23 Summer Half Marathons You'll Love Running Across the U.S.
From California to Colorado to Maine, and from Washington state to South Carolina and even New York City, races you'll have a blast running
Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon
Ithaca, N.Y. | Sunday, June 8, 2025
A place filled with forests, rail trails, lakeside stretches and plentiful waterfalls — that’s what awaits in upstate New York at this race, on a course organizers describe as “one of the fastest and most scenic half marathons you’ll ever run. Period.” The point-to-point route begins in the nearby town of Ulysses, which if you’ve read your Homer you will recognize as the Latin name for Odysseus — the hero of the epic poem The Odyssey — who hails from the Greek island of Ithaca and it’s there he spent the entire story trying to get back.
Spirit of Magic Valley Half Marathon
Twin Falls, Idaho | Saturday, June 7, 2025
A beautifully scenic run along Idaho’s Snake River Canyon Rim Trail, a 12-mile-long trail that starts in Twin Falls and heads toward the Perrine Bridge, an arch bridge that’s known as one of the best places for base jumpers to launch from and parachute into the canyon below. You’ll start the race overlooking Shoshone Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls anywhere in the U.S. From there, you’ll wind along the canyon trail toward Twin Falls, until you reach the half-way turnaround at the overlook point over Canyon Springs Golf Course; after that, you’ll retrace your steps along the river, all the way back to Shoshone Falls for the finish.
Snoqualmie Valley Half Marathon
Carnation, Wash. | Saturday, June 21, 2025
An out-and-back run along scenic riverside trails here in the small town of Carnation, Wash. — it’s just over one square mile in size and home to about 2,100 souls — framed by the foothills of the Cascade Mountains as well as the waters of the Snoqualmie and Tolt Rivers. Starting in Tolt MacDonald Park, you’ll run on the scenic connector trail alongside the Tolt until you get to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, a 32-mile-long former railroad which runs roughly in parallel with the Snoqualmie River for the next few miles. Later, you’ll run through forests for several miles, including a stretch through the Griffin Creek Natural Area, before making your way back up to Tolt MacDonald Park for the race finish.
Beaver Canyon Marathon + Half
Beaver, Utah | Saturday, June 28, 2025
Nestled in the southwestern corner of Utah, about 200 miles from Salt Lake City, this race unfolds through the scenic Tushar Mountains, a “a hidden gem of high altitude peaks, mountain canyons, alpine lakes and stunning terrain.” You’ll follow a downhill course through the canyon, starting at 10,000 feet and winding through the mountains and canyons, dropping some 4,000 feet by the time you reach the finish at Pioneer Park.
Mad Marathon + Half
Waitsfield, Vermont | Sunday, July 13, 2025
Giant red barns, tall silos, covered bridges, wide-open farm fields and quiet country roads form the backdrop you’ll see along the route at this mid-summer race. If you’re a skier, you’ll find it familiar, as the Green Mountains of Vermont here are home to wintertime ski destinations like Mad River Glen and Sugarbush. The race has earned accolades from the likes of Runner’s World in recent years thanks to its gorgeous, bucolic scenery throughout, and the quaint charm of the small town where you start and finish the race.
Aspen Valley Marathon + Half
Aspen, Colo. | Saturday, July 19, 2025
A run that unfolds more than 7,000 feet up in the Colorado Rockies, one that takes runners off the highways and onto a converted rail corridor trail, along gorgeous scenery thanks to the mountain peaks all around and the Roaring Fork River alongside the trail. You’ll start the half marathon in Wilton Jaffee Park in Woody Creek, a small town in the Roaring Fork River valley that lies just a few miles northwest of Aspen, and from there head onto the Rio Grande Trail, a 42-mile-long biking and running trail between Aspen and nearby Glenwood Springs. Along the way, you’ll see beautiful homes and barns out in pastures dotted with grazing horses and even a couple of abandoned rail cars.
Mesa Falls Marathon + Half
Ashton, Idaho | Saturday, July 19, 2025
Known for the beauty of its nearby forests, the peaks of the Grand Tetons off in the distance and wildlife native to this area just west of Yellowstone National Park, Idaho’s Targhee National Forest hosts this late-summer race that will remind you of the charms of small towns and how friendly and warm smaller running events can be. You’ll start in the forest (the half marathon starts at Bear Gulch, just below the actual Mesa Falls) and run a couple of miles through it before heading onto the rolling country roads that lead into Ashton, which lies about an hour’s drive from Idaho Falls. Don’t be surprised if you see wildlife out on the course, everything from moose and elk to wolves, cougars and bears.
