Half-Wit Half Marathon

Sunday, March 27, 2022 • Reading, PA • Course Map

If you’re looking for a race with an irreverent spirit and attitude, Pretzel City Sports’ Half-Wit Half Marathon is probably the perfect fit. For proof of what we’re talking about, look no further than the race organizers’ own description:

“Really smart people have a ton of places at which to congregate; the Library, Mensa meetings, the taping of the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions, guest conductor lectures, any place that broadcasts National Public Radio over its sound system… But where can the truly dim people of our time get together and look into the eyes of another clueless individual?… This collection of the senseless is the Half Wit Half; an event headed by individuals ALMOST as lame brained as the entries.”

The course for the race — which usually draws between 400 and 600 intrepid souls out to run it each year — provides all the proof you’ll need to divine what they mean when they say the race is for “half-wits”: 13.1 miles of trails filled with obstacles like downed trees, plentiful bugs, rocks everywhere, and the “128 steps from Hell.” It almost goes without saying that there are almost no bathrooms along the course, except of course the ones that nature provides.

Organizers add that the race — which starts at 10:00 AM — will go on despite “heat, rain, sleet humidity or nuclear attack,” so come prepared for inclement weather (to say the least). The loop course begins and ends near Reading’s Engleman’s Park, just off Spook Lane.

Runners also should note that you’ll need to be able to reach the mile 9 marker in under 2 hours, 30 minutes. There’s a “bail-out” spot there that’s within a quarter-mile of the finish line, so you can head back if you don’t feel you can finish the race within the allotted time limit.

Race Weather & Climate

Located in southeastern Pennsylvania, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia and roughly 120 miles southwest of New York City, Reading typically sees March temperatures that average between the low 30s and the low 50s, while rainfall totals average just under 3.4 inches for the month.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Half-Wit Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

10:00 AM

Fees

$35 and up

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2022 running of Reading’s Half-Wit Half Marathon race, visit the event website here.

Official Race Website

www.pretzelcitysports.com

Comments

Ever run in the Half-Wit Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

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