We love the half. We know you do, too. Thousands of half marathons are set to be run this year, and their participation will eclipse the iconic 26.2 with roughly four times the entrants. Of course, a huge advantage of the distance is that you can run multiple halfs per year, says Kara Goucher, whose 1:06:57 at the 2009 Great North Run (not a record-eligible course) is still the fastest half marathon ever by an American woman. “Unlike a marathon, where you have to recover for a month and it takes six months to train, you can recover in a few weeks and then get back to workouts,” she says.
Half-marathon training also tends to whip runners into the best shape of their lives. At the intersection of power and persistence, it develops a fitness foundation to tackle running objectives both long and short. And the training plans cement healthy habits like regular exercise, staying hydrated, and a health-focused mindset says Brian Maiorano, the owner of Triathlon Lifestyle Coaching.
Whether you're ready to tackle your first or 50th half, read on to learn how to make it your best yet.
THE HISTORY OF THE HALF
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TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.
RUNNING WITH HANK
How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.
