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It’s no easy feat running a half marathon. That’s even when you might hear about lots of your friends training for them. But there are many good reasons why completing a half marathon is worth the effort, apart from the fact that you’ll most likely feel great afterwards even if you didn’t during it!

1. It’s a new challenge

It’s new, and it’s a challenge. It’s also the obvious next step after you’ve completed a 10k, and yet it’s still very much manageable. Whether you’re keen to keep up your fitness, keep up the habit of running, or just keep on hitting standards that impress your friends and family, you can achieve it by signing up for a half marathon. It will also make training a bit more interesting for you as you’ll need to think about both the speed and endurance requirements a half marathon needs.

2. Not ready (yet) for a Full Marathon

It’s best to take these things one step at a time. Mostly from an injury prevention point of view, but also for your own sanity. Building up gradually will cut up the ultimate challenge into achievable segments.

3. Body fitness

Half marathon training will just make you feel that little bit better. Running probably won’t just be a side hobby anymore, but will begin to take up a bit more time. With it though you’ll see and feel the results. Your body well being will hit the roof, and you will likely feel leaner and cleaner for all the extra exercise.

4. Life structure

You can’t wing a half marathon like you might have tried for a 10k. Even if you use a running training plan just as a rough guide, you will still be committing time and energy to long runs. The rest of your life will naturally become that little bit more organised. You might even become a little more productive — work expands to fit the time you have for it after all.

5. Still, it will fit in

Even accepting that, half marathon training doesn’t need to take over your life. It is utterly compatible with normal life schedules — just maybe life schedules with slightly earlier wake-ups and busier weekends.

6. Recovery time is quick

You are much less likely to get a running injury running a half marathon than you would be for a full — whether that’s on the day or in training. You’ll also not have to close down the couple of days afterwards as given for ‘running recovery’ time.

7. There are lots of them

Half marathons come about more often than fulls. So even if you foul up one, you can just do another. Thanking the quick recovery time it’s not so infeasible.

8. You could travel

Running a half marathon abroad sounds that little bit more legitimate than doing a 10k in another country. So you can justify buying some flights and exploring a new place (and it still be pretty well disguised).

9. It’s charitable

Again, if you’re not sure you can ask your friends and family to sponsor your 5k or 10k run, you might be a bit more willing to ask for a half marathon. So you can hit two birds with one stone — feel great and raise some money at the same time.

10. It’s impressive

Not everyone can run a half marathon. It’s a pretty cool achievement and something you are allowed to tell other people about (more than once).

You’ve done all the training and all the preparation. The marathon that you’ve actually been working for is almost upon you. Whether it’s your first ever marathon or you’ve tackled marathons regularly, it’s important to pack for race day well in advance so you have plenty of time to tick off everything on your list. So what do you need to pack to ensure an organised and smooth race-day?

Essentials

1. Running shoes

2. Running clothes (weather appropriate)

3. Bib number

4. Race entry information (location, bib number pick-up, etc.)

5. ID (passport or driving licence)

6. Money (cash is always useful as there may not be a cash machine near to the race)

7. Mobile phone

8. Any prescription medication

Marathon Running Gear

Check the weather in the area that you’re running as this will decide what clothes you wear on race day. Make sure you pack some extra layers so that you have options if the weather suddenly changes.

9. Running shoes

10. Socks

11. Shorts or leggings

12. Running top (short and long sleeve)

13. Jacket

14. Safety pins (to pin on your bib)

15. Running underwear (sports bra/running boxers)

16. Cap

17. Gloves and warm hat (to wear at the start or during the race if it’s cold)

Extras

Extra items can make the difference between running around trying to find a spare hair band and relaxing and preparing before your race starts. Make sure you have a few spares of anything you may need on race day.

18. Sunglasses

19. Sunscreen

20. Lip-balm

21. Running gels

22. Running watch

23. Running belt (to hold any running gels and other items)

24. Water bottle

25. Hair band (and extra in case you lose one)

26. Vaseline and other anti-chafing products

27. Tissues

28. Plasters

29. Pain relief

Before and after the race

Making sure you’ve got some extra clothes to change into after the race so you can celebrate in comfort can make the whole day that much better.

