RUNNING

Lo! The Half-Marathon (And Why You Should Care)

by Jim Gilmer

Everyone knows the half-marathon is the Rodney Dangerfield of road racing: It just don't get no respect. In the running world, races live and die by their length. At the short end is the classy 5K, the world's most popular racing distance. The 5K is the Aaron Copeland of running, a race for the common man that even the casual jogger can do.

Over at the long end resides the Budweiser of running, the regal marathon — King of Road Racing. Marathoners like to think of themselves as the few and the proud — a breed apart. But the fact is the full marathon is the second most popular running distance in the United States.

Wedged somewhere in between — one might say exactly in between — is the lowly half-marathon. Like an intermediary at a dogfight, a go-between at a Middle East peace conference, running's middle child slouches in an uncomfortable relationship between the most fashionable and the most formidable of racing distances.

The marathon, in English units, is 26 miles, 385 yards. The half-marathon is 13 miles, 192 yards, 1 foot and 6 inches. Say what? Not exactly intuitive. Perhaps that's another reason for their lack of respect. Except for the marathon, there's no natural comparison with other mile racing distances, let alone with the Ks (5K, 10K, etc.).

Then there's that unfortunate designation: half-marathon. Running columnist Joe Henderson lamented this appellation, calling it "… a fine race with a terrible name. It is demeaning (the only race known as a fraction of the real thing) and misleading (some runners think they can predict their marathon by doubling their "half" time)." He tongue-in-cheek suggested renaming the race the "Pikerni" after the name of the town halfway in first Olympic marathon in 1896 (which, by the way, was 40 kilometers long and started in the English town of Marathon). Not!!

The term half-marathon has stuck, however, and as Henderson points out, sets up an awkward contrast. On the one hand, a full marathon connotes "100 percent," "giving it your all" and "completing the job." Whereas, a half-marathon leaves one with the impression of having fallen a bit short, as in "half-baked," or "half-hearted" or "half-done." Not a very flattering image, to say the least.

Yet the half, as most runners call it, has its own niche in the panoply of road races. I explore that niche in my Top 10 Reasons To Run a Half-Marathon This Fall (and Enjoy Yourself in the Process). Following that is a listing of some of the better halfs in region and where you can get more information about them.

Top 10 Reasons To Run A Half-Marathon This Fall:

10. You don't have to chain yourself to a 16-week training program. This doesn't mean don't train, but your preparation need not be as rigorous. Plus, if you've got Marathon Fever — or even if you want to turn in a PR for that 10K or 15K — it's a great distance for testing your consistency and endurance.

9. It won't shoot the whole day. Most full marathoners are on the course for three to five hours. Add to that an hour and a half on either end and that's a full day. Since a half cuts your race time, well, in half, you can relax and enjoy the scenery during and after your race.

8. You won't "hit the wall." This condition occurs when you deplete the supply of glycogen stored in your liver, usually in about 18 or 19 miles. Before the advent of sports gels, marathoners dreaded its onset. But in a half you won't be running nearly that far, so there's no need to choke down those gooey, suffocating sports gels to ward off the wall.

7. You don't have to wait for the sports gel to kick in. See reason 8. But this also means you forgo a convenient excuse for a poor showing.

6. Cheaper entry fees. Today's marathons are expensive. But at $15 to $25, a half is still reasonably priced and in line with the shorter distance races.

5. You can run hard again next weekend. Overuse is the most common cause of injury among runners. Many who run more than one or two marathons a year significantly increase their risk of suffering a number of injuries. But a well-conditioned runner should be able to complete several half-marathons a season with no ill effects.

4. No one will tell you you're halfway there. At the halfway point in a marathon, spectators love shouting out to the runners how far it is to the finish. Duh! In a half, you won't have listen to this nonsense, because nobody marks the halfway point in a half-marathon anyhow.

3. You can run it with your grandmother. OK, maybe not granny, but if your less-athletic spouse or domestic partner runs at all, perhaps you can convince her or him to join you in the same race. At least you can say you offered.

2. You can start a new fad of running a half-marathon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Maybe make the cover of Half-Marathoners' World.

1. You can always bleach out the word "half" on the T-shirt. Accidents happen. Besides, most of your non-running friends won't be the wiser. But if anyone should call you on it, tell him or her you turned around at the finish and jogged back to the start to warm-down.

And always remember: half a marathon is better than none. Have fun halfing!

Jim Gilmer (jagilmer@aol.com) chairs the race committee for the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club. He lives in Glenmont and enjoys all forms of running, from 5Ks to trail runs to marathons.

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