Dumb Dutchman Half Marathon “Half a Half” Reading, PA   Jun 14, 2025

Dumb Dutchman Half Marathon & “Half a Half” is the region’s fastest & most affordable half marathon PLUS the region’s only “half a half”.

They’re in fields all over PA all summer; the Pennsylvania Dutch, working in the blazing heat while wearing long pants & long sleeve shirts. Often, they farm or build structures without using motorized or electric devices, using only horse drawn plows or hand tools. Some call these Dutchmen “industrious, hardy, hardworking, etc.” Other think that they’re just plain “dumb!” We in Berks Co. are proud to be “Dumb Dutchmen” and we think that it’s right to name our race after us (and them) since the only other folks that go out and work that hard in the hear are runners! Come join us for what may be one of the FEW half marathons in the area and one of the ONLY ones in what most define as “summer” Or PR in the more sensible 6.55M race, a distance so rarely run that your may PR just bey entering it. Then, enjoy the day on the deck of the area’s BEST Irish pub & eatery.

The half course starts with a 4.6 mile out & back section SE on the rail trail, then has a 3.9 out & back NW section in the other direction and then finishers with a repeat of the first 4.6 out & back. The “Half a Half” course does a 1.95M out and back in the opposite direction of the half and then finishes with the 4.6M out and back SE trail in the Half. 98% of the course is flat, many sections are shaded! Uses an 8-9 ft. wide dirt/crushed gravel cinder trail. Finishers right behind Trooper Thorns. Half course crosses Schuylkill River bridges up to 10 times, Half a half crosses it 4 times, 2 short rises on the course. 5 water stops anticipated for half, 2 for half a half. Start, finish and both the 4.6M and 8.5M midpoints of the race are at approximately the same place, other sections easily accessed by car; spectator-friendly!