30. Warm clothes to put on at the race finish

31. Rain coat

32. Towel

33. Music player and earphones (especially if you use these while running)

34. Flip flops/spare shoes to slip on after the race

Prepping for your next obstacle course? This list will give you the inside scoop on what to expect and how you can prepare for it.

So, you’ve signed up to your next challenge — an obstacle course — but now you’re scoping out the most common obstacles so you can learn how to tackle them before event day. Look no further. These are the 6 most common obstacles you’ll find.

1. Monkey bars

Do you remember monkey bar sessions? Spending your childhood swinging about on the monkey bars that appeared in every playground? Well now you can reenact your childhood memories as almost every obstacle course will have some form of monkey bars. Some courses opt for traditional monkey bars while others make it more challenging, perhaps being placed over water or on an incline.

To tackle this obstacle, try and wipe down your hands before you start swinging (this may not be possible if you’re already covered in mud), swing your legs to help with momentum and don’t rush it. Before event day you could practise with hanging on a pull up bar while in an active position, doing pull ups or just find your local monkey bars and practise on them.

2. Ice bath

This is a pure test of mental and physical grit. But that's why you're here?! Normally you’ll have to slide down into the ice bath and then wade through it and come out the other side. The shock of hitting the ice water is immense, but the satisfaction as you wade out the other side knowing you’ve just pushed your limits is enough.

3. Army crawl

An army crawl tends to make an appearance in obstacle courses and the trick is to get low, stay low and go quickly. Normally they’ll come with a boat load of mud that you’re crawling through, so try and pick your path through it all. To prepare for these obstacles, core exercises help so add in planks and bear crawls to your training plan.

4. Inverted walls

Inverted walls can range in height but are usually a high wall that is angled towards you and the difficulty is the hangover nature of them. A good tactic for tackling these is to hang from the top of the wall, and try and and hook your heel over the ledge. From here, you’ll need a combination of leg strength and upper body strength to roll yourself over the wall. Again for these types of obstacles working on your chin ups and pull ups will help on event day.

5. Ropes

Every obstacle course loves throwing in a rope challenge and these come in all forms. It could be a rope climb, where upper body and grip strength is required or a rope traverse, taking you over a pool of water. Either way it’s almost guaranteed to make an appearance. To help with these before event day, try adding hanging knee tucks to your training to work on your upper body and grip strength.

6. Mud

Ok, this is not really an obstacle as such, but there will most likely be colossal quantities of the stuff at any obstacle course event. Not only to run through, but also covering you. Be prepared to be weighted down by mud throughout the event, but remember to enjoy it, it's all part of the fun.

Ready for a new challenge? Check out obstacle course events near you below.

Discover Obstacle Races

Editor's note: This article was originally published on October 18th, 2018 and updated on April 15th, 2021 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

No matter the distance of your cyclosportive, there’s a wide array of kit that you’ll need to bring along with you on the day and on the ride itself. So make sure you’ve got everything on this list.

For the day

There are some things that you will want to have with you on the day of the ride but won’t necessarily need for the ride itself. If you’ve driven then these are the sorts of things you’ll want to leave in the car or with your friends/family if you’ve got someone there to support you.

• Waterproof cycling jacket — You hope that you won’t need it but it never hurts to be prepared. Always bring along a waterproof in case it looks like it’s going to rain. You can always leave it in your car or with your friends if the weather is looking up.
• Track pump — Nothing worse than getting 1km into a ride and realising you forgot to pump up your tires. Bring along a track pump or foot pump so you can get to your desired tire pressure just before you start your ride.
• Warm clothes — Less so in summer, but in the winter months you will need some warm clothes like a hoodie and some trackie bottoms for when you’re waiting around on the morning of a sportive that you can ditch just before you start.
• Bike lights — You’ll never know if the weather is going to change on the day of the sportive so be prepared. If it’s going to be rainy or foggy then you’ll want a set of lights on your bike to stay safe. And if you don’t need them, then just chuck in your car. Better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them.
• Sun cream — If you’re going to be on your bike for hours in the blistering sun, then sun cream is a must. Cover all areas of exposed skin before you head out to keep yourself safe.
• Saddle cream — It may seem ridiculous, but smearing some saddle cream on your private bits will really help to minimise chafing and increase comfort if you’re going to be spending hours in the saddle.
• Post-ride snack — When you finish your ride, you should be feeling pretty peckish so plan to have something stodgy to top up your energy levels. Sportives will often have some kind of food on offer for after you’ve finished so have a look on the website to see what they’ll have and plan accordingly.

