Looking for your next unforgettable race? Whether you’re chasing breathtaking scenery, historic backdrops, or a serious personal challenge, these 20 bucket list half marathons offer experiences worth traveling for.
From high-altitude mountain climbs to coastal runs along crashing waves, these races go beyond the typical 13.1. They deliver the kind of adventure, community, and scenery that make training all year totally worth it. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or training for your first half, this list will inspire you to lace up and go big.
Ready to add some epic races to your calendar? Let’s dive in.
Calendar: Bucket List Half Marathons
- Austin International Half Marathon on January 18, 2026
- Surf City USA Half Marathon on February 1, 2026
- Sedona Half Marathon on February 7, 2026
- Publix Atlanta Half Marathon on March 1, 2026
- West Point Fallen Comrades Half Marathon in March 2026 (TBD)
- Horsetooth Half Marathon on April 19, 2026
- NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half on April 26, 2026
- Flying Pirate Half Marathon in April 2026 (TBD)
- La Jolla Half Marathon on May 16, 2026
- Ice Age Trail Run Half Marathon in May 2026 (TBD)
- Yellowstone Half Marathon in June 2026 (TBD)
- REVEL Rockies Half Marathon in June 2026 (TBD)
- Bryce Canyon Half Marathon on July 11, 2026
- America’s Finest City Half Marathon on August 17, 2025
- Pikes Peak Ascent on September 20, 2025
- Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Half Marathon on September 13, 2025
- REVEL Big Cottonwood Half Marathon on September 13, 2025
- Life Time Chicago Half Marathon on September 28, 2025
- Adirondack Half Marathon on September 28, 2025
- Death Valley Half Marathon on February 1, 2025
Chicago Half Marathon
- Where: Chicago, Illinois
- When: September 28, 2025
Named by Runner’s World as one of the top 10 half marathons in the United States a few years back, the race takes you along Chicago’s famed Lake Shore Drive for more than half of the 13.1 miles of the course, offering up breathtaking, scenic views of the city’s lakefront parks and downtown skyscrapers.
Adirondack Half Marathon
- Where: Schroon Lake, New York
- When: September 28, 2025
What race organizers describe as “probably the most beautiful 26 miles, 385 yards you’ll ever run” is on display around Schroon Lake, a year-round tourist mecca set in the hilly Adirondack Park in upstate New York. This race is part of the Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival.
La Jolla Half Marathon
- Where: San Diego, California
- When: May 16, 2026
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.
REVEL Rockies Half Marathon
- Where: Evergreen, Colorado
- When: March 28, 2026
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.
Yellowstone Half Marathon
- Where: West Yellowstone, Montana
- When: Saturday, June 14, 2025
We love a national park half marathon — and what better place than America’s oldest national park. 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.
Death Valley Half Marathon
- Where: Death Valley National Park, California
- When: February 7, 2026
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.
Flying Pirate Half Marathon
- Where: Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
- When: Saturday, April 11, 2026
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.
Bryce Canyon Half Marathon
- Where: Tropic, Utah
- When: July 2026 (TBD)
This race unfolds through Utah’s spectacular Bryce Canyon National Park, a geologic wonder that lures visitors from around the world with its incredible red rock formations, stunning views of amphitheater-like canyons like Inspiration Point, and wide-open skies.
America’s Finest City Half Marathon
- Where: San Diego, California
- When: Sunday, August 17, 2025
Thousands of runners make the trek every summer from the majestic Cabrillo National Monument overlooking the Pacific and San Diego Bay to the green, expansive meadows of Balboa Park, whose 1,200 acres are home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
REVEL Big Cottonwood Half Marathon
- Where: Salt Lake City, Utah
- When: Saturday, September 13, 2025
This race starts just past the mile 8 marker of its 26.2-mile counterpart, a few miles west of the Silver Fork Lodge high up in the mountains of the Wasatch National Forest — and as the resort describes itself, “just 11 miles away from Salt Lake City but a million miles away in attitude.”
Surf City USA Half Marathon
- Where: Huntington Beach, California
- When: February 1, 2026
Run mostly along the beaches of Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway at this late winter race, considered one of the country’s best thanks to its gorgeous oceanfront views and a beautiful stretch through an ecological reserve in its middle miles.
Sedona Half Marathon
- Where: Sedona, Arizona
- When: Saturday, February 7, 2026
Run through the heart of central Arizona’s stunning red rock spires and mountain valleys at this race, a challenging, hilly and high-elevation run on paved and dirt terrain, filled with dramatic landscapes and awe-inspiring natural beauty.
Austin International Half Marathon
- Where: Austin, Texas
- When: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Recently named by US News as one of the nation’s best places to live, Texas’s capital city plays host to this annual race where runners make their way through tree-lined city parks, cross over the Colorado River, and run past its famed State Capitol building.
Publix Atlanta Half Marathon
- Where: Atlanta, Georgia
- When: Sunday, March 1, 2026
Sure, I might be a little biased because this one is run in my hometown. But you get to see virtually every major Atlanta neighborhood when you run this one, from trendy Buckhead and Virginia-Highlands to Sweet Auburn downtown near the King Center, where a choir came out to sing for runners the last time I ran.
West Point Fallen Comrades Half Marathon
- Where: West Point, New York
- When: Sunday, March 9, 2025
Run through America’s first military academy at this race — and around an important place in American history, the school Thomas Jefferson helped create with one of his first official acts as president in 1801 and which was hugely influential in the development of higher education in the U.S.
Horsetooth Half Marathon
- Where: Fort Collins, Colorado
- When: Sunday, April 19, 2026
Voted the state’s number-one half marathon several years ago by Colorado Running magazine, this race offers stunning views of the iconic peaks of Horsetooth Mountain and Arthur’s Rock, along a course with paved surfaces and bike trails, including some steep hills.
Ice Age Trail Run Half Marathon
- Where: LaGrange, Wisconsin
- When: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Named one of America’s most scenic races by Trail Runner magazine, this race takes runners on a tromping, hilly run through Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine State Forest, along a series of single- and double-track trails, along a combination of soft, grassy trails as well as twisting, hilly runs through the woods.
NYCRUNS Brooklyn Half
- Where: Brooklyn, New York
- When: Saturday, April 26, 2026
More than 25,000 runners take to the streets of Brooklyn each May for this race, which unfolds through many of Brooklyn’s most famous sights and attractions, including Prospect Park, the New York Aquarium and the Coney Island boardwalk.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Half Marathon & Fall 5K
- Where: Bar Harbor, Maine
- When: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Run the only race of its kind that actually runs through the grounds of a U.S. national park — Maine’s Acadia National Park — at a time when the autumn leaves are turning brilliant shades of orange, red and gold.
Pikes Peak Ascent
- Where: Manitou Springs, Colorado
- When: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Ever wanted to run up the Colorado mountain that holds such a special place in the minds of outdoor enthusiasts around the world? You’ll top out at just over 14,000 feet above sea level by the time you reach the peak, to celebrate one of the most difficult (and satisfying) accomplishments you can achieve in the world of running.
