The Best Half Marathons You Can Walk

Yes, we love running. But we’re equally fans of walking too. Some races, like the Kauai Half Marathon, take you through lush, tropical forests where walking gives you the advantage of being able to take in the sights, smells, and ambiance around you. A low-impact exercise, walking also offers a less intimidating entry point for those looking to bag their first race. With a solid training plan in place and the right preparation, you’re bound to have a great time.

Calendar: Best Walking Half Marathons of 2025

• Burn Your Half Off on July 2025 (date TBA)
• Dave McKay Memorial Half Marathon on August 2025 (date TBA)
• The Kauai Marathon on August 31, 2025
• Holland Haven Half Marathon on September 7, 2025
• Surfers Point Half Marathon on September 7, 2025
• New Hampshire Half Marathon on October 4, 2025
• Long Beach Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
• Portland Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
• Maine Marathon on October 5, 2025
• WhiskeyRow Half Marathon on October 2025 (date TBA)
• Run Crazy Horse Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
• Wineglass Half Marathon on October 5, 2025
• WhistleStop Half Marathon on October 11, 2025
• Des Plaines River Trail Half Marathon on October 11, 2025
• Lake Powell Half Marathon on October 2025 (date TBA)
• Indian Creek Trail 15-Mile on October 18, 2025
• Urban Bourbon Half Marathon on October 18, 2025
• Des Moines Half Marathon on October 19, 2025
• Grand Rapids Half Marathon on October 19, 2025
• Happy Girls Run Sisters Half Marathon on October 25, 2025
• Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon on November 8, 2025
• REVEL Big Bear Half Marathon on November 8, 2025
• Madison Half Marathon on November 9, 2025
• Route 66 Half Marathon on November 23, 2025
• DONNA National Half Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer on February 2, 2025
• Mesa Half Marathon on February 8, 2025
• Fort Lauderdale A1A Half Marathon on February 16, 205
• Lost Dutchman Marathon on February 16, 2025
• Modesto Half Marathon on March 23, 2025
• West Point Fallen Comrades Half Marathon on March 9, 2025
• REVEL Mt. Charleston Half Marathon on April 5, 2025
• Delaware Half Marathon on April 6, 2025
• Blue Ridge Half Marathon on April 12, 2025
• Rock the Parkway on April 12, 2025
• Earth Day Half Marathon on April 19, 2025
• Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon on April 25, 2025
• Run With Scissors Half Marathon on April 26, 2025
• Maui Half Marathon on April 27, 2025
• REVEL White Mountains Half Marathon on May 4, 2025
• San Juan Island Half Marathon on May 10, 2025
• New River Half Marathon on May 17, 2025
• Wyoming Half Marathon on May 25, 2025
• Slacker Half Marathon on June (date TBA)
• East Bay Half Marathon on June 8, 2025
• Governor’s Cup Half Marathon on June 14, 2025
• Skagway Half Marathon on June 2025 (date TBA)
• The Great Ferry Race Half Marathon on June 8, 2025
• Kona Marathon on June 21, 2025
• Missoula Half Marathon on June 29, 2025
• Totem to Totem Half Marathon on July 2025 (date TBA)

Burn Your Half Off

• Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee
• When: July 2025 (exact date TBA)

A cheeky name isn’t the only fun thing about this race. The route winds along the Tennessee Riverwalk trail and features unique public art, green spaces, fishing piers, and the Chickamauga Dam. A party awaits you at the finish line with food and festivities that continue until the last person finishes. “Walkers are not only allowed, they are encouraged,” according to the website. With a time limit of 8 hours this is a great race for first-timers at any distance.

Dave McKay Memorial Half Marathon

• Where: Flagstaff, AZ
• When: August 2025 (TBA)

Get ready for a high-altitude challenge at this race, which lies at an elevation of about 7,000 feet above sea level and features a walkers’ start an hour and a half before the runners. This challenging and scenic course starts at Thorpe Park and ascends a steep urban trail onto the beautiful Observatory Mesa Natural Area.

The Kauai Marathon

• Where: Poipu, HI
• When: August 31, 2025

Walking this half marathon matches the island’s relaxed, unhurried pace. Wind your way through waterfalls, tropical foliage, and ‘The Tunnel of Trees,” a beautiful canopy of over 500 Eucalyptus trees. This race offers one of the most beautiful places anywhere on earth for a running/walking event.