For the ride

There are plenty of essential pieces of equipment that you will need to bring with you for the ride.

• Bike — Make sure that you’ve checked over your bike in advance to make sure everything’s in working order and running smoothly.
• Helmet — Most sportives won’t let you ride if you don’t have a helmet so make sure you’ve got one that fits and isn’t broken.
• Jersey — Check the conditions in advance so you know what kind of jersey to take with you. Whether you have a short or long sleeve jersey or one with a full zip or a quarter zip is all up to you and should be based on the weather.
• Padded bottoms — Whether you opt for bib shorts or just cycling shorts, you will definitely want some kind of padding in your shorts to cushion your nether region from the impact of spending hours in the saddle.
• Socks — Nice and basic, you won’t need anything fancy, just something comfortable and warm. Try not to pick any pairs that have any holes in them.
• Water bottle(s) — Water is an absolute necessity. If you can, bring two water bottles so you can really keep yourself topped up around the course. You should aim to get through about a litre per hour that you’re on the bike so make sure you’ve got enough.

• Tools and spares — It’s always a good idea to have tools with you, either in the back of your jersey or in a saddle bag just in case something goes wrong. Punctures are the bane of every cyclists life so make sure you know what you’re doing if you get one. Always have a spare inner tube or two with you, as well as tire levers so you can quickly fix a puncture on the side of the road. You’ll also want to bring a mini-pump or some CO2 canisters to get the air back in your tires.
• Snacks and energy — For longer rides, it’s definitely a good idea to keep yourself topped up with calories and carbs. Try and bring some energy gels or energy bars with you, either in the back of your jersey, in your saddle bag, or taped to the underside of your top tube or handlebars for easy access.
• Phone — Make sure you have a charged mobile phone on you for the entire day. You never know what could happen on the day and so it’s always a good idea to have your phone for if you get lost or if you fall off your bike and injure yourself. Best to be ready for any situation and have your phone to hand.

Check out these tips to help you train for your next swimrun challenge.

Swimruns (or aquathlons), typically undertaken as a team of two, add a whole new challenge to training for event day. For swimrun events you run and swim in the same kit through multiple swim and run sections so practising with all your kit and with your partner are pretty key. The following are some top tips to help with your training for event day.

Run training

Start your running training by getting your endurance up and achieving a solid base of fitness. Once you’ve got that, you can change up your routes, distances and importantly, the terrain you’re covering so that you practise dealing with the different challenges a swimrun course will throw at you.

Swimming training

Similar to your running training, try and build up your endurance for swimming and add in some speed work. If you can do some open water swims too, then that will definitely give you a good idea of what to expect on event day and will be a good opportunity to practise swimming with a wetsuit and trainers.

Get used to the equipment

Having the right kit and getting comfortable with it is a key part of swimruns, especially considering you won’t be changing at all and have to carry any kit you’ve got for the entirety of the event. Try to practise with all your kit in event day simulations so that you can deal with any problems before the event itself, such as rubbing wetsuits or constantly loose laces. Also practise the transitions in full event kit as you might find these more difficult when you’re all decked up.

Practise running as a team

You can do a lot of the training on your own, for the fitness side of things, but the majority of swim run events require you to be in pairs and to remain within a certain distance of eachother. If this is the case for the event you are taking part in, make sure you’ve trained and practised with your partner before event day. Try and master the team dynamic and where your strengths and weaknesses lie, so that on event day you can support and push eachother to achieve your best.

