The Best Destination Half Marathons to Build a Trip Around
Whether you’ve run past the Great Pyramids of Giza or simply raced through your hometown and loved all the high fives you got along Main Street, part of the joy of any event is feeling the vibe of the place. Every city, park, neighborhood, and landmark has its own sense of place, and, for many runners, combining travel with a favorite race distance, such as a half, is pretty much as good as it gets.
For this race roundup, we found half marathons around the world that are worth a plane ticket or long drive. From stunning beachside runs to epic big city tours to unforgettable cultural experiences, these 13.1-milers deliver pinch-me moments in pretty darn cool settings.
To help turn your dream into reality, we list the date on which you would start a 10-week training plan, which means you should have plenty of base miles under your belt. Fear not, though, we have multiple training plan options in our How to Master the Half Marathon Training Guide. Once you choose the right series of workouts, you will be ready to schedule not only your vacation, but your first training plan run!
Bar Harbor Half Marathon
Destination: Bar Harbor, Maine
Date: September 12, 2026 (Saturday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date:
July 4, 2026
Register
In 1913, John Rockefeller Jr. built a series of carriage roads so he could avoid cars in Acadia National Park. Nine miles of the Bar Harbor Half Marathon run on that still-existing system of hard-packed trails. The hilly course starts in the small, picturesque fishing town of Bar Harbor, then cuts into the national park. Dense forest engulfs runners as they cross several old granite bridges before looping back to town. You’ll want to recover with a lobster roll at one of the village’s famous seafood joints after the race.
Urban Bourbon Half Marathon
Where: Louisville, Kentucky
When: October 17, 2026 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: August 8, 2026
Louisville is the home of Jim Beam’s Kentucky Bourbon, so there’s no surprise it makes an appearance in this half, but because of this, you must be 21 or older to register. Walkers are welcome in this race, as long as they can maintain an 18-minute pace through downtown Louisville and Cherokee Park.
Omaha Half Marathon
Destination: Omaha, New Zealand
Date: November 29, 2026 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: September 20, 2026
Circumnavigate New Zealand’s Omaha Peninsula on this flat, fast course that borders the coast. Just an hour car ride from Auckland, the race begins on peaceful suburban roads and finishes with a stretch through the Rahui Te Kiri Reserve, where cheering spectators hang over fences Tour de France–style. Other highlights: a 2-kilometer stretch on the hard-packed white sands of Omaha beach, a tour around the coastal reserve at historic Point Wells, and sweeping sea views.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort Half Marathon
Destination: Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Date: December 12, 2026 (Saturday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: October 3, 2026
Register
Kiawah, a barrier island located 25 miles southwest of Charleston on the Atlantic coast, is home to maritime forests, marshes, and grand homes. Peep the stunning scenery as you tackle this race that charts through the island community, starting and ending in East Beach Village.
Bermuda Triangle Half Marathon
Destination: Bermuda
Date: January 17, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: November 8, 2026
Well, for one thing, it’s on the gorgeous island of Bermuda, which has, yes, pink sand and both blue and turquoise water. The rolling course is looped, so you run along the coastline on both sides of the island. Runners finish along Hamilton’s waterfront. Ambitious participants who want to spend less time lounging on the beach can tackle one of the Bermuda Triangle Challenges. The Half Challenge includes a road mile, 10K, and half on three consecutive days while the full challenge includes the mile, 10K, and marathon. Every participant of the challenge gets four medals, and rum. Did we mention the on-course rum cocktails?
Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon
Destination: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date: February 21, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: December 13, 2026
The Las Vegas Strip shuts down for just one private event a year: the Rock ’n’ Roll race weekend, according to the race’s site. The half marathon is held in the late afternoon (though the start time is subject to change), compressing the Las Vegas experience into 13.1 glittering miles, nearly all of which are on the iconic road. You’ll see plenty of Elvis impersonators running and spectating, plus a mass three-minute midrace wedding ceremony at mile 4. The party starts even before runners head out, with a prerace concert the night before featuring a well-known headliner.
Shamrock Half Marathon
Destination: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Date: March 21, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: January 10, 2027
Finishing the Shamrock Half Marathon guarantees you four free beers and Irish stew. You can also take part in the Dolphin Challenge, in which you will run the 8K (and get a medal) on Saturday and the half (and a medal) on Sunday. Dolphin Challenge finishers receive a third medal. Training for races that take place on consecutive days requires planning, though, so be sure you train with all that time on feet in mind.
London Landmarks Half Marathon
Destination: London, U.K.
