Half the Distance, All the Glory
Twenty-one-point-one kilometres really is the perfect distance. Although the marathon takes all the glory, carrying so much historical significance and posing as the first great challenge in endurance sports, the half-marathon can be just as rewarding. And it’s almost always a more merciful experience.
Because the half doesn’t have the capacity to crush a runner like the marathon, its barrier for entry is much lower. It’s become the fastest growing race distance, and has driven the wild growth of running over the last decade. Marathons everywhere have added a half to their weekend of events, only to see it become the big draw. I guess there’s something to be said for crossing the finish line and being able to get home on your own two feet.
One of the reasons why running 21.1k is so appealing is because it naturally produces excellent time barriers: 2:00, 1:30 or 1:20. And for the greatest male athletes in the world, breaking the hour mark is extremely tough (so much so that no Canadian has ever done it). For the world’s fastest women, the elusive barrier now stands at 65 minutes, which Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat hopes to break this year (she currently holds the record with a jaw-dropping 1:05:09).
The half-marathon is also a really enjoyable distance to train for at all levels. It’s a goal that seems to hook you in without crushing you. The weekly ritual of the long run isn’t ever so punishing that you’ll write off the rest of your Sunday on the sofa. The training allows for rest days, but the workouts can be intense, and thus rewarding. But training for the half is still a lot of work, and getting that training right can be tricky. In order to be successful, it’s always best to follow a plan and solicit professional advice. Why make the same mistakes that others have already made and figured out? We’re thrilled to offer a comprehensive “master class” in acing your first or fastest half-marathon in this issue (p. 46). After coach Lee McCarron’s group the Halifax Road Hammers won our 2016 Golden Shoe for club of the year, we asked him to share with us how he was able to guide so many runners to huge PBs at the distance. McCarron walks you through how to get your training right, and also supplies a thorough 12-week training plan for you to follow. We also selected 21 fantastic races from across Canada in the first half of 2017 that we recommend.
This issue also includes all you need to know about the newest shoes on the market. For our spring shoe guide, we had our testers put 23 new models through the paces and have selected our editor’s picks that should get your half-marathon training off on the right foot. Regular contributor Sharon Crowther also goes behind the scenes for us to explore how cutting-edge shoe technology is developed and who designs the shoes we rely on every day (p.54).
The half-marathon’s namesake may suggest that it’s merely 50 per cent of something grander, but it certainly doesn’t diminish the feeling you get when you cross the finish line – especially if you get the training right and stick to the plan.