Enjoy it

Swimrun events are challenging but fun, so make sure you relax and enjoy yourself. You’ll be surrounded by some stunning scenery and swimming and running in the wild should give you a real sense of adventure and achievement.

The red flags of running.

On the surface, running is just putting one foot in front of the other. However, it’s very easy to take one wrong step. Whether you’re a beginner runner or a seasoned pro, here’s a list of don’ts when it comes to running.

Don’t overtrain.

In order to improve and get faster and able to run further, you have to train. However, there needs to be a balance between not training enough and training too much. Effective training is also achieved through a cycle of stress and rest. You must put your body under stress through training and then have effective rest to ensure a proper recovery from the stress.

It’s very easy to do too much training and put your body under too much stress without adequate rest and recovery. This is called overtraining. Systems of overtraining aren’t always clear but here are some red flags to look out for:

• Poor performance in training and racing
• Fatigue — low levels of energy
• Disturbed sleep patterns — struggling to sleep despite being tired
• Persistent muscle soreness — feeling ‘heavy legged’ and sore between sessions
• Poor immune function — frequent colds and infections

Don’t land on your heels.

The correct running profile can do wonders for you training and well-being when it comes to running. You want to avoid landing on your heels when running. Running with heel landings can contribute to back pain, knee pain and ankle pain. Instead, you’ll want to lean forward and land on the front of your foot, allowing the leg muscles to catch the weight of your body in flight and reducing the impact on the joints and bones.

Don’t use a long stride.

Again, coming back to running style, try and take short but effective strides. Leaping forward while you run can be an energy drain. Instead, lean forward and stand tall to ensure a shorter stride. Less movement means a longer, healthier life for your joints and bones.

Don’t forget to keep yourself hydrated.

Many runners don’t even realise that they are chronically dehydrated. The fluid requirements of a runner are higher than the average person, due to the amounts of water lost through sweating. Furthermore, many of us are guilty of drinking caffeine-rich drinks which have a diuretic effect meaning it’s hard to hydrate without enough water.

Symptoms of dehydration include dry skin, dry lips, dizziness and headaches. The easiest way to keep an eye on how hydrated you are is through the colour of your urine. If you go for pee and it’s clear, pale or straw coloured, then you’re at optimal hydration levels.

Don’t under/over fuel.

Many runners don’t realise the importance of both quality and quantity when it comes to nutrition. If you’re constantly hungry or craving sugar, caffeine, fat or salt then it may be your body’s way of telling you that your diet is lacking vital nutrients. Low carb diets are all the rage nowadays, but endurance athletes need carbs to fuel their engines. Starving your muscles of carbs is a sure fire way to feel tired and sluggish and not perform well.

On the other hand, eating too much can also do damage. Having too much of a certain nutrient can have a detrimental effect. Further to this, running with a full stomach is uncomfortable so make sure to leave enough time to digest before embarking on your run.

Don’t skip your warmup.

A warm-up is designed to prepare your muscles for the upcoming workout. A warm-up should be done in two steps; firstly by stretching and secondly with a dynamic warm-up. Stretching is important as it loosens up the muscles before usage. Failure to stretch will often lead to injuries and interfere with training. A dynamic warm-up (ie. small jog, dynamic stretches, etc.) will not only loosen your muscles but will also get your blood pumping and prepare your lungs and heart for the challenge ahead.

Don’t ignore your feet.

Although it may seem trivial and superficial, running shoes are very important. Running shoes do have an expiration date if you’re using them a lot. As a rule of thumb, you should change your running shoes every 300 miles (or 500km) to ensure they keep they don’t expire and start to hinder your performance.

5K Running Tips

1. Find a Running Training Plan that fits your fitness

Making sure your 5k training plan suits you will make a huge difference. It’s not fun training at a speed designed for someone faster or more experienced. And you won’t improve if it’s too easy either.

