How I Beat My Half Marathon Time — Without Training

Setting the Scene

If you had told me a few months ago that I would beat my half marathon time from last year – without actually training – I would’ve laughed in your face. 

I’m a 21-year-old college student at the University of Oregon, and like most good intentions, my plan to “properly train” for my second half marathon started strong but quickly derailed. Classes and work piled up, weekends filled up with friends and events, and before I knew it, race day was staring me down, and I was nowhere near ready.

The week leading up to the race was filled with stress. I kept thinking about how underprepared I was. I even debated not showing up. But a part of me refused to back out. I figured if I could just cross the finish line, I would be happy.  No expectations, no pressure, just running. 

The Morning of the Race

Race morning felt surreal. I woke up to my 5:30 a.m. alarm, ate half of an everything bagel, and questioned every decision that had brought me to this point. As I pinned my bib to my shorts, I tried to block out the doubts racing through my head.

At the starting line, the energy of the crowd was easing my mind. It reminded me of why I was there. Even though I felt like an impostor standing among so many serious runners, I kept reminding myself to have fun. The current Tiktok trend that kept recurring in my mind was that this was the whole point. No matter how slow. No matter how messy.

The first few miles were tough, but not in the way I expected. My legs found a rhythm faster than I thought they would. My breathing settled. I stopped checking my watch obsessively and just ran by feel. I was actually ahead of my pace from last year.

A Surprising Finish

By mile ten, I was tired, but adrenaline (and maybe a little stubbornness) kicked in. When I finally crossed the finish line and saw my time, I couldn’t believe it — I had beaten last year’s time by several minutes.

It wasn’t the perfect race I had imagined when I first signed up months ago. But it was real, gritty, and somehow even more rewarding.

Final Thoughts

This race taught me that showing up matters. You’re capable of more than you think, even on the days you doubt yourself the most. Sometimes, the biggest wins come when you least expect them.