Running; some love it, others hate it. Some just do it so they can eat more food and drink more drinks.  Here’s a list of things you probably haven’t given too much thought to when it comes to running. Just ’cause, you know, it’s interesting. Here goes:

1. Taking walk breaks can improve your overall race time: Former Olympic runner Jeff Galloway claims you can finish as much as seven minutes faster in a half marathon if you add in walk breaks to rejuvenate.
2. Male runners are more likely to have daughters. Researchers at the University of Glasgow, found that while maintaining a healthy weight and level of activity can improve your chances of conceiving, it may be beneficial for men to temporarily reduce their mileage if they want to increase their chances of having a male.
3. Athletes dressed in red are more likely to win events than athletes wearing any other colour.  We now expect to see everyone wearing red running gear at the 2017 Vineyard Half.
4. The oldest person to run a marathon is Fauja Singh, “The Turbaned Tornado” who at 101 completed the 2012 London Marathon in 7:49:21.  AND guess what? Fajua Singh didn’t even start running until he was 89 years of age. It’s never too late!
5. The youngest person to run a marathon is Budhia Singh (no relation) who started training at age three and had run 48 marathons before the age of five.  Budhia’s story has inspired a movie, Budhia Singh-Born To Run, set to be released this year.
6. A study of 60,000 runners by Brooks Running found that 44 percent of those surveyed celebrated a run well done with wine. While those who celebrated with beer and cocktails split the difference, dialing in at 24 percent each.
7. We all know us mere humans wouldn’t stand a chance in a race for survival against most predators, but here’s a few animals that are actually slower than us – elephants, squirrels, and domestic pigs. Now you know.
8. The largest half marathon by participants was the Gothenburg half in Sweden, with 59,417 runners and 43,026 finishers.

We’ve only got 4000 of you competing in the Vineyard Half, but we reckon it’s better that way; more running space, more epic treats, and more food to eat and drinks to drink at the end. We can’t wait to have you in a few short weeks!