ONE of the biggest questions runners have when training for a half marathon is “how long should my longest run be?”

The reason it’s a question that gets asked so often is because there’s not a single answer.

Some people will happily ‘go the distance’ before race day while others will only run little over half the distance – yet still rock their half marathon.

Here are my three top tips for your long run:

1) Work to time, not distance. My programmes measure the long runs in time rather than distance.

In a two-hour training run, a sub 1h30m runner is going to comfortably cover 14 or 15 miles, but a 2:30 runner may not make it to 10 miles.

For a 2:30 runner to get to the same 15 miles of running, they would have to be out on their run for more than three hours. This is possible to do, but is going to have a negative impact on subsequent training runs later in the week.

My advice is to limit your long run to around the two-hour mark, however far that gets you.

2) Run slower than your race pace. Long runs are there mainly to build your aerobic capacity, which means you need to be running aerobically.

Half-marathon pace for many people is too quick to achieve this effectively, so there’s a requirement to slow down by at least a minute per mile.

3) Race practice. Use the long run as practice for race day. As these runs continue to build, practice any race nutrition you’re planning on using on the day, and test out the trainers and any other kit you’re going to wear so you know it will be comfortable for the half marathon.

You can also add in some 30-45 minute stints of ‘race pace practice’, where you get to try out your actual race pace in a long run, without worrying about it affecting the rest of your training.

The long run is an important part of a half-marathon training program because it’s the bit that’s most like the race itself, but it’s not the whole programme – keep paying attention to your other key runs and listen to your body for signs of over training.

  • ENTRIES for the Vitality Reading Half Marathon close at midnight on Tuesday. To enter, visit www.readinghalf marathon.com