Hal Higdon

Hal Higdon spent more than a half a century working as a freelance writer of magazine articls and books, selling to publications as varied as Playboy and National Geographic as well as The New York Times Magazine. He has authored three dozen books, including the best selling Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide.

Running has become Hal Higdon’s specialty. He began running as a student at the University of Chicago Lab School and continued running competitively at Carleton College in Minnesota, where he won several conference championships. After school, Hal competed 8 times in the Olympic Trials, notching his best finish as 5th place at the 1960 Trials in the 3000 meter steeplechase. In the 1964 Boston Marathon, Hal placed 5th overall and was the first American finisher with his time of 2:21:55. His World Masters Championships M40 record of 9:18.6 in the steeplechase (set in 1975) remains the oldest American masters records in the books.

Hal Higdon is a Contributing Editor for Runner’s World and is the magazine’s longest lasting writer, having contributed an article to RW’s second issue in 1966.  In 2003, the American Society of Journalists and Authors awarded Hal its Career Achievement Award, the highest honor given to writer members.

You can also find Hal on Facebook and Twitter, where he enjoys connecting with runners and fans from all walks of life.