As difficult as it may be, running a half marathon is a privilege – you need the time to train, the money for equipment and race fees, and a healthy body that can endure running 13.1 miles. Recognizing the good fortune to get into long distance running, many race organizers have begun to add charity components to their events. Fighting diseases, providing food for the hungry, or saving the planet – more and more races are using the sport to raise money for causes that need more funding.
If you’re going to run a half marathon, you might as well help someone else in the process.
As an avid runner and author of Marathoner: What to Expect When Training for and Running a Marathon, I’ve run a lot of races and researched even more. I’ve compiled a list of half marathons that are great to run and give back to a good cause. If you’re looking to run 13.1 miles and help those in need at the same time, you can do just that.
Here’s a list of the best half marathons in the US that support worthy causes.
Calendar: Best Half Marathons Worth a Cause in the US
- The Louisiana Half Marathon on January 18, 2026
- Austin Half Marathon on February 15, 2026
- Zion Half Marathon on February 28, 2026
- LA Marathon Run for Charity on March 8, 2026
- United Airlines NYC Half on March 2026 TBD
- St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon on April 26, 2026
- Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 2, 2026
- Marine Corps Historic Half on May 2026 TBD
- Finish the Run: Griffith Park on June 1, 2025
- Urban Wildland Half Marathon on July 26, 2025
- Annapolis Run for the Lighthouse on September 14, 2025
- Maine Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
- Hartford Half Marathon on October 11, 2025
- Pinkathon San Francisco on October 25, 2025
- Berkeley Half Marathon on November 16, 2025
- St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon on December 6, 2025
The Louisiana Half Marathon
- When: January 18, 2026
- Where: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
While there are hundreds of charity-specific 5Ks and walks which cater to a broader demographic, marathons and half marathons tend to partner with multiple causes and allow runners to choose which they will help support.
The Louisiana Marathon and Half Marathon offer several ways for runners to get involved: Through their Geaux the Distance program, runners can raise money for charity in exchange for entry. All funds raised go to the Run Gulf Coast Foundation aims to “transform lives by removing barriers and providing equitable access to active lifestyles across the lifespan.” Separately, the race is attempting to raise $10,000 this year through donations to support the Run Gulf Coast Foundation, Girls on the Run and Ainsley’s Angels of America, which aims to build awareness about the special needs community.
Marine Corps Historic Half
- When: May 2026 TBD
- Where: Fredericksburg, Virginia
If you’re looking to honor the men and women who have protected the United States over the years, the Marine Corps Historic Half is a beautiful way to do just that. The race is run every spring to honor the Marine Corps with hundreds of marines working to put on the race as organizers, volunteers and encouragers. The Marine Corps Marathon Organization, which puts on the half as well as their marquee marathon every fall, allows runners to raise money for a number of charities including many that support the servicemen and women.
St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon
- When: December 6, 2025
- Where: Memphis, Tennessee
If you’re thinking of charity half marathons, it’s impossible not to think about St. Jude’s marquee race in Memphis, where the famed children’s hospital is headquartered. Every year race day is the largest single-day fundraiser for the hospital and since 2002, the race has raised more than $100 million for St. Jude. The entire race is a celebration of the work that’s done at St. Jude and the thousands of children who grew to adulthood thanks to the treatment that the hospital provided to children free of charge. Runners can opt to become a St. Jude Hero and join a nationwide alliance of runners against childhood cancer.
Berkeley Half Marathon
- When: November 16, 2026
- Where: Berkeley, California
While many races with charity components give runners individual fundraising goals, the Berkeley Half Marathon also publicizes their goal for the running field as a whole. For the 2024 race, they set their eyes on $30,000 total and if you go to their website you can see not only how much money they earned but also which individuals and teams were able to earn the most towards that total. The funds go to support a number of local charities such as Friends of the Urban Forest and the Charlotte Maxwell Clinic which provides free healthcare for women.
Zion Half Marathon
- When: February 28, 2026
- Where: Springdale, Utah
The Zion Half Marathon is just one of many races hosted each year by Vacation Races located near national parks. While not specific to the Zion Half, Vacation Races aims to keep national parks and their surrounding areas beautiful through multiple initiatives. The first is their cup-free policy which focuses on eliminating waste and promoting sustainability. Second, their charity arm, the Wander Project, donates money to wildlife and nature charities that seek to keep the planet healthy. Runners can opt to raise money in exchange for a bib or can just donate to the Wander Project outright. Wander Project also has a presence at Vacation Races’ events to educate runners and spectators alike on ways they can help the environment.
United Airlines NYC Half
- When: March 2026 TBD
- Where: New York City
The United Airlines NYC Half is one of the most difficult half marathons to enter. Due to demand, prospective runners have to enter a lottery and many don’t gain entry. If you lose the lottery, however, you can opt to raise money for one of New York Road Runners MANY MANY MANY partner charities. The charity bibs bring in a massive chunk of change each year to support non-profits around the world. Between the 2023 NYC Marathon and the 2024 NYC Half, runners raised over $66 million for charity. That is thousands of lives changed simply because people want to run a race that ends in Central Park.
