A half marathon is difficult enough, you don’t always want to be running on the side of a highway or through neverending suburban sprawl. And while city road races can be energizing and draw large crowds, you do necessarily have to sacrifice picturesque natural landscapes.
From the Rocky Mountains and Great Lakes, to Florida’s tropical keys and the California coast, North America has a wealth of natural splendor. Luckily with the recent half marathon boom, many of the most beautiful locales in the United States and Canada now offer their own half marathons. You can run along rivers, up mountains, across deserts, or through forests all while working towards a shiny new finisher medal and plenty of bragging rights.
To aid you in your search, we selected 15 of the best scenic half marathons in North America for you to try out. Run one or all 15. Just know you’re going to have a strong urge to snap some midrace pictures no matter which race you pick.
Maui Oceanfront Half Marathon
Date: January 19, 2025
Location: Maui, Hawaii
The race is called the Maui Oceanfront Half Marathon, so do we need to do much more selling than that? It’s a race that traces the coastline of Maui, providing runners with views of both the Pacific Oceans and Hawaiian beaches, as well as the volcanic jungle landscape inland. This eco-friendly race has also nixed the copious amounts of paper cups for reusable souvenir cups that are collapsible and can be refilled at aid stations throughout the course.
Key West Half Marathon
Date: January 19, 2025
Location: Key West, Florida
At the very southern tip of Florida lie the Florida Keys, a chain of islands that stretch out into the Caribbean Sea. The last in the string is Key West, a tiny four-mile-long island with water stretching out on all sides. The Key West Half is an out-and-back course that traces three sides of the island and provides runners with sunrise views from across the Atlantic. Celebrate with some key lime pie!
RunSedona Half Marathon
Date: February 1, 2025
Location: Sedona, Arizona
The RunSedona Half Marathon website boasts, “If the hills don’t take your breath away, the scenery will.” This is certainly not the easiest half on the list as the hilly course will prove challenging for those looking for a PR or an easy trot. However, the red rock formations that line the course will give you plenty to look at while you’re sucking wind. Plus, if you aren’t too tired, there is a variety of incredible hiking in the area to keep you loose after the run.
Zion Trail Half Marathon
Date: April 11, 2025
Location: Apple Valley, Utah
Another of Vacation Races’s National Parks-adjacent half marathons is the Zion Trail Half, which as you can imagine is run near Utah’s Zion National Park. This trail run is a bit treacherous for beginners, so make sure you do plenty of trail training before you sign up, but its hard to find views like these from a paved road. Explore Zion before and after the half and bring your phone with you on the course. You might want to snap some photos.
Newport Rhode Races Half Marathon
Date: April 19, 2025
Location: Newport, Rhode Island
Rhode Races’s Newport Half Marathon provides stunning views of quite the variety. While the loop course starts and ends along a beach, it takes runners through the quaint streets of Newport and past some of the country’s most gorgeous mansions. Then on the return trip, the course traces the rocky shoreline cliffs, providing runners with breezy Atlantic views. The race is a bit hilly and with April weather in New England carries the threat of wind, rain, or both. But if you get a sunny year, you’ll get splendid views and can end up taking in the town’s massive fields of daffodils.
Bayshore Half Marathon
Date: May 24, 2025
Location: Traverse City, Michigan
Michigan is one of the country’s most beautiful states, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Traverse City, which juts out into Lake Michigan on the northwestern coast of the lower peninsula. The half marathon course is a point-to-point race along the East Grand Traverse Bay and provides runners with a flat course and splendid lake views. You can celebrate with some of the city’s signature cherries or a trip to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, one of the state’s most stunning features.
Grand Teton Half Marathon
Date: June, 2025
Location: Jackson, Wyoming
While very few half marathons are actually run inside America’s National Parks, Vacation Races does offer a number of beautiful National Park-adjacent courses for runners interested in running in the great outdoors. If you’re willing to make the trek to Wyoming, you can conquer this half marathon that provides views of the Grand Tetons without making you run up any of them. Then after a good night’s sleep, you can explore the surrounding area’s hiking trails, or simply take in the views while sitting comfortably in your car.
