Be honest - is a half marathon enjoyable? 😅

[mummabubs]

I've been very slowly building up my running over the years, can still remember the days when couch to 5k was hard. I've run a couple of 10k events now (between 1hr 10 and 1hr 15) and the most recent one I did was genuinely enjoyable - lovely weather, great atmosphere etc. I've found myself on the slippery slope of contemplating a half marathon for the first time - specifically the Newport APB half as apparently it's renowned as being 'easy and flat'.

I am tempted to sign up as it's in April next year so that feels like enough time to train, including the inevitable post Christmas slump, but I'm debating whether I'd actually find that distance enjoyable. Just wondering if there's any views as to which is the more satisfying distance to run - a half marathon or a 10k?

Love half marathon - most of the normal training runs are no more than an hour so easy to fit into your life. The long ones only come in the last few weeks. But saying “I ran 10 miles this morning” if you’re meeting friends eg for Sunday lunch is well
impressive!!

HM is my favourite distance to run. Far enough to be challenging, a pace that is comfortably hard vs 10k which seems to go on for too long and my legs and lungs are burning from mile 3. At least a 5k is over quickly!

I will say there's no need to run the full distance in training. 10 miles will be fine & a taper and race day adrenaline will see you fine.

I agree that flat races aren't necessarily easy in themselves as there's nothing to break up the monotony of running at the same speed for 13 miles & are often targeted by the speedy. They're often not particularly scenic either.

I did half a dozen half marathons when I was in my running era, my local one (twice), a Rock n Roll Half, the Great North Run, the Disneyland Paris Half and the San Jose Costa Rica half because it fell while I was there on holiday! I loved them all! More of an achievement than a 10k but not such arduous training as for a full marathon. I must get back into running one day, but having DS absolutely shredded my pelvic floor so I really need to sort that out first!

@mummabubs ,the 'two hours' was just a rounded number. I think the achievement is the entering, training and completing it.
Unless you are competitive, I don't think it matters too much how long it takes. My 'competition' is me.

I ran in a fast, flat half-marathon and despite having run many before, I got swept into a faster pace than I could manage. It was a boring course and I took far too long to finish. Flat races with repeated laps are not for me!
It dented my enthusiasm for running.

Hilly friendly 10Ks are fun.

(Another race that dented my enthusiasm was a fun run - someone had entered with her friends and would run for a bit then stop and jog on the spot for her friends to catch up. I couldn't figure out why she didn't run with her friend instead of the performance. She seemed like a school gate queen bee of a runner.)

Yeah I am Hampshire and being perfectly honest, I thought it was meant to be cooling down for this weekend - and then, it didn't! But I'd planned it out in my mind, you know?

Yes a half marathon can be really enjoyable. I really enjoy a half where I’m pacing my dd1 and so not going flat out for a time myself. I like the sense of achievement a PB brings but it’s probably not as much fun as running a little slower and enjoying the course, taking in the sights etc.

I ran Newport marathon this year and enjoyed it. It’s a flat route that a lot of people use for PB times. I used the marathon to get a good for age time to enter London with. Its through lovely countryside and the course is well supported despite a lot of it being rural. I would say go for it.

If you do the training, then yes, it can definitely be enjoyable. If you don't, or if the weather is really bad (which includes it being too hot), then it can be a real slog! But generally yes, a half can be great.

The flip side is that big races like this have a lot of runners over a range of abilities and a lot of support. Smaller races can be great but I find especially the small club runner ones don’t have the same spread of abilities so while they might not have a winner in 65 minutes, they also won’t have many runners over 2:15/2:30hrs which can be a bit lonely and demoralising.

For what it’s worth OP I’d look at a September one, train in the summer and then get the benefits of a cool race day and it feels better!

There’s ways to keep it interesting.

when I was marathin training, I ran with a friend who wouldn’t go further than 10. So I would split the extra before and after ie 2 miles before, 10 miles with friend, 2 miles after. At some point 10K will seem easy.
a park run sandwich is also a good way of getting miles done, without the boredom of doing it on your own.

I just ran my 21st half marathon, it’s my favourite distance. I try to do 3 or 4 a year and I don’t chase pb’s or anything any more so I just cycle my training up to about 16-18kms and keep one on a slow boil just in case I need to pop one out at short notice

I’m now training for my first marathon and urgh, I don’t want to do 25/30/35k training runs. I have 25k down for next weekend and I am not looking forward to it one bit.

For me running was never about the time or PB but the alone time training, listening to music or a podcast.
I’m currently injured and can’t run and its actually the training that I miss.

I think running a half marathon is sheer hell BUT you feel
fantastic when you finish!! Good luck

Your favourite distance to race is very personal. It depends on so many factors - personal goals, time available to train, the training/racing pace you feel comfortable with.

10 mile and HM is my fave distance. It's the distance I have always performed best at.

What I do advise for people wanting to step up is that they feel they are where they want to be in the shorter distance, rather than struggle through a 10k and then feel a need to step up. You'll likely enjoy the training and racing of a HM if you really feel comfortable at 10K.

And well done!

Half marathon is a very manageable goal to work towards. It’s never pleasant even with proper training but it feels great to do it at the same time

I would disagree with this. If you are running at a pace that is very easily manageable for your level of fitness a half marathon can be very enjoyable. I’ll often run this distance as a social run or pacing my dd1 so not running at my full capacity. These runs are very enjoyable, don’t feel difficult and are really very fun. Running at my own race pace is less enjoyable but that’s where you get the sense of achievement.

the first will seem like a long way, but once you’ve progressed to marathons and ultras half’s suddenly don’t seem all that far.

Ive only got into running in the last couple of years and this time last year the furthest I had run was 7kms, then I got injured and was only able to get back to running early this year. I am only able to run once a week, but do strength training two days and cross trainer two days. Ive built up my weekend run about 10 per cent a week and about 5-6 weeks ago ran 21+kms for the first time. It was fine. I ran it the next few weeks, but the heat is getting to me a bit now so I’m just doing 17kms for my weekend run and it’s amazing how much more manageable that feels 😂. Im very slow, but the way I approached it was running a little longer each week and focusing on that as much as / more than the distance. None of that is at all scientific and probably ‘wrong’ in lots of ways, but it seems to work ok for me.

Disagree. I've had some of the best times of my life running half marathons!

I haven't run the ABP half in Newport, only done the 10k, but I would recommend the "original" Newport half, run by St David's Hospice and usually the first weekend of March. In my opinion, it's a nicer route - you run into and around Caerleon rather than out towards Goldcliff / Nash etc.

If you can get into next year's Cardiff half (October 2027), that is one I would definitely recommend - it's so well supported all the way round and is a real joy. I ran it on my 50th birthday and had so much fun.

A half is easier than 10k as it gives you a chance to settle into a steady pace, as long s you’ve trained for the distance