1) Bryce Canyon Half Marathon • Tropic, UT
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.
July • Race info & signup >>
2) America’s Finest City Half Marathon • San Diego, CA
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.
August • Race info & signup >>
3) Oak Barrel Half Marathon • Lynchburg, TN
The small-town charm of the home of Jack Daniels Distillery is on display at this race that runs the hills of southern Tennessee, but don’t expect to be able to buy whiskey by the glass here — Lynchburg lies in a dry county, so while Jack Daniels can be made here, it can’t be sold.
April • Race info & signup >>
4) Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon • Brooklyn, NY
Fast and mostly flat, this race starts just outside Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, designed by the legendary Frederick Law Olmstead and filled with an oasis of huge green meadows, trees, forests and lakes in the midst of one of the densest cities in the U.S.
May • Race info & signup >>
5) 1st San Francisco Half Marathon • San Francisco, CA
The first of two 13.1-milers at San Francisco’s annual marathon, this half takes runners from the starting line at the Embarcadero and runs through Fisherman’s Wharf and the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge, which you’ll run back and forth across before cruising to the finish in Golden Gate Park.
July • Race info & signup >>
6) Key West Half Marathon • Key West, FL
The wildly colorful sights and sounds of this island at the far western end of the Florida Keys, where you’ll run almost entirely along the Key West waterfront and see local landmarks like the Key West lighthouse, famed author Ernest Hemingway’s house, and the southernmost point in the U.S.
January • Race info & signup >>
7) Crater Lake Rim Runs • Crater Lake, OR
Filled with rugged Pacific Northwest mountain terrain that encircles one of the country’s most majestic and beautiful lakes, Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park is the home of this race, which offers a challenging, high-elevation run and breathtaking views.
August • Race info & signup >>
8) Navy-Air Force Half Marathon • Washington, DC
Start and finish in front of the iconic Washington Monument at this early fall race, which features stretches through Georgetown, back and forth across the Arlington Bridge, and past the Lincoln, Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt Memorials.
September • Race info & signup >>
9) Kauai Half Marathon • Poipu, HI
The generous 7-hour course time limit at this race on Hawaii’s oldest island gives you plenty of time to take in the gorgeous scenery, including the famous Tunnel of Trees, which were planted more than 150 years ago by Scottish immigrants and remain today as a lush, green eucalyptus corridor.
September • Race info & signup >>
10) Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon • Weott, CA
Once described by Runner’s World as one of the nation’s most beautiful races, this event unfolds through the majestic redwood forests of California’s Humboldt Redwoods State Park, home to more than 17,000 acres of old-growth coast redwood trees, some of which are more than 2,000 years old.
May • Race info & signup >>
11) Mayor’s Midnight Half Marathon • Anchorage, AK
Framed by the mountains all around the city and the forested trails along Cook Inlet, this race is timed to coincide with the summer solstice, when the longest day of the year brings a full day of sunlight over this subarctic region.
June • Race info & signup >>
12) Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay • Monterey, CA
Deep blues and greens in the Pacific, kelp beds swaying back and forth with the waves, sea gulls and sometimes even seals and sea lions out on large rocks in the water — you’re likely to see it all at this race, which doesn’t actually run through Big Sur but still offers a gorgeous course with challenging hills.
November • Race info & signup >>
13) Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon • Salt Lake City, UT
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.”
September • Race info & signup >>
13.1) Florida Beach Halfathon • Tierra Verde, FL
The long, wide white-sand beaches of Florida’s Fort De Soto Park, located just a few miles southwest of St. Petersburg, are the setting for this race, which unfolds through paved park roadways and waterfront trails along the island, which has been named the nation’s top beach destination in recent years by “Dr. Beach.”
March • Race info & signup >>