Banff Half Marathon
Date: June 16, 2024 (Sold out for 2024)
Location: Banff, Canada
Banff, a town in Alberta, Canada, nestled among the Canadian Rockies, is consistently named one of the most beautiful locales in all North America. The Banff Half Marathon lets you run an out-and-back course through the heart of the town and surrounding countryside. You’ll have views of the surrounding mountains and the Bow River as you traverse the hilly course. Plus there are hot springs located nearby to help sooth your tired legs after the race.
Anchorage Mayor’s Half Marathon
Date: June 22, 2024
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Running a half marathon in the middle of summer is usually ill advised, but not so if you’re running in Alaska, where summer is the only season not dominated with ice and snow. The race is run during the summer solstice each year, when the Alaskan days are incredibly long and the nights are short. The point-to-point course traces the coastal inlet of the Pacific Ocean before finishing downtown. The course is mostly downhill, but does end with a final uphill stretch, so make sure you save some gas in the tank for the final push.
Missoula Half Marathon
Date: June 30, 2024
Location: Missoula, Montana
It’s hard to get more remote in the continental United States than Missoula, Montana. The city, located near the Idaho border, is off the beaten path, which means the natural landscape hasn’t been touched much in the last few hundred years. The views are stunning, but unlike many races on this list that boast plenty of hills, the Missoula half is flat and fast, which means you can get into a groove and snag a PR while taking in some gorgeous scenery.
Bridge of the Gods Half Marathon
Date: August 4, 2024
Location: Cascade Locks, Oregon
And the award for best bridge on this list has to go to the Bridge of the Gods, which crosses the Columbia River on the Washington/Oregon border. The race is run along the river by the Columbia River Highway State Park trail, but includes a trip over the Bridge of the Gods first. You’ll run in two states, take in river views, and enjoy a postrace feast. We do not advise you to pick this race, however, if you are afraid of heights.
Golden Leaf Half Marathon
Date: September 28, 2024
Location: Snowmass Village, Colorado
Snowmass Village and Aspen are traditionally skiing towns in Colorado, but typically in September, skiing weather hasn’t really begun. As a part of one final hurrah before the slopes open, a half marathon from Snowmass to Aspen is run on trail through the countryside (hopefully devoid of snow). The race is called the Golden Leaf Half Marathon because its run during the autumn change in leaves, providing runners with stunning views of the golden foliage.
Mount Desert Island Half Marathon
Date: October 20, 2024
Location: Mount Desert Island, Maine
Speaking of foliage, you’re also likely to see some leaves changing colors in one of Maine’s most beautiful fall half marathons. The Mount Desert Island Half Marathon is on the same island that boasts Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The point-to-point course starts on one side of the Somes Sound and loops down around the body of water and back on the other side. Not only will you get plenty of views of the coast, but you’ll also get to take in the changing leaves. Celebrate with some seafood or pancakes and maple syrup.
Monterey Bay Half Marathon
Date: November 10, 2024
Location: Monterey Bay, California
The California coast is stunning and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon traces the coast a few miles north of Big Sur through the the picturesque towns of Monterey and Pacific Grove. The out-and-back course runs along the Pacific Ocean from near the famed Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf to Asilomar State Beach and back. Gorgeous!
Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon
Date: December 7, 2024
Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Running a half marathon along the Delaware coast in early December can be a bit dicey. Some years you might get freezing cold wind and rain. Some years you get picturesque ocean views and sunny breezes. Either way, you’ll never forget this end of year half. It’s the perfect way to cap off a great year and gear up for the holidays.
Matthew Huff is a freelance writer and runner, and he is the author of MARATHONER: What to Expect When Training for and Running a Marathon, published by Rizzoli Publications. His writing has appeared in Runner's World and BuzzFeed among others, and he is the cohost of “P.S. You’re Wrong: A Pop Culture Podcast.” Originally from Michigan, he now lives and runs in New York City, where he is pursuing a career as an expert chicken tender taster.