Date: April 4, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: January 24, 2027
The closed-street course charts along the Thames River for multiple miles and passes near many of London’s big-name attractions, including Big Ben, the London Eye, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, and more. Additional highlights include more than 200 (no, that’s not a typo) cheer stations lining the route, two large-scale performance stages, educational facts about the U.K. capital city at each mile marker, and signs pointing out “hidden London landmarks,” like the building used as Gringot’s bank in Harry Potter, the birthplace of the bowler hat, and Britain’s smallest police station. Possibly more fun than two days of the London marathon.
The OC Marathon Running Festival
Destination: The OC, Southern California
Date: May 2, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: February 21, 2027
Register
This flat, fast California course—net downhill in elevation from start to finish—kicks off with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and then weaves past cliffside vistas and through a seaside village and nature reserve before finishing in downtown Costa Mesa at the historic OC Fair & Events Center. Overachievers can sign up for the “OC Combo Crush” and tackle both the 5K and half, earning two T-shirts and three medals.
Vancouver Half Marathon
Destination: Vancouver, British Columbia
Date: May 2, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: February 21, 2027
A downhill start with epic Vancouver skyline views sets the tone for this fast course that unites historic urban sights with mountain backdrops, waterfront vistas, and lush foliage. You’ll tour several distinct neighborhoods—including waterfront False Creek, historic Chinatown, trendy Yaletown, scenic West End, and more—before crossing the finish line in downtown. Along the way, thousands of spectators and live entertainment provide midrace encouragement.
Great Wall Half Marathon
Destination: Great Wall, China
Date: May 15, 2027
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: March 6, 2027
(Note: To run the race, you need to purchase a travel package.)
Simultaneously break a serious sweat and experience the Great Wall, a one-of-a-kind UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World.” As you tackle the route, which traverses the wall east to west, you’ll encounter lots (and lots) of stairs—2,528 steps in total, to be exact—as well as rolling trails, steep climbs and downhills, and both cobblestone and unpaved sections. Distract yourself from the arduous journey by soaking in the surroundings (think countryside villages and lush vegetation).
Steamboat Half Marathon
Destination: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Date: June 6, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: March 28, 2027
Altitude (6,690 feet at the starting line)! This small Rocky Mountain skiing town offers more than just slopes. This race is point-to-point and mostly downhill. The route parallels the Elk River—a popular whitewater rafting destination—before finishing in downtown Steamboat Springs. After the race, you can soak sore muscles at the Old Town Hot Springs; the pools of naturally warm mineral water are within walking distance of the finish line.
Covered Bridges Half Marathon
Destination: Woodstock, Vermont
Date: June 7, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: March 29, 2027
Register
Vermont in spring, amiright? Take a trip back through time with this flat, fast race in picturesque New England countryside, complete with farms, hills, rivers, horses, and a tour through Woodstock. Usually about a dozen or so bands play a variety of tunes along the route to serenade runners. You’ll also pass by several historic bridges—including the race’s namesake, Middle Covered Bridge, which you’ll cross between miles 4 and 5.
Anchorage Mayor’s Half Marathon
Destination: Anchorage, Alaska
Date: June 19, 2027 (Sunday)
10-Week Training Plan Start Date: April 10, 2027
Register
Celebrate the longest day of the year with a 13.1-mile out-and-back jaunt along the shimmering shores of Cook Inlet. Look toward the water as you pass Point Woronzof around mile 5 and again at mile 9—it’s a vantage known for spotting bald eagles, moose, and even the occasional whale. After the run, head to downtown Anchorage for an epic summer solstice festival with live music, food trucks, beer gardens, cornhole, rock climbing, chalk art classes, and more.
Midnight Sun Run
Destination: Reykjavík, Iceland
Date: June 19, 2027 (Sunday)
Training Plan Start Date: April 10, 2027
The term “midnight sun” may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s not—at least not in Iceland. See the surreal astronomical occurrence for yourself with this nighttime half held on one of the longest days of the year (the sun will set for less than three hours total on race day). The course begins in the streets of the valley Laugardalur, and later on, ventures through outdoorsy hub Elliðaárdalur valley, where you’ll stride alongside famed salmon rivers. Top off your two-footed tour with a postrun dip in Laugardalslaug, a geothermal outdoor swimming pool located near the start/finish.
Kit has been a health, fitness, and running journalist for the past five years. His work has taken him across the country, from Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, to cover the 2016 Olympic Trials to the top of Mt. Katahdin in Maine to cover Scott Jurek’s record-breaking Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2015.
Jenny is a Boulder, Colorado-based health and fitness journalist. She’s been freelancing for Runner’s World since 2015 and especially loves to write human interest profiles, in-depth service pieces and stories that explore the intersection of exercise and mental health. Her work has also been published by SELF, Men’s Journal, and Condé Nast Traveler, among other outlets. When she’s not running or writing, Jenny enjoys coaching youth swimming, rereading Harry Potter, and buying too many houseplants.