Group members dedicated to running halfs in 25 states

Running long distances is a passion for many runners.

Many times these already gifted athletes attempt to raise the stakes even higher by setting what would be nearly unattainable goals for the mere mortal.

My friend Chip Allman, race director of The News and Sentinel Half Marathon falls into this group. His goal is to run a full marathon in every state of the country. The last time I asked him he was more than half way to his goal. Remember to run a marathon in every state you have to RACE more than 1,300 miles, which by the way is the distance from Parkersburg to Denver.

About one percent of the population is able to run a half marathon. Many of them decide to run the News and Sentinel Half Marathon each year. Their support has made it one of the most popular 13.1 miles races in the country.

There is a group for these folks as well. They even have a Web site called Half2Run. Their goal? To run a half marathon in half the states in the country.

From the looks of their site, this group is a fairly laid back. With just 25 states, that rationalize, you can pick only the states that you really want to visit.

The site has a great calendar that features half marathons around the country, including ours. The site also has training tips, news and information for people dedicated to the 13.1 miles distance.