Half Marathon News

Sharon Thompson wins first ever Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:31:00 +0000

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sharon Thompson laced up her running shoes Saturday morning to compete in her first half marathon and she won.

Not only that, she only started training three months earlier after having her second child last year.

"I try to run every day because there's going to be a day I can't run with the kids, you know, so I try to run, I aim for six days a week," Thompson told News 2.

She said she got to the starting area for the 2010 Country Music Marathon and ½ Marathon on West End at around 6:20 a.m. Saturday morning.

Surprised at the 32,000 people walking to the starting line, she decided not to warm up but to stretch a bit and make a last minute pit stop at the port-a-potties.

What she didn't hear was the announcement from marathon officials that because of approaching bad weather, the race would start 15 minutes early...

Half marathon is a sell-out success

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:26:00 +0000

Places for the 2010 Quintiles Bracknell Half Marathon are sold out, with more than 1,000 runners expected to line up on Sunday, May 9.

Organiser Chris Vaal, the borough’s leisure development manager, said: “It really is one of the staple sporting events in the borough.”

The 13.1 mile route will take runners on a scenic loop through Wildridings, along Mill Lane to Jocks Lane recreation ground, on to Warfield and Harmans Water finishing at South Hill Park.

There will be road closures in Ringmead, Western Road and Binfield Road between 9am and 10.30am on the day.

For more call (01344) 352000 or go to www.Bracknell-forest.gov.uk/halfmarathon.

Ryan Betz Race Report 1

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:26:00 +0000

Halfmarathon.com would like to welcome Ryan Betz from Indiana, a 14 year and probably one of the youngest half-marathon runners around.

In the first week of April, Ryan Betz headed to New York City for his Spring Break. He has set an ambitious target to start running half-marathon races in all each state of America over the next four years.

For doing so, he hopes to raise at least $100,000 for charity.

His second run will be the Indianapolis 500 Mini-Marathon in early May. He will need to run a half-marathon almost every month over the next four years during high school to meet this goal.

As best we can tell, this is the first attempt to accomplish such a feat by anyone – young or old. It’s especially noteworthy that he comes from Indianapolis, the home of the world’s largest mini-marathon.

Ryan is only 14 years old now and plans to complete this personal mission by the end of his senior year in high school.

He will be submitting his race reports to Halfmarathon.com so we can keep up to date with his progress across America.

Here is his first race report from his New York Half on the 3rd April.

I finished my first race in New York on April 3. My time in the race was approximately 1:43 min. This time should pick up for my next race because I had a cold which drained a lot of my energy for the race. On May 8 I hope to run somewhere in to the low 30's. This race will be in Indianapolis and the second run of my project.

The New York event was part of a 13.1 series where they run all across America mini-marathons. It was very hot outside so not tough conditions but you were worn down quickly because of the heat. The competitors was nothing big but about 5,000 people.

The course was generally flat and was not to hard to run on. My next race is in Indy which is not part of the 13.1 series. The website for that run though www.500festival.com/marathon.

This will be a great run because their will be up to 35,000 people and it is the state I have been born and raised in.

Be sure to visit his site http://www.ryanrunning.org/

The Havasu Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:58:00 +0000

Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Staged at London Bridge Beach, both the Half Marathon and 5k course will take you out and around the island. The 5k participants will make their way back to London Bridge Beach and the Half Marathoners will continue on over the World Famous London Bridge and down London Bridge Road, the original highway in and out of Lake Havasu. This is an out and back course with beautiful views in both directions. And you’ll be happy to know you do not go back around the island on the return.

Race Date	Start Times
Saturday - April 10, 2010	Half Marathon: 7:30 am 5k Run/Walk: 7:45 am

The race will be here before you know it! And with each passing year, the Havasu Half Marathon gets bigger and better... If you haven't registered yet, do so soon, remember register before April 1st and you'll save $10... You also better register soon if you intend to make it under our field limit - it is looking like we will hit our participation cap this year...

Woohoo!!

Hands On House Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:53:00 +0000

7th Annual Hands on House

This race features a USATF certified 13.1 mile circuit course on scenic Pennsylvania Dutch roads, past a one room schoolhouse and over a covered bridge.

It is a beautiful run. Chip timing provided by score-this. Split time provided for 1/2 way point. Race proceeds benefit Hands-on House, Children´s Museum of Lancaster

Date and Time,

Saturday October 2, 2010

Hands-on House, Children´s Museum of Lancaster 721 Landis Valley Rd, Lancaster, PA 17601 13.1 mile circuit course on scenic Pennsylvania Dutch roads, past a one room schoolhouse and over a covered bridge.

