6 Half Marathons Stephen King Would Love

© Andreiuc88 | Dreamstime.com

© Andreiuc88 | Dreamstime.com

“We felt like putting something out there that was right at the limit of what people could do. One of the big motivators in running … is that people want to challenge their limitations. They want to see how much they can do. And you can’t really tell how much you can do until you’ve tried to do something that’s… more.” — Lazarus Lake

1) Shades of Death Half Marathon • Allamuchy, NJ

Run along a nearly three-mile-long stretch of the infamous Shades of Death Road, this race is run in an area associated with all manner of scary stories. History and legend tell of murders here as well as Native American tribe members whose souls are rumored still to inhabit the dark, shaded forests where wispy gray fog often settles.

October • Race info & signup »

2) Sleepy Hollow Half Marathon • Sleepy Hollow, NY

Fans of Ichabod Crane, the Headless Horsemen and the rest of the cast of characters in Washington Irving’s famed story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” no doubt will be intrigued to run this race, which features stretches along the Hudson River as well as through this quaint historic village.

March • Race info & signup »

3) Wicked Half Marathon • Salem, MA

Set for its 10th annual running through the “Witch City,” which got its name in the infamous witch trials that took place here back in the 1690s, the Wicked Half takes runners on an out-and-back course that unfolds largely along the Beverly Harbor and Salem Sound waterfront.

September • Race info & signup »

4) Rock ‘n’ Roll Halloween Half Marathon • Los Angeles, CA

Run along a flat route from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the campus of the University of Southern California to downtown L.A. and back, this race sees runners come dressed out in every costume you can imagine — zombie Hooters waitresses, Superman, skeletons, rodeo clowns, and much, much more.

October • Race info & signup »

5) Estes Park Half Marathon • Estes Park, CO

Fans of King’s horror novels “The Shining” and “Misery” will recognize the infamous hotel in the photo above, the Stanley Hotel near Estes Park, Colo.

For the June half marathon here, you’ll need to be really ready for a high-elevation run — this race has the highest paved marathon route anywhere in the United States, with an average elevation of 7,785 feet above sea level.

June • Race info & signup »

6) Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon • Dallas, TX

Set for its 7th annual running next year, this race will feel very familiar to anyone who’s read or watched the series based on King’s “11/22/63”, as it runs right through the heart of downtown Dallas, past the infamous book depository that overlooks John F. Kennedy Plaza and along the road that runs through Dealey Plaza, within view of history’s most famous grassy knoll.

March • Race info & signup »

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