21 Gorgeous Lakeside Half Marathons in 2019

“Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.” — John Bingham

1) Diamond Valley Lake Half Marathon • Hemet, CA

Runners get a chance to run in the “Valley of the Mastodons” at this annual late winter race, which takes runners along the edges of the Diamond Valley Lake reservoir, which has been the site of fossil finds like mammoths and mastodons from the Pleistocene era.

Saturday, March 2, 2019 • Race info & signup »

2) Bridge & Dam Half Marathon • Lake Ozark, MO

Known as the “Magic Dragon” and the “Missouri Dragon” for the serpent-like shape it cuts through the land here in central Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks is the setting for this race along the massive reservoir created by the damming of the Osage River back in the 1930s.

Saturday, March 30, 2019 • Race info & signup »

3) Run for the Lakes Half Marathon • Nisswa, MN

Set among the mostly flat and forgiving terrain of Minnesota’s lake country, this annual springtime race takes runners on a tour of this area’s innumerable scenic lakes and waterways, along quiet country roads and tree-lined forest areas with plentiful wildlife in the woods nearby.

Saturday, April 27, 2019 • Race info & signup »

4) Lake Minnetonka Half Marathon • Wayzata, MN

Set for its 36th annual running, this race typically sees more than 2,000 runners cross the finish line each spring, along a gorgeously scenic course that takes runners on a tour of the bays, waterways and regional park areas that make up Lake Minnetonka.

Sunday, May 5, 2019 • Race info & signup »

5) Lake Norman Half Marathon • Mooresville, NC

Set for its second annual running along the looping roads and tree-shaded trails of North Carolina’s Lake Norman, which lies just a short drive north of the state’s biggest city, this race offers a fast and largely flat route with plenty of scenery and greenery.

Sunday, May 5, 2019 • Race info & signup »

6) Big Lake Half Marathon • Alton, NH

Bordered by the nearby White Mountains and Ossipee Mountain Range, this point-to-point race featurs a run along the shores and hills of Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire, passing by sights such as Sandy Point, Pumpkin Point and Mt. Major Park.

Saturday, May 18, 2019 • Race info & signup »

7) Geist Half Marathon • Fishers, IN

With its tree-lined course, it isn’t hard to see what has made this race a popular one — ample views of the 1,800-acre Geist lake throughout most of the course, which takes runners over bridges and along the winding roads that surround the southern half of the reservoir.

Saturday, May 18, 2019 • Race info & signup »

8) Lake Chabot Trail Challenge Half Marathon • Castro Valley, CA

This rugged, challenging race takes place just a short drive from the nearby cities of Oakland and San Leandro in the Bay Area, along the lake’s 20 miles of hiking trails — which connect to another 70 miles of trails in nearby Anthony Chabot Regional Park.

Sunday, June 2, 2019 • Race info & signup »

9) Lake Placid Half Marathon • Lake Placid, NY

Nestled in the northernmost corner of northern New York’s Adirondack Park, the town of Lake Placid welcomes more than 2,000 runners each summer for this race, which takes runners on a tour of the area that hosted the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.

Sunday, June 9, 2019 • Race info & signup »

10) Rock Tahoe Half Marathon • Stateline, NV

Run where California and Nevada meet in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, this race follows a point-to-point route that starts at Spooner Summit and then heads downhill, dropping more than 700 feet in elevation by the time you reach the finish line.

Saturday, June 15, 2019 • Race info & signup »

11) Timberline Half Marathons • Timothy Lake, OR

It’s been called one of the Pacific Northwest’s most stunningly beautiful races, and it takes runners on a tour around Timothy Lake near Mount Hood in the northwestern part of the state, along a challenging, high-elevation single-track trail run at 3,000 feet above sea level.

Saturday-Sunday, June 15-16, 2019 • Race info & signup »

12) ChelanMan Multisport Weekend Half Marathon • Chelan, WA

Part of a event-filled weekend, this race follows an out-and-back course that starts and ends at Lakeside Park on the shore of Lake Chelan, a glacier-fed lake that sits just to the southeast of the state’s Cascade Mountain range and North Cascades National Park.

Saturday, July 20, 2019 • Race info & signup »

13) Crater Lake Rim Runs Half Marathon • Crater Lake, OR

Filled with rugged Pacific Northwest mountain terrain that encircles one of the country’s most majestic and beautiful lakes, this race takes participants around the rim of Crater Lake at altitudes ranging from 5,980 to 7,850 feet above sea level.

Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Race info & signup »

14) Camp Chingachgook Challenge Half Marathon • Lake George, NY

Run on what the race organizers describe as “surprisingly fast” in the southern Adirondack Mountains, this race unfolds along the shoreline of one of New York’s historic summer resort communities, framed by the famous homes that make up “Millionaire’s Row” as well as the camps and resorts all along the shoreline.

Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019 • Race info & signup »

15) Lake Auburn Half Marathon • Auburn, ME

Run along the shores of Lake Auburn here in the “Twin Cities” region of southwestern Maine — named for Lewiston and Auburn, which lie right next to each other on the Androscoggin River — this race features views of the nearby hills, mountains and forests throughout.

Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019 • Race info & signup »

16) Lake of the Woods Half Marathon • Klamath Falls, OR

Part of a weekend filled with races ranging from a sprint (and long course) triathlon and duathlon, an open water swim and a kids’ triathlon and duathlon, this race offers up gorgeous natural beauty, as the lake is nestled near the crest of the Cascades in southwestern Oregon.

Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019 • Race info & signup »

17) Truckee Half Marathon • Truckee, CA

Challenging climbs along scenic mountain trails as well as long stretches along lakeside roads just north of Lake Tahoe in Northern California await runners at this race, which starts and finishes in historic downtown Truckee, a gorgeous mountain resort town.

September • Race info & signup »

18) New Hampshire Half Marathon • Bristol, NH

Timed to coincide with the peak viewing season for fall foliage here in this gorgeous, rural town in northern New England, this race takes runners around the shoreline of 4,106-acre Newfound Lake, popular for swimming, boating and fishing as well as hiking and camping in the nearby hills and mountains.

Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019 • Race info & signup »

19) Empire State Half Marathon • Syracuse, NY

Filled with long stretches along the shoreline of Onandaga Lake, which takes runners through a combination of lakeside parkland areas and residential neighborhood streets, this race is timed to coincide with central New York state’s fall season — when the leaves turn brilliant shades of red, gold, brown and orange.

Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019 • Race info & signup »

20) Lake Tahoe Half Marathons • South Lake Tahoe, NV

You’ll get to choose among three 13.1-mile races this weekend of events along the beautiful shores of California’s Lake Tahoe, which lies along the state’s eastern border with Nevada and provides plenty of scenic — and rugged — terrain for the weekend’s races.

Friday-Sunday, Oct. 11-13, 2019 • Race info & signup »

21) Lake Washington Half Marathon • Kirkland, WA

Run along the shoreline of Lake Washington, the long, ribbon-shaped lake that also borders nearby Seattle, this race takes runners on an out-and-back route that features a combination of trail runs through local parks and plenty of stretches on city streets, with some hilly stretches thrown in.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 • Race info & signup »