

Now, he’s created the definitive guide on today’s most popular distance, the 13.1-mile half marathon. As contributing editor of Runner’s World and best-selling author, he has helped countless runners achieve their distance goals. In 2003, the American Society of Journalists and Authors awarded Hal its Career Achievement Award, the highest honor given to writer members.Hal Higdon’s name is synonymous with running. He also is the author of more than three dozen books, including Marathon: The Utimate Training Guide and the recently published Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training. Hal Higdon is a Contributing Editor for Runner’s World and is the magazine’s longest lasting writer, having contributed an article to RW’s second issue in 1966. His World Masters Championships M40 record of 9:18.6 in the steeplechase (set in 1975) remains the oldest American masters records in the books.

In the 1964 Boston Marathon, Hal placed 5th overall and was the first American finisher with his time of 2:21:55. After school, Hal competed 8 times in the Olympic Trials, notching his best finish as 5th place at the 1960 Trials in the 3000 meter steeplechase. Hal Higdon began running as a student at the University of Chicago Lab School and continued running competitively at Carleton College in Minnesota, where he won several conference championships. This will help every runner turn guesswork into the plan that is right for the goals that they have. From nutrition, cross-training, goal setting, stepback weeks, and rest, Hal gives us tips and best practices for runners of all levels. We chat about what beginning, intermediate, and pro runners should be doing to become better runners. In today's show, Hal shares about his journey into running and journalism.

Hal has literally written the book, 'Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide’ (in its 5th edition) to help runners build that lifestyle. But what does it take to build a lifestyle where running is a part of your daily life. Today's guest Hal Higdon has been helping cultivate generations of runners since the 1960s. The modern world of running has gone from infancy to a science over the last few generations.
