Flagship ranking · updated October 30, 2026

Best Half Marathons in the US

The half marathon is long enough to need real training and short enough that race day doesn't wreck your month. It also scores differently from the marathon here. No half is a World Marathon Major or a Boston qualifier, so the credentials score can't separate one race from another: the most a half earns there is a USATF-certified course, and most of the halfs ranked here have one. Field size, history and course character decide the order.

The top of this list is well measured and the rest less so. The first seven are scored on three or four signals. Most races below them are scored on two, field size and history, because that's all the public record holds for them. Some excellent halfs, standalone or part of a marathon weekend, register outside RunSignup and aren't in the index yet. The breakdown is on every row, and the full formula is on the methodology page.

If a race is missing or a fact is wrong, the race director can claim the listing for free and fix it.

Composite /100 · FLD field · HST history · CRD credentials · CHR character

1 Brooklyn Half Marathon Brooklyn, NY May 2027 USATF 76.3/100

The largest half marathon in the country most years, and a big-city race that feels like a neighborhood party the whole way. The course loops Prospect Park, then runs straight down Ocean Parkway to a boardwalk finish at Coney Island. Its field size and four decades of history do the scoring here.

2 Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon Duluth, MN Jun 2027 USATF 73.6/100

Grandma's Marathon's half runs the same weekend on the same road along Lake Superior, and for plenty of runners headed to Duluth it's the main event. Cool June air off the lake, a net-flat course and small-town support the whole way. It may be the best mix of fast and beautiful at this distance in the country.

3 Indy Mini-Marathon Indianapolis, IN May 2027 USATF 72.1/100

One of the largest halfs in America for decades, with the best-known mile at the distance: a full lap of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, across the yard of bricks. It's flat, well run and nearly fifty years old, which is why its history score carries so much of the total.

4 NYC Half Marathon New York City, NY Mar 2027 USATF 71.3/100

A road race through a car-free Times Square, and the March date makes it the season opener for half the East Coast. It runs from Brooklyn over the Manhattan Bridge to a finish in Central Park, the New York marathon experience in a shorter form. It's younger than the races above it, and its history score shows that. Demand for entries doesn't.

5 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half San Diego, CA Jun 2027 USATF 68.1/100

The race that started the run-to-live-music format, and still the strongest of the series. San Diego in early June is about as kind as race weather gets, and the course shows off the city. It scores on size and consistency rather than one standout feature. A reliable pick, especially for a first half.

Austin's January "Downhill to Downtown," formerly the 3M Half: a point-to-point from north Austin to a finish near the Texas Capitol, dropping more than 300 feet. That drop makes it one of the fastest half courses in the country, and too downhill for records under World Athletics rules. If you're chasing a time, start here.

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Best Half Marathons in the US

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