Holland Haven Half Marathon

• Where: Holland, MI
• When: September 7, 2025

Set along the coast of Lake Michigan, Holland has a peaceful and scenic small town atmosphere for your next race. This walker-friendly half marathon has a 6-hour time limit and runs along the lakeshore with both paved roads and biking trails past Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa.

Surfers Point Half Marathon

• Where: Ventura, CA
• When: September 7, 2025

Lined with palm trees along the Southern California coastline, Ventura’s Promenade Park serves as the race start and finish for this event, which offers a generous 7-hour time limit. The course is very flat and walker-friendly, and most of the race takes place either within shouting distance of the beachfront or along the beachfront itself.

New Hampshire Half Marathon

• Where: Bristol, NH
• When: October 4, 2025

This small, friendly, and community oriented event welcomes runners and walkers to experience the natural beauty of New Hampshire. The course is set around Newfound Lake and sees more than 500 runners cross the finish in the full, half and, 10K combined each year.

Long Beach Half Marathon

• Where: Long Beach, California
• When: October 5, 2025

Featuring long stretches of beachfront runs along the Pacific coastline, the Long Beach course takes runners and walkers along a fast, flat course with some of the most scenic seaside running areas in California. The half marathon has a course time limit of 6 hours.

Portland Half Marathon

• When: October 5, 2025
• Where: Portland, OR

Dubbed one of the “Best Fall Marathons” by Runner’s World, this course runs through the streets and riverside parkways of Oregon’s largest and highlights some of the city’s best sights. A 6-hour time limit for the half marathon gives you plenty of time to see the sights.

Maine Marathon

• When: October 5, 2025
• Where: Portland, ME

You’ll get the best of Maine with views of the Back Cove, Casco Bay, and peak fall foliage. This out-and-back route features a mix of rolling hills and flat sections along trails, parks, and the waterfront. Turn it into a run-cation and enjoy the artistic flair, historic charm, and vibrant food and beer scene of this charming New England city.

WhiskeyRow Half Marathon

• Where: Prescott, AZ
• When: October 2025 (date TBA)

Organizers say the challenging climbs of this race make it one of the toughest marathons in the U.S., but if you can finish the half marathon in 5 hours you are welcome to enter as a walker. The race event is known for its rugged terrain, emphatic elevation gains, and the often severe weather run-ins throughout the challenging course. If you’re up for the challenge, Whiskey Row is surely going to become your favorite annual half marathon!

Run Crazy Horse Half Marathon

• Where: Crazy Horse, SD
• When: October 5, 2025

The gorgeous and oftentimes stark and jagged natural scenery of South Dakota’s Black Hills will be on display at this race, which features a 7-hour time limit for walkers and runners. Designed to raise awareness and interest in the area’s majestic tourist attractions, the race also serves as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity and the American Heart Association.

Wineglass Half Marathon

• When: October 5, 2025
• Where: Corning, NY

Walk through the wine country of New York’s Finger Lakes region during this point-to-point course from Campbell, NY to the finish line on Historic Market Street in Corning. The picturesque course is fast and flat, winding through several small towns and along scenic country roads.

WhistleStop Half Marathon

• When: October 11, 2025
• Where: Ashland, WI

Run along a crushed limestone gravel trail that’s designed to be easier on the knees and joints than ordinary road races. This fast and flat course winds along Wisconsin’s Tri-County Corridor, a 60-mile rails-to-trails project that spans from the lakeshore Wisconsin town of Superior all the way to Ashland. The race offers a scenic fall backdrop and a 6-hour time limit for its 13.1-mile distance.

Des Plaines River Trail Half Marathon

• When: October 11, 2025
• Where: Des Plaines IL

Starting and finishing at the Half Day Forest Preserve, this course winds along the beautiful and fast Des Plaines River Trail located just outside of Chicago. Flat and wide, the crushed gravel trail is also free of roots and rocks which is ideal for fast times. You’ll have 9.5 hours to complete the race.

Lake Powell Half Marathon

• Where: Page, AZ
• When: October 2025 (date TBA)

A great half marathon for both beginners and experienced trail runners alike, this breathtaking race features a 4-hour time limit. Run just inside the outskirts of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument on the Utah-Arizona border and admire spectacular views that no other race course can offer in Arizona. With mountainside sites of Lake Powell, the Vermillion Cliffs and its painting-like red rocks throughout — plus tremendous temperatures to accompany it — this half marathon is one for the books.

