What is America's favorite distance to race?

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Towns and cities across the nation boast running events on a weekly basis. These road running events range from a mile to a marathon and longer. What is America’s favorite distance to race? The half marathon!

The half marathon is 13.1 miles and typically raced on roads, although some events traverse trails and other surfaces. According to RunningUSA’s 2012 National Running Survey, the half marathon is both the fastest growing and favorite distance for runners. In 2011 1.6 million runners finished a half marathon, a 16.2% increase from 2010. The half marathon has been the fastest growing event since 2003 and the number of finishers has tripled since 2000. Thirty races were held in 2011 with at least 10,000 finishers compared to only one in 2000. This past year also saw the largest debut half marathon: Rock and Roll Savannah (14,163 finishers).

The largest half marathons in 2011 were 1) Zappos Rock and Roll Las Vegas (NV, 33,257), 2) OneAmerica 500 Festival (IN, 30,659), 3) Country Music (TN, 22,015), 4) Walt Disney World (FL, 21,991), and 5) Rock and Roll San Antonio (TX, 19,546). The median finishing time in 2011 was 2:01:04 for men and 2:19:33 for women. The American records (by Americans, run on US soil) are Ryan Hall’s 59:43 (TX, 2007) and Deena Kastor’s 1:07:53 (PA, 2005). In comparison, the world records are Sammy Wanjiru’s 58:33 (NED, 2007) and Lornah Kiplagat’s 1:06:25 (ITA, 2007).

Why is the half marathon more popular the the marathon or shorter events such as the 5K? In a non-scientific survey, respondents said that they preferred the half marathon to other distances because 1) recovery was faster than for a marathon, 2) it was a physical and mental challenge like the marathon, but the training fit better in their daily lives, 3) the physical pain was more tolerable that than experienced in the shorter distances.

Colin Hackman, owner of event management company Go-time, is not surprised by the findings, but states that “the 5K represents the peg that unifies the running masses - regardless of experience.” He adds “I have seen 5 year olds and 95 year olds compete side by side at the 5000 meter races. Sometimes trying to ‘out-kick’ one another at the finish.” He notes that many of the runners who plan on doing a half-marathon this year will run more than one 5K during the same time period.

From a business perspective, Clay Shaw (Sports/35 Photography), says that the half marathon is often the choice as “more people can do it and there are destination half marathons that people will be willing to travel to.” The half marathon has replaced the 5K as race of choice.

Females overwhelmingly preferred the half marathon to other distances (50% voted for the half marathon over a large selection of other distances). Men most frequently voted for the half marathon as well(28% of their votes), but were more spread out amongst the shorter distance selections compared to females.

Time did not appear to be a hindrance for half marathon training vs. that for shorter distances. Eighty-eight percent of those who voted for the half marathon were employed, 71% full time. Almost all runners voting for the marathon worked full time. Although the ultrarunning votes (distances over a marathon) were small, all worked part-time. Perhaps time only becomes an issue with the very long races.

Tom Clifford (coach/owner WithoutLimits Coaching and race director of the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon) echos Hackman’s sentiments. He also believes that training for the marathon is a significant commitment “and people do not always want to go all in for [one] race because if they do not have their best day, it is a long road to recovery. Whereas if a half marathon does not go well, then the athlete can recover in 1 to 2 weeks and do another one.” From a coaching perspective, Clifford notes that racing the shorter distances has its benefits for the longer races. “Racing events like the mile, 3000m and 5000m are very hard events but they can help the runner practice holding a faster pace over a shorter period in turn making them faster and more efficient for the long races.”

Age was also not a deterrent for the longer races. Forty-four percent of those voting for the half marathon where at least masters runners (40 years of age or older). Over half of those voting for the full marathon were also in the older age groups, suggesting the preference for distance grows with age (perhaps as speed dwindles).

Message boards on Runners World’s webpage support the findings of both my survey and RunningUSA’s report. Of interest is the increase in numbers of these longer and often more expensive races despite the current state of the economy (more on this topic at a later date). Race directors take note: demand for the half marathon is strong and is shared by men, women, young and old.

So, get off the couch, lace up your shoes and join your friends in a 13.1 mile adventure this summer or fall, but don’t forget about the shorter events too!

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