Ageo City Half Marathon

[jtshad]

Anyone ever heard of this race?  Check out these stats...lots of fast guys!

The Ageo City Half Marathon is annually the deepest half marathon in the world--this is the race where as many as 400 men will come out of the woodwork to run run under 1:10. This year, hot weather slowed things a bit, but the times were still extraordinary: 100th place was just under 1:07, and 50th under 1:06. The winning time, never all that fast even in good weather, was 1:03:44.


http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=18152

[Rhett]

Wow, that is a lot of speed in one race.  The winner of our local half last year was only around 1:15

[Sasha Pachev]

Jeff McClellan and I discussed this race this morning during our run. We came to the conclusion that the reason it is so deep is that Japanese collegiate runners use it to prove themselves to their coaches. Here in the US we would benefit from adding the half to collegiate programs.

[Paul Petersen]

NAIA has the marathon as an event during track season.

I don't think we'll see the half marathon as an NCAA or NAIA event unless the distance is added to the Olympics. But it's a great distance, so maybe it should be added to the Olympics.

[Bonnie]

I thought the marathon was part of NAIA?  I know 10 years ago or so it was ...

[Paul Petersen]

Yes, NAIA still has the marathon.

[Bonnie]

oh sorry, for some reason I read the post as they had the 1/2 marathon but not the marathon.  An old mind is a horrible thing to waste 

And adding the 1/2 to the Olympics would be sweet!

[Michelle Lowry]

I too think there should be a half.  Or something between 6.2 miles and 26.2 miles, to me its crazy there isn't.  CRAZY.