“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself — the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us — that’s where it’s at.” — Jesse Owens
1) Pikes Peak Ascent • Pikes Peak, CO
You’ll run literally up the side of a mountain at this race, which starts at 6,300 feet above sea level and climbs all the way to 14,115 feet. Temperatures at the start can rise to the 90s during the day, while runners might face near-freezing weather at the summit.
August • Race info & signup >>
2) Blue Ridge Half Marathon • Roanoke, VA
With a total elevation gain of about 1,900 feet, there’s no wonder this has been called perhaps America’s toughest road half marathon. Both its half and its full marathon feature 7 1/2-hour course time limits, which also tells you how tough this gorgeous race through Virginia’s Blue Ridge Parkway area really is.
April • Race info & signup >>
3) Pier to Peak Half Marathon • Santa Barbara, CA
Sometimes called “the world’s toughest half marathon,” this challenging 13.1-miler takes runners all the way from the edge of Sterns Wharf all the way up to La Cumbra Peak, which overlooks the city and the water from an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet above sea level.
September • Race info & signup >>
4) Peak Snowshoe Race Half Marathon • Pittsfield, VT
With a course that takes participants through the snowy mountain terrain of western Vermont, this race stands out for the difficulty of its conditions and terrain — it starts with a daunting 200-yard dash through three feet of pure, unbroken snow.
March • Race info & signup >>
5) Race to Robie Creek Half Marathon • Boise, ID
Described by race organizers as “the toughest half marathon in the Northwest,” this race lives up to its reputation with a steadily climbing rise in elevation from the first mile all the way to the 8.5-mile point in the race, by which point runners should feel completely exhausted.
April • Race info & signup >>
6) Monster Half Marathon • Ithaca, NY
With a total climb in elevation of about 5,560 feet, this course more than lives up to its billing as “the toughest marathon course in the East.” And organizers note: “heat exhaustion, sprained ankles, yellow jacket stings, animal bites, lacerations, encounters with forest monsters, and collisions with vehicles at road crossings are possible during the run.”
August • Race info & signup >>
7) Sierra Azul Trail Challenge Half Marathon • Los Gatos, CA
The Sierra Azul Open Space Preserve just south of Los Gatos offers a challenging run over a combination of park fire roads and dirt trails, and follows an out-and-back route that the organizers describe as “one of the toughest runs out there.”
April • Race info & signup >>
8) Bearathon Half Marathon • Waco, TX
Called “the hardest half-marathon in the state of Texas” by its organizers, this early spring race unfolds across a pair of bridges and into Waco’s Cameron Park, where runners will make their way over challenging hills along both the Brazos and Bosque Rivers.
March • Race info & signup >>
9) Whiskey Row Half Marathon • Prescott, AZ
This race definitely lives up to its reputation, with a steep climb from the starting line to the half-way point in the race of roughly 1,000 feet in elevation. The first few miles are run on roads, while the rest unfolds along dirt forest service roads inside the Prescott National Forest.
May • Race info & signup >>
10) Jemez Mountain Trail Runs Half Marathon • Los Alamos, NM
The single-track trails and dirt roads that make their way throughout the Jemez Mountains outside Los Alamos, N.M., are the setting for this race, which is designed for experienced trail runners ready for both high altitudes and plenty of steep changes in elevation.
May • Race info & signup >>
11) Run the Valley Half Marathon • Badin, NC
Known as one of the toughest half marathons in the state, this race runs from the town of Badin up to the top of the namesake mountain in Morrow Mountain State Park, whose more than 4,700 acres are part of North Carolina’s Uwharrie Mountain range.
September • Race info & signup >>
12) Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon • Los Angeles, CA
Read for a half with no flat stretches? This race features a series of constant rolling hills peppered with a few serious climbs, run exclusively on dirt paths that snake through canyons and caves. You’ll be wishing you’d brought a donkey — the average slope of the course is 10%.
November • Race info & signup >>
13) Catalina Island Eco Half Marathon • Avalon, CA
A great race for trail runners or those looking for a new challenge, this race features gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, rugged terrain and lots of elevation change, along the winding roads inside the Catalina Island Conservancy Nature Preserve.
November • Race info & signup >>
14) The Hottest Half • Dallas, TX
Make sure you take advantage of each and every one of the water stations scattered throughout the 13.1-mile course at this late summer race, run along the Trinity River on a day when the average high temperature is 95 degrees.
August • Race info & signup >>