2. Do some interval training

If you’re an absolute beginner, then your interval training will be doing repeats of speed-walking or jogging for a distance and then recovering with a walk. If you can already sustain a jog, you should work on repeats of sprinting and a recovery jog.

3. Do some speed running

Not just sprints, you want to also train at the specific pace you’ll run at during the race. That would be a training session of a warm-up, a distance run at race pace, and then that same distance recovery jog. Repeats of that, and then a cool-down. You can choose the distance you run, but you should try and push yourself and make it longer and longer to build your endurance.

4. Run more than just 5k

Even though you technically just need to be able to cross that finish line, you will do it much more comfortably if you can already run further. Plus you’ll go much faster. If you’re not fussed about your time, it might be just a matter of making race day that little bit more bearable and fun. Either way it’s worth it.

5. Do hill running and workouts

For core strength training you can go to the gym or a steep incline. It’ll make your body stronger, more injury resistant, and help you run faster and better. If you’ve not done much exercise before (or in a while) you will definitely feel it if you start with no core strength.

6. Finish your runs at pace

If you’re already near the end you might as well push yourself. It will make the whole run that bit more efficient. And it’s much better than starting off fast, which will make the rest of the run exhausting and not much fun.

7. Take rest days

Particularly if you’re not used to running, then rest days will transform your whole experience. They’ll help prevent running injuries and make following a training plan a bit more sustainable. Even if you’re overwhelmingly keen you should force yourself to stay in sometimes.

8. Find a running group

As the team at Hip and Healthy agree, joining a running group will make the whole experience more fun. And you’re more likely to push yourself if there are others who are forcing you out of bed in the morning, and to race against. Having said that, you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Different runners are good at different things. And definitely have different running histories.

9. Run consistently

Training for two weeks and then taking two weeks off is not the most effective way of training. It’s fine if you can’t do the same number of runs each week, but trying to go for even a quick run when you’re busy is worth it. Apart from losing some of your fitness, it can also be a matter of getting you out of the habit of running.

The golden rules of marathon training.

Looking to get fit? Looking for a challenge? Looking to make friends? It doesn’t matter why you want to do a marathon, if you follow these simple steps, you can make your next marathon a breeze.

Know your limits

26.2 miles is a hecking long way and will put your body under a high amount of stress, putting you at a greater risk of injury. It certainly isn’t something to do on a whim so make sure you are being realistic when deciding to embark on a marathon campaign.

Start early

You will want to start your training nice and early to give your body as much preparation as possible. If you’re wanting to take it really seriously, they say that you should start your training 6 months before the big day. This will give you enough time to get as much effective training in as possible.

Start small and build slowly

You’ll always want to start your training with a smaller load. Start with some shorter runs until you start getting fitter and are used to the strain before you start adding on the mileage. Why not try a couple of 5k and 10k races first to get used to the setup of a running race?

As a rough rule, you’ll want to increase your overall weekly mileage by around 10% a week so you can gradually add the miles on and get the most out of the weeks you have.

Run just enough

You will need to find the fine line between overtraining and undertraining. Overtraining can often lead to fatigue and illness and vastly hinder your overall training so if you’re feeling tired for days on end, don’t be afraid to take some days off. It’s better to be slightly under trained but feel strong and eager to perform, than to be overtrained and exhausted, so try and find that balance between the two.

Recover

Don’t neglect your body of the recovery periods that it needs. You don’t need to train 7 days a week so do take your foot of the gas and take days off when you need them. It’s better to train 3–5 times a week and recover effectively than to train 6–7 times a week with sub-par recovery.

Long runs

One of the most important bits of training you can do is longer runs. The newer and slower you are to marathon running, the more important long runs are. You will simply need to get accustomed to being on your feet for long periods of time.

Don’t ignore injuries

If you’re feeling a little niggle in your knee or if your calves are feeling tight, don’t push it. There’s nothing wrong with taking some days off or doing some cross-training instead, if you’re feeling an injury coming on. US Olympic marathon runner (1984 and 1988), Peter Pfitzinger said that if he could do it all again, he would take rest days or cross-train at the first hint of a problem. So if you think you’ve got something coming on, go for a gentle bike ride or a swim or any other kind of cross-training to give your running muscles a rest and a chance to recover.

