“Every mile I run is my first. Every hour on the roads a new beginning. Every day I put on my running clothes, I am born again. Seeing things as if for the first time… There is no other way to run, no other way to live.” — George Sheehan
1) Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon • Indianapolis, IN
Named for the tour on which it takes runners past the Indiana State Capitol, Monument Circle and several other federal monuments, this mostly flat race begins on Washington Street near the Indiana State Museum, and features a number of small hills.
Sat, Nov 5 • Race info & signup >>
2) Harbor Half Marathon • Corpus Christi, TX
Warm, balmy weather conditions along the Gulf coastline that let runners compete in shorts and without shirts if they like are the norm at this race, which takes runners along the big, gradual uphill and downhill stretch across the Harbor Bridge over Corpus Christi Bay.
Sat, Nov 5 • Race info & signup >>
3) Malibu International Half Marathon • Malibu, CA
Rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, waves crashing against the shoreline, and plenty of rugged hills await at this gorgeous point-to-point route along the Pacific Coast Highway, starting at Point Mugu Beach.
Sun, Nov 6 • Race info & signup >>
4) Dallas Running Club Half Marathon • Dallas, TX
One of the oldest and most popular half marathons in the country, this race takes runners around the entire circumference of 1,015-acre White Rock Lake, one of the crown jewels of the city’s urban parks system.
Sun, Nov 6 • Race info & signup >>
5) Saint Louis Half Marathon • St. Louis, MO
Some 500 acres larger than New York’s Central Park, Forest Park is where you’ll run nine miles of this race, in a place that served as the site for the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904 and today is filled with trees, lakes, ponds and wide-open meadows.
Sun, Nov 6 • Race info & signup >>
6) Manchester City Half Marathon • Manchester, NH
Set for its 10th annual running through the historic downtown mill district here in the largest city in the Granite State, this race features ample views of the city’s most scenic areas, including the banks of the Merrimack River, Livingston Park and Derryfield Park.
Sun, Nov 6 • Race info & signup >>
7) Santa Barbara Veterans Day Half Marathon • Santa Barbara, CA
Known for gorgeous views of the Pacific and its signature Spanish Colonial architectural style — featured in countless movies, from the 1967 Dustin Hoffman classic “The Graduate” to 2009’s “It’s Complicated” — Santa Barbara offers both natural and man-made scenery aplenty at this race.
Sat, Nov 12 • Race info & signup >>
8) Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon • Fort Oglethorpe, GA
Back in 1863 it was the site of the bloodiest two-day battle of the Civil War, but today it’s a 5,000-acre park filled with forests, streams, wide-open grassy meadows, and horse and hiking trails through the woods, where more than 1,000 runners meet each fall.
Sat, Nov 12 • Race info & signup >>
9) Richmond Half Marathon • Richmond, VA
Run along tree-lined avenues and past many monuments and parks through this historic Southern city, the Richmond Half has become an annual fall tradition and is considered an excellent race for first-time marathoners and half-marathoners.
Sat, Nov 12 • Race info & signup >>
10) Seacoast Half Marathon • Portsmouth, NH
Run, walk, or jog through the saltwater marshes, woodlands, and rugged coastline of New Hampshire’s Portsmouth Harbor at this mostly flat, fast race, which offers a scenic tour of Portsmouth as well as nearby Rye and New Castle.
Sun, Nov 13 • Race info & signup >>
11) Stache Half Marathon • Ipswich, MA
It’s a race that welcomes every runner sporting his own facial hair — and if you don’t have your own, they’ll give you a stick-on mustache to wear during the race. So that means men and women will all be sporting a stache in style — nobody will have any excuse to be clean shaven!
Sun, Nov 13 • Race info & signup >>
12) Annapolis Running Classic Half Marathon • Annapolis, MD
Runners will pass by many of this historic city’s most scenic areas like the historic Reynolds Tavern — the oldest of its kind in Annapolis, dating back to the late 1700s — as well as the Maryland State House and the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel.
Sat, Nov 19 • Race info & signup >>
13) Catalina Island Eco Half Marathon • Avalon, CA
A great race for trail runners or those looking for a new challenge, the Catalina Island Eco Half Marathon features gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, rugged terrain and lots of elevation change.
Sat, Nov 19 • Race info & signup >>
14) Thankful 13 Half Marathon • Lehi, UT
Eight miles of paved trails that are closed to car traffic await at a race with only 74 feet of elevation change, perfect for first-timers, walkers and anyone who doesn’t want to challenge themselves too much on Turkey Day.
Thu, Nov 24 • Race info & signup >>
15) Seattle Half Marathon • Seattle, WA
Run each year on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, this event takes participants on a course through Seattle’s city streets in the shadow of the famed Space Needle and features beautiful views along the course of nearby Lake Washington and Lake Union.
Sun, Nov 27 • Race info & signup >>
