Build a Half Marathon Training Base (16 Weeks)

Proof required

Submit four weeks of GPS-tracked running logs showing 3+ runs per week, with weekly totals reaching at least 20km by week 4. Note your average easy pace and any rest days taken.

What gets checked

• Logs show GPS-tracked data with distance, pace, and route — not self-reported distances
• Sessions vary in length (not identical runs every day), indicating genuine progressive training
• Week 4 weekly total reaches or exceeds 20km across at least 3 individual sessions

Common mistakes

• Building mileage too fast — jumping from zero to daily medium-distance runs without rest days creates overuse injuries before the base is established
• Only doing hard runs — identical effort on every session without easy aerobic volume misses the base-building benefit entirely

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check the GPS logs show actual mapped routes — not manually entered distances without tracking data.
• Ask what the submitter's longest single run was during the four weeks and how their body responded — confirms genuine engagement with the training.
• Confirm rest days are included — a log without any rest days suggests unfamiliarity with training principles.

Proof required

Submit a GPS-tracked record of a 14km+ continuous run completed at a conversational pace, plus your training log from the preceding 6 weeks showing weekly mileage totals and the progressive long-run distance.

What gets checked

• GPS record shows 14km+ in a single continuous session without unexplained pauses exceeding 10 minutes
• Training log shows week-by-week mileage increases of no more than 10% — not a sudden jump to the long run
• Pace and heart rate (if recorded) are consistent with an easy aerobic effort, not a race pace

Common mistakes

• Jumping to the long run without the preceding weekly mileage — the body needs accumulated aerobic load across multiple sessions, not one big effort
• Running the long run at race pace — this causes excessive fatigue and interferes with the weekly training volume that supports it

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Ask the submitter to describe how the 14km run felt in the final kilometre — someone who ran at a genuinely easy pace can recall the experience clearly.
• Check that the 6-week training log shows a progressive build — week 1 and week 6 weekly totals should be meaningfully different.
• Ask whether they had any injury or discomfort during the 6-week buildup — genuine training accounts include these.

Proof required

Submit a GPS-tracked record of a 21.1km+ continuous run showing total distance, time, and average pace. If completed at a registered race, include your finish result or bib. Include a link to your Strava or equivalent activity if available.

What gets checked

• GPS record shows 21.1km+ in a single continuous session — treadmill-only runs require a photo of the treadmill display alongside the app log
• Total distance, pace, and elapsed time are consistent with genuine completion (not a GPS error or an indoor recording without external verification)
• M1 and M2 logs are submitted together — the full preparation arc makes the M3 completion credible

Common mistakes

• Attempting 21km without completing M2 — jumping to race distance without a verified long-run base dramatically increases injury and DNF risk
• Starting too fast in a race and bonking in the second half — pace discipline in the first 10km determines whether the full distance is achievable

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check the GPS activity file or map — the route should show a coherent 21km path, not a glitched circle.
• Ask how the submitter felt at km 16–18 — the second half of a half marathon has a consistent physiological character that genuine runners can describe.
• If submitted without race proof, ask when they ran it and what the conditions were like — adds credibility to a solo run without an external result document.