A Walker's Guide to Half-Marathon Etiquette

Show up, race, celebrate and go home. Whether you run or walk a half-marathon, that remains the same. Still, here are a few tips with walkers in mind to make your first and your fifty-first half-marathon a pleasant experience for you and fellow racers.

Stay Right - Leave Space to Pass

The ranks of half-marathon walkers are growing, but I haven’t found one yet specifically designed for walkers. Stay to the right, to allow the runners passing from behind a clear path.

Late arriving runners and walkers who’ve warmed up and quickened their pace may come fast from behind. It’s a courtesy to not interfere with their best time by giving them space to pass you automatically. On small parts of the course, avoid walking three and four abreast.

On out-and-back courses, expect the race leaders to head your way. In larger races, motorcycles or bicycles may precede them and ask that you move to the right well before they pass you. In smaller races, it’s our job to stay alert for the fast runners heading toward us and make sure we give them plenty of space. Just a few seconds can mean the difference between qualifying for a prestigious race or not.

Know the Course

Race volunteers switch positions and are reassigned throughout the race. It’s is not their responsibility to know the course. Don’t get upset with the folks who are volunteering their time if they can’t tell you how far along you are, when the course changes or where the next port-o-potty is located. Almost every race has a link to the course on their official website. Find it. Know it.

This is even more important at smaller events when runners are long gone from the course and we walkers may come to forks in the course with no one ahead of us to follow. Give race organizers feedback if additional signage or volunteers would make a difference at next year’s event.

Music

Many races now discourage headphones. They can interfere with hearing emergency vehicles, last-minute race changes and other participants. Some racers try to get around this request by listening to their music on speakers. I’ve watched participants attempt to enliven the race for others with loud songs blaring from their wireless speaker. I’ve also watched the faces of fellow-racers who wish they could just pass the guy and get some peace. We don’t all like the same music.

My worst experience was sharing the same pace with a woman who was listening to an audiobook narrated by the most uninteresting voice in the world. I jogged quite a ways ahead to ensure she couldn’t catch up to me a fourth time.

Trash

Race volunteers are amazing. They want us to enjoy the race, get the hydration and carbs we need and move along as quickly as we like.  While it is great to strive for dropping your water cup, wrapper or trash into the receptacles, stay aware of the race traffic around you. Better to allow the volunteers to pick up an errant cup or two than break up the rhythm of approaching racers to keep one cup of hundreds from hitting the ground.

Conversations

In my experience, racers are quite friendly. It’s nice to break up the monotony now and again. Pay attention to the body language of other racers, though. Some prefer to stay in the zone, while others invite company and conversation. The same person may be focused on making a personal record in one race and just strolling along to completion in the next.

Embrace the Cheers

The growing ranks of half-marathon walkers are a new fixture for some of the folks who have cheered at races for years. Sometimes the cheering supporters assume walkers are struggling to make it to the finish line, not realizing we’re on pace, on schedule and full of joy. Expect to hear “You got this!” more than a few times.

When I’m up for it, I give back a smile, thumbs up or thank you. These folks are taking time out of their morning just to show support. Don’t worry about it when you aren’t in the space to smile or reply. They know you are on a journey of thirteen point one miles and understand you’re focused.

Community

Half-marathoners are a community of individuals who love a challenge. We’re a group of both sexes, many races, lots of ethnicities and all ages. Unless this is a one-off challenge, expect to recognize other regulars at different races. Be kind, always. There are friendships to be made along the course.

The Opportunity

As I’ve settled into the unique race experience of walking half-marathons, I’ve become an avid cheerer of the runners on out-and-back courses. During my first few races, my focus was just on finishing my own race. As my confidence increased, I discovered that I was in the perfect position to offer encouragement to the runners heading toward the finish line. Now, it’s one of my favorite activities. As I walk toward the turnaround, I love giving a thumbs up or my own enthusiastic “You Got This!!!” to the runners passing in the opposite direction. They may not be able to acknowledge hearing you as the swoosh by, but it makes a difference.

Half-marathons can be a whole lot of fun with the right attitude and information.  

Walk That Half!

A Walker's Guide to Choosing The Right Half Marathon

After completing my twentieth half marathon, I've learned how to find the best races for walkers. While the number of half-marathoners choosing to walk their race continues to increase, not every race is “walker-friendly.” Here are the top seven race features to consider when choosing your first or next half-marathon.

Time Limits

Look for races with a minimum four hour time limit. Anyone who can walk 5 or 6 miles without being overly winded or needing to stop can likely complete the half marathon within 4 hours. Those starting a training schedule at least six weeks prior to their race usually finish within this time frame with relative ease given average health.

