It’s no easy feat running a half marathon. That’s even when you might hear about lots of your friends training for them. But there are many good reasons why completing a half marathon is worth the effort, apart from the fact that you’ll most likely feel great afterwards even if you didn’t during it!

1. It’s a new challenge

It’s new, and it’s a challenge. It’s also the obvious next step after you’ve completed a 10k, and yet it’s still very much manageable. Whether you’re keen to keep up your fitness, keep up the habit of running, or just keep on hitting standards that impress your friends and family, you can achieve it by signing up for a half marathon. It will also make training a bit more interesting for you as you’ll need to think about both the speed and endurance requirements a half marathon needs.

2. Not ready (yet) for a Full Marathon

It’s best to take these things one step at a time. Mostly from an injury prevention point of view, but also for your own sanity. Building up gradually will cut up the ultimate challenge into achievable segments.

3. Body fitness

Half marathon training will just make you feel that little bit better. Running probably won’t just be a side hobby anymore, but will begin to take up a bit more time. With it though you’ll see and feel the results. Your body well being will hit the roof, and you will likely feel leaner and cleaner for all the extra exercise.

4. Life structure

You can’t wing a half marathon like you might have tried for a 10k. Even if you use a running training plan just as a rough guide, you will still be committing time and energy to long runs. The rest of your life will naturally become that little bit more organised. You might even become a little more productive — work expands to fit the time you have for it after all.

5. Still, it will fit in

Even accepting that, half marathon training doesn’t need to take over your life. It is utterly compatible with normal life schedules — just maybe life schedules with slightly earlier wake-ups and busier weekends.

6. Recovery time is quick

You are much less likely to get a running injury running a half marathon than you would be for a full — whether that’s on the day or in training. You’ll also not have to close down the couple of days afterwards as given for ‘running recovery’ time.

7. There are lots of them

Half marathons come about more often than fulls. So even if you foul up one, you can just do another. Thanking the quick recovery time it’s not so infeasible.

8. You could travel

Running a half marathon abroad sounds that little bit more legitimate than doing a 10k in another country. So you can justify buying some flights and exploring a new place (and it still be pretty well disguised).

9. It’s charitable

Again, if you’re not sure you can ask your friends and family to sponsor your 5k or 10k run, you might be a bit more willing to ask for a half marathon. So you can hit two birds with one stone — feel great and raise some money at the same time.

10. It’s impressive

Not everyone can run a half marathon. It’s a pretty cool achievement and something you are allowed to tell other people about (more than once).