A half marathon is a road running event of 21.0975 kilometres —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcuts. If finisher medals are awarded, the medal or ribbon may differ from those for the full marathon. The half marathon is also known as a 21K, 21.1K, or 13.1 miles, although these values are rounded and not formally correct.
The European Athletics Championships is a biennial athletics event organised by the European Athletics Association and is recognised as the elite continental outdoor athletics championships for Europe.
The women's half marathon at the 2016 European Athletics Championships took place at the Olympic Stadium on 10 July. Due to 2016 being an Olympic year the marathon was replaced by a half marathon. It was the first time that the half marathon had been run during the European Championships.
Lonah Korlima Chemtai Salpeter is a Kenyan-born Israeli Olympic runner. She won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. At the European Athletics Championships in the 10,000 metres, Salpeter won the gold medal in 2018, and earned a bronze medal in 2022. She won the 2020 Tokyo Marathon, won the silver medal at the 2022 New York City Marathon, and finished third at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
The European Half Marathon Cup is a quadrennial team marathon competition between European countries held for the first time in 2016, incorporated in the half marathon events of the European Athletics Championships. The event alternates biennially with the European Marathon Cup which is held under similar rules when the European Athletics Championships are held in non-Olympic years.
The 20K run is a long distance foot race. It is a rarely held race that is not recognized as an Olympic event. The event held IAAF world championship status in 2006 only, when the existing IAAF World Half Marathon Championships briefly hosted the shorter distance.
Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are scheduled to run on 1 to 11 August 2024, featuring a total of 48 medal events across three distinct sets: track and field, road running, and racewalking. Four venues are to be used: Pont d'Iéna for race walking, Hôtel de Ville and Les Invalides for the start and end points of the marathon races, and Stade de France for the track and field events.
The women's half marathon at the 2024 European Athletics Championships took place at the Stadio Olimpico on 9 June, incorporating the Women's team event for the 2024 European Half Marathon Cup.
