpose of those three one-minute Level IV efforts.

You’re briefly lifting the intensity before recovering again.

Then, when you begin your race, you’re not going directly from standing around to race effort.

The Level IV work should still be controlled.

This isn’t a fitness test.

You’re not trying to generate lactate for the sake of it or turn the warm-up into an interval session.

Three minutes of Level IV running is enough.

Do the work, recover, and get ready to race.

Add Dynamic Mobility Before Entering the Corral

Once the running portion of your warm-up is complete, I’d incorporate some dynamic mobility where space allows.

This could include movements such as:

• leg swings;
• walking lunges;
• controlled high knees;
• ankle mobility;
• calf pumps; and
• other dynamic movements that you’ve used successfully in training.

Leg swings can be particularly useful, but they require some room.

Do them before you enter a crowded start corral rather than trying to swing your leg through the person standing beside you.

The same applies to lunges and other travelling movements.

Use the space you’ve got while you’ve got it.

Then move towards the start.

Keep Moving Once You’re in the Start Corral

One of the practical challenges with race warm-ups is that you can do everything correctly and then spend the next 15 or 20 minutes standing still waiting for the start.

That isn’t ideal.

Once you’re in the corral, you probably won’t have room to jog or perform large dynamic movements.

But you can still keep your legs moving.

Try:

gentle bouncing on the spot;

calf pumps;

small high-knee movements;

and other simple movements that can be performed safely without invading somebody else’s space.

You don’t need to attract attention by doing an entire aerobics class in the start pen.

You’re simply trying to avoid going completely static after you’ve just warmed yourself up.

A Race-Focused Half Marathon Warm-Up

For someone intending to race their half marathon, my preferred routine therefore looks something like this:

Minimum 10min Level II

3x 1min Level IV, 30sec Level II RI

Then, before entering the corral:

Dynamic mobility

• Leg swings
• Lunges
• Calf movements
• High knees
• Other familiar dynamic movements

Once you’re in the corral:

Keep moving

• Gentle bouncing
• Calf pumps
• Small high-knee movements

Then get yourself settled, stay calm and prepare to race.

Simple.

Purposeful.

And, importantly, practised beforehand.

What About the Recreational Runner?

If you’re approaching your half marathon with more recreational goals, you don’t necessarily need the Level IV efforts.

I’d still recommend getting some running done before the start.

Approximately 10 minutes of easy jogging at Level II gives you an opportunity to get moving and settle your body before the race.

From there, work through a similar dynamic mobility routine.

If you’ve got the space:

• leg swings;
• lunges;
• ankle mobility;
• calf movements; and
• other familiar dynamic exercises.

Then, once you move into the start corral, keep yourself moving with gentle bouncing, calf pumps and a little high-knee work.

You should arrive at the start feeling comfortable and prepared without feeling as though you’ve already completed part of the race.

What If Your Goal Is Simply to Finish?

This is where my advice changes considerably.

If you’re an absolute recreational runner whose primary goal is simply to complete the half marathon, and you’re planning to run the event as a Level II long run, you don’t necessarily need to add extra running before the start.

The race itself can become your warm-up.

But there’s an important condition:

You must be disciplined about staying at Level II during those opening kilometres.

That’s where runners can get themselves into trouble.

The gun goes.

Everybody around you accelerates.

The crowd is cheering.

Your legs feel fantastic.

And suddenly your planned Level II effort has become Level III—or higher.

If you’re using the opening kilometres to warm up, they genuinely need to be easy.

Settle yourself.

Let people go.

Ignore what everybody else is doing.

Allow your body to warm gradually while you establish your Level II rhythm.

For these runners, adding several kilometres of jogging before a 21.1km event could simply create unnecessary fatigue.

The event itself is already your long run.

Three Runners, Three Warm-Ups

This is the simplest way to think about it.

Racing the Half Marathon

You want to perform strongly from the start.

Warm-up:

10min Level II
3x 1min Level IV, 30sec Level II RI
Dynamic mobility
Keep moving in the corral

Recreational Performance Goal

You want to run well but don’t need a more aggressive pre-race preparation.

Warm-up:

Approximately 10min Level II jogging
Dynamic mobility
Keep moving in the corral

Completing at Level II

You’re essentially treating the event as a long endurance run.

Warm-up:

Begin the race conservatively
Keep the opening kilometres strictly Level II
Allow yourself to gradually settle into the event

That makes much more sense than prescribing exactly the same routine to everybody.

Don’t Copy the Fastest Runner at the Race

This is one of the reasons I don’t like generic advice that says everybody should warm up for exactly the same length of time.

Your warm-up should reflect your race.