For your very first half-marathon walk, your best bet is to register for a half-marathon/marathon combination. These will almost always allow half-marathoners the same generous six hour time limit given to full-marathon participants. No matter how well you train, an unexpected hiccup can result in a longer than expected walk to the finish. The extra cushion on your first half-marathon will insulate you from undue worry or concern about finishing, leaving you free to enjoy the race.

Event Size

My first three races were large, well-established and well-run. Each attracted tens of thousands of participants. Large races ensure you're part of a community of hundreds of other walkers. Larger races also have well-supplied aid stations, clearly marked courses, first responders on hand, cheering supporters, plenty of port-o-potties and all the things established races have learned will lead you to smoothly to the finish line.

Smaller races of 500 or fewer participants may have as few as twenty walkers. The smaller events are geared to runners and do not always prepare for walkers, even when they advertise as “walker-friendly” because they offer a four hour time limit. Slower and first-time walkers may miss the celebration at the finish line.

My twentieth race included 523 half-marathoners, mostly runners. They ran out of beer before the walkers arrived. The single beer-sponsor went on a beer run to buy a bunch of twelve-packs for the handful of walkers still finishing well within the four hour time limit. At another small race, they had stopped making pancakes as the last walkers crossed the line.

When participating in smaller events, understand that runners, not walkers, may be the primary focus of the race organizers. Be appreciative of what is provided at the finish line and offer suggestions graciously.

The Course

Most races are in one of three formats--out-and-back, point-to-point or a loop course.

Out-and-back are my favorite. As I head back in for the second half of the race, I recognize the places passed on the way out. With each place passed, I know I am closer to the finish and get more excited as I approach the finish line. My mind is clear about what is left.  

Point-to-point are my second favorite. These are more interesting because each step along the course is unique. No matter how well you study the course beforehand, walking it is an unpredictable delight. These are often scenic. The down side to point-to-point is that you are generally taking a shuttle or Uber to the starting line and arriving 30-45 minutes earlier than the race’s start time.

Walking a half-marathon doubles the time you are on a course. That makes loop courses a unique challenge for walkers. After walking for 90 minutes or more, it can be discouraging to realize you still the entire loop ahead of you as you watch runners head toward and then past you toward the finish line. In your first few races, I recommend skipping loop courses unless it promises  great scenery or is large enough to attract a large number of walkers to share the second trip around.

Level of Challenge

The easiest races when you first start walking half-marathons are flat and fast. That’s what course descriptions mean when they say “great opportunity for a personal record (PR).”

Sometimes, it’s worth it to join a larger race or better course to accept a few small hills. Based on my own experiences, I’d avoid tackling courses that choose to tell you in advance that they are “challenging” until you’ve completed a handful of races.

Earlier this year I walked the Valley of the Flowers Half-Marathon in Lompoc, CA. The description said “hilly.” I thought I knew what they meant. I did not. This was a very challenging course. Neither looking at the map nor reading the course description would have alerted me to the elevation changes in the race.

Elevation Changes

The greater the elevation change, the more preparation you'll need for uphill and downhill walking. Many races now include an information graphic of the elevation changes showing the height, number and grade of hills. When the course descriptions do not indicate whether it is flat and fast or challenging and filled with hills, odds are it will be mostly flat with minimal hills.

Time of event

Most half-marathons are held early in the morning to beat the heat of mid-day, regardless of time of year. The most common start times are 7am or 8am. Walking a half-marathon can take up to four hours at an average walking pace. While most runners will finish an 8am race by 10:30am, walkers may still be completing the course at noon. Hourly weather forecasts are a walker's friend. Dress for the finish, not the start. You'll warm up pretty quick once you start walking.

Races on routes that need to minimize the closure of streets, may start as early as 6am, but that is rare. Heat warnings can also move half-marathons earlier. My very first race occurred during a Los Angeles area heat wave and the race time was moved up by an hour. That's highly unusual. Generally the published times hold.

Location

There’s no such thing as a bad location for the avid half-marathoner. “Scenic” is in the eye of the beholder. It’s all about the distance. Some cityscapes can be as intriguing as nature.

A good practice is to do an online map search of the area around the race. Is it far from stores and services or in the middle of nowhere? This is especially important when traveling to half-marathons. Larger races will often offer opportunities to purchase parking passes in advance of the event. Smaller races often have plenty of parking in nearby lots.

As with all things in life, it’s a great idea to arrive early. You’ll have time to stretch, review the course route and hear any last minute route changes and place yourself in the proper corral. If life happens and you arrive later than expected, get to the start line as quickly as possible and shrug off whatever made you late.

Final Note

The half-marathon is as much mental as physical. Expect your mind to whip out a little doubt along the way. It's your ability to keep going that makes the walk across the finish line so sweet. You got this!

Walk that half!