By John “The Penguin” Bingham

In the early pre-dawn light it’s hard to tell what’s going on. For miles in every direction all you can see is 10, 12, or 20 thousand people walking towards a brightly lit area. There are fathers and sons, moms and daughters, entire families joined together in this march. They are of every age, and size, and shape.

Where are they headed? Why, to the starting line of a marathon or half marathon. Events like the marathon and half marathon have become much more like carnivals than races. They have the spirit and energy of a county fair mixed together with the largest street festival you can imagine.

And the best part is, YOU can join the fun.

There’s a movement going on in the United States today. It’s a movement that started slowly but is showing no signs of letting up. People, regular people, young people, old people, ALL kinds of people are running and walking marathons and half marathons. And they are doing it in record numbers.

In October of 2005, more than 150,000 will complete a marathon. The key is that they will complete, not compete. And that has made all the difference.

Somewhere around 1996, sports journalists starting writing about the “Second Running Boom.” The funny part was that people in the second running boom weren’t just runners; they were runners and run/walkers, and walk/runners, and walkers. The old rules were gone. Suddenly, it seemed like everyone, ANYONE, who wanted to could participate in a major sporting event.

In May 1998, the running world changed forever when Elite Racing staged the very first Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego. It had bands at every mile, cheerleaders all over the course, and the party started when the gun went off and didn’t end until the finish line. For the first time in history there was a marathon with NO reason to finish as fast as possible. Why would anyone hurry? Why would anyone risk missing the great music along the way? They wouldn’t, and they didn’t.

Since then, nearly 160,000 marathoners have completed the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. And nearly all have done it with a smile on their face. Along with the event came the causes. Partnering first with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program, participants were able to raise money for a good cause, get themselves in the best shape of their lives, and have fun. Other charity groups followed and soon major marathons became one of the most successful fundraising vehicles of all time.

How to Get Started
Participating in a marathon or half marathon doesn’t have to be an all-consuming affair. Sure, you’ll need to do some training. You’ll need to commit the time and energy to getting ready. But one look at the start — and finish line — of a major marathon, and you’ll know that YOU can do it.

If you’re already walking a few days a week, you’ve got a head start. For you it will be a matter of adding some distance to your longer walks to help your body make the adjustment to the increased time on your feet.

If you’re just starting out, you should allow yourself 12 to 16 weeks to prepare to walk a half marathon and 18 to 26 weeks to prepare for a full marathon.

The key to any long-distance program is the one workout per week where you gradually increase your time and mileage. For most of us, that means the weekends. You’ll want to choose a day that you can consistently train. And if possible, find someone to train along with you.
The easiest way to approach a long workout is to simply increase the time each week by about 10 minutes until you reach a time that is about 75% of what you think it will take you to finish your event. If, for example, you want to walk a half marathon in four hours, you need to build your long workout up to three hours.

There are many great books to help you. One, Marathoning for Mortals: A Regular Person’s Guide to Running or Walking a Half or Full Marathon [Rodale, 2003] I co-authored with my coach, Jenny Hadfield. It’s filled with useful information and has eight training schedules from which to choose.

Tools of the Trade
Walking a half or full marathon does take some special equipment, but not much. It really comes down to having a quality pair of shoes, a decent pair of socks, and some comfortable clothes.

Shoes: If you already have a good pair of walking shoes, you’re probably okay to get started. Since you’ll be doing your walking on pavement, though, you’ll want to make sure that you have shoes that are designed for the street, not trail hiking-style shoes.

Running shoes do not always make the best walking shoes. Keep in mind that most running shoes are designed to absorb the impact of running. And, if you’re walking, all that extra padding in and around the heel of the shoe is not going to work for you. Another thing to keep in mind is that your feet will tend to swell over the course of the three to four hours of a half marathon, or six to eight hours of a full marathon, so make sure that your feet have plenty of room.

Socks: Next to your shoes, literally and figuratively, nothing is more important than socks. You’ll want to invest in a couple of good pairs of technical “wicking” socks (they have names like Cool-Max or Dri-Lete) to help you avoid blisters.

Shorts and Tops: This can be a personal matter. The most important factor is comfort. You’ll be out there a long time. Some folks prefer the more traditional running-style shorts, but many of us have found that the compression-style shorts is much more comfortable over the long haul.

Your top, like your socks, needs to be a quality, technical piece of apparel. Again, find something made of Cool-Max or its equivalent.

Fluid Carriers: It won’t matter on race day, nearly all of the events provide plenty of water and sports drinks, but during your
training you’ll want to make sure you have a system to keep you well hydrated.

This can be something as simple as a hand-held water bottle to the more complicated “Camel Back” style backpacks that have bladders for the fluid. What works best for you is, again, a personal decision.