half-marathon

noun

half-mar·​a·​thon ˈhaf-ˈmer-ə-ˌthän 

-ˈma-rə-

plural half-marathons

: a footrace run on an open course that is half the distance of a marathon (13 miles 192.5 yards or 21.1 kilometers)

Then, in late September, … Goucher ran a U.S. best in the half-marathon, beating the women's marathon world-record holder, Britain's Paula Radcliffe, by nearly a minute.

—Alexander Wolff

Having just completed a half-marathon in the UK's Great North Run on Tyneside, I was surprised to find that my legs felt stiffer two days after the event than they were the following day.

—Melanie Trickett

Examples of half-marathon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dash past a merry-go-round in Los Feliz Walk, run or race a 5K or half-marathon on the main trails of Griffith Park. —Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024

Finishers of the 5K, 10K or half-marathon all receive shirts, a complimentary River Cats ticket, post-race meal and post-race beer (with proper identification, of course). —Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 23 Feb. 2024

In a tune-up before the United States Olympic Marathon Trials in three weeks in Orlando, Huddle, who held national records in the 5,000-meter, 10,000-meter and half-marathon, won the women’s 10k in a time of 34:30 at the Arizona Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series on Sunday morning. —Logan Stanley, The Arizona Republic, 14 Jan. 2024

Last year’s event drew 25,000 runners in the marathon, half-marathon and 5K distances. —Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024

Those include its iconic triathlons—consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a 140.6-mile run—as well as triathlons of half that distance, Ironman 70.3 races, and half-marathons. —Phil Wahba, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2024

Marathon starts at 5:30 a.m.; half-marathon and 10K at 6 a.m.; 5K at 7 a.m. —Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 July 2023

Detroit’s marathon is the largest international road race in North America, and the only international event series in the world that traverses two international border crossings within both the marathon and half-marathon courses. —Aaron Velthoven, Detroit Free Press, 7 Jan. 2024

The Double Down Challenge is 16.2 miles, which includes both the 5K and half-marathon. —Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above