Delaware & Lehigh Heritage Half Marathon and Walk will take place Nov. 2. Registration is now open.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is gearing up to make history by offering a run and walker-friendly half marathon.Using the D&L Trail, the races start in Northampton and finish in Lehigh Gap, about two miles north of Slatington.Runners and walkers will enjoy the fall foliage and stunning views along this historic transportation system where America was built.The race course winds through five municipalities in Northampton, Lehigh and Carbon counties, paralleling the rushing waters of the Lehigh River much of the way.Both races finish in the shadow of Lehigh Gap, a 1,000-foot-tall natural water gap cut into the Kittatinny Ridge by the mighty Lehigh. No other half marathon in the region offers participants such beautiful scenery.For additional information or to register, go to

www.delawareandlehigh.org/marathon.This event is the major fundraiser to support the D&L Trail.Race organizer, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, found that over the past three years it never reached registration goals for the marathon even with the surge of applicants due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012.In an effort to understand and improve the races, each participant was surveyed and reasons are varied the second half of the marathon course is a bit lonely (though beautiful), many runners didn't like "Heritage Heartbreak Hill," and it was too close to other major marathons (such as New York City, Philadelphia and Steamtown).In general, the vast majority or runners love the half marathon so it made economic sense to review other opportunities; one being a long distance half marathon walk. After discussing this with the walking community, local running groups, the board of directors and planning committee, it was decided to "make history" once again and incorporate a long distance half marathon walk the only one in the region.All runners are encouraged to consider the half marathon and take in the beauty of the course once again.