Welcome to our monthly guide to top upcoming races! Here we highlight a sampling of summer “best bets” as well as some of our team’s personal favorites.
Please note: Scheduling remains highly fluid, and some August races have yet to open registration (while others have already sold out!). Unless otherwise noted, the following list includes only events that are now taking registrations for an in-person race and which, based on current information, are likely to take place. As with life, however, there are no guarantees.
For a more comprehensive list of August road & trail races of all distances—and to exclude canceled events from your search—check out our Find a Race page!
Looking for more in-person races that may actually happen? Check out our Featured Races for April/May, June and July.
(* indicates race was held in 2020)
August Marathons
Emerald Mountain Epic (fka Steamboat Stinger)
Aug 8; Steamboat Springs, CO
Marathon, half marathon
Breathtaking trail run among aspens & wildflowers
Beaver Canyon Marathon*
Aug 14; Beaver City, UT
Marathon, half marathon
4,300 ft descent starts two miles above sea level
Crater Lake Rim Runs
Aug 14; Crater Lake, OR
Marathon, 13 miler, 6.7 miler
Tackle one of the Toughest Road Marathons in the U.S.
Tunnel Vision Marathon
Aug 15; Snoqualmie Pass, WA
Marathon
Perennially popular Boston Qualifier on gentle downhill
(Registration opens Apr 24)
Anchorage RunFest (Humpy’s Marathon & Skinny Raven Half)
Aug 21–22; Anchorage, AK
49K, marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K, 1 miler
Family-friendly reason to visit Anchorage this summer
Main to Main Marathon*
Aug 21; Osage, IA
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
“Ear”mark this small-town gem in Iowa corn country
ET Full Moon Midnight Marathon*
Aug 22; Rachel, NV
51K, marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Nighttime run thru Area 51 on the Extraterrestrial Hwy
Mesa Falls Marathon*
Aug 28; Idaho Falls, ID
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Scenic point-to-point near Yellowstone & Grand Teton NP
Moonlight on the Falls Marathon
Aug 28; Davis, WV
Marathon, half marathon, quarter marathon, 9 hr, 9 hr relay
Inaugural loop course in the Allegheny Mountains
Sioux Falls Marathon*
Aug 29; Sioux Falls, SD
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
South Dakota’s largest city puts its best foot forward
August Half Marathons
Little Miami Half
Aug 8; Morrow, OH
Half marathon, 10K
Low-key half along the shaded Little Miami Scenic Trail
Goodyear Half & 10K
Aug 14; Akron, OH
Half marathon, 10K
Chase a PR where the Rubber Capital meets the road
Hot Trot Half Marathon
Aug 14; Dallas, TX
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Summer scorcher around White Rock Lake
Bridge of the Gods Half
Aug 15; Cascade Locks, OR
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
“Gorge”ous course voted Oregon’s best half marathon
Asheville Half
Aug 21; Asheville, NC
Half marathon, 10K
Blue Ridge running and a “suds”ational beer scene
Iron Horse Half
Aug 22; North Bend, WA
Half marathon
Verdant downhill voted Washington’s best half marathon
Rock the Parkway
Aug 28; Kansas City, MO
Half marathon, 5K
Fast, friendly route showcases the City of Fountains
Scheels Healthy Human Race*
Aug 28; Rochester, MN
Half marathon, half marathon relay, 5K
Enjoy waterside views on Med City’s flat, paved trails
August Ultra Marathons
Volcanic 50
Aug 7–8; Stevenson, WA
50K, 25K
Rugged, remote route circumnavigates Mount St. Helens
12 Hours of Road America
Aug 14–15; Plymouth, WI
12 hr, 2 hr
4+ mile loop around the Road America race track
Habanero Hundred
Aug 14; Cat Spring, TX
100 miler solo & relay, 100K solo & relay, 50K, 30K, 20K, 10K
10K loop course in the heat of the Texas sun
Lean Horse 100
Aug 14; Custer, SD
100 miler, 50 miler, 30 miler, 20 miler
Great first-time ultra in the sacred Black Hills
Continental Divide Trail Run
Aug 21; Steamboat Springs, CO
50K, 16 miler, 5 miler
High-altitude challenge overlooking Yampa Valley
Looking for more running events? Search for races by state/city or month, and try our handy Find a Race tool to search for events by name, date range, distance, location, terrain & more. Then sign up for a free account to build your wish list and start coloring in your 50 States Map!
Author: Mike Sohaskey
Mike Sohaskey is the co-founder of RaceRaves, the premier online reviews community for runners to share their race experiences and find their next challenge. Mike honed his creative and critical thinking skills as a research scientist, earning a Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Stanford. He’s also completed over 100 races — including 50+ marathons and ultras — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.
Other RaceRaves articles you’ll enjoy (trust us!)
Toughest Road Marathons in North America
Racing Inspired by Hollywood
Best Racing Cities in the U.S.
Running on all seven continents
Unconventional Races that dare to be different
Must-See Running Documentary Movies
And for more helpful articles, check out our blog!
Subscribe & Stay Connected
Find this article informative? Please share it, and let others know RaceRaves is the premier online resource to DISCOVER, REVIEW & TRACK all their races and to CONNECT with other runners! Plus, sign up for our newsletter to receive the best racing-related content and special offers every month!
No comments yet