The NYC Summer Half in Central Park
New York, N.Y. | Saturday, August 2, 2025
A smaller half that usually draws hundreds, not thousands, of runners out to a course that’s run entirely within the 843 acres of New York’s Central Park, along a route that unfolds past all of its famous sights — like the Central Park Zoo, the American Museum of Natural History, Tavern on the Green restaurant, the North Meadow and the Great Lawn, to name a few. Because it’s summer it’ll likely be hot, but also a beautiful time of year to run through the park, when the trees are lush with leaves and the meadows and lawns are green and grassy.
Rocky Mountain Half Marathon
Estes Park, Colo. | Saturday, August 2, 2025
You’ll run along the edges of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park at this late summer race, on a course that begins around 7,500 feet above sea level and peaks at about 7,900 feet — so you’ll need to be ready for a high-elevation run! Though the route doesn’t actually enter the park, it features gorgeous views of the mountains from all around, as well as a run around Lake Estes.
Truckee Half Marathon
Truckee, Calif. | Saturday, August 2, 2025
Challenging climbs along scenic mountain trails as well as long stretches along lakeside roads just north of Lake Tahoe await runners at this race, which draws only a few hundred runners each year to this gorgeous mountain resort town. You’ll run a combination of roads and trails through the hills above the city — including a stretch across a plank bridge over a creek, where you’ll need to run single file to get across. Later, you’ll run all the way around Donner Lake, a stretch that features some of the course’s most stunning views — and is named for the infamous Donner Party, the band of settlers from Illinois who became snowbound in these mountains on their trip across the country in 1846.
Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon
Georgetown, Colo. | Saturday, August 9, 2025
A high-altitude half that’s all downhill through Colorado’s Clear Creek Valley, starting up in the Rocky Mountains just west of Denver at about 8,500 feet above sea level. From there, you’ll follow a point-to-point route to the tiny nearby town of Idaho Springs, descending about 1,000 feet by the time you reach the finish line. Along the way, you’ll take in breathtaking views of the mountains, streams, forests and valleys in all directions.
Running Between the Vines Half Marathon
Jackson, Mich. | Saturday, August 9, 2025
A run that starts at the peaceful, relaxing grounds of a winery and then unfolds out into a wilderness area filled with forests, hiking trails, fishing lakes and campgrounds in Michigan’s Waterloo State Recreation Area, a 20,000-acre park that lies less than an hour’s drive from Ann Arbor. The race will take you on an out-and-back course that starts and finishes at the Sandhill Crane Vineyards, a family-owned winery that offers a beautiful backdrop for the race start, with wine grapes in the fields surrounding the course.
Twilight at the Bay Half Marathon
University Place, Wash. | Saturday, August 16, 2025
A late-afternoon, early-evening run around the golf course that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open (won by Jordan Spieth), where you’ll run along long stretches of the shoreline looking out onto Chambers Bay, just south of Seattle. The race starts and finishes near the entrance to the golf course, and the half marathon features three loops around it plus another, longer loop, organizers say: “Immerse yourself in the invigorating atmosphere as you navigate the wide, impeccably paved loop that seamlessly encompasses a mixture of flat sections, inclines, and enticing switchbacks that add an exhilarating element to the journey.”
Sunset Bay Trail Runs
Charleston, Ore. | Saturday, August 23, 2025
A breathtaking run — in more ways than one! — along a stretch of Oregon’s stunningly scenic coastal trails, through Sunset Bay and Cape Arago state parks. As the organizers describe it, the race is “a very challenging course for the longer distances [like the half marathon] and the views will take what breath you have left away. Seriously, this race has it all, killer hills through the woods, an amazing mostly flat cliff section where you’ll see sea lions, ocean rocks, the deep blue sea, and if you’re very lucky, a passing whale.”
Swinging Bridge Trail Run
Winchester, Tenn. | Saturday, August 23, 2025
A beautifully scenic run through Tennessee’s Tims Ford State Park, whose 2,200 acres just over an hour north of Chattanooga, where you’ll get to run a route that features “beautiful lake views, several bridge crossings, a mixture [of] silky smooth [and] technical single track,” organizers say. This race will take place in late summer in the Southeast, so be ready for warm temperatures, possible rain and mud, and plenty of bugs — bring your insect spray! The race offers both a half marathon and a 10K, both of which unfold almost entirely along the shoreline of Tims Ford Lake.
Iron Horse Half Marathon
North Bend, Wash. | Sunday, August 24, 2025
For those of us ready for a lighter challenge, this almost all-downhill run unfolds on a pair of trails alongside the Snoqualmie River near Seattle. You’ll run on an old railbed that once ferried passengers on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad from the early 1900s to the early 1980s, and today is a more than 200-mile-long trail for hikers, runners and cyclists. Stretches through forests, old railroad tunnels and over train trestles are part of the route inside Iron Horse State Park, after which you’ll turn onto the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, which you’ll follow to the finish line in North Bend.
Grand-Further Mountain Run
Banner Elk, N.C. | Saturday, August 24, 2024
You’ll run all the way to the top of the highest peak in the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina — to 5,946 feet above sea level, gaining more than 4,000 feet from where you start — at this end-of-summer trail race at Grandfather Mountain, which is “home to some of the most gnarliest trails you can find on the east coast,” organizers say. “The terrain is unforgiving, extremely technical, but most of all, astounding,” they add, as you’ll need to use the fixed ropes and ladders placed at various points along the route, which climbs the mountain twice, from both sides — and while you’re there, don’t forget to take in the mountain’s famous mile-high swinging bridge.
Amish Country Half Marathon
Millersburg, Ohio | Saturday, September 6, 2025
You’ll run through the tiny town of Berlin (population: about 900) in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country at this race, where you’ll be surrounded not only by several other Amish villages but also plenty of gorgeous rolling country hills and farms. From the starting line in the town center, runners head onto the rolling country roads where they’ll encounter some challenging hills, especially in the race’s first half. Children from local Amish families will be helping out at a few of the water stops along the course, organizers say, and every finisher will receive locally-made hot buttered noodles at the finish line.
Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon
Bird-in-Hand, Pa. | Saturday, September 6, 2025
You’ll think you’re in another time and place when you run this race through Lancaster County, in the Amish country of southern Pennsylvania. The race unfolds along rolling country roads in and around this small village of roughly 300 residents whose history dates all the way back to the early 1730s, when it was founded by small communities of Quakers and Mennonites. Along the way, runners will get to see a glimpse of what the area’s Amish families are like, as many Amish who live here will be out at the aid stations to offer refreshments to the runners passing by.
Run Woodstock Trail Races
Gregory, Mich. | Saturday, September 6, 2025
With nine trail running events over three days, Run Woodstock unfolds along miles of single-track Potawatomi trails through the peaceful wilderness of southern Michigan’s Pinckney State Recreation Area, an 11,000-acre park just northwest of Ann Arbor. Along the half marathon course, you’ll run uphill and downhill stretches, past lakes and streams, and along a combination of trails through tree-covered forests as well as stretches out in the wide-open sun. As the organizers say, “camp out on the land and set your soul free with a weekend of trail runs and classic rock, a ‘celebration of freedom and fitness.’ The laid-back and groovy three-day festival includes live music, wild races and a variety of group activities, including yoga, hiking, moonlight swims and campfires.”
Bozeman Half Marathon
Bozeman, Mont. | Sunday, September 7, 2025
An all-downhill, point-to-point run through the beautiful scenery of Montana’s Gallatin Valley, where you’ll start in the foothills of the mountains that surround Bozeman and finish on Main Street downtown. Along the way, you’ll take in awe-inspiring views of the Bridger and Gallatin mountain ranges, as well as the farms and ranches you pass, with wide-open meadows and fields almost as far as the eye can see. While you’re in town, if you have time pay a visit to Yellowstone National Park — it’s just over an hour’s drive away.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust Half Marathon
Bar Harbor, Maine | Saturday, September 13, 2025
A stunning run through Maine’s Acadia National Park, the only race of its kind that actually runs through the grounds of a U.S. national park, and takes place at a time when the autumn leaves are turning brilliant shades of orange, red and gold. Most of the race unfolds along the 47,000-acre park’s carriage roads, built by the philanthropist John D. Rockefeller between 1913 and 1940 to offer a way for “city-folk” to escape the urban jungle and get away to the park’s seashores, forests and lakes. Today they’re filled year-round with walkers, hikers, bicycles and horse-drawn carriages — but no cars.
Jones Gap Half Marathon
Marietta, S.C. | Saturday, September 13, 2025
A trail half marathon that unfolds inside South Carolina’s Jones Gap State Park, whose 13,000 acres lie just north of the Greenville-Spartanburg metro area, along the Middle Saluda River. You’ll run several of the park’s 60 miles of trails, including stretches that take you past the Rainbow Falls waterfall and a section of the rim of the gap trail and Little Pinnacle Mountain. As the organizers say, “the course will include a section of road leading to Jones Gap before ascending a series of single track trails. If the views do not take your breath away the uphill hiking most certainly will.”
