Half Is Where the Heart Is

With Mother’s Day around the corner and the Mets still within a shot of first place, why, it must be Spring! And indeed, not only are the days getting longer, but race distances are too as the temperate weather simplifies race-planning logistics and puts half-marathons – my favorite race – back on the local calendar. They’re long, but not too long, tough but doable; if Goldilocks were a runner, this juicy, hunk of a race would be her choice, too.

There are plenty of reasons to run a half, whether you’re looking for an alternative to the full marathon, or trying to break through your “spandex ceiling” of 10k or 10-mile races. For starters, look at the mileage – 13. A baker’s dozen. Like bagels. (No, I’m not forgetting the .1 at the end, but that’s like crawling from your couch to the fridge and back to get the cream cheese, so it hardly counts.) It's no wonder the Brooklyn Half sold out nearly two months ago. If you’re still not convinced that the half-marathon is just the most perfect race distance ever invented, in the interest of efficiency (Reason # 3!) here are just 13 reasons to give this more manageable sibling to the Big M a shot:

1. Scheduling. A long training run for a half-marathon is, well, another half-marathon; you can do that every weekend if you want to, and still have time for a life.

2. Variety. There are plenty of half-marathons on the calendar in NYC and nearby:

• The Stratton Faxon Fairfield Road Race keeps you moving with the promise of a refreshing post-race cool-down on the beach. This Connecticut favorite of NYC runners (easily-accessible by train!) starts in the suburbs and ends at the Long Island Sound, on June 27, 2010.
• If you need a little time to get up to speed, the very urban Bronx Half Marathon, is back to its sizzling summer spot on the calendar, just over three months away on August 15, 1010.
• But if you think you’re in decent half shape already, then shuffle off to the Buffalo Half Marathon, on Memorial Day Weekend later this month, where finishers are treated to pepperoni pizza, in addition to the more standard (read: bo-ring!) post-race fare.

These are just examples: the growing popularity of the half-marathon distance guarantees that some time this year, you’re bound to find a half that meets your particular requirements for climate, terrain, scenery, and post-race snack.

3. Race day efficiency. Speaking of snack, the manageable half-marathon distance means you can run a challenging race in the morning and still beat the Sunday Times crowd to your favorite brunch spot.

4. . . . where you can splurge on the Eggs Benny. That’s right: you run 13.1 miles, you burn 1500 calories, more or less. Enough said? (Check here to get your exact number.)

5. The comedy. To hear your non-running friends ask, “A half-marathon? How many miles is that?”

6. The drama. What’s more dramatic than running around a volcano? Or through the spectacular scenery of the Utah canyons?

7. The tragicomedy. Slip on your best tights and get your codpiece from the cleaners when the Bard’s birthday rolls around again next April. The Rotary Shakespeare Half-Marathon in England starts and ends at Will’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon. Check back here for info on next year’s race.

8. The warm, fuzzy feeling. Because they are longer races, but more accessible than marathons, halfs are popular goals for fund-raising. Team in Training, for example, is still looking for runners for the Rock ’n’ Roll San Antonio 1/2 Marathon in November. Fred’s Team, Joints in Motion, and the NYRR’s own Team for Kids are just a few other groups that will get you to a half-marathon and help you train for the event in exchange for your fund-raising finesse. Some organizations will even get you into events that are otherwise sold out or closed to non-qualifiers.

9. That loving feeling. Studies have shown that running improves sexual performance. Other studies suggest that sex improves running performance. Don’t think about it too much – just do it.

10. Why? Because we like you! You can make those miles magical at the Walt Disney World Half Marathon in January, consistently rated one of the top ten halfs in the U.S. . . . But lay off the pixie dust, ‘cuz you know that junk’s illegal.

11. The awards. Most half-marathons give medals. When was the last time you won a medal for a race it didn’t take you a month to recover from?

12. The adventure. A half-marathon is a wonderful destination race.

Head up to Vermont for the Pittsfield Snowshoe Half-Marathon next March (yes, snowshoes), and still have the strength to hit the trails after the race (on skis.) I have a friend who doesn’t run 5ks because she says she never wants to run a race it takes longer to get to than to complete. So for half-marathons, unless you’re an elite, that gives you about a 100-mile radius around the city to work with, or East to West from the Hamptons (Hamptons Half on October 2, 2010) to Philadelphia (ING Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half-Marathon on September 19, 2010.)


And if all that’s not enough, consider:

13. The accolades. Though it’s not a full marathon, you still get to use the “M” word, guaranteeing that when you tell people what you did over the weekend, they will be impressed!  -Uli H.