If you’re planning to run a half marathon in Texas, don’t miss out on these races which are consistently rated the best by those who have run them.
Fairview Half Marathon – Fairview
The Fairview Half Marathon is a looped course that runs through the beautiful town of Fairview. Capped at 900 participants, this event has tons of great perks, including a technical running shirt, an awesome finisher’s medal, free childcare, a personalized race bib, and beer mugs as awards for age group winners.
The Course
The course, which extends across pastures, farms and residential neighborhoods, is chock-a-block with rolling hills. The roads are a mix of concrete and asphalt, predominantly the latter.
Image Source: Mapmyrun.com
Reviews
“This a local race, in which everyone knows the race director by name and you can easily spot her on race day. I love The Active Joe races, the crowd that Libby, the director, is able to draw is unique. If you really want to know what a runner’s community feels like, run one of her races. Everyone is awesome, and I’m not just talking about the runners but the community. People where at the end of their driveways, driving around holding up signs. There were two houses that really stood out to me on the course, one has snacks just set at the end of their driveway for runners. The other, the owner sat out front and took pictures of every single runner and uploaded it to the Facebook page the next day. You’re not going to find that at any other race.” – Erica H., Bibrave Review
“I loved that it was a small race. I loved that it was through the residential areas of Fairview, which was absolutely gorgeous. There were plenty of beautiful houses and lots of open land. I loved the guy with the portable speaker serenading fellow runners with song. The end of the race included one of the biggest medals (I’ve received) and lots of post-run snacks. Great race shirt and bag with samples at packet pickup. Loved this race!” Dara N., Bibrave Review
The Hottest Half – Dallas
With around 1,100 runners, a lot of atmosphere, live music at the starting line, and an out-and-back course that takes in the very beautiful White Rock Lake, this race is not-to-be-missed! But this half marathon’s main attraction is the heat! “Runners need to be ready to run in some potentially brutally hot, sunny and dry conditions at this race, when the ‘dog days’ of summer are a their worst in the Dallas metro area”, according to Halfmarathons.net.
The Course
The course, which extends on city streets and through White Rock Lake Park, is entirely on paved surface trails. There are a few bridges, and it is otherwise not technical, but the heat is the real challenge here.
Image Source: Halfmarathons.net
Reviews
“By far, the most positive, well-organized race I have ever run. Everyone, from the volunteers to the pace setters to the expo workers, were helpful and friendly. Great medal and finisher blanket!” – Joy, Marathonguide.com Review
“This race is well worth a go. Great starting (Pro Football Hall of Fame) and ending (Fawcett Stadium) points. Beautiful medals and nice-sized fleece finisher’s blanket. Post-race snacks were tasty (especially loved the Caveman bar) and unique – just like so many other aspects of this race. You can have a lot of fun with the football theme.” -Tamra Harrison, Facebook Review
Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon – Plano
Participants in this half marathon get a hot breakfast, an incredibly unique finisher’s medal, and amazing views of hot air balloons as they run. As the race is part of a bigger balloon festival, after the race there are plenty of things to do with the family, such as enjoying the music and food, and checking out the vendors selling locally-made products.
The Course
The course is on the hilly side, with a lot of hills in the first few miles. It also zig-zags through several neighborhoods, and finishes with a small decline.
Image Source: Mapmyrun.com
Reviews
“The race is very unique because of the balloons. I would strongly recommend checking it out if you are in the area or if you need to run a race in this state. You will remember the race for years and their medal is one of the best!” – Edina L., Bibrave.com
“I first ran Plano Balloon HM in 2014. I enjoyed it so much that it will likely be one of my staple races every year! The medal is ALWAYS home run!! This year, the finisher’s medal featured balloons that could actually spin within the medal. The race is well organized. All in all, this is a fantastic and fun race!” – Jen K., Bibrave.com
Dallas Running Club Half Marathon – Dallas
According to the official site, this race is a “fixture on the racing calendar and a premier running event in the North Texas area. It is one of the oldest half marathons in the US… [and] is well-attended by elite runners, casual runners, run-walkers and walkers.”
