5K, 10K, Half & Full Marathons

A 10k is one of the most common running event distances, consisting of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). These events can either be competitive or more for fun, depending on the particular one you are looking into. They are twice the distance of the 5k and still  relatively short in distance. Less runners tend to participate then the 5k, but these events still get a lot of not only seasoned runners, but novice runners and joggers in attendance.

A Half Marathon event consists of running 13 miles (21 kilometers) and as the label suggests, is half of a standard Marathon of 26 miles.  The popularity, participants of the half marathon distance, and its events have significantly grown since the early 2000's and they continue to do so, with massive events popping up all over the states.  The growth rate of participants for the half marathon distance is currently higher than that of the full.  According to Running In the USA, there are 94 half marathons in the state of Georgia.  Most of these half marathons take place in February, October and November.

Marathon events consist of 26 miles (42 kilometers) and the courses are typically laid out through roads. Starting in the Olympics in the early 1900's, marathons have quickly picked up in popularity and in 2017 there are currently more than 800 events being held in North America, and that number is consistently growing.  Over 90% of these marathons are being held in the United States, with 7%  being held in Canada.  About 72% of these marathons are certified, which means they are Boston Marathon Qualifiers.  September and October are the most popular months for marathon events, with over 100 in each month.

An Ultra Marathon is any distance greater than a Marathon (26.2 miles).  Some Ultra race distances include 50k, 50 miles, 100k or 100 miles.  Ultra Marathons can also be timed events, where runners run as far as they can in a set amount of time.  These races range from 6 hours up to 24 hours or more.