Start Times:

1/2 Marathon - 9:00 a.m.
5K - 9:15 a.m.
Kids Fun Run - 11:30 a.m.

New Event

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:10:00 +0000

Eye-Q Two Cities Marathon & Half

Date: 11/07/2010

Registration NOW Open!

This Wold Class Event has it all! Boston qualifier, $10,000 prize purse, 2-day Health and Fitness Expo, All you can eat pasta dinner with guest speaker Dean Karnazas, Michelob Ultra Celebration Beer Garden. We also offer the BEST amenities, long sleeve men's & women's tech shirts, finishers sweat shirts, hot breakfast, ice cream sundae, free massage, live music and much much more

Fresno, CA

www.RunFresno.com

New Event

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:04:00 +0000

The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon

Date: September 19, 2010

The Race:

Mount Vernon to Old Town Alexandria to National Harbor.

Over the Potomac River on the Wilson Bridge.

Limit 4,000 runners on the start line

Go to www.wilsonbridgehalf.com for more information

Or call Steve Nearman at 703-587-4321.

Win a place in the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and a Nokia 5800 Comes With Music handset

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:23:00 +0000

The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon takes place in London on Sunday 11th October, and Nokia is offering two lucky Mirror.co.uk readers the exclusive opportunity to take part in this sell-out event. To keep you fully motivated, the winners will also each receive a Nokia 5800 Comes With Music handset, pre-loaded with Nokia Sports Tracker. The half marathon route, supported by Nokia, winds through some of London's most beautiful landmarks, including Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park, St James’s Park, and the stunning Thames riverside - a perfect backdrop for an Autumn run through the capital. Read more here...

North Paddington runner faces marathon challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:34:00 +0000

A keen North Paddington runner is attempting to complete two and a half marathons by the end of the year. David Anderson, 36, of Elgin Avenue, is set to take part in the 26-mile Berlin Marathon on September 20 before running a little closer to home in the Royal Parks Foundation half marathon on October 11. The energetic lawyer also ran the London Marathon in April this year, to make it a year of challenges. He is currently in training for both the upcoming marathon and the Royal Parks half marathon, which will take him through four of London's parks - Green Park, Hyde Park, St James's Park, and Kensington Gardens. Read more here...

BBC blackout for Radcliffe's world half marathon title bid

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 02:33:00 +0000

PAULA Radcliffe's bid win to World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham later this year could be subject to a television blackout. Radcliffe, who withdrew from today's World Championship marathon in Berlin, which was won by China's Xue Bai, said this week she would use the event in October as preparation for the New York Marathon later this year. However, officials from the International Association of Athletics Federation have expressed surprise that the BBC, their long-time broadcast partners, will not be televising her medal bid. It is the first time in 40 years that the BBC has not covered an international athletics championship when staged in the UK. Read more here...

Jordan soars at Raven

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Vernon’s Trevor Jordan says comfy shoes were the secret to his win at the Raven Run Sunday in Salmon Arm. Jordan finished the 10-kilometre course in 36:18 to claim first place. He was followed by Vernon’s Skeets Morel (37:05) in second and Enderby’s Alan Ross (39:35) in third. “Because of the hilly course, I wore my training shoes for more cushioning. This way I could be more aggressive on the downhills. I got a gap on Skeets in a short rise up to the seven-kilometre mark, and it was basically all down hill to the finish, so I let loose,” said Jordan, who recently placed first in the Summerland half marathon. Read more here...

Train your brain for running success

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:55:00 +0000

PHYSICAL fitness and plenty of miles under your running belt are the two most obvious achievements that you need to successfully complete a long-distance race, but there is a growing school of thought that says mental fitness is just as important. In recent years, developing mental toughness alongside your leg muscles has become an accepted training regime among amateurs as well as professionals, all conscious that races can be won or lost in the mind. In the same way that a body which has not been pushed through the rigours of training will struggle to complete a half marathon, a mind that has not been coached to deal with the many stresses, strains and demands of a 13-mile race may well hinder your efforts to get over the finish line at all, let alone in a target time. Read more here...

America’s Finest City Half Marathon Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Once again, the AFC Half Marathon is upon us! Here is what you need to know to enjoy the race…

Register three months ago. While the number of runners keeps getting bigger, the amount of space at Cabrillo has remained stubbornly consistent. Even with the field expanded to 8,474, the race sold out in June. Hello, Craigslist!

Don’t freak out in line for the bus. It’s a really long line. Every year. But somehow almost everyone gets on a bus in time for the ride out to the starting line. Unless you really sleep in, you’ll make it — so just relax, make some friends, talk about how much you hate the hill up 6th, eat a banana and enjoy the wait.