A runner planning to race aggressively has different requirements from somebody who’ll be running comfortably for more than two hours.

The faster runner may benefit from being ready to hit race intensity almost immediately.

The recreational runner doesn’t need to spend precious energy preparing for an intensity they aren’t going to use.

Do the warm-up you need, not the warm-up somebody else needs.

Practise Your Warm-Up in Training

Race morning shouldn’t be the first time you try this routine.

Before appropriate quality sessions, practise it.

If you’re planning to use:

10min Level II + 3x 1min Level IV with 30sec Level II RI

before your half marathon, use that sequence before some of your key training sessions.

Learn how it feels.

Learn how much recovery you need afterwards.

Practise your dynamic movements.

Work out which mobility exercises actually help you feel ready.

Your race-day routine should eventually become familiar enough that you barely need to think about it.

Timing Matters

There’s little value in completing a good warm-up and then standing completely still for half an hour.

Work backwards from the race start.

Consider:

• when the corral opens;
• when you need to enter it;
• how far away the toilets are;
• whether there’s a bag drop;
• how much space is available for warming up; and
• whether the event requires you to assemble particularly early.

Then plan your warm-up accordingly.

You might not be able to create perfect conditions.

That’s normal.

The aim is to complete the running and larger dynamic movements relatively close to when you enter the start area, then use smaller movements to keep yourself ready while you’re waiting.

Weather Changes Things

Conditions matter too.

On a cold morning, you don’t want to warm up effectively and then stand around getting cold again.

Keep an extra layer on for as long as practical.

Continue moving.

On a particularly warm day, be careful about doing too much.

You’re about to complete a half marathon. There’s no benefit in unnecessarily raising your body temperature before you’ve even started.

Your warm-up should always be adapted to the conditions.

Don’t Let Your Warm-Up Become Your Race

There’s another trap for runners chasing a performance goal.

Those Level IV efforts should feel controlled.

You’re not trying to set a one-minute PB.

You’re not trying to beat your training partner.

You’re not testing whether you’re fit.

The purpose is simply to prepare yourself for racing.

Likewise, your 10 minutes at Level II should actually be Level II.

The warm-up serves the race.

The race doesn’t serve the warm-up.

Save your competitive energy for after the gun goes.

Being Warmed Up Doesn’t Mean Starting Faster

You’ve completed your Level IV efforts.

Your legs feel responsive.

You’re bouncing around in the corral.

The adrenaline is flowing.

Fantastic.

That still doesn’t give you permission to blast the opening kilometre.

Your pacing strategy hasn’t changed.

A good warm-up should help you settle into your intended race effort more comfortably.

It shouldn’t encourage you to abandon your plan.

Be especially careful during those first few minutes when the combination of fresh legs, adrenaline and a good warm-up can make an unsustainable pace feel deceptively easy.

Keep the Routine Simple

You don’t need 15 different mobility exercises.

You don’t need complicated drills you’ve never practised.

And you don’t need to copy somebody else’s routine from social media.

You need a repeatable sequence that prepares you for your race.

For a racing athlete, that might be:

Level II → Level IV efforts → dynamic mobility → stay moving → race.

For a recreational athlete:

Level II jog → dynamic mobility → stay moving → race.

For the runner simply completing the event:

Start conservatively → establish Level II → gradually warm into the race.

That’s enough.

Don’t Skip Your Half Marathon Warm-Up

The right half marathon warm-up depends on what you’re asking your body to do once the race begins.

If you’re racing, I want you prepared to race.

Complete at least 10 minutes at Level II, add 3x 1 minute at Level IV with 30 seconds of Level II jogging between efforts, then use dynamic mobility before entering the corral and keep your legs moving while you wait.

If you’re running more recreationally, approximately 10 minutes of Level II jogging followed by dynamic mobility can be plenty.

And if you’re simply completing the half marathon as a controlled Level II long run, you can allow the opening kilometres to warm you up—provided you’re disciplined enough to keep them genuinely easy.

There isn’t one warm-up for every half marathon runner.

Match your warm-up to your goal.

Then arrive at the start line knowing your body is prepared for exactly what you’re about to ask it to do.

Want Help Preparing for Your Half Marathon?

Your warm-up is only one small part of getting race day right.

Your pacing, long runs, quality sessions, recovery and fuelling all need to come together if you want to get the most from your training.

If you’d like some help working out what your half marathon preparation should look like, book a free, no-obligation 40-minute coaching consultation with me. We can discuss your current training, your goal event and what you need to focus on between now and race day.

Book your free 40-minute coaching consultation

For more practical half marathon training, pacing, nutrition and race-day advice, visit www.HalfMarathonTraining.co.nz.

Train smart. Race strong.