Note: Out of respect for and in fairness to all race directors that had to cancel their in-person events in 2020 and/or 2021, we have decided to not do our annual vote for these years.
Our members fill out an annual survey to recognize their favorite half marathons by state and by category. These are the results of our member voting for 2019 races.
View prior year voting results here:
2018 Results
2017 Results
2016 Results
2015 Results
2014 Results
2019 Member Voting “Best of” Survey Results
How to read these results:
1. Members voted based on their own personal experiences with races.
2. Multiple races listed under a state or country are in no particular order. We’ve listed multiple races where there were votes that were too close to designate an overall winner, or where there were multiple races repeatedly recommended.
3. While our club has over 300 discounts for races worldwide, we do not accept paid advertisements from race directors. Our members’ responses are based strictly on their opinions and experiences. We’re not paid to promote any of the events listed below, nor has any race paid us to be on this list.
4. If there is a race you are considering and you don’t see it on the list- remember, this vote is based on actual race experiences, so if no one in the club has completed the race, they’re not voting for it.
5. Always treat races as “buyer beware” and know that issues (both preventable and uncontrollable) can impact a race. If there is a change in race ownership or management, there is a chance the quality of an event can decrease or increase.
6. It is possible that some of our current or prior year favorite races have been discontinued in 2020 or will have their last year in 2020. The racing market is still correcting from its peak in 2012-2018. As a courtesy to everyone, if there was an event that was recommended but we already know it has been discontinued, we did not include it.
Overall Top Best-Rated Individual Events (in no particular order):
Results Summary
There are some half marathons that really stood out in our members’ responses. These are the races we’d call the “best of the best” based on the repeated praise for these events. In no particular order, these are the most-recommended half marathons by our members. If someone were to ask if they should do these races, the answer would be- yes, absolutely.
These are our top 25 United States half marathons by vote:
Flying Pig Paycor Half Marathon, Ohio
Rehoboth Beach Seashore Half Marathon, Delaware
Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon, Pennsylvania
Bridge of the Gods Half Marathon, Oregon
Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon, Michigan
New York Road Runners United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, New York
Space Coast Half Marathon, Florida
Missoula Half Marathon, Montana
Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon, Kentucky
Running with the Cows Half Marathon, Kansas
Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, Nevada
Garmin Half Marathon, Kansas
IMT Des Moines Half Marathon, Iowa
Wineglass Half Marathon, New York
Louisiana Half Marathon (Baton Rouge), Louisiana
Williams Route 66 Half Marathon, Oklahoma
Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, Virginia
Fargo Half Marathon, North Dakota
Cowtown Half Marathon, Texas
Colfax Half Marathon, Colorado
Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon, Massachusetts
Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon, Maryland
Tobacco Road Half Marathon, North Carolina
Kiawah Island Half Marathon, South Carolina
Hatfield McCoy Half Marathon, West Virginia
Top International: Niagara Falls Women’s Half Marathon, Canada
Favorite Races by State and Country
We asked our members to list their favorite events by state and by country. We have listed the top most-recommended races by location. These are listed in no particular order.
Alabama
Big Beach Half Marathon, Mercedes Half Marathon, Mobile Half Marathon (previously named the First Light Half Marathon)
Alaska
Alaska Running Cruise Half Marathon, Anchorage Running Festival (Skinny Raven) Half Marathon, Mayor’s Midnight Sun Half Marathon
Arizona
Lake Powell Half Marathon, Revel Mount Lemmon Half Marathon
Arkansas
Little Rock Half Marathon, RussVegas Half Marathon
California
San Francisco Half Marathon: 1st Half, Surf City Half Marathon, Yosemite Half Marathon, Carlsbad Half Marathon, Napa Valley Half Marathon, Orange County Half Marathon
Colorado
Colfax Half Marathon, Revel Rockies Half Marathon, Rocky Mountain Half Marathon
Connecticut
Hartford Half Marathon, Mystic Half Marathon, Hogsback Half Marathon
Delaware
Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon, Delaware Running Festival Half Marathon, Coastal Delaware Half Marathon
