“If you don’t think you were born to run, you’re not only denying history. You’re denying who you are.” — Christopher McDougall, author of “Born to Run”
1) Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon
When you’re out on the course at this Labor Day race, you’ll find local bands playing on stages from the starting line near the Virginia Beach Convention Center all the way out to the Oceanfront Boardwalk, where the finish line lies.
Sunday, September 2, 2018 • Virginia Beach, VA
2) Run Holden Beach Half Marathon
Run through this tiny island town just up the shoreline from Myrtle Beach, S.C., with a course that starts on the island and crosses over the intra-coastal waterway bridge, which organizers say offers spectacular views.
Saturday, September 15, 2018 • Holden Beach, NC
3) Southernmost Half Marathon
You’ll run along the shoreline of the southernmost point in the United States, here along the tip of the island at the end of the Florida Keys, roughly 90 miles across the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba.
Saturday, October 6, 2018 • Key West, FL
4) Under the Oaks Half Marathon
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.
Saturday, October 6, 2018 • Jekyll Island, GA
5) Cocoa Beach Half Marathon
Two and a half miles of running on the sands of Florida’s Cocoa Beach offer up a fast, flat race that’s open to both runners and walkers, and a chance to run with waves crashing over your shoulder.
Sunday, October 14, 2018 • Cocoa Beach, FL
6) ZOOMA Florida Half Marathon
From the starting line in Main Beach Park on this scenic island where you’ll get to see plenty of “Old Florida,” this race takes you into nearby Fort Clinch, where moss-draped tree branches shade your run.
Saturday, October 20, 2018 • Amelia Island, FL
7) Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon
With a few miles of oceanfront running and only a few turns, this point-to-point, pancake-flat course is actually almost a loop and runners finish just steps away from the ocean.
Sunday, October 21, 2018 • Myrtle Beach, SC
8) Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon
Run across the brilliant blue waters of the Biscayne Bay and along the Miami Beach walkways and boardwalks along the Atlantic Ocean at this race, which runs the Saturday before Halloween.
Saturday, October 27, 2018 • Miami Beach, FL
9) Run Ocean Isle Beach Half Marathon
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, October 27, 2018 • Ocean Isle Beach, NC
10) Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Half Marathon
More than 14,000 runners and walkers each year take to the streets of the city immortalized in John Berendt’s 1994 classic “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” at this race, run when this normally hot and humid city will have finally cast off the heat of summer.
Saturday, November 3, 2018 • Savannah, GA
11) Phil Doganiero 3 Beach Half Marathon
Set for its 2nd annual running this fall, just across the bridge from the barrier islands that make up Clearwater Beach and Belleair Beach, this race celebrates the legacy of its namesake, who grew up in the local area and was a passionate advocate of endurance sports.
Saturday, November 10, 2018 • Clearwater, FL
12) Saint Augustine Half Marathon
When you run the streets of Saint Augustine, you’re literally running through the oldest part of American history there is, as you make your way through the streets of its historic downtown and across the intra-coastal waterway twice during the race.
Sunday, November 11, 2018 • St. Augustine, FL
13) Southern Fried Half Marathon
Known for its mixture of fast and flat stretches through unspoiled coastal wilderness and a steep, challenging run over the Washington-Baum Bridge, this race takes runners on a scenic tour of remote North Carolina coastline.
Sunday, November 11, 2018 • Nags Head, NC
14) Kaiser Realty Coastal Half Marathon
Run along a combination of paved and shaded backcountry trails, with a long stretch along the beach here on Alabama’s coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, this race welcomes a few hundred runners each year.
Saturday, November 24, 2018 • Orange Beach, AL
15) Space Coast Half Marathon
Famous for its few long, sloping gentle hills, and for being Florida’s oldest marathon, this race — which is run just a few miles from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center — starts at 6:00 AM and unfolds entirely along the waters of the Indian River, between Cocoa and Cocoa Beach.
Sunday, November 25, 2018 • Cocoa, FL
16) Panama City Beach Half Marathon
“Run through paradise,” the organizers tout at this half on the first weekend of December, which starts next to Margaritaville on Pier Park Drive and unfolds along Front Beach Road for most of the out-and-back route.
Saturday, December 1, 2018 • Panama City Beach, FL
17) Sea Island Half Marathon
Run through one of the South’s most exclusive resorts when you run this pancake-flat course, where live oaks hang over the roads and perfectly manicured lawns lead up to luxurious beachfront homes.
Saturday, December 1, 2018 • Sea Island, GA
18) Palm Beaches Half Marathon
Run on a course that winds along the picturesque intra-coastal waterway next to Lake Worth, this race offers no shortage of beautiful vistas for runners, just across the waterway from the coastline on Palm Beach.
Sunday, December 2, 2018 • West Palm Beach, FL
19) Kiawah Island Golf Resort Half Marathon
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 its Saturday morning start will leave you plenty of time to enjoy Kiawah after the race.
Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Kiawah Island, SC
20) Florida Holiday Halfathon
Run along the fast, flat shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico at this race, which takes runners on a point-to-point route from Madeira Beach all the way up to Taylor Park, with stretches along the Pinellas Trail.
Sunday, December 9, 2018 • Madeira Beach, FL
21) Islamorada Half Marathon
Nestled among the Florida Keys, at roughly the halfway point of the drive from Miami to Key West, this village of islands that make up what’s known today as Islamorada plays host to a race that draws a few hundred runners each year.
Sunday, December 9, 2018 • Islamorada, FL
22) Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon
Take in the white sand beaches, salt air, and the sun rising over the water (the race starts just after sunrise) as well as plentiful trees and gardens along the route, which runs into the streets of Biloxi by the time you reach the final few miles.
Sunday, December 9, 2018 • Gulfport, MS
23) Delray Beach Half Marathon
This small, friendly race unfolds along the sidewalks that line Florida’s famed highway A1A and features views of the ocean and the intra-coastal waterway for long stretches between Delray Beach and Highland Beach.
Monday, December 31, 2018 • Delray Beach, FL
