Is (running in) Georgia on your mind? Atlanta, the state’s capital city, is famous for its music scene, a bedrock for the Civil Rights movement, and a home to five major professional sports teams. For half marathoners, this Southern city is a great location for milder winter racing. Or, challenging summertime runs!) and offers both large-scale urban road race events and quieter romps through urban green spaces. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best Atlanta half marathons you can run in 2023 and 2024.
Publix Atlanta Marathon & Half Marathon
You’ll be in good company during the Publix Atlanta Marathon & Half Marathon. This popular event routinely draws over 16,000 participants from around the country (and world)! Runners challenge themselves on a hilly route through Atlanta.
Beginning in 2024, half marathoners will be able to choose their own adventure. Either running the first or the second 13.1 miles of the full marathon course. Those participating in the first half will run the race’s traditional route, which passes through the historic Sweet Auburn district—where Martin Luther King Jr. lived and preached—around Inman Park district, through hilly Freedom Park, and into the refreshing urban greenspace of Piedmont Park.
Runners who want to take on the second half will get to start approximately an hour later. Those runners will experience the iconic sight of Mercedes Benz Stadium, pass the Atlanta University Center, and run beneath the Atlanta Olympic rings before heading back for their finish.
The Publix Atlanta Half Marathon takes our pick out of all the Atlanta half marathons, especially if you’re a beginner.
Sunday, February 25, 2024 | Atlanta, GA | Race info & signup
Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon & 5K
Run in the steps of sports history during the Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon & 5K. The course features several portions of the marathon route used for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, held in Atlanta.
This Atlanta Track Club-sponsored event is one of Georgia’s longest-running for over 40 years. Racers begin and end their run beneath the iconic Olympic rings at Center Parc Stadium.
Runners will then challenge themselves on the Georgia hills as they tackle Midtown and downtown Atlanta. Runners will pass historic sites like the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum, the Gold Dome of the state capitol building, and Turner Field, home of the MLB’s Atlanta Braves.
If you’re looking to celebrate Thanksgiving with a bit of running, you should be making sure this Atlanta half marathons shows up on your calendar.
Thursday, November 23, 2023 | Atlanta, GA | Race info & signup
Hotlanta Half Marathon, Relay & 5K
There are many great months of running weather in Atlanta. June is…not widely recognized as one of them. But if you’re looking for a summertime challenge with upper 80s temps practically guaranteed, the Hotlanta Half Marathon, Relay & 5K is the race for you.
The event starts and finishes at the World of Coca-Cola, a museum showcasing the Atlanta-founded company’s storied history. From there, half marathoners will loop through downtown and midtown Atlanta. Racers will tour past several of the city’s notable highlights. Those highlights include the College Football Hall of Fame, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
After the race, participants will be treated to a post-race party in Pemberton Place, the shared greenspace that connects the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Expect refreshments, music, and more!
Don’t be dissuaded by the warm weather, this is one of the Atlanta half marathons worth prioritizing!
June 2024 | Atlanta, GA | Race info & signup
Jeff Galloway 13.1 Half Marathon
Jeff Galloway—a former Olympic runner, the mastermind behind the Galloway runner training programs, and the first-ever winner of the Atlanta July 4th Peachtree Road Race —is a staple of the Atlanta running scene.
He’s also the founder of the Jeff Galloway 13.1 Half Marathon and Barb’s 5K, so named for his wife, Barbara. The point-to-point course is an exploration of famous Georgia sites.
The race begins a block away from the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum, home of the Gone with the Wind author. The race then unfolds through Atlanta’s most historic neighborhoods. Touring past the Carter Center, along the Freedom Parkway Trail, and looping around the Atlanta Botanical Garden before finishing up at the athletic field oval in Piedmont Park.
Sunday, March 17, 2024 | Atlanta, GA | Race info & signup
Area 13.1 Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
Stay on the lookout for a potential alien invasion during the Area 13.1 Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. The race celebrates extraterrestrials in the Georgian city that shares its name with the site of a purported 1947 UFO landing in New Mexico.