Florida
A1A Half Marathon, Space Coast Half Marathon, Key West Half Marathon, Miami Half Marathon, Walt Disney World Half Marathon
Georgia
Northside Hospital Orthapedic Institute Sports Medicine Half Marathon (previously named the Jeff Galloway 13.1), Publix Atlanta Half Marathon
Hawaii
Maui Oceanfront Half Marathon, Kauai Half Marathon
Idaho
Bear Lake Half Marathon, Coeur D’Alene Half Marathon
Illinois
Chicago Lifetime Half Marathon (September), Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon, Quad Cities Half Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon
Indiana
Indy Mini Marathon, Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon, She Power Half Marathon
Iowa
IMT Des Moines Half Marathon
Kansas
Hangover Half Marathon, Running With the Cows Half Marathon, Garmin Half Marathon, Prairie Fire Half Marathon
Kentucky
Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon, Kentucky Derby Half Marathon
Louisiana
Louisiana Half Marathon (Baton Rouge), Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans
Maine
Maine Half Marathon (Portland- September); Bar Harbor Trust Half Marathon (September), Blueberry Cove 13.1, Millinocket Half Marathon
Maryland
Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon, Saint Michael’s Half Marathon
Massachusetts
Boston’s Run to Remember Half Marathon, Martha’s Vineyard Half Marathon
Michigan
Detroit Free Press International Half Marathon, Kalamazoo Half Marathon, Grand Rapids Foster Swift Half Marathon
Minnesota
Med City Half Marathon, RBC Race for the Kids Minnesota Half Marathon, Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon (Grandma’s)
Mississippi
Mississippi Gulf Coast Half Marathon, Mississippi Blues Half Marathon
Missouri
Go St. Louis Half Marathon, Kansas City Half Marathon, MO’ Cowbell Half Marathon
Montana
Missoula Half Marathon, Yellowstone Half Marathon, Glacier National Park
Nebraska
Good Life Halfsy, Omaha Half Marathon
Nevada
Revel Mt Charleston Half Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, Saints and Sinners Half Marathon
New Hampshire
Clearance DeMar Half Marathon, Big Lake Half Marathon, New Hampshire Half Marathon (Bristol), Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon
New Jersey
Ocean City Half Marathon, New Jersey Half Marathon, Rutgers Unite Half Marathon
New Mexico
Santa Fe Thunder Half, Albuquerque Half Marathon
New York
Buffalo Half Marathon, New York Road Runners Brooklyn Half Marathon, New York Road Runners NYC Half Marathon, Wineglass Half Marathon
North Carolina
Tobacco Road Half Marathon, Asheville Half Marathon
North Dakota
Fargo Half Marathon
Ohio
Flying Pig Paycor Half Marathon, Air Force Half Marathon, Rock Hall Half Marathon
Oklahoma
Williams Route 66 Half Marathon, Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon
Oregon
Revel Mt. Hood Half Marathon, Bridge of the Gods Half Marathon, Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon
Pennsylvania
Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon, Hershey Park Half Marathon, Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon, Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Half Marathon, Dietz & Watson Philadelphia Half Marathon
Rhode Island
Rhode Races Newport Half Marathon (April), Amica Newport Half Marathon (October), Surftown Half Marathon
South Carolina
Kiawah Island Half Marathon, Charleston Half Marathon, Myrtle Beach Half Marathon
South Dakota
Deadwood Mickelson Train Half Marathon, Run Crazy Horse Half Marathon, Sioux Falls Half Marathon, Mt Rushmore Half Marathon
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon, St Jude Memphis Half Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon
Texas
Cowtown Half Marathon, Austin Half Marathon, Houston Half Marathon
Utah
Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon, Zion Half Marathon, Salt Lake City Half Marathon
Vermont
Covered Bridges Half Marathon, Mad Half Marathon, Maple Leaf Half Marathon, Front Porches Half Marathon
Virginia
Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon, Yuengling Shamrock Half Marathon, American Family Fitness Richmond Half Marathon
Washington
Jack ‘n Jill Downhill Half Marathon, Rock and Roll Seattle Half Marathon
West Virginia
Hatfield McCoy Half Marathon, Marshall Half Marathon
Wisconsin
Pettit Indoor Half Marathon, Wisconsin Half Marathon, Cellcom Green Bay Half Marathon, Rockin Brews Half Marathon, Milwaukee Brewers Mini Marathon
Wyoming
Jackson Hole Half Marathon, Grand Teton Half Marathon, Bear Lake Half Marathon
CANADA
Niagara Falls Women’s Half Marathon, Seawheeze Half Marathon, Army Run Half Marathon
INTERNATIONAL
Disneyland Paris Half Marathon, Paris, France
Auckland Half Marathon, Auckland, New Zealand
Reykjavik Half Marathon, Reykjavik, Iceland
Reggae Half Marathon, Negril, Jamaica