Half Marathons by State: My 50-State Running Journey
Progress: 13 / 51 states
⭐ = Personal Record (PR)
I’m working toward running a half marathon in every U.S. state (13.1 × 50/51).
Before each race, I keep a simple tradition: carb-load the night before — usually pasta. When I can, I’ll share pre-race spots that are worth checking out.
This is a running log of races so far — times, courses, and a few notes 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 |
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.
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