How long should your longest run be for a half marathon?

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Ninky Nonk Aug 2016 5:06pm, 6 Aug 2016 2,358 posts	0 Ninky Nonk How long should your longest run be for a half marathon?
Stewie Aug 2016 5:27pm, 6 Aug 2016 595 posts	0 Stewie I'd say a min of 10 miles but others may disagree
Ultracat Aug 2016 5:37pm, 6 Aug 2016 11,464 posts	0 Ultracat I would do a 15-16 miler a couple of weeks before target race, if you are an experienced runner with some decent weekly mileage which you seem to be from your training log.
Ness Aug 2016 5:54pm, 6 Aug 2016 7,399 posts	0 Ness I'm not as fast as you, Ninky Nonk but I tend to make 12 miles or so my longest long run.
Dvorak Aug 2016 6:13pm, 6 Aug 2016 12,013 posts	0 Dvorak For a decent attempt, at least 10 miles. 12 would be better and if you can do 14, great. You could get by with only a couple of miles of pain on 8, if you are used to it. I'm thinking of doing one next week off about 5. This is plainly stupid. But at least I know what I'm in for. (Might, as an experiment, run/walk it.)
Velociraptor Aug 2016 6:19pm, 6 Aug 2016 34,247 posts	0 Velociraptor Depends. I've done good-for-me half marathons off longest training runs ranging from a handful of miles to 36 miles. I think one slightly over-distance training run in the build up to the half marathon is worthwhile
BanjoBax Aug 2016 12:26am, 7 Aug 2016 4,154 posts	0 BanjoBax I seem to remember reading 4xrace distance weekly mileage for a few months before as being ideal(possibly for elites). Adding to that long run no more than 1/3 weekly mileage would means 4/3 x 13.1 would suggest 17ish miles at the sharp end, unlike full marathon OK doing race distance + if have the miles in to do it
Ninky Nonk Aug 2016 7:37am, 7 Aug 2016 2,364 posts	0 Ninky Nonk What sort of duration does that work out to be for people? And relative to race time?
Robbo62 Aug 2016 9:20am, 7 Aug 2016 2,219 posts	0 Robbo62 A general rule in most training plans is a 14 miler 3 or 4 weeks before the race and then taper.
Sombrero Aug 2016 9:31am, 7 Aug 2016 10,322 posts	0 Sombrero Nonker, you're an experienced runner so I would say going longer in training would benefit. I knocked 2.5 minutes off my half marathon PB by doing it on the back of marathon training when I had to cancel the marathon (Clashed with FA Cup final day). I think the long runs made me really strong.