Indian Creek Trail Run 15-Mile

• Where: Sedalia, CO
• When: October 18, 2025

Featuring some of the best, seldom-used single track of the Denver Metro area, this 15-mile course travels through the lower and upper montane ecosystems of the Front Range. Feast your eyes upon the lodgepole pine forest sprinkled with sprawling aspen groves, the same red rock formations that make up the Red Rocks Amphitheater, and occasional glimpses of nearby 14ers that tower above. The time of year also makes it a great opportunity to do some leaf peeping and admire the changing colors. You’ll have a cutoff time of 12 hours to see the sights and cross the finish line.

Urban Bourbon Half Marathon

• Where: Louisville, KY
• When: October 18, 2025

If you like bourbon, this is your race. Jim Beam will greet you at the finish line, where you’ll have the option to take a tour of the distillery and enjoy a bourbon tasting. The half marathon features exclusive bourbon experiences and a post-race party that Runner’s World called “one of the best half marathon after-parties in the country.” As long as you can keep an 18 minute per mile pace, you’ll be well on your way to whiskey.

IMT Des Moines Half Marathon

• Where: Des Moines, IA
• When: October 19, 2025

With a 7-hour time limit, this race makes it possible for runners, walkers, and wheelchair participants to compete. Considered an excellent half marathon for first-time participants, the out-and-back course is largely fast and flat. Wind your way through the city’s parkland areas and enjoy the urban scenery, tree-lined park roads, and open green spaces.

Grand Rapids Half Marathon

• Where: Grand Rapids, MI
• When: October 19, 2025

Thanks to its gentle, forgiving, fast, and flat course, this race is considered an excellent choice for first-time marathoners and half marathoners. With a supportive atmosphere and emphasis on community and celebrating accomplishments of all kind, this is a race that is bound to lift your spirits.

Happy Girls Run Sisters Half Marathon

• Where: Sisters, OR
• When: October 25, 2025

Meet new friends and enjoy bonding time with women of all ages and levels. You’ll have 4 hours to finish this all-women’s trail half marathon along the Peterson Ridge Trail, a more than 20-mile-long network of mountain biking and hiking trails that (depending on the season) can be dusty and loose or packed with snow. The course weaves through the Deschutes National Forest, offering stunning views and rolling terrain amongst the Ponderosa pines. Be ready for a challenge with elevation change and some climbing in the beginning.

Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon

• Where: Fort Oglethorpe, GA
• When: November 8, 2025

A fun and friendly race for first timers, this event has a 6-hour time limit and starts off with a bang — ie their signature start line cannon shot. Enjoy views of nature and history as you walk along the paved course through vast fields, monuments and slightly rolling hills.

REVEL Big Bear Half Marathon

• Where: Big Bear, CA
• When: November 8, 2025

Fast and beautiful, this road race takes you through the mountains and forests of Big Bear to the foothills of Redlands. The course features a smooth downhill slope and spectacular scenery of San Bernardino National Forest. A 6:30 time limit gives you ample time to take in the views with a leisure walking pace.

Madison Half Marathon

• Where: Madison, WI
• When: November 9, 2025

Looking for a late fall half marathon to round out your racing season? Midwesterners can look forward to the Madison Marathon & Half Marathon, which takes place in mid-November each year. Start and finish at the Capitol Square and take a tour through some of Madison’s most iconic areas.

Route 66 Half Marathon

• Where: Tulsa, OK
• When: November 23, 2025

More than 5,500 runners, walkers and wheelchair competitors cross the finish line each year — including more than 4,000 finishers in the half marathon — at the autumn running of Tulsa’s Williams Route 66 Marathon series, which unfolds for a scenic tour of the city’s downtown area and parks along the Arkansas River.

Donna National Half Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer

• Where: Jacksonville Beach, FL
• When: February 2, 2025

Do you enjoy long walks on the beach? This race boasts two and a half miles along the sands of Jacksonville’s beaches and an opportunity to support one of the running world’s most significant charitable fundraising efforts. Past years have seen more than 6,000 runners cross the finish line in all races combined to help those fighting breast cancer and support research in combatting the disease.

Mesa Half Marathon

• Where: Mesa, AZ
• When: February 8, 2025

If you’re looking for a winter race, this is it. Set to take place at a time of year when temperatures should only reach the upper 60s at most, the Mesa Marathon offers walkers a 6-hour time limit. Make your way down from the hills of Usery Mountain Regional Park overlooking this eastern suburb of the Phoenix metropolitan area and into the city streets and neighborhoods of Mesa.

