Last Sunday, some 16,000 runners lined up at the Virginia Beach Convention Center shortly before seven o'clock in the morning to run the 8th annual Rock and Roll Half Marathon.

The race is a premiere running event supported by great volunteers and residents of neighborhoods along the course who get up early and cheer on friends and strangers.

I've run almost every Rock and Roll Half in Virginia Beach, and each year I end up wondering with each bead of sweat if this is the wrong race--13.1 miles, at the wrong time of year--summer in the south.

Back in the pack where I run, where mere mortals grunt and groan, most people were just trying to survive by both walking and running.

I saw too many runners drop and heard to many sirens as paramedics rushed in to help. This is all supposed to be fun.

My guess is it would not be hard to find a medical professional who agrees that running 13.1 miles in the heat and with 97% humidity isn't a good idea. Yet, I don't hear anyone speaking out on this.

Perhaps some people don't know how challenging it can be to run a half marathon, or
some fall short in their training and still try to run the race.

The Rock and Roll Half Marathon is a great event--part of a great weekend.

Can we do this next year in, say, October.

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