“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller
1) Portsmouth Half Marathon • Portsmouth, NH
Take a run through one of New England’s most picturesque small cities, with plentiful shopping and restaurants and places to enjoy the outdoors, from the waterfront along the Piscataqua River to the 1,100-acre Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Sunday, May 5, 2019 • Race info & signup »
2) Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon • Santa Ynez, CA
Running thirteen miles through Southern California’s Santa Ynez Valley isn’t a bad way to spend a Saturday morning, at a race that takes runners through some of this state’s most gorgeous countryside, past rolling farmlands and vineyards on the way to the wine and music festival at the finish line.
Saturday, May 11, 2019 • Race info & signup »
3) Mammoth Half Marathon • Mammoth, CA
You’ll start this stunningly picturesque race through Northern California’s High Sierras at roughly 9,000 feet above sea level, and follow a route that runs along a combination of trails and mountain roads — including stretches around lakes and across a bridge — next to the Sierra Nevada Resort and Spa.
Sunday, June 23, 2019 • Race info & signup »
4) Biofreeze San Francisco Half Marathons • San Francisco, CA
While it’s definitely not a flat race, both San Francisco halfs (you can run either the first or second half of the 26.2-mile course) offer up gorgeous views of this city’s scenic neighborhoods, Fisherman’s Wharf waterfront, and of course the Golden Gate Bridge.
Sunday, July 28, 2019 • Race info & signup »
5) America’s Finest City Half Marathon • San Diego, CA
In a city that’s perfect for a couples weekend, this race takes runners from the majestic views of the historic Cabrillo National Monument overlooking the Pacific Ocean and San Diego Bay to the green, expansive meadows of Balboa Park, whose 1,200 acres are home to 15 museums including the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019 • Race info & signup »
6) The Kauai Half Marathon • Poipu, HI
Run through the famed “Tunnel of Trees” on this Hawaiian island, whose pristine sand beaches, lush jungle-like rain forests and green, cloud-covered mountains create the rain that washes down the waterfalls to the ocean below. You’ll get to take it all in during (and after) the race.
Sunday, Sept. 1, 2019 • Race info & signup »
7) Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon • Santa Fe, NM
If you’ve ever traveled to Santa Fe, then you’ve seen at least a little of what makes this city such a unique and wonderful place — from its abundant art galleries and adobe-style architecture to the dramatic beauty of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez Mountains that surround the city on all sides.
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 • Race info & signup »
8) Autumn Color Run • Buena Vista, CO
Definitely a race for active couples, the Autumn Color Run unfolds through a spectacularly scenic part of Colorado known as the “Fourteeners” region, thanks to its numerous mountains that reach 14,000 feet in elevation. The mostly downhill course means you both have a good chance of setting a new PR.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 • Race info & signup »
9) Sun Valley Half Marathon • Sun Valley, ID
Filled with awe-inspiring scenery in all directions thanks to the Rocky Mountain peaks that spread far and wide, this race runs along the Sun Valley & Wood River trail system, a paved bicycle, walking and running trail that winds along the roads, streams and rivers throughout this ski resort town in central southern Idaho.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 • Race info & signup »
10) Southernmost Half Marathon • Key West, FL
Enjoy a running weekend together at the end of the Florida Keys, where you’ll see everything from restored wooden homes with lush tropical trees and plants growing outside to the Ernest Hemingway House, where the legendary author lived throughout most of the 1930s.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 • Race info & signup »
11) Under the Oaks Half Marathon • Jekyll Island, GA
You’ll take an out-and-back tour of one of Georgia’s most beautiful “Golden Isles” at this race, where moss-draped oak trees tower over grassy lawns and 65 percent of the island is kept in its natural, undeveloped state — and also the perfect place for a weekend romantic getaway.
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 • Race info & signup »
12) Chessie Trail Half Marathon • Lexington, VA
Run on a mostly flat and fast trail shaded by ash, oak and beech trees turning every shade of yellow, orange and red in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, this fall race offers lots for couples to do before and after, according to one of our email newsletter subscribers who said it’s a “super cool historical college town with nice art galleries, good restaurants, fly fishing and lots of gorgeous scenery.”
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 • Race info & signup »
13) Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Half Marathon • Savannah, GA
Fast and mostly flat through the streets of this city immortalized in John Berendt’s classic “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” this race is tailor-made for runners who just want to enjoy the course and have plenty of time after to take in the many sights that Savannah has to offer.
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 • Race info & signup »
14) Monterey Bay Half Marathon • Monterey, CA
Few places across the U.S. evoke the romance and awe that the Northern California coast does, and Monterey is one of the most beautiful places anywhere to run a race, as you’re likely to spot sea gulls floating on the breeze and sea lions out along the rocky Pacific shoreline here.
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 • Race info & signup »
15) Napa Valley Harvest Half Marathon • Calistoga, CA
Nestled among California’s wine-growing mecca near St. Helena and Napa, the charming little town of Calistoga hosts this race each fall, surrounded by vineyards and a sky filled with views of Mount St. Helena and the Palisades off in the distance. You’ll run by plenty of wineries on the course along the Silverado Trail, which starts and finishes in Calistoga.
Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 • Race info & signup »
16) Kiawah Island Half Marathon • Kiawah Island, SC
Fast and nearly all flat thanks to the roads through the golf resort neighborhoods of this South Carolina island, this race features only “the gentlest of hills,” and with its Saturday morning starting time will leave you plenty of time to enjoy and relax on Kiawah after the race.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019 • Race info & signup »
17) Charleston Half Marathon • Charleston, SC
If you want a city with southern charm, this is the one. Thanks to its location along the South Carolina coast, the course is mostly flat and its mid-winter temperatures are usually pretty mild, which means you’ll have some energy in the tank after the race to get out and enjoy Charleston’s amazing restaurants.
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 • Race info & signup »
