Dreamstime
1) La Jolla Half Marathon • La Jolla, CA
Gorgeous, hilly and challenging, this race welcomes more than 5,000 runners each year along one of Southern California’s most scenic stretches of coastline, where you’ll pass by steep rocky bluffs that peer over into the waves of the Pacific crashing below.
April • Race info & signup »
2) Revel Rockies Half Marathon • Evergreen, CO
Designed to give runners amazingly gorgeous views and the chance for a PR, this all-downhill race begins at about 7,410 feet above sea level and finishes at 5,759 feet, and features some of the most gorgeous scenery the Colorado Rockies have to offer.
June • Race info & signup »
3) Peak Snowshoe Half Marathon • Pittsfield, VT
This race takes runners through the snowy mountain terrain of western Vermont, along a course that stands out for the difficulty of the conditions and the terrain, as well as for its sheer uniqueness.
March • Race info & signup »
4) Yellowstone Half Marathon • West Yellowstone, MT
Expect chilly temperatures and stunning scenery at this summer race just outside the entrance to Yellowstone National Park, a place filled with geysers, geothermal pools, canyons, mountains and forests spread 3,400 square miles in parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.
June • Race info & signup »
5) Death Valley Half Marathon • Death Valley, CA
Run entirely along a 6.55-mile stretch of Highway 190 through the flat, desolate desert terrain of California’s Death Valley National Park, the Death Valley Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K offers one of the country’s most unique courses for running a road race of any kind.
February • Race info & signup »
6) Flying Pirate Half Marathon • Kitty Hawk, NC
Soak up the stark natural beauty of the Outer Banks as well as a piece of history at this race, which takes runners past the spot where Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first successful powered flight over the beach here on these barrier islands just off the coast of North Carolina.
April • Race info & signup »
7) San Luis Obispo Half Marathon • San Luis Obispo, CA
If you’ve ever taken a drive along the California coast, then you’re familiar with the kind of scenery you’ll find in towns like San Luis Obispo — huge, rolling green hills and mountains overlooking the Pacific, with wineries and vineyards tucked into the nearby hills.
May • Race info & signup »
8) Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon • Louisville, KY
The race follows an out-and-back route that starts and finishes along Main Street in downtown Louisville, near the city’s Louisville Slugger Park, and the highlight of the race takes runners along the infield of Churchill Downs, the hallowed home of the Kentucky Derby itself.
April • Race info & signup »
9) Middlebury Maple Run Half Marathon • Middlebury, VT
The rolling green hills, quaint downtown streets and college town atmosphere of this small city in central Vermont are just a few of the charms at this annual springtime race, nicknamed “The Sweetest Half.”
May • Race info & signup »
10) Santa Cruz Half Marathon • Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz’s West Cliff Drive, a beautifully scenic and windswept coastal road along this Northern California city’s rocky Pacific coastline, serves as the course for much of this race, which unfolds along a combination of paved city streets and trails through Wilder Ranch State Park.
April • Race info & signup »
11) Blueberry Cove Half Marathon • Tenants Harbor, ME
Enjoy the tranquil, peaceful beauty of Midcoast Maine at this late summer race, set here along the gorgeous rocky St. George peninsula, perhaps best known for the lighthouse that sits out on Southern Island just offshore from Tenants Harbor and where boats reportedly outnumber cars.
August • Race info & signup »
12) Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon • Las Vegas, NV
Run at night through “Glitter Gulch” along the famed Las Vegas Strip, this race also features a “1/2 of the Half,” a 6.5-mile race that starts on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Mandalay Bay Casino and finishes at Container Park in downtown Las Vegas.
November • Race info & signup »
13) Muir Woods Half Marathon • Stinson Beach, CA
Challenging hills, paired with stunning views of both the Stinson Beach coastline and the immense, dramatic trees and landscapes of Muir Woods National Monument are the trademark at this race, which runs where scenes from Return of the Jedi were filmed.
May • Race info & signup »
13.1) OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon • Indianapolis, IN
More than 35,000 runners trek the streets of Indiana’s capital city each year for what has become the nation’s largest half-marathon road race, which gives runners a chance to take a lap on foot around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
May • Race info & signup »
