Only a Half Marathon?

I don't think I am alone in thinking that anyone who completes a half marathon has conquered a great feat.  13.1 miles?  That is a long way to run! 

But it's only a half marathon.

Why is that a problem?  Well, it's half.  Half of something means you're not done, it means you have not gone the whole way.  Maybe that's why they call it a half marathon instead of giving it a name all its own.  Because once you do a half, you feel like you aren't finished and push yourself further into completing a (whole) marathon.

Earlier this year, when my coworker was preparing for her half, someone at the office asked, "Are you running the marathon, or just the half."  For some reason, the word half seems to sometimes inadvertently cause people to discount it.  I wish the half marathon could have its own name.  I'm a recreational runner, a runner mostly for health, so if I run 13.1 miles, I want it to be a complete run and not a half run. 

But, it will be a complete goal for me and that will mean a lot!

Still, can we petition for a name change?  Who's with me?