Fort Lauderdale A1A Half Marathon

• Where: Fort Lauderdale, FL
• When: February 16, 2025

Experience 13.1 miles of signature South Florida beauty. Walk through the city’s streets starting at the downtown Museum of Discovery and Science and finishing at South Beach Park, with gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean. This course is fast and flat with 6 hours to cross the finish line.

Lost Dutchman Half Marathon

• Where: Apache Junction, AZ
• When: February 16, 2025

Quoted as one of the “Best Little Marathons in the Country” by Runner’s World, this race offers a rugged desert course and what is usually a smaller field of participants than bigger-city races. Beautifully scenic and very challenging, there is a 6:30 time limit that gives walkers ample opportunity to cross the finish line.

Modesto Half Marathon

• Where: Modesto, CA
• When: March 23, 2025

This running event also serves as a fundraiser for the city’s local nonprofit, Teens Run Modesto. The program supports local youth — especially those at-risk — with goal-setting, character development, adult mentoring, and improved physical fitness. The half marathon course if flat and fast, taking participants through tree-lined historic college neighborhoods, past Modesto Junior College’s west campus, and into the countryside surrounded by scenic orchards.

West Point Fallen Comrades Half Marathon

• Where: West Point, NY
• When: March 9, 2025

This race takes runners around the campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point and along the Hudson River. The half marathon welcomes walkers to participate with its 4-hour course time limit.

REVEL Mt. Charleston Half Marathon

• Where: Las Vegas, NV
• When: April 5, 2025

Follow a fast, stunningly scenic, and all-downhill course along a route that starts in Kyle Canyon just outside the city and finishes at Centennial Hills Park in Las Vegas. The time limit for this race is based on a 30 minute per mile pace, which is a leisurely walking pace equating to a 6:30 half marathon.

Delaware Half Marathon

• Where: Wilmington, DE
• When: April 6, 2025

This out-and-back loop course starts and finishes along the city’s historic riverfront. Half marathoners have a 6-hour time limit to venture across beautiful Brandywine Park on the Brandywine River, along prestigious parkways, through historic neighborhoods of Wilmington, near the 100 year old tower in Rockford Park, and past downtown’s Rodney Square.

Blue Ridge Half Marathon

• Where: Roanoke, VA
• When: April 12, 2025

If you’re looking for a hilly challenge, this is your race. The out-and-back loop course starts gently with a mile of rolling hills before you make the first ascent on a two-mile climb up Mill Mountain, where breathtaking views of the Roanoke Valley await you.

Rock the Parkway Half Marathon

• Where: Kansas City, MO
• When: April 12, 2025

Walk along the historic Ward Parkway, one of the most scenic in the Midwest. The terrain is fairly flat and features a long downhill finish, making it one of the fastest half marathon courses in the area. Year after year it’s voted “best race course” by local runners.

Earth Day Half Marathon

• Where: Baldwinsville, NY
• When: April 19, 2025

The mostly flat rural roads of this village in New York’s Finger Lakes region beckon runners and walkers with a 4-hour time limit to take in the area’s quaint, scenic beauty. The race usually takes place within a few days of Earth Day and encourages participants to take a moment of appreciation for their surroundings — rolling farmlands, the sparking water of Beaver Lake, and wide-open farm fields dotted with horses and cows.

Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon

• Where: Louisville, KY
• When: April 25, 2025

Lace up your shoes and start the festivities out strong. The Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon takes place the week before the Derby itself, which runs the following weekend. The out-and-back race sports a course showcasing the city’s historic and tourist-friendly places, starting and finishing along Main Street in downtown Louisville.

Runs With Scissors Half Marathon

• Where: Brighton, CO
• When: April 26, 2025

A 9-hour time limit makes this a great choice for first-timer racers. Taking place on a 1.31 mile looping course around Mann-Nyholt Lake, the half marathon course consists of 10 laps total, starting and finishing at the same location. Because of the unique looping course design, this event is extremely social with crowds always present.

Maui Half Marathon

• Where: Kaanapali, HI
• When: April 27, 2025

Bask in the beachy vibes of Kaanapali as you make your way along wind-swept coastal roads that offer stunningly beautiful views of the brilliant blue water along Maui’s Auau Channel. The new Full Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K courses are out-and-backs on the Honoapiilani Hwy (Route 30); they will remain open for 8 hours.

REVEL White Mountains Half Marathon

• Where: Conway, NH
• When: May 4, 2025

Explore the famous Kancamagus Highway and walk through the beautiful White Mountains National Forest during this fully-supported race with a 6:30 time limit.

