21 Gorgeous Half Marathons Over Bridges

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“In the rainy season, sometimes to get to the first lesson we had to run really quick, because we had to cross the river to school and we’d have to go up and down the bank to find a place to cross because there is no bridge.” — Haile Gebrselassie, Olympic gold medalist and world champion runner

1) Bridge of the Gods Half Marathon • Cascade Locks, OR

Get this race started by running across the aptly named “Bridge of the Gods” over the Columbia River from the Washington side over into the Oregon side, starting the race in one state and finishing in another.

Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018 • Race info & signup »

2) Boothbay Harbor Fest Half Marathon • Boothbay Harbor, ME

Come for a run along the Maine seashore at this beautiful harbor town just over an hour’s drive from Portland, all while you take in some of the most beautiful scenery the rocky Maine shore has to offer.

Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018 • Race info & signup »

3) Swanzey Covered Bridges Half Marathon • Swanzey, NH

The course for this race — which rises no more than 100 feet in elevation throughout — features views of some of the most quaint, picturesque parts of New England, taking runners through several covered bridges, most of which date to the pre-Civil War era.

Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018 • Race info & signup »

4) Susquehanna River Running Festival Half Marathon • Havre de Grace, MD

You’ll get your chance to run through one of the nation’s “best small towns to visit,” according to Smithsonian Magazine, along a point-to-point route with a pair of bridge crossings over the river it’s named for, and plentiful scenic views of the river and parks throughout.

Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018 • Race info & signup »

5) Sault International Half Marathon • Sault Ste. Marie, MI

A run across the International Bridge between the U.S. and Canada here along the coast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with views of the ships passing through the locks here in the world’s busiest canal, awaits runners who make the trek to this race.

Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 • Race info & signup »

6) Lions Turtle Bay Runs Half Marathon • Redding, CA

With a course that takes runners over three of this Northern California city’s signature bridges — including its iconic Sundial Bridge — this race is part of the local Redding Lions Club’s annual Turtle Bay Run road race event.

Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018 • Race info & signup »

7) High Bridge Half Marathon • Farmville, VA

Known for its beautiful rolling green hills and horse farms, this central Virginia city of just over 8,000 souls hosts a race entirely along the 31-mile-long High Bridge Trail, and runs across the famed bridge from which the trail takes its name.

Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018 • Race info & signup »

8) Four Bridges Half Marathon • Chattanooga, TN

Named for the Market Street Bridge, P.R. Olgiati Bridge, Veterans Bridge, and Walnut Street Bridge runners cross during the race, this event hops from one side of the Tennessee River to the other and features coffee and hot chocolate at the starting line, with waffles at the finish line.

Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 • Race info & signup »

9) Detroit Free Press Half Marathons • Detroit, MI

A rare race that can truly be called international — its course really does take runners across two nations — this race features two 13.1-milers, one of which takes runners through the streets of the Motor City and over into Ontario, Canada, for a run along the banks of the Detroit River.

Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 • Race info & signup »

10) Running For the Bay Half Marathon • Apalachicola, FL

You’ll get to experience an authentic piece of “Old Florida” at the autumn running of this race, which takes runners and walkers on a long, straightaway run across the city’s John Gorrie Memorial Bridge.

Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 • Race info & signup »

11) Georgetown Bridge2Bridge Half Marathon • Georgetown, SC

This historic seaport city draws several hundred runners each year for this race, which takes the field on a tour of the third-oldest city in the state, located at the confluence of three rivers and just down the coast from some of South Carolina’s most famous island resorts.

Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 • Race info & signup »

12) The Kingdom Challenge Half Marathon • Lyndonville, VT

You’ll run through four covered bridges in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom at this race which starts in Lyndonville, a small town of just over 1,200 in the state’s northeast corner, and finishes 13.1 miles later in St. Johnsbury.

Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 • Race info & signup »

13) Run Ocean Isle Beach Half Marathon • Ocean Isle Beach, NC

You’ll run over the bridge that connects Ocean Isle Beach to the mainland at this race, including stretches with scenic views of the island’s marshes and the oceanfront.

Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018 • Race info & signup »

14) Golden Gate Half Marathon • San Francisco, CA

You’ll take in views of San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge from the starting line at this race, which never disappoints. You’ll cross over the bridge from miles 6 through 9, and be ready for hills — you’ll climb over 1,000 feet over the course of the race.

Sunday, November 4, 2018 • Race info & signup »

15) Phil Doganiero 3 Bridge Half Marathon • Clearwater, FL

Run just across the bridge from the barrier islands that make up Clearwater Beach and Belleair Beach at this race celebrates the legacy of its namesake, who grew up in the local area and was a passionate advocate of endurance sports.

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 • Race info & signup »

16) Trinity River Run Half Marathon • Dallas, TX

You’ll run under — and over — a few bridges at this nighttime race along the Trinity River, at a time of year when this famously hot city should see much milder temperatures and you can enjoy a beer right after you cross the finish line.

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 • Race info & signup »

17) LaPorte By the Bay Half Marathon • LaPorte, TX

This fall race takes runners on what the organizers say is “the highest off-the-ground half marathon in Texas” — and by that they mean the race route takes runners over a bridge that lies more than 170 feet above the water of Texas’s Galveston Bay.

Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 • Race info & signup »

18) Ocean Isle Beach Run for Food • Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Run back and forth over the intracoastal waterway between the North Carolina mainland and this barrier island at a race that’s run as a benefit for the South Brunswick Interchurch Council Food Pantry.

Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019 • Race info & signup »

19) Marco Island Half Marathon • Marco Island, FL

Two bridges and four total crossings await runners at the Marco Island Bridge Run, which is held in a quiet, residential area with ocean views for nearly the entire race, among what’s known as the Ten Thousand Islands of the Florida Gulf coast.

Sunday, March 17, 2019 • Race info & signup »

20) First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon • Sarasota, FL

The course is mostly flat at this early spring race, and winds through a beautifully canopied bay front neighborhood, which leads to a run over the John Ringling Bridge, where you’ll have a spectacular early morning view of the Sarasota Bay coastline.

Sunday, March 24, 2019 • Race info & signup »

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

Run along the reservoir known as the “Missouri Dragon” for the serpent-like shape it cuts through the land, this race takes runners back and forth across a pair of bridges over the Lake of the Ozarks, a massive reservoir created by the damming of the Osage River back in the 1930s.

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

3 comments… add one
  • J.R. December 20, 2018, 6:41 pm

    I’m surprised the Scenic Half in Sandpoint, Idaho didn’t make this list. I found that race on this website and ran it in 2017. It lives up to its name with a beautiful run over a long bridge nestled in the Selkirk mountains, just 60 miles from the Canadian border.

  • Anne reilly September 18, 2018, 10:16 pm

    I want to register for some half marathons

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