The Great North Run & The Half Marathon Boom

The half marathon might be the best thing to happen to running in years. It's long enough to be a real challenge, short enough that you don't need to rearrange your entire life to train for it — and it's exploding in popularity. In this episode, we dig into why the 13.1 has become the distance of choice for so many runners, using the Great North Run as our jumping-off point.

We cover:

The Great North Run — what makes it one of the best half marathons in the worldWhy the Olympics still doesn't have a half marathon, and whether that needs to changeThe best half marathon shoes right now, and what actually makes a difference on race dayThe half marathon boom in America and how it compares to the UK sceneThe Shoreditch Half and the rise of stylish, city-based racesWhat's driving so many runners to choose 13.1 over the full 26.2

Whether you're training for your first half or you're a serial racer chasing a new PB, this one's packed with race recommendations, gear talk, and a look at where the half marathon boom goes next.

🎧 Watch/listen to the full episode — and let us know in the comments, what's your favourite half marathon?

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