Half Marathons by State
Progress: 18 states completed
⭐ = Personal Record (PR)
I’m working toward running a half marathon in every U.S. state and DC.
Before each race, I keep a simple tradition: carb-loading the night before — usually pasta. Whenever possible, I’ll also share memorable pre-race spots worth checking out.
For detailed destination race guides – including lodging, restaurants, airports, parking, weather, elevation, and race-morning logistics – visit Race Across 50 States.
This page is a running log of races so far — times, courses, travel notes, and a few thoughts along the way.
1. Virginia
Reston Half Marathon (4/21/2024)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reston, VA | 1:36:41 ⭐ | 7:23/mi | 5 | 1 |
First in AG. I was expecting at least 3rd — a nice surprise.
In the words of a volunteer on the sidelines:
“Gravity is your friend!”
Richmond Half Marathon (11/15/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Richmond, VA | 1:23:37 ⭐ | 6:23/mi | 124 | 30 |
Pre-Race: Casa Italiana
Family Owned Italian Restaurant Specializing in Home Made Pasta.
Fast downhill finish. Strong close over the final stretch.
Great course, great crowd — solid weekend.
Sentara Shamrock Half Marathon (3/22/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Virginia Beach, VA | 1:18:37 ⭐ | 6:00/mi | 15 | 3 |
The Sentara Shamrock Half Marathon is flat and fast, making it the perfect place for a PR.
Flat and fast was accurate.
2. Connecticut
62nd Annual John & Jessie Kelley Half Marathon (8/3/2024)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | New London, CT | 1:31:53 ⭐ | 7:01/mi | 31 | 4 |
Pre-Race: Consiglio's Restaurant
Classic Italian spot in New Haven — cozy atmosphere, solid pasta, and a great pre-race option.
Summer heat kept me from breaking 1:30.
Well-organized race despite tough conditions. Volunteers spraying water along the course made a huge difference — grabbing water and dumping it on my head was necessary in that heat.
3. West Virginia
New River Gorge Wilds Trail Run (10/5/2024)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Oak Hill, WV | 1:50:03 | 8:24/mi | 3 | ? |
Top 3 at ACE Adventure Resort.
A true trail run — and I wore the wrong shoes.
Scenic course, and a ~5-hour drive from NoVA that was worth it.
First trail half marathon. Racing with a dead watch, no phone, no gear, and limited water was a good lesson in what to do better next time.
4. North Carolina
Charlotte Half Marathon (11/16/2024)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Charlotte, NC | 1:24:35 ⭐ | 6:28/mi | 38 | 6 |
First sub-1:25. Also the debut of the Nike Vaporfly 3.
5. Arizona
Run Sedona (2/1/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Sedona, AZ | 1:31:02 | 6:57/mi | 16 | 3 |
Two hours of sleep, hills, and elevation — still happy with the result.
6. Washington, DC
DC Rock ‘N Roll Half (3/15/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Washington, DC | 1:23:54 | 6:24/mi | 146 | 22 |
A good summary of this race:
Monster Hill 👹 @ mile 8
completely destroyed me,
had me thinking I’d just hold on for sub-1:30,
and somehow still managed a slight PR.
7. New York
NYCRUNS Half — Brooklyn Ice Cream Social (8/23/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Brooklyn, NY | 1:24:53 | 6:29/mi | 9 | 4 |
Four laps around Prospect Park.
8. Colorado
Boulderthon (9/28/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Boulder, CO | 1:24:17 | 6:25/mi | 62 | 10 |
Happy to break 1:25 at altitude.
Hard race. ~5,300 ft — much higher than what I’m used to in NoVA.
Did a 10.5-mile shakeout on Davidson Mesa beforehand to acclimate. Still — they said “no hills”… not true.
9. New Hampshire
Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon (10/5/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Hampton Beach, NH | 1:20:25 ⭐ | 6:09/mi | 21 | 6 |
10. Tennessee
Nashville Half Marathon (10/25/2025)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Nashville, TN | 1:23:47 | 6:23/mi | 97 | 11 |
Started late (~7:20 AM) due to long bib pickup lines.
Hilly course — but the downhills helped. Strong energy downtown, and a unique finish inside a baseball stadium.
~10-hour trip from NoVA — worth it.
11. Hawaii
Maui Oceanfront Marathon (1/18/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Wailuku, HI | 1:23:24 | 6:22/mi | 4 | 1 |
First time in Hawaii — traveled with family.
12. California
Bay Breeze Half Marathon (2/14/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | San Leandro, CA | 1:21:15 | 6:12/mi | 3 | 2 |
Flat, but brutal — gravel, sand, bridges, wind, and bugs.
Cool temps (~47–50°F), but didn’t feel like it.
13. Arkansas
Little Rock Half Marathon (3/1/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Little Rock, AR | 1:24:42 | 6:28/mi | 17 | 2 |
Hilly course, but a great race overall. Ran alongside another runner for much of it — strong finish and great crowd support.
14. Kentucky
Kentucky Derby Festival – Humana Mini-Marathon (4/25/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Louisville, KY | 1:21:53 | 6:15/mi | 42 | 10 |
Pre-Race: The Old Spaghetti Factory
Classic Italian spot in downtown Louisville with generous portions and solid pre-race pasta options.
A scenic and energetic first race in Louisville with strong crowd support throughout the course. Cool morning weather and a solid pre-race dinner helped set up a fast day and a new state completed on the half marathon journey.
15. Ohio
Flying Pig Half Marathon (5/3/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Cincinnati, OH | 1:29:33 | 6:51/mi | 165 | 27 |
Pre-Race: Pepp & Dolores
Popular Cincinnati Italian restaurant with flavorful pasta and a relaxed atmosphere.
First time racing in Cincinnati at one of the most well-known half marathons in the Midwest. Cold conditions and heavy congestion early on made the race challenging, but the course atmosphere, riverfront views, and crowd energy still made it a memorable experience.
16. Wyoming
Grand Teton Half Marathon (6/6/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Jackson, WY | 1:34:05 | 7:10/mi | 12 | 2 |
Pre-Race: Calico Restaurant & Bar
Fantastic pasta just minutes from packet pickup at Stilson Lot. One of my favorite pre-race dinners of the entire 50-state journey.
Beautiful mountain scenery and my first podium finish at altitude. Racing above 6,300 feet felt dramatically harder than the course profile suggested, but the views of the Tetons made every mile worthwhile.
Read the full Grand Teton Half race guide →
17. Montana
Yellowstone Half Marathon (6/13/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | West Yellowstone, MT | 1:37:41 | 7:27/mi | 9 | 2 |
Pre-Race: Madison Crossing Lounge
Excellent pasta just minutes from the race start and one of my favorite pre-race dinners.
High-altitude trail race with roughly 671 feet of climbing, rocky footing, and temperatures around 38°F at the start. One of the toughest half marathons I’ve run, but an unforgettable destination race.
Read the full Yellowstone Half race guide →
18. Idaho
Boise Half Marathon (6/20/2026)
| Race | Location | Time | Pace | Overall | AG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Boise, ID | 1:28:48 | 6:47/mi | 10 | 2 |
Pre-Race: Àlavita
Handmade pasta within walking distance of the race start—one of the best pre-race restaurants in Boise.
A rainy race morning replaced the sunny forecast, but the downtown course was fast, walkable, and well organized. After two weeks of racing at much higher elevations, running at Boise’s lower elevation felt refreshingly comfortable.
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