Half marathon
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Bristol_Half_Marathon.jpg/250px-Bristol_Half_Marathon.jpg)
A half marathon is a road running event of 21,097.5 meters, or 13+7⁄64 miles, about 13.1 miles. It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently.[1] One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a marathon requires.[1] In 2008, Running USA reported that the half marathon is the fastest growing type of race.[1] New York Road Runners CEO Mary Wittenberg and noted running author and coach Jeff Galloway have also commented on the popularity of the distance.[1] It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon, using almost the same course with an early finish.
World records
The male world record is 58:33, set by Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya on March 17, 2007, in The Hague, The Netherlands.
The female world record is 1:06:25, set by Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands on October 14, 2007, in Udine, Italy.
World record progression - Men
World record progression - Women
Best Year Performance
Men's Seasons Best
Women's Seasons Best
Largest number of participants
The current biggest half marathon in the world is the Great North Run, held annually in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England[3][4], with 52,000 runners expected in 2009. The largest ever held was Broloppet (the Bridge race) between Copenhagen-Malmö with 79,719 finishers, held in connection with the Öresund Bridge inauguration year 2000[5][6][7].
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Hanc, John (July 24, 2008). "Sometimes Half Is Better Than Whole". NY Times. Retrieved 2009-02-09.
- ^ Published in IAAF documents, including IAAF top lists. The ARRS have suggested that the Stramilano Half Marathon course might have been short in 1993 and list the best time for 1993 as 1:00:15, Moses Tanui (KEN), 19-Sep-1993, South Shields ENG.
- ^ BUPA Great North Run
- ^ BBC SPORT | Athletics | Great North Run on the BBC
- ^ Bridge Race 2000
- ^ Broloppet on susning.nu
- ^ Broloppstider på nätet - men inga placeringar