The first part of the course is all down hill - lies! all lies! Yes, Cabrillo is up on a hill, but before you get to go down the hill, you first have to get across it. Maybe it’s because the first few miles are run in a sleepy haze, but everyone seems to forget that the start is a couple miles of rolling hills.

If you’re too incoherent to avoid road signs, consider taking the day off. Last time I ran AFC, there was a woman coming down the big hill on Talbot who appeared to have had a pre-run meal of a bagel and several Vicodin. With booming gasps for breath that would have made Maria Sharapova blush, she lurched down the hill apparently unable to avoid the several road construction signs in her way. Ignoring several people imploring her to stop, her joyride through Point Loma was finally brought to an end when she crashed into a fire hydrant.

Firefighter gets set for Robin Hood Half Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:44:00 +0000

A SENIOR firefighter is going to run the Robin Hood Half Marathon.

John Buckley, Notts' Assistant Chief Fire Officer, has been a marshal at the event for eight years on behalf of the Fire Fighters Charity.

But it is the charity's last year as an official charity of the race so John has decided to put on his running shoes.

The 40-year-old said: "I decided to do it because it's the final year we are an official charity and also I've just turned 40 so it's a bit of a fitness thing."

As a senior marshal, John faced the challenge of recruiting 20 people to help ensure the safety of runners.

Now he is pounding the streets in the early morning to make sure he can get round the 13-mile course within his target of two hours and 15 minutes.

He said: "I'm running five times a week and eight miles a session.

Read more here...

Full Moon Half Marathon takes to the night

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:26:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of running the Full Moon Half Marathon on Saturday with Tom Held.

And by "with" I mean in the same race, but not anywhere near each other during the race.

Your Off the Couch blogger took first place in his division and placed 20th overall (out of about 400 runners) with a formiddable time of 1:32:25.

Congrats, Tom!

The Full Moon Race is not your typical half marathon. The gun goes off at 6:30 p.m., a fact I liked when I signed up; I've always been more of an evening runner. But throughout the day on Saturday I cursed this start time, partially because I had all day to anticipate the race and partially because I watched the heat and humidity climb hour by hour.

But once the hour arrived, 6:30 p.m. seemed like the perfect time to begin running the 13.1 miles from Plymouth to Sheboygan along the Old Plank Road Trail. The heat had subsided a bit and a nice breeze kept it from getting unbearably hot.

Read more here...

Scott Wins Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Peel physiotherapist Ben Scott has won the Salclear Isle of Man Marathon.

He completed two laps of the course in the north of the island in 2 hours, 56 minutes and 8 seconds.

At halfway, Ben was in third but he says he felt strong over the second circuit:-

34 year-old Doctor from South Dakota in the United States of America, Jonathan Kraas, took the honours in the Half Marathon - his time was 1 hour, 11 minutes and 47 seconds.

Martin Malone from Manx Harriers was second and Barry Norman third.

And Samantha Cowin from Manx Harriers won the Women's Half Marathon in 1 hour, 35 minutes and 28 seconds.

Wine Vine Run - Half Marathon and 5K

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:03:00 +0000

"Wine Vine Run - Half Marathon and 5K"

Race Day - November 15, 2009

Experience the wine country of Paso Robles, California. Come run in this destination race, and see the Paso Robles wine country first hand. The race starts and finishes at the beautiful Meridian Winery and winds its way though the vineyards and nearby roads.

for more information please visit http://www.winevinerun.com/

Runners ready for marathon effort

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:48:00 +0000

FIFTEEN runners have signed up to take part in the Cardiff Half Marathon for Barry charity the JAM Fund - and there's still time for budding athletes to join the team!

Each year a group willing runners turn out for the charity, formed in memory of Barry youngster Jaimie Adamson who died of Leukemia in 2004, to take part in the Cardiff showpiece - and so far more than £35,000 has been raised.

The money has enabled the charity to fund a range of projects for terminally ill children and their families, including the purchase of a wheelchair friendly minibus and thousands of pounds worth of equipment for the children’s hospital at Cardiff University Hospital.

Read more here...

Middlesbrough man’s half-marathon mission in memory of dad

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:33:00 +0000

A MIDDLESBROUGH man will be taking inspiration from his dad when he runs a half-marathon in his memory.

Byron Robson, 29, is taking part in the BUPA Great North Run after his father, James McLoughlin died of complications arising from diabetes.

Now Byron says he wants to tackle the challenge with the same determination his dad showed after losing both his legs to the disease.

“He’d been poorly for a lot of years, mainly due to his diabetes,” said the plasterer from Eston.

