Colchester Half Marathon

Saturday, February 24, 2024 • Colchester, CT • Course Map

Part of the Hartford Track Club’s Winter Race Series, the Colchester Half Marathon marks its 31st annual running this year, for a race that typically draws a few hundred runners or more and when temperatures are often in the 30s, as wintry weather including ice, snow and sleet have frequently fallen on the day of the race.

Known for its challenging hills along the rolling New England countryside surrounding the town, the Colchester Half follows an out-and-back USA Track & Field-certified loop course that starts and finishes at Bacon Academy on Norwich Avenue. Scheduled starting time for the race is 10:00 AM ET.

From there, runners follow a clockwise route along sections of Norwich, Windham Avenue, Goshen Hill Road and McCall Road. Though most of the race unfolds along paved country roads, a roughly three mile stretch of the race takes runners along dirt roads, where they’ll need to be careful of ice and/or snow if inclement weather is in the forecast.

The last few miles of the race take runners along Roger Foot Road and back onto Norwich Avenue, where they run the final stretch back in to the finish line at the high school. After the finish, the race organizers host a post-race “carbo re-loading” party at Colchester’s Bacon Academy High School, right at the race start/finish line.

A statue in downtown Colchester honors Connecticut's Union soldiers killed in the Civil War. (Photo by Doug Kerr/flickr)

A statue in downtown Colchester honors Connecticut’s Union soldiers killed in the Civil War. (Photo by Doug Kerr/flickr)

Race Weather & Climate

Located in the central part of the state, about 25 miles southeast of Hartford and roughly 25 miles from Connecticut’s Atlantic coastline, the town of Colchester typically experiences very cold conditions in the late winter, and usually sees its lowest rainfall (but some of its heaviest snowfall) in February.

On race day (Feb. 24), the average low is 18°F and the average high is 40°F.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Colchester Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

10:00 AM

Fees

  • $14 for the half marathon, if registered before race day
  • $20 on the day of the race

Registration

To reserve your spot in the late winter 2024 running of the Colchester Half Marathon, register online at RaceRoster.com here.

Official Race Website

RaceRoster.com

Comments

Ever run in the Colchester Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races — $50 or Less, Connecticut

7 comments… add one
  • Bob Logano January 10, 2019, 4:09 pm

    Do you know if any groups get together and run course as a training run before race date?

    Reply
  • RENA BYRNE January 6, 2018, 10:44 am

    Can you please fix the website used for registration? It hasn’t been working for at least a few days. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Terrell Johnson January 6, 2018, 1:47 pm

      Hi Rena! Apologies for having the incorrect registration link posted. It’s been fixed now and should work. Please let me know if you continue to have problems with it.

      Thanks!
      Terrell

      Reply
      • RENA BYRNE January 6, 2018, 3:44 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
  • Jude Fera February 25, 2017, 11:59 am

    This morning (2/26/17) I was surprised to see tables, garbage bags, water jugs, plastic cups, papers, etc. set up on my side lawn at the intersection of Goshen Hill and McCall Rd. in Lebanon. I was even more surprised to see that you had set up within ten feet of a storm drain which discharges to the Bartlet Brook Wildlife Management Area. I was also surprise to see plastic cups and paper blowing around. While it’s good to get people out of the house to challenge themselves, it is much more important to protect wildlife, waterways, and the native environment. If you stage this same run on the same course next year I need to know right now what you plan to do to protect Lebanon’s environment.

    Reply
    • Rick Konon February 26, 2017, 7:38 pm

      I am the founder & race director of the Colchester Half Marathon (CT) and I have been organizing this race for 25 years. When we left the water station we set up on Saturday at Goshen Hill & McCall Roads in Lebanon there was not a single garbage bag, water jug, or cup left behind and we picked up trash that was in the area that was there before we set up. We always leave our surroundings cleaner than they were before we set up. If you find any differently after you read this post call me call me I’ll come pick up whatever you find even if its not ours. I am as concerned about our environment as you are. Rick Konon, Colchester, CT 860-537-4597

      Reply
      • Margo Vivero February 23, 2019, 2:18 pm

        Hi Rob
        Completed the half today. Great race. First half marathon at age 63.
        If more shirts are ordered I would like to purchase one if possible.
        Thank you
        Margo Vivero

        Reply

Leave a Comment

MENU