Dreamstime
“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon.” — Kathrine Switzer
1) Gazelle Girl Half Marathon • Grand Rapids, MI
More than 2,000 women cross the finish line each year at this springtime race, which in past years has been timed to coincide with the anniversary of Title IX, the landmark 1970s law that mandated equal treatment for women in education and athletics.
Sun, Apr 23 • View this race »
2) Shape Women’s Half Marathon • New York, NY
Named for the magazine that sponsors it and organized by the New York Road Runners, this women-only race sells out regularly and unfolds entirely within Central Park, starting and finishing next to Central Park West.
Sun, Apr 30 • View this race »
3) Mermaid Run East Bay Half Marathon • Fremont, CA
Now part of a women-focused race series with multiple distance races in Northern and Southern California, the T9 Mermaid Run unfolds through Quarry Lakes Regional Park, and features no time limit, to encourage all entrants to finish their race.
Sun, May 7 • View this race »
4) Divas Half Marathon • North Myrtle Beach, SC
Part of a series designed especially for women, at which runners famously sport hot pink boas, this race encourages and celebrates athleticism and fitness in women and girls of all ages (with flair, of course).
Sun, May 7 • View this race »
5) Hippie Chick Half Marathon • Hillsboro, OR
Held each spring on Mother’s Day weekend and run in support of a Portland-based women’s shelter, this race takes hundreds of runners out on a run that awards prizes for the best-costumed “Hippie Chick” runners.
Sat, May 13 • View this race »
6) Happy Girls Run Half Marathon • Bend, OR
Bring your daughters, moms, sisters, aunts, nieces, grandmothers and friends to this race, which starts and finishes in Riverfront Park and features long stretches along the city’s scenic Deschutes River Trail and Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.
Sat, May 27 • View this race »
7) SoCal Wine Country Women’s Half Marathon • Temecula, CA
Billed as Southern California’s original trail race designed just for women, the SoCal Wine Country race features challenging terrain — the steep and rocky hills around Temecula’s Vail Lake Resort — and temperatures that can reach the 90s.
Sat, Jun 3 • View this race »
8) Thelma & Louise Half Marathon • Moab, UT
Run through one of the American Southwest’s most iconic places while you relive the memory of the 1991 movie starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, while also raising money for local organizations that support women and girls in need.
Sat, Jun 3 • View this race »
9) Divas Half Marathon in San Francisco Bay • Burlingame, CA
This race is one in a nationwide series where you’ll find feather boa and tiara stations out on the course — so if the spirit moves you, you can “glam up” with the gear many other runners will be wearing during the race.
Sun, Jun 4 • View this race »
10) See Jane Run Women’s Half Marathon • Alameda, CA
Organized by the San Francisco-based running store by the same name, this race is designed exclusively for women runners, along a course that runs through Alameda’s Bay Trail and features views of the bay and the city skyline throughout.
Sun, Jun 4 • View this race »
11) Leading Ladies Half Marathon • Spearfish, SD
This all-female race runs through Spearfish Canyon in the southwestern corner of South Dakota, and features a scenic, serene course with gorgeous views of mountains, waterfalls and the surrounding Black Hills.
Sun, Aug 20 • View this race »
12) VHTRC Women’s Half Marathon Trail Run • Fairfax, VA
Described by organizers as a “low-key event” designed to encourage interest in trail running among women, the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club race unfolds through Fountainhead Regional Park, along single-track dirt trails, rolling hills and forests.
Sun, Sep 17 • View this race »
13) Indy Women’s Half Marathon • Indianapolis, IN
This race unfolds through downtown, the campus of Indiana University and along the White River. Men are encouraged to cheer on their wives, daughters, sisters, mothers, girlfriends, grandmothers and friends — but participation is open to women only.
Sat, Sep 30 • View this race »
13.1) RunGirl 13.1 Women’s Half Marathon • Houston, TX
Finishing out the year as the event organizers say is Houston’s sole women-only half marathon, this fast and flat race runs two loops through Alexander Deussen Park and Eisenhower Park at the southern end of Lake Houston, just northeast of downtown.
Sun, Dec 3 • View this race »