Read more here...

Kiplagat, Makau Out of NYC Half-Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 02:31:00 +0000

NEW YORK — Top contenders Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands and Patrick Makau of Kenya have withdrawn from the NYC Half-Marathon because of knee injuries.

New York Road Runners said Tuesday that Kiplagat's injury has kept her from racing since March. She set the half-marathon world record in 2007. Makau has tendinitis in his right knee and finished second in the NYC Half-Marathon last year.

The field for the Aug. 16 race features defending champions Catherine Ndereba of Kenya and Tadese Tola of Ethiopia and American stars Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor.

The 13.1-mile course starts in Central Park, travels through Times Square and finishes in lower Manhattan.

Sunrise absent from half-marathon in Wrightsville

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:33:00 +0000

I'm not even sure if I am supposed to be reporting on the Sunrise Half-Marathon. After all, this "non-event" event, which took place Sunday in Wrightsville, was almost a clandestine affair.

Then, as if to prove the point that this gathering was only intended for hard-core runners, Mother Nature chipped in with a thunderous downpour, so runners didn't even get to see the sunrise they were promised.

This led to the "worst weather conditions of (the race's) erratic history," according to the mysterious race director, who craves anonymity.

In the end, at the risk of being ostracized by the running community, here is the top-secret report of the sixth, definitely-not-annual, edition of the SHM, a race that began in 1985 and is billed as York's "oldest half-marathon."

Read more here...

Goucher wins half-marathon in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:27:00 +0000

Kara Goucher did what she planned Sunday: use the inaugural Rock ’n’ Roll Chicago Half-Marathon as a significantly hard workout and push hard over the final three miles — to victory. She followed coach Alberto Salazar’s plan to a T and was the outright winner, leading all men and women in a field of 14,400, in 1 hour, 8 minutes, 5 seconds. It was her third half-marathon win in three tries, and the first in the U.S.

Goucher, 31, a Duluthian now residing in Portland, Ore., had run a U.S. record 1:06:57 in England in 2007 and 1:08:30 in March in Lisbon, Portugal. She’s preparing for the World Championships women’s marathon on Aug. 23 in Berlin.

“I believe I wouldn’t be running the marathon [in Berlin] if I didn’t have a shot,” she told the Oregonian newspaper Sunday. “If I run fully committed, I do have a shot.”

Goucher stayed conservative early, running behind designated pacer Mike Donnelly, and then made a push over the closing miles. She ran 5:09 for the 10th mile and 5:05 for the 11th. Chad Ware, 24, of Chicago was second overall, and the first man, in 1:08:24, while Connie Abbott was the second woman in 1:21:50....

October world half marathon champs being talked about now

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:37:00 +0000

Can Paula Radcliffe win gold again? UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee said: "We have selected a small, but high-quality team for the road events for Berlin. "Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi are both proven performers on the international stage, whilst Johanna Jackson is an improving athlete with obvious 2012 potential. "As has been widely publicised, Paula has recently undergone an operation and is hoping to be fully fit for Berlin. "She is an athlete of huge calibre and she will know if she is in shape to be competitive at the World Championships. We are happy to back her all the way." Van Commenee stressed that the focus in Berlin will be on individual success with full teams set to be selected for the World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham on 11 October. more at the link from the BBC

New One Hour WR eludes Haile Gebrselassie

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:01:00 +0000

(full AFP story at the link) ...Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie failed in an attempt to better his own world record for the one-hour run at the Hengelo Grand Prix on Monday. The 36-year-old clocked up 20km 822metres, falling short of his record of 21km 285m which he set in June 2007 in Ostrava, the Czech Republic. "The wind and rain obviously didn't make things easy," said Gebrselassie. "And even if the conditions were not optimal, I wasn't at 100 percent because of a small asthmatic problem."

half marathon superstar gets record gold marathon time at Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:04:00 +0000

Samuel Wanjiru pulled away over the final miles Sunday to become the first Kenyan to win an Olympic marathon.

Wanjiru stormed the 26.2-mile course through the Beijing streets in bright morning sunshine in an Olympic record of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds.

"In Kenya we have many medals," Wanjiru said, "but I'm glad I have this one."

Against all expectations a clear blue sky greeted the final day of the games.

The women's marathon was run in a light rain; air quality posed no problems for the runners.

Just the third marathon for the 21-year-old Wanjiru, who set the world half-marathon record at age 18, then broke it twice again last year.

Two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco took silver in 2:07:16. Ethiopian Tsegay Kebede bronze in 2:10:00. Ethiopian Deriba Merga led much of the race but faded badly for fourth.