The Course
The out-and-back looped course extends around the park that surrounds White Rock Lake and is mostly paved. It’s relatively flat, with just a few rolling hills, the most significant of which is between miles 5 and 6. From mile 8 to the end, the course is very flat.
Image Source: Mapmyrun.com
Reviews
“The race turned out a bigger crowd than I had expected, but it was very well-organized, and there were plenty of port-o-potties at the start, plenty of water stops, and great volunteer support throughout the course.” – Megan L., Thelyonsshare.org
“The festivities at the finish were phenomenal. This was officially my favorite half marathon ever. I cannot say enough good things about this race. It was truly better than any of the expensive races I have run.” Erin, Runningintheback.wordpress.com
South Padre Island Half Marathon – South Padre Island
Come for the awesome half marathon, stay for the activities. There is no shortage of things to do on South Padre Island after you unwind from the race, from beaches and shopping to nightlife, there’s something for the whole family. Go dolphin watching, take a nature tour or a sunset cruise, or visit historic Port Isabel.
The Course
This is a scenic point-to-point race on paved roads and it is pretty much flat as a pancake. There’s only one hill on the whole 13.1-mile course, so it’s great for newbies and for setting a new PR.
Image Source: Mapmyrun.com
Reviews
“There was lots of communication and they were quick to respond to any last minute questions on Facebook which I really appreciate. They also sent out the race t-shirt ahead of time so that you could train in and post pictures. Packet pickup with a breeze, took no time, and was super organized. I think the half course was pretty great and provided some gorgeous scenery!” – Erica H., Bibrave.com
La Porte By the Bay Half Marathon
This out-and-back race is the 3rd in the Texas Bridge Series, and takes place over the Fred Hartman Bridge. It’s the “highest off-the-ground half marathon in Texas”, according to the official site. The bridge is 440 feet high and gives the impression of “running through a magnificent open air cathedral.”
The Course
The course is primarily flat, with a few major uphill and downhill segments when runners head over the bridge.
Image Source: Halfmarathons.net
Reviews
“The race was over a bridge, which was pretty tough. The view was amazing. The medal was pretty cool too.” – Angela, Webeatfat.com
Texas Road Romp Half Marathon – Waco
This marathon prides itself on being “out of control”, so expect an awesome event and an even more awesome party afterwards. Your name is called at the finish line, there’s a live DJ spinning tunes, finisher’s all get medals and all runners get a hooded jacket.
The Course
This course, although pretty and scenic, is also quite challenging. Expect a significant number of hills, and steep ones at that, especially for a road race.
Image Source: Mapmywalk.com
Reviews
“The course is beautiful, taking you through Cameron Park in downtown Waco, in and out of some steep hills and beautiful tree lined views and a path along the river. You cross a few bridges as well, with the finish line being on a beautiful pedestrian bridge across the Brazos toward the convention center. As far as downtown parks go, this is one of the best for running that I’ve come across, and I would recommend running any race put on in Waco, as most of them are centered around this area.” – Barrett, Fitandhappy.blogspot.com
Illuminations Half Marathon – San Antonio
Aside from the cold weather (the race is held in December), this event is unique in that it’s held at night. It extends along the golf course at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, which is lit up with high-tech LED luminary lights, creating a one-of-a-kind setting for a half marathon.
The Course
The course has a good amount of uphill and downhill portions, with a lot of twists and turns. They aren’t particularly steep, but expect constant running up and down. There is an uphill trail/sand segment where the resort ends and the golf course begins.
Image Source: Community.runnersworld.com
Reviews
“This was a great race. The staff was helpful in directing all the runners to areas they needed to be in, and the beauty and challenge of this race were very apparent.” – Muddy J., Muddyj.com
“Overall I really enjoyed the run. If they host it again next year I would definitely run again. Staying the night out there and making an entire experience out of it was pretty fun too.” – Jon F., Jonfitzsimon.com