San Juan Island Half Marathon

• Where: Friday Harbor, WA
• When: May 10, 2025

“Run where the sea meets the sky” – Orca Running. The San Juan Island Half Marathon offers runners and walkers a course filled with rolling hills and jaw-dropping views of one of the most peaceful, serene places in the country. The time cutoff for this race is 5 hours and 30 minutes.

New River Half Marathon

• Where: Todd, NC
• When: May 17, 2025

The serene beauty of western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains is on full display at this late spring race where you’ll walk along the flat, scenic New River. The time limit for the half marathon is 5 hours and 45 minutes.

Wyoming Half Marathon

• Where: Laramie, WY
• When: May 25, 2025

Enjoy a challenging walk (on mostly dirt and gravel roads) through Medicine Bow National Forest on this scenic, hilly, and high-altitude course. You’ll hear the relaxing sounds of mountain streams and see the monolithic rock formations in the surrounding forests.

Slacker Half Marathon

• Where: Georgetown, CO
• When: June 2025 (date TBA)

Dubbed “the highest downhill half marathon” by race organizers, this course starts at 10,630 feet above seas level at Colorado’s Loveland Ski Resort and descends to 8,400 by the finish line. It features a combination of dirt and paved roads, leading participants through beautiful wetlands, natural waterfalls, stunning views of the Continental Divide, and historic mining remnants. With no strict time limit, this is a great race for those who want to try a half-marathon distance for the first time!

East Bay Half Marathon

• Where: East Providence, RI
• When: June 8, 2025

Walk on fast and mostly flat terrain along both roads and bike paths while admiring the gorgeous views of Narragansett Bay and the city of Providence. There are a few hilly sections sprinkled in, but you can rejoice in a downhill finish. This race features a 4-hour course time limit to welcome fast-paced walkers.

Governor’s Cup Half Marathon

• Where: Helena, MT
• When: June 14, 2025

The hills are alive at this race. Walk among the gorgeous mountains and rolling backcountry roads of the Helena Valley while challenging yourself to a hilly course. The race starts off with a gradual downhill, followed by a challenging hilly stretch for miles 3 through 7, and later at mile 11 a steep uphill dubbed “Cardiac Hill” awaits you. The stunning views may offer a little reprieve, and you have a generous 5-hour time limit to the finish line.

Skagway Half Marathon

• Where: Skagway, AK
• When: June 2025 (date TBA)

Looking for an adventurous experience? Organizers created this designated 13.1 walking race that traces the runners route and features stunning sights of the Alaskan wilderness. Unfolding over hills and past mountains, portions of glaciers, past streams, and through forests, it’s no easy feat but definitely worth the while if you’re one who enjoys the great outdoors.

The Great Ferry Race Half Marathon

• Where: Bainbridge Island, WA
• When: June 8, 2025

Escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Seattle and enjoy a scenic ferry ride as you cross over to Bainbridge Island to start the race. This half marathon begins on ferry dock and takes participants all around the Island, surrounded by the Olympic Mountains to the west and Mount Rainier off in the distance in the southeast. The course is approximately 2/3rds road and 1/3rd groomed trail with a 4-hour time limit.

Kona Half Marathon

• Where: Kailua-Kona, HI
• When: June 21, 2025

This point-to-point course starts at the Waikoloa Beach Resort and unfolds past its golf course, hotels, and homes, nestled along Hawaii’s Kohala Coast. The race is filled with gently rolling terrain but the elevation change is very small. Famed for its stunning views of the Pacific Ocean as well as its lagoons and lakes along its golf courses, the resort is where you’ll spend most of the race, making your way along Waikoloa Beach Drive and Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway. The walker-friendly event gives you 8 hours to cross the finish line.

Missoula Half Marathon

• Where: Missoula, MT
• When: June 29, 2025

Beginning with a scenic route through the countryside and finishing in historic downtown Missoula, this is a race for those in the mood for some fresh mountain air. The course is mostly fast and flat with one hill at the halfway point, but beautiful mountain views will help distract you.

Totem to Totem Half Marathon

• Where: Ketchikan, AK
• When: July 2025 (date TBA)

The long, mountainous, and forested shoreline of the Tongass Narrows waterway is the setting for the annual springtime Totem to Totem Half Marathon, a 13.1-mile race that takes participants along a point-to-point course. Experience beautiful vistas with tree-covered mountains along the Tongass Highway, where you can expect to see local wildlife, fishing villages, and boats streaming along the water in the narrows all along the race route. The event is open to both runners and walkers and usually features a smaller field of participants.