This race is known for its “out of this world” flat and fast course. There’s only 224 feet of elevation change throughout the entire half marathon, making it perfect for a PR.
Headlamps are recommended. Glow in the dark gear is provided for this dusky race. It begins at 7:00 PM and extends throughout the evening.
The course is an out-and-back route from Roswell’s Riverside Park. Runners will follow the Chattahoochee River as it winds through portions of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and the Morgan Falls Reservoir park.
Saturday, August 19, 2023 | Roswell, GA | Race info & signup
I’m Bound for Boston Marathon & Half Marathon
Dreaming of running the Boston Marathon and in need of a fierce PR? This course is designed with speed in mind as you shave a few minutes off of your qualifying time, and both the full and half marathon courses are USATF certified.
Both races will be run on the same 1-mile looped [pavement course that follows Johns Creek Street and Parkway. While running the same route 13 (or 26!) times can get a bit repetitive, organizers assure participants that ample on-course support, entertainment, and music will be available to keep the event fun and runners motivated!
Sunday, September 3, 2023 | Johns Creek, GA | Race info & signup
Atlanta Halloween Half Marathon & 5K
Come in costume for the Atlanta installment of this popular half marathon series, which awards categories such as “fastest hero,” “fastest funny costume,” and the intentionally vague “fastest ‘huh?’” among other prizes.
Runners will take a romp through the urban forest that is Atlanta as they follow a looped course through midtown, downtown, and nearby neighborhoods. The race begins and ends at the Charles Allen Gate entrance to Piedmont Park and tours runners on the paths through the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Piedmont Park Dog Park before heading into midtown.
Along the way, half marathoners will enjoy the striking views of the downtown Atlanta skyline and explore the Freedom Park Trail and the Beltline’s Eastside Trail as they loop their way back to the finish line.
Sunday, October 29, 2023 | Atlanta, GA | Race info & signup
The Race 13.1 & 5K
Support Black-owned businesses, neighborhoods, and charities at The Race 13.1 & 5K.
Initially launched in 2017 by The Unity Collective, The Race’s impact goes beyond miles run to support several community partners. Participants support local initiatives through race fee donations, community planning and volunteer opportunities, and a Community Impact Service Day project that concludes the event weekend.
The half marathon itself begins and ends at Atlanta’s Impact Church. From there, participants head north to circle a course that explores Atlanta’s West End, passing through historic neighborhoods and parks, and notably touring past the Atlanta University Center—the world’s oldest and largest consortium of historically Black colleges and universities, including Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College.
Saturday, October 7, 2023 | East Point, GA | Race info & signup
Tryptophan Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
You’ll earn your right to a Thanksgiving feast after participating in the Tryptophan Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, an Atlanta-area tradition for over 10 years.
The course, revamped in 2022, is a straightforward and mostly flat out-and-back route beginning and ending in front of Rosati’s Pizza and Sports Pub in Cumming. Starting with the full pack of runners, half marathoners will continue past the 5K and 10K turnaround points as they travel south along Peachtree Parkway to the turnaround point past the Brookwood Target before traveling back to the finish line.Can’t make it on race day? Participate virtually—you’ll still get to sport a participant bib, long-sleeved race shirt, and finisher’s medal.
Thursday, November 23, 2023 | Cumming, GA | Race info & signup
Other Atlanta Half Marathons You Should Consider
- The Whiskey Run – Atlanta on September 2, 2023
- Coffee Lovers Run 13.1 on September 30, 2023
- Run for Donuts Run 13.1 on September 30, 2023
- Spooky Sprint – Atlanta on October 22, 2023
- Silver Comet Marathon & Half Marathon on October 28, 2023
- Halloween Run 13.1 on October 28, 2023
- Early Bird Turkey Trot on November 18, 2023
- Five Star Turkey Trot on November 23, 2023
- Chilly Willy Half Marathon on January 13, 2024
- Lucky Half Marathon on March 11, 2024
- Christmas in July Half Marathon on July 22, 2023
