“Fast and flat” is the “bread and butter” for many marathoners. Key advantages include: reduced effort on hills, easier pacing strategy, improved running economy, and potential for faster times. Of course, you’ll still want proper training to prepare and minimize risk of injury. In addition to a training and fueling plan, half the battle can sometimes be simply picking your race! Take a peek at our ongoing roster of the flattest and fastest half marathons to find your next feat.
Calendar: Best Flat and Fast Half Marathons in the U.S.
- Thelma & Louise Half Marathon on April 26, 2025
- Park to Park Half Marathon on April 26, 2025
- IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 3, 2025
- Potomac River Run Half Marathon on May 3, 2025
- Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon on July 4, 2025
- Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon on July 12, 2025
- Nebraska State Fair Half Marathon on August 23, 2025
- Iron Horse Half Marathon on August 24, 2025
- Skagit Flats Half Marathon on September 7, 2025
- Surftown Half Marathon on September 7, 2025
- Luce Line Lace Up Half Marathon on September 16, 2025
- Air Force Half Marathon on September 20, 2025
- Fox Valley Half Marathon on September 21, 2025
- Newport Liberty Half Marathon on September 28, 2025
- Bay Ridge Half Marathon on October 4, 2025
- Under the Oaks Half Marathon on October 11, 2025
- Mo’ Cowbell Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
- Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
- Three Eagle Half Marathon on October 11, 2025
- Cocoa Beach Half Marathon November 2, 2025
- Spirit of Survival Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
- Baystate Half Marathon on October 19, 2025
- Atlantic City Half Marathon on October 19, 2025
- Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon on October 11, 2025
- Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon on November 8, 2025
- White River Half Marathon on November 22, 2025
- Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon on December 6, 2025
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon on December 15, 2025
- Key West Half Marathon on January 18, 2026
- Surf City USA Half Marathon on February 2, 2025
- Mesa Half Marathon on February 8, 2025
Thelma & Louise Half Marathon
- When: April 2, 2025
- Where: Moab, UT
This women’s half marathon is flat, flat, flat! The start/finish line is at the Gold Bar campground and racers will run alongside the Colorado river for the majority of the course. Runners will beat the heat with a 6:30 AM start and are encouraged to bring their swimsuits for a post-race dip in the river.
Park to Park Half Marathon
- When: April 26, 2025
- Where: Waterloo, IA
With a net elevation of zero, this half marathon is the definition of flat and fast. The mostly wooded course doesn’t lend itself to spectators, but who has time for crazy signs when you are running so fast?
IU Health 500 Festival Mini Marathon
- When: May 3, 2025
- Where: Indianapolis, IN
Recognized by US Today’s 10Best as ‘America’s Best Half Marathon’ and by Runner’s World as one of ‘America’s Most Iconic Races,’ the Mini continues to draw excitement year after year. Held just weeks before the iconic Indianapolis 500, the course is flat and fast (83 ft elevation gain), offering runners and walkers the unique experience of completing a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the halfway point before heading toward the finish line.
Potomac River Run Half Marathon
- When: May 3, 2025
- Where: Washington, DC
This race — which bills itself as the “easiest marathon and half marathon in America” — runs the C&O Canal Towpath trail, alongside the 184-mile-long Chesapeake & Ohio Canal that stretches all the way from the tidal basin in Washington to the mountains of western Maryland.
Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon
- When: July 4, 2025
- Where: Portland, OR
More than 2,000 runners come out to compete each year in this race, billed as one of the West Coast’s flattest and fastest running events with an elevation gain and loss of around 236 feet. Enjoy running through the wilderness of Sauvie Island, a 12,000+ acre island just to the northwest of Portland.
Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon
- When: July 12, 2025
- Where: New York, NY
See all the sights on this loop course that has an elevation gain and loss of 218 feet. You’ll pass the iconic World’s Fair Unisphere, Fountain of the Planets, Queens Zoo, New York State Pavilion, and Queens Museum of Art along the route.
Nebraska State Fair Half Marathon
- When: August 23, 2025
- Where: Grand Island, NE
Fans of the fair? Begin and end your race amidst the festivities on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds. This course is known for being one of the fastest and flattest in the nation with an elevation gain and loss of 134 feet.
Iron Horse Half Marathon
- When: August 24, 2025
- Where: North Bend, WA
If you’re ready for an almost all-downhill run along a pair of riverside trails in the Seattle area, this point-to-point route that starts in Olallie State Park and finishes in nearby North Bend is for you.
Skagit Flats Half Marathon
- When: September 7, 2025
- Where: Burlington, WA
Nestled among the berry farms, tulip fields and waterfront communities of Washington State’s Skagit Valley, Burlington plays host each fall to this fast and flat races that takes runners on an out-and-back course through beautiful rural countryside.
Surftown Half Marathon
- When: September 7, 2025
- Where: Westerly, RI
This race along Block Island Sound is not only pretty flat and fast, but it’s gorgeous too. You’ll run past rocky coastlines, Victorian summer homes, oceanfront marshes and beautiful cottages. There are a few tiny elevation changes, but runners never go above 50 feet above sea level in elevation anywhere along the route.
Luce Line Lace Up Half Marathon
- When: September 16, 2025
- Where: Hutchinson, MN
Follow the tree-lined Luce Line Trail — a converted railroad whose history dates back more than a century — at this flat race along the Crow River in southern Minnesota, just over an hour’s drive from downtown Minneapolis. The course has an elevation gain of 308 ft over its 17.4 mile length.
