Should half marathon runners do strength training?

Yes. A 2014 study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that concurrent strength and endurance training improved half marathon performance compared to endurance training alone. The half marathon distance (13.1 miles) is long enough to expose the structural weaknesses that a purely running-based program leaves underdeveloped.

How does the half marathon compare to the full marathon for strength training needs?

The half marathon demands qualities between the 5K and the marathon. It's fast enough to reward the leg power that strength training develops, and long enough to demand the structural resilience that protects against injury and late-race breakdown. Strength training volume can stay slightly higher through a half marathon build than a full marathon build.

What half marathons are near the South Bay?

South Bay runners have access to several half marathon events: the Long Beach Marathon has a half option, the LA Marathon course passes through West LA, the Malibu Half Marathon runs the PCH in November, and numerous half marathon events run in the South Bay and greater LA area throughout the year.

How often should half marathon runners go to the gym?

2x/week is the sweet spot for a half marathon training block. Unlike marathon training, half marathon mileage peaks at 40-50 miles/week for most recreational runners, which leaves adequate recovery for regular gym sessions. Reduce to 1x/week in the final 2-3 weeks before the race.

Half Marathon Strength Training in the Beach Cities

The half marathon is the most popular race distance in the United States. Beach Cities runners participate in LA-area half marathons year-round — Long Beach's half, Malibu in November, various events along the coastal corridor. The 13.1-mile distance demands both aerobic fitness and structural resilience in roughly equal measure.

Gate 14 at 130 E. Grand Ave, El Segundo is where Beach Cities half marathon runners build the structural side.

Why the half marathon specifically benefits from strength work

The half marathon sits at an interesting distance for strength training. It's:

Too long to be primarily a speed/power event (like a 5K)
Too short for the purely aerobic demands of a marathon
Long enough that posterior chain and hip stability matter for miles 10-13
Short enough that strength training volume doesn't need to be drastically reduced during the build

This means strength work can run at a higher dose through a half marathon build than through a full marathon build — and the return on that investment shows up in both race performance and injury resilience.

What breaks down in miles 10-13 of a half marathon:

The last three miles of a half marathon are where fitness-trained-but-not-strength-trained runners fade. The specific failure patterns:

Hip drop and lateral trunk sway (insufficient glute medius strength)
Shortened stride length (posterior chain fatigue)
Heel striking under fatigue (core and hip flexor weakness)
Calf and Achilles fatigue (undertrained ankle complex)

All are directly addressable with 8-12 weeks of gym work.

The half marathon strength program

Movement	Exercise	Half marathon transfer
Hip hinge	Romanian deadlift, deadlift	Posterior chain endurance, miles 10-13
Single-leg	Bulgarian split squat, step-up	Hip stability, lateral drift prevention
Calf	Single-leg calf raise (both straight and bent knee)	Achilles capacity
Core	Plank, dead bug, side plank	Trunk stability under fatigue
Row	Cable row, DB row	Upper back posture for 90+ minutes

Half marathon training calendar

For a race 12-16 weeks away:

Weeks out	Mileage	Gym
16-10	Base build, 25-40 miles/week	2-3x/week, progressive strength
10-4	Build, 40-50 miles/week	2x/week, maintain strength
4-2	Peak weeks	1-2x/week, don't add new stimulus
2-0	Taper	1x/week very light

The key rule: don't taper strength work as dramatically as marathon runners should. The half marathon recovery demand is lower, and maintaining a strength stimulus through the taper is fine.

Beach Cities half marathon runners and Gate 14

Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and El Segundo produce serious half marathon runners — the coastal running culture here drives consistent event participation. Gate 14 serves as the S&C component that keeps those runners racing year-round without accumulating the overuse injuries that come from mileage-only training.

See strength training for runners in the Beach Cities for the complete running S&C framework. See Gate 14 membership options or gate14.net/thegate14.