Come out and “enjoy” an early springtime (but probably still cold) run for 13.1 miles along the windswept Atlantic Ocean coastline of New Hampshire’s beachfront towns at the annual Hampton Half Marathon & 5K, which takes runners from Ashworth-by-the-Sea just north of Hampton Beach, along a route that passes alongside the sandy beaches near the area’s summertime resort hotels.
Open to both runners and walkers, the race starts at 10:00 AM to give the sun a chance to warm up the temperatures just a little bit, and then sends participants out on a loop course that takes them northward along Ocean Boulevard, past the Great Boars Head lighthouse.
The race route then turns inland on Winnacunnet Road, taking runners west on an inland route along the rural roads through the villages of Hampton and North Hampton, as runners encounter numerous rolling hills mixed with flat stretches along paved country roads.
Winding its way through Hampton and North Hampton, the race course makes turns onto Barbour Road, Little River Road, Woodland Road and Maple Road over the next few miles, until runners and walkers make their way back to the shore near Philbrick Pond just north of Little Boars Head.
