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

The start line for the marathon and half-marathon is at 22nd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. —Laura Fay, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025

While many are elite athletes chasing a challenge abroad, others, Adams says, are drawn to the undeniable pull of an impressive feat (whether a 10K, half-marathon, or full) that justifies stepping away from work or family. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 17 Nov. 2025

Of those who participated, 40 percent were running a half-marathon for the first time. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 2025

The event also hosted a 5K and half-marathon. —Cate Charron, IndyStar, 8 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for half-marathon

• agamemnon
• automaton
• diencephalon
• panopticon
• phenomenon
• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon