1) Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon • Santa Ynez, CA
Part of a series of races that run every year in the California wine country, this race unfolds past rolling farmlands and vineyards and finishes at a wine and music festival that’s just starting up in Solvang Park as runners are crossing the finish line.
May • Race info & signup >>
2) Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon • Virginia Beach, VA
There will be plenty of beer (and other refreshments) waiting for runners when they cross the finish line right on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk at this race, which features bands playing out on the course at nearly every other mile marker.
September • Race info & signup >>
3) Santa Cruz Half Marathon • Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz’s West Cliff Drive, a beautifully scenic and windswept coastal road along this Northern California city’s rocky Pacific coastline, serves as the course for much of this race, which finishes along the Santa Cruz Boardwalk at Cowell Beach.
April • Race info & signup >>
4) Navy-Air Force Half Marathon • Washington, DC
You’ll run past the Lincoln, Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt Memorials, and past the infamous Watergate Hotel at this race in our nation’s capital, which finishes within steps of the Washington Monument.
September • Race info & signup >>
5) Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon • Philadelphia, PA
This course makes a pass through Independence National Historical Park, home to both Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, on the way to a finish next to the Schuykill River and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the famed Rocky statue stands.
September • Race info & signup >>
6) America’s Finest City Half Marathon • San Diego, CA
Thousands of runners each year make their way from the mists of Point Loma to the green, expansive meadows of San Diego’s Balboa Park where this race’s finish line lies, and where runners can take in any of the park’s 15 museums after their run, including the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
August • Race info & signup >>
7) Urban Bourbon Half Marathon • Louisville, KY
The banks of the Ohio River as well as this famous Kentucky city’s downtown streets and parks are the setting for this race, which features a finish line on Main Street in front of the Evan Willliams Bourbon Experience, where you can tour the distillery and enjoy bourbon tastings in the post-race lounge.
October • Race info & signup >>
8) Thelma & Louise Half Marathon • Moab, UT
Inspired by the classic 1991 movie starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, this race unfolds entirely along the winding Colorado River just outside Moab, and features stunning scenery throughout all the way to the finish line at the Gold Bar Campground.
June • Race info & signup >>
9) Southern Fried Half Marathon • Nags Head, NC
Known for its mixture of fast and flat stretches through unspoiled coastal wilderness along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, this race finishes in picturesque downtown Manteo, a tiny coastal town nestled along the shore of Roanoke Island.
November • Race info & signup >>
10) Malibu International Half Marathon • Malibu, CA
Rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, waves crashing against the shoreline, and plenty of rugged hills await at this early fall race, which features a race finish at Point Mugu Beach inside Point Mugu State Park, where you can cool off with a dip in the Pacific Ocean after you cross the finish line.
November • Race info & signup >>
11) MORE/Shape Women’s Half Marathon • New York, NY
This gorgeous, looping race unfolds entirely within New York’s Central Park and sells out quickly every year. Runners start near the park’s southwest corner and run past the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the North Meadow and Sheep Meadow, and the Great Lawn before crossing the finish line near the Bethesda Fountain.
April • Race info & signup >>