Fuel

To keep your training effectively on track, you will need to ensure your body is efficiently fuelled. Make sure you keep your carb levels up to keep your energy supply topped up. This will not only help you during training but also help your recovery. Energy-gels and sports drinks are a good thing to get used to tokeep your energy levels topped up during training.

You’ll also want to keep your iron levels up. You will lose a lot of iron through sweating and through running in general so will need to up your iron intake to balance this out. Do this by either eating iron-rich foods with vitamin C (which increases iron absorption) or by cooking your meals in an iron skillet.

Finally, add a good dose of protein to aid in muscle repair and recovery.

Taper

The final, and arguably most important, step of marathon training is the taper. Your body will have been under a lot of stress if you’ve been following a good and effective training plan so you will need to give it a good chance to rest up before the big day of your marathon.

For the 2 weeks before the marathon, scale back on the mileage you’re covering. You will want to keep training to keep your fitness levels ticking over but decrease the distance and intensity of your runs so you’re well rested for the main event.

A running food guide

1. Running nutrition is for everyone

Whether you’re new to running events or not, running nutrition is important. You might not think it, but it’s not just relevant to elite runners or only those most experienced at long-distance running. Considering your food before running, and having a runner’s meal plan during training, is always important — it applies to anyone and everyone who wants to run faster, run further, and run better.

2. Running nutrition is an event day necessity

Aim for about 1.5–2 hours before your running event start time to sit down to eat. Even though that probably means an earlier wake-up for you (if you can bear it), it’s better to have a well digested breakfast before running than starting with only last night’s dinner.

3. Keep up your running nutrition throughout training too

Since running nutrition is important just before the actual race event, it can’t hurt to apply it beforehand too. Using a runner’s meal plan — or at least thinking about running food — as part of your regular training plan is a good idea generally. It’s also a pretty easy way to feel the healthy benefits from your training, and means you can try and test different foods to see what works for you.

4. Nothing new on race day

Probably the worst thing to happen on your race day is finding out that what you’ve eaten is not for you. If nothing else, you might as well make running food part of your training plan to make sure that you aren’t still in the bathroom while everyone else is crossing the finish line.

5. Breakfast food is good running food

Aside from the generic ‘pasta, rice and potatoes’ running food carbo-load the night before, bananas, as a high-carb energy source, are a classic. Oats and porridge, with a healthy helping of peanut butter and yoghurt can also give you an energy boost during your run. Throw in bagels and a slice or two of white-bread and it’s clear that some of the best foods for runners are everyday foods and pretty normal breakfasts.

6. You don’t have to stuff yourself!

It’s pretty easy to imagine that you need to get as much food energy inside of you as possible. It probably isn’t actually that necessary, and you definitely don’t want to be running with food sitting in your stomach. A higher carb diet does not necessarily mean more calories, but a shift in the kinds of foods you are eating. So, your last big meal could be up to 36 hours before the actual running event kicks off. Still, don’t stuff yourself and try and feel comfortable with your food quantities.

7. You should avoid too many fatty and high-fibre content foods

Be careful of eating too many fatty foods. While some swear by it for runs, overeating could be uncomfortable for you. Food high in fibre though is worse in terms of inside upsets. It’s pretty easy to avoid — it could be as simple as reducing your fibre intake by peeling your fruits, and not eating whole-grain foods or too many vegetables.

8. There’s no need to over complicate

Running gels, expensive energy bars and the like are probably unnecessary, especially for mid-distance runs. You don’t necessarily need to swear them off, but you can keep your running nutrition to stay a relatively cheap activity by not buying them. Plus, if health and well-being are some of your running objectives then the high-sugar content in some energy bars might not suit you particularly well.

9. Every little helps

What should be remembered is that there is no race for which running nutrition is ridiculous. It doesn’t need to have a massive impact — but you never know what might make the difference. Every little helps after all. Now, Let’s Do This.