Running USA’s Annual Half Marathon Report

 Photo of Half at the Hamptons (NH) by FitzFoto

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – (March 21, 2012) – Running USA’s third annual Half-Marathon Report
shows that the 13.1 mile distance had another year of
impressive growth, but like U.S. marathons in 2011, the growth
rate wasn’t as large as recent years. Last year, U.S. half-marathons
had an estimated 1.6 million finishers (a new high), an impressive
16.2% increase from 2010 (1,385,000 to 1,610,000), but lower
than the historic 24% rise in both 2009 and 2010. Also, in the
same 870 U.S. half-marathons for 2010 vs. 2011, there was a
6.4% finisher increase (1,264,907 vs. 1,346,280).

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The half-marathon is the
juggernaut distance in the sport as evidenced by its recent
growth trend, and according to Running USA’s 2011 National Runner Survey,
the half-marathon is also the favorite distance to run for
both genders (35% men and 39% women) and overwhelmingly, the
road race distance – by both genders again (70% men and 77% women)
– that runners are most interested in entering this year (2012) so
the half-marathon should maintain its title as the most popular
distance in America.

More half-marathon fun facts: 

Since 2003, the
half-marathon has been the fastest growing road race distance
in the United States, and for six consecutive years (2006-11),
the number of 13.1 mile finishers has grown by 10% or more each year.
No other U.S. road distance comes close to this growth rate
during the Second Running Boom (circa 1994).

Since 2000, the number of half-marathon finishers in this country
has more than tripled (482,000 to 1,610,000), an increase of 234%.
59% of half-marathon finishers were females (approximately 950,000, a record).

In 2011, there were a record number of 30 U.S. half-marathons with
10,000 or more finishers. This has nearly doubled since 2009 when
there were 17 with 10,000-plus finishers; in 2000, there was
only one.
There were a
total of 43 half-marathons that make up the Top 100 U.S. timed
road race list for 2011 with 16 of them from the nationwide
Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series.

Like the past 5 years, there were more than 30 inaugural half-marathons
in the U.S. last year, and 2011 produced the largest debut
annual half-marathon ever, Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah, with 14,163
finishers (previous record, 13,835, P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll
Arizona 2004).

For the rest of the Running USA Annual Half-Marathon Report, CLICK here.