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Sub 1.30 at 40

hudrunnerhudrunner ✭✭
in Training
40 year old runner here. Looking to concentrate on getting my half marathon time down. Currently a 1.40 half marathoner. Back in the day late 20s my PB half is about 1.32 (can’t remember ever using a structured training plan to get this)

Getting on a bit now.. realistically has my chances gone of ever achieving a sub 1.30 half marathon?

Suppose in past been more an occasional runner, running 2/3 times a week. Never really done long runs. Usually around 7/8k each run. Maybe about 20 miles a week.

Posting more to see if anyone has been in similar position and got down to a sub 1.30 half? Is it possible? And if so how long roughly - are we looking years etc. Willing to put in the dedicated training if can get down close to the 1.30 but also aware 40+ now so time not on my side 😂
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    Ian5Ian5 ✭✭✭
    On a positive,yes you can definitely do it.
    I started running at 43,with no previous history and got to 1:24 by 48.
    It took me 2.5 years to get to 1:30,but if I remember right I was only running 3 times a week,so if you can run more it should be quicker.
    It will take patience as the main thing at our age is to avoid injury and build the miles up slowly,but most of all run them easy paced until your body adapts to running.You can get to sub 1:30 off pretty much easy running,as long as you have good consistent mileage.
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    DT19DT19 ✭✭✭
    40 isn't a barrier at all. Look at any race results and you'll see half the top 10 are v40 or older. I, like many have got faster through my 40s and 46 now and just pbd again in my 13th marathon and don't plan on going backwards for a while. 
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    SkinnyPart2SkinnyPart2 ✭✭✭
    hudrunner said:
    40 year old runner here. Looking to concentrate on getting my half marathon time down. Currently a 1.40 half marathoner. Back in the day late 20s my PB half is about 1.32 (can’t remember ever using a structured training plan to get this)

    Getting on a bit now.. realistically has my chances gone of ever achieving a sub 1.30 half marathon?

    Suppose in past been more an occasional runner, running 2/3 times a week. Never really done long runs. Usually around 7/8k each run. Maybe about 20 miles a week.

    Posting more to see if anyone has been in similar position and got down to a sub 1.30 half? Is it possible? And if so how long roughly - are we looking years etc. Willing to put in the dedicated training if can get down close to the 1.30 but also aware 40+ now so time not on my side 😂
    I'm 54 now but when I was 44 I posted on here about trying to break 1:35 HM which was time I did my first HM in when I was 13. 10 years later I have a 1:21 HM PB and many other creditable PBs - whilst the thread has now gone a bit quiet the first 20 pages or so are very training based - in my first HM after starting proper training I ran 1:29 so yes it's definitely possible and you can achieve much more with some dedicated effort over a few years.

    https://forums.runnersworld.co.uk/discussion/202026/overdone-it#latest


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    Stevie GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    Sub 1hr 30 - no problem at all for a V40 without any limiting physical factors.

    You've barely done even hobby mileage in the past, so as long as you build gradually, simply getting to a few months of 30mile weeks, with a long run over 10miles will probably get you there without anything particularly fancy.
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