Air Force Half Marathon
- When: September 20, 2025
- Where: Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
The flat, fast terrain of Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the setting for this race, which takes runners past some of the most important historical sights in U.S. aviation history. With little elevation change, this course is prime for runners of all skill levels.
Fox Valley Half Marathon
- When: September 21, 2025
- Where: St. Charles, IL
It’s not completely pancake flat, but the elevation changes at this race are quite minimal along the shady town streets and bike paths along the Fox River. It’s also a favorite for marathoners looking to qualify for Boston and for half marathoners looking to earn a PR.
Newport Liberty Half Marathon
- When: September 28, 2025
- Where: Jersey City, NJ
Known among locals as a great training run for November’s New York City Marathon, this flat and fast race runs through the streets of Jersey City and offers plentiful views of the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan and Ellis Island.
Bay Ridge Half Marathon
- When: October 4, 2025
- Where: Brooklyn, NY
Run along the Shore Road Promenade that looks out onto the waters of New York’s Upper Bay from Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood, this course is considered an excellent one for setting a personal record (PR) time.
Under the Oaks Half Marathon
- When: October 11, 2025
- Where: Jekyll Island, GA
You’ll 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.
Mo’ Cowbell Half Marathon
- When: October 5, 2025
- Where: St. Charles, MO
There is a small amount of elevation gain on the final miles of the course, but the first nine miles are flat, flat, flat! You’ll be encouraged by scores of spectators with cowbells as runners will fly through this loop course.
Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon
- When: October 5, 2025
- Where: Hampton, NH
A gorgeously scenic coastal setting isn’t the only nice feature of this race. With an elevation gain of around 60 feet it’s considered one of the easiest half-marathon courses in the region.
Three Eagle Half Marathon
- When: October 11, 2025
- Where: Eagle River, WI
Set for its fifth annual running along the fast (and very flat) crushed limestone and dirt trails that make up the Three Eagle Trail, built on an old railroad here in northern Wisconsin, this race offers up a gentle course and gorgeous fall foliage.
Cocoa Beach Half Marathon
- When: November 2, 2025
- Where: Cocoa Beach, FL
With a course that features two and a half miles of running on the sands of Florida’s Cocoa Beach itself, this race offers a fast, flat route that’s open to both runners and walkers, and a chance to run with waves crashing over your shoulder.
Spirit of Survival Half Marathon
- When: October 5, 2025
- Where: Lawton, OK
With just 138 feet of elevation change, the Spirit of Survival Half Marathon is one of Oklahoma’s fastest 13.1 mile races. The out-and-back course is great for runners of all abilities and only a few turns helps keep it incredibly fast.
Baystate Half Marathon
- When: October 19, 2025
- Where: Lowell, MA
Well-known as one of the fastest and flattest running events in the northeast — and a popular qualifier for the Boston Marathon — this half marathon follows a double-loop course mostly along the banks of the Merrimack River.
Atlantic City Half Marathon
- When: October 19, 2025
- Where: Atlantic City, NJ
This beginner-friendly course features oceanfront boardwalk miles with a max elevation of 28 feet. Established in 1958, the Atlantic City Marathon is the third oldest continuing marathon in the United States.
Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon
- When: October 11, 2025
- Where: Myrtle Beach, SC
With a few miles of oceanfront running and only a few turns over 13.1 miles, this race lives up to its promise of being fast and flat. The point-to-point pancake flat course is actually almost a loop and runners finish just steps away from the ocean.
Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon
- When: November 8, 2025
- Where: Indianapolis, IN
Runners flock to Indianapolis in the fall for a half marathon on a nearly flat course — it has gentle hills throughout, but hardly noticeable. The loop course travels along the same route as the full until just past the midpoint and then racers begin their journey back towards the start/finish line.
White River Half Marathon
- When: November 22, 2025
- Where: Cotter, AR
Limited to a few hundred participants, this race draws runners looking to run fast, and you’ll actually lose 210 feet of elevation over the course of 13.1 miles. The majority of the course is flat, but a quick downhill in the first mile gets racers into PR-mode fast.
Rehoboth Beach Half Marathon
- When: December 6, 2025
- Where: Rehoboth Beach, DE
There isn’t usually much reason to visit the beach in December, but the Rehoboth Beach Half is definitely a great one. The weather is cool, the course is flat, and PRs are definitely likely. Sign up early because this small race sells out quickly.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon
- When: December 15, 2025
- Where: Biloxi, MS
Beachfront views meet a flat road course with a total of 10 feet in elevation gain. This race runs parallel to the beach and is a great winter option for all.
Key West Half Marathon
- When: January 18, 2026
- Where: Key West, FL
Along this fast, flat and scenic route, runners have views of the ocean for virtually the entire course, and pass by local landmarks like famed author Ernest Hemingway’s house and the southernmost point in the United States.
Surf City USA Half Marathon
- When: February 2, 2025
- Where: Huntington Beach, CA
Run mostly along the beaches of Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway, this half is considered one of the best races of its kind in the country, where runners experience an elevation change of no more than 100 feet over the entire 13.1 miles.
Mesa Half Marathon
- When: February 8, 2025
- Where: Mesa, AZ
A gentle downhill makes this a great half marathon for first-timers. Descending through desert vistas and citrus groves, this race has a net elevation loss of almost 200 feet.