Pittsburgh Back Half Marathon
- When: May 2, 2026
- Where: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
If you’re signing up to run a half marathon in Pittsburgh on the day of the marathon, you’ll have two options. The first is just the traditional Pittsburgh Half Marathon, which mostly covers the first half of the Pittsburgh Marathon course. The second, however, is the more exclusive Pittsburgh BACK Half Marathon, which you can only gain entry in if you raise money for one of the race’s charity partners. This is part of the marathon’s Run for a Reason program which has raised over $17 million since it was founded in 2009. That Pramanti’s Brothers sandwich will taste even better post-race knowing you made a difference in the lives of others.
Finish the Run: Griffith Park
- When: June 1, 2025
- Where: Los Angeles, California
In 2014, Damian Kevitt was out for a bike ride with his wife to Los Angeles’ famed Griffith Park, when he was hit by a minivan. In the aftermath of the accident, he nearly died and lost his leg. Since then, Kevitt has been trying to make roads safer for everyone via the initiative Streets Are for Everyone. Finish the Run and its sister cycling event Finish the RIde raise money every year in order to “make roads safer for all road users.” Especially for runners who spend so much time training on the streets, having a safe environment to run in is paramount.
Annapolis Run for the Light House
- When: September 14, 2025
- Where: Annapolis, Maryland
The Light House in Annapolis is a homeless prevention support center that “helps clients stabilize their health, maximize income, and secure safe and stable housing.” This 5K and half marathon run each year helps to raise funds and awareness for the organization that provides the unhoused with food, clothing and shelter while also addressing “the underlying causes of homelessness.” While this race is much smaller than many on this list, that’s because its focus is more localized, but that doesn’t make it any less important, especially to those whose lives are changed by their work.
Maine Half Marathon
- When: October 5, 2025
- Where: Portland Maine
To move into the technical weeds, many of the organizations that host running races are for-profit endeavors meaning that while they may have charitable components, they’re ultimately trying to make money for the organization. The Maine Marathon, however, is a not-for-profit enterprise, which means any extra money it earns from entry fees and sponsorships needs to go to philanthropic endeavors. They give about 59% of their gross revenue to charities each year, meaning that just signing up for this half marathon donates to local causes like Maine Paws for Veterans, Maine Senior Games and Strong Girls United. If you want to be even more giving, you can also run this half for charity to raise additional funds for those in need.
Urban Wildland Half Marathon
- When: July 26, 2025
- Where: Richfield, Minnesota
With technology advancing and climate change on the rise, there’s no time like the present to educate our children about the importance of nature. However in 2003, the local government, in an attempt to cut budgets, planned to end a decades-long partnership between the Richfield Public Schools and the Wood Lake Nature Center. Thanks to the funds and awareness raised by the Urban Wildland Half Marathon & 5K however, the environmental education partnership with the two was saved and now K-6 students get to learn each year during multiple trips to the nature center. If you run the race, you’ll get to run through the Wood Lake Nature Center and see what all the fuss is about.
St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon
- When: April 26, 2026
- Where: Nashville, Tennessee
As you can probably guess from its name the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon is partnered with St. Jude Children’s Hospital whose mission is “to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.” No children are denied treatment based on their family’s ability to pay, so money raised by the hospital goes to save the lives of children who might not otherwise be able to afford treatment. While the race promotes general awareness for the hospital, you can also opt to fundraise for St. Jude in exchange for an entry bib.
Hartford Half Marathon
- When: October 11, 2025
- Where: Hartford, Connecticut
The Hartford Marathon Foundation (HMF) which puts on the Hartford Half Marathon each year is another non-profit set on bettering their local community. While their primary charity is the HMF Susie Berid, MD Youth Running Program that helps children foster a love of running, runners can raise money for a variety of charities, especially through group fundraising endeavors in which a team of runners raise funds for a single cause. The HMF’s races also host the HMF Can Initiative on race day where runners are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate which will then be delivered to those in need to alleviate food insecurity locally. The marathon/half marathon has raised over $9.5 million since 1994.
Austin Half Marathon
- When: February 15, 2026
- Where: Austin, Texas
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon also offer runners the opportunity to raise money for charities in exchange for entry into the race via the Austin Marathon Gives program. Rather than giving money to large national non-profits, the Austin Marathon Gives initiative aims to “fundraise and raise awareness for causes that give back to our local community.” Since its start ten years ago, the program has raised over $5.5 million for philanthropic endeavors based in central Texas, with charities like the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas, Austin Wildlife Rescue and Texas 4000 for Cancer as partners. Even if you’re not a Texan, these are incredible causes to champion.
Pinkathon San Francisco Half Marathon
- When: October 25, 2025
- Where: San Francisco, California
When you think of the color pink, the bright pink breast cancer ribbon likely pops into your mind. San Francisco’s Pinkathon is a fundraiser aimed to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. With nearly 12% of US women developing breast cancer at some point in their lives, the disease is extremely common and the BCRF hopes that one day there will be a simple cure. While the registration fee for the Pinkathon is only $25, runners and walkers are expected to raise additional funds that will go directly to breast cancer research.
LA Marathon Run for Charity
- When: March 8, 2026
- Where: Los Angeles, California
While anyone can sign up to run the Los Angeles Marathon, the LA Charity Half Marathon portion of the event is only available to those who raise money for a charity. It should be said upfront that this race isn’t really a half marathon, but actually a bit longer (the website says 13.7 miles) as the course takes runners from Dodger Stadium to the Avenue of the Stars. While there are dozens of charities to choose from, the race’s primary partner is The McCourt Foundation, which aims to cure neurological diseases. Joining Team TMF has its perks, especially if you raise over $2,500 and join the 2500 Club.
