13 Canadian Half Marathons You'll Love Running
From Banff to Calgary to Whistler, and from Montreal to Toronto to Vancouver, scenic, once-in-a-lifetime races — all updated for 2026
Mississauga Marathon + Half Marathon
Mississauga, Ontario | Sunday, April 26, 2026
Nestled along the shoreline of Lake Ontario just west of Toronto, this young city — it was founded in the early 1970s — boasts more than 400 miles of suburban trails, some of which you’ll run on the half marathon route. You’ll start the race at Mississauga’s Celebration Square, and features stretches through its Saddington Park and along the waterfront of the lake.
BMO Vancouver Marathon + Half Marathon
Vancouver, British Columbia | Sunday, May 3, 2026
Runners in the half marathon will follow a completely different route from those running the full marathon at this race, which bills itself as “stunning running” thanks to the gorgeous city backdrop we all got to know during the Winter Olympics nearly a decade ago. There’s a downhill in the first couple of kilometers, followed by mostly flat terrain from then on, as you run through Vancouver’s Yaletown, Chinatown and West End neighborhoods, with a loop around Stanley Park and the waters of English Bay.
Calgary Marathon + Half Marathon
Calgary, Alberta | Sunday, May 24, 2026
Set for the same weekend as its counterpart race in Ottawa, this half marathon — officially titled the Centaur Subaru 21.1K — is part of a running event that now is more than a half-century old, with a route that takes runners along the scenic Bow River that cuts through the city. You’ll also run through stretches of its downtown and a couple of city parks, including a start and finish in Calgary’s jewel, Stampede Park.
Ottawa Half Marathon
Ottawa, Ontario | Sunday, May 24, 2026
Described by one of our subscribers who lives in Montreal as “an amazing race weekend,” this race unfolds along a mostly fast, flat route through the streets of Canada’s capital city. You’ll make a pair of bridge crossings over the Ottawa River in the second half of the race, and spend the first few kilometers running along the Rideau Canal. Around its half-way point, the race brings you past Parliament Hill — Canada’s equivalent of America’s Capitol Hill.
Whistler Half Marathon
Whistler, British Columbia | Saturday, June 6, 2026
A gorgeous, not-so-challenging run through the forests of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, along a winding route made up mostly of “smooth, non-technical gravel trails, ranging in width from 5 meters to 1.5 meters as it twists and turns” (or about 5 to 15 feet wide). You’ll run through Lost Lake Park, which lies near Whistler Village and features 25 kilometers of hiking trails around its namesake lake, and is open only for a few of the warmest months of the year, as its trails are used for cross country skiing in winter. Expect to be “immersed in nature,” organizers add, as you make your way though “the temperate rainforest, around the lake, along the river, in the shadows of glacier capped mountains.”
Banff Half Marathon
Banff, Alberta | Sunday, June 14, 2026
An absolutely stunning route through the trees and along the banks of the beautiful Bow River awaits at this late springtime race, which unfolds inside Banff National Park. You’ll get breathtaking views of the snow-capped mountains inside Banff, Canada’s first national park, as you make your way along sections of the Bow River Trail and the Legacy Trail, the latter of which connects you to the Bow Valley Parkway. You’ll pass through the “Welcome” Arch on your way to the Backswamp Viewpoint, which overlooks a wetland area framed by towering peaks, where you might see elk, moose or waterfowl in their natural habitat. After you make the turn, you head back along the route you’ve just run to Banff’s Central Park for the finish.
Millarville Run to the Farmers’ Market Half Marathon
Millarville, Alberta | Saturday, June 20, 2026
Timed to coincide with the season opening day of the Millarville Farmers’ Market, the largest and oldest outdoor market of its kind in southern Alberta, this race follows a scenic point-to-point route through what’s known as Turner Valley. Starting from the arena in Diamond Valley, you’ll follow a combination of urban pathways and backcountry roads as you make your way through Turner Valley Golf Club, and later head out “into the country, darting through breathtaking, big sky, prairie landscapes,” organizers add, before reaching the finish line at the farmers’ market, just 35 minutes southwest of Calgary.
Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon
Canmore, Alberta | Sunday, September 13, 2026
Nestled among the peaks of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, roughly 81 kilometers west of Calgary near the southern boundary of Banff National Park, the town of Canmore hosts this beautifully scenic half through what organizers describe as “woodlands, beside mountain streams, and through a historic mine site, with stunning views of mountain scenery.” The race takes place at just over 4,300 feet above sea level, but follows a roughly 70-meter gradual incline for the first half of the race, followed by a gradual decline after. Walkers are welcome — as long as you can finish in 3 hours or less.
Dinosaur Valley Half Marathon
Drumheller, Alberta | Sunday, September 13, 2026
A race that almost feels other-worldly, the Dinosaur Valley Half unfolds through the area known as the Canadian Badlands near the town of Drumheller, often called the “Dinosaur Capital of the World” thanks to its Royal Tyrrell Museum, which hosts Canada’s largest collection of dinosaur fossils. You’ll start and finish the out-and-back course for the race in the town of Drumheller, and spend much of the route along the Red Deer River. Later, you’ll make your way up to the museum itself, running a loop trail there and then heading back along the pathway you’ve just run, passing by stunning rock formations along the way.
Marathon Beneva de Montréal
Montreal, Quebec | Sunday, October 11, 2026
One of Quebec’s biggest running events of the year — it was first run back in 1979 — this race starts and finishes at Parc Jean-Drapeau, which lies on a pair of islands in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, just off the shore of Old Montreal, whose cobblestone streets date back to the 17th century. From there, you’ll make your way over the bridges that take you into Montreal, running past block after city block of beautiful, scenic neighborhoods and parks, and then all the way back again to Parc Jean-Drapeau for the race finish.
Edge to Edge Half Marathon
Vancouver Island, British Columbia | Sunday, October 19, 2025
Run entirely on the Ucluelet Peninsula of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia, this race unfolds along the Wild Pacific Trail, a 9-kilometer trail network described as a place that “weaves itself into your soul” thanks to stunning views of rainforest on the trail as well as reefs, shipwrecks and whales out in the Pacific Ocean. You’ll need to be on the lookout for land-based wildlife, too; one travel agency notes that “deer, bears, cougars and wolves may use the trail or the areas around the trail — [so] please leash your pets and keep your children close to you.”
Toronto Waterfront Marathon + Half Marathon
Toronto, Ontario | Saturday, October 18, 2026
Canada’s biggest city (by population) hosts its flagship fall marathon through the streets of its downtown, starting and finishing next to its city hall, whose pair of tall curved buildings make it one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks. The half marathon spends several kilometers along the waterfront of Humber Bay, and you’ll also run past the base of its famous CN Tower.
Niagara Falls Marathon + Half Marathon
Niagara Falls, Ontario | Sunday, October 26, 2025
You’ll get to see one of the true natural wonders of the world at this autumn race, which unfolds almost entirely along the riverfront on the Niagara Parkway, which parallels the Niagara River. The out-and-back race starts and finishes near the overlook of the iconic Horseshoe Falls, and you’ll be able to see America across the river for nearly the entire way around the course. You’ll run along the water, and entirely on the Canadian side of the river and the falls — so it’ll be mostly flat, most of the run.
