While we love our goal races and bucket list halves, we also know that for most seasoned distance runners, after dozens of races under your belt, another half marathon can start to feel a bit… predictable. Same early morning alarm, same crowd of sleepy runners shuffling to the start line, same beating sun draining your energy by mile 8. So let’s change it up:
Running a night half marathon is a completely different experience than running other 13.1 milers — in the best possible way. First, no more melting into the pavement by late morning (which also means these are great half marathons to run in the summer). Those cooler evening temps go far in chasing down a PR, too.
Plus, there’s something absolutely magical about hitting your stride as the sun sets and the course lights up around you.
From twilight half marathon events where runners start in golden hour and finish under the stars, to full-on headlamp half marathon adventures that feel more like epic trail expeditions than typical road races, the vibe at a night race is just different. More relaxed, more festival-like, with way better post-race celebrations (because hey, it’s evening!).
That said, there aren’t a ton of evening half marathons out there, but we’ve rounded up 8 that are well-worth training for.
E.T. Full Moon Midnight Half Marathon
- Where: Rachel, NV
- When: May 1, 2026
Running through a tiny town about two and a half hours north of Las Vegas, this alien-themed night half marathon doesn’t even start until midnight – the best time for alien sightings, as everyone knows. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, this course throughs the desert along some of the most active hotbeds of “extraterrestrial” activity in the U.S. Luckily, it’s fast and flat if you need to skedaddle away from the flying saucers.
Summer Night Trail Half Marathon
- Where: Indianapolis, IN
- When: July 12, 2025
This night trail half marathon delivers the ultimate after-dark trail experience, starting at 9:30 pm when Indianapolis’ Eagle Creek Park transforms into an exclusive nighttime playground. You’ll need your headlamp to even make it to the starting line, as the course begins on challenging single-track before opening to wider dirt and gravel trails, creating an exciting adventure limited to just several hundred runners. Racing through normally-closed park trails under starlit skies offers a magical perspective impossible during daylight hours.
Davis Moo-nlight Run Half Marathon
- Where: Davis, CA
- When: July 12, 2025
Technically a 10-miler rather than 13.1, the Davis Moo-nlight Run takes you along the neighborhood streets of Northern California’s Sacramento Valley starting at 7:50 p.m. This is a flat and fast race and, even though it’s summer, the race directors strongly encourage anyone running longer than 45 minutes bring a headlamp to see on the course when it starts to get dark around 8:40. In addition to a great evening, finishers will score a cow-themed finisher medal and walk into a post-race party with live music, sno-cones, and beer.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon
- Where: Las Vegas, NV
- When: February 26, 2026
A half marathon in the evening near Vegas? It’s not the kind of nightlife everyone comes to the city for – but the Neon City makes for a very fun evening race. With a full, half and a 10K, this Rock ‘n’ Roll race starts at 4:30 p.m., so a slow half marathon pace will put you at the finish line right as the sun starts to really lower in the sky. This race takes more than 20,000 runners each year past many of the casinos that Glitter Gulch is known for, like the Bellagio, the Venetian, Caesars Palace, the Flamingo, the Mirage, Treasure Island and the Wynn.
Old Plank Sunset Half Marathon
- Where: Plymouth, WI
- When: August 9, 2025
Formerly known as the Full Moon Race Half and run along the 17-mile-long Old Plan Road Trail between Plymouth and Kohler, Wisconsin, this race changed its name but is still timed to coincide with the full moon in August. The race starts just as the sun begins to set (6:00 p.m.), and takes you along a point-to-point course that’s mostly flat. Runners literally get to run by the light of the full moon in the warm evening breeze – talk about a dreamy summer run!
Area 13.1 Half Marathon
- Where: Roswell, GA
- When: August 16, 2025
Nicknamed the “Alien Half” thanks to its nighttime running and the glow-in-the-dark gear organizers hand out before the start, the Area 13.1 Half Marathon race gets started just as the sun is going down and requires you to wear a headlamp to navigate the out-and-back course along the Chattahoochee River.
Twilight Red Rock Half Marathon
- Where: Las Vegas, NV
- When: October 18, 2025
Lying just outside the city but still a world removed from the pulsating neon lights, glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip, the Calico Hills of Nevada’s Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area beckon the hundreds of runners who make their way out here each year. Starting at 5:45 p.m., runners will beat the Nevada heat and score gorgeous sunset views along the canyon.
Winter Night Trail Run Half Marathon
- Where: Indianapolis, IN
- When: January (TBD) 2026
For our runners who don’t see a night race as an easy way out of the heat and rather as a challenge in the dark, you’ll love the winter installment of Indianapolis’s summer night trail run. The Winter Night Trail Run is held on the same trail through Eagle Creek Park, but at midnight in January in the midwest. Naturally, the race directors describe the race as “Brutally Awesome” and entry is limited to a field of only a couple hundred.
