Welcome to your RaceRaves guide to top early October races! Here we spotlight best bets & hidden gems to kick off the busiest month of the racing season.
Sign up now for a free RaceRaves account to add these events & thousands more to your Future Races.
🏆 = Top Rated (Overall rating of at least 4.7 across 10+ reviews)
- Early October Marathons
- Early October Half Marathons
- Early October Ultra Marathons
- Early October Other Distances
- Early October International Races
Early October Marathons
Long Beach Marathon
Oct 5–6; Long Beach, CA
Marathon, half marathon, 5K, bike and run combo, bike tour
Run or bike SoCal’s autumn oceanfront race weekend
Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon 🏆
Oct 5–6; Milwaukee, WI
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
WI’s largest marathon follows its Lake Michigan muse
Run Crazy Horse
Oct 5–6; Crazy Horse, SD
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K
Black Hills beauty & the world’s largest mountain monument
Greenbrier River Trail Marathon
Oct 6; Cass, WV
Marathon, half marathon
Speedy Appalachian gem 💎 starts with a train whistle
Portland Marathon
Oct 6; Portland, OR
Marathon, half marathon
Rose City showcase features four bridge crossings
Wineglass Marathon
Oct 6; Bath, NY
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Finger Lakes favorite boasts handcrafted glass medals
Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon
Oct 11–12; Bemidji, MN
Marathon, 26K, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Circumnavigate Lake Bemidji in this ode to Paul Bunyan
Cape Cod Marathon
Oct 12–13; Falmouth, MA
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K
Meandering route hugs the stunning Falmouth coastline
Amica Newport Marathon
Oct 13; Newport, RI
Marathon, half marathon
“Breathtaking” ocean views & Gilded Age mansions
Steamtown Marathon
Oct 13; Scranton, PA
Marathon, wheelchair marathon
Net downhill point-to-point traverses 14 communities
👉 Or search for more October marathons
Early October Half Marathons
Indy Half at Fort Ben 🏆
Oct 5; Indianapolis, IN
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Fall foliage & festivities in Fort Harrison State Park
Jackass Half 🏆
Oct 5; Kellogg, ID
Half marathon, 5K
Gentle downhill point-to-point hits all the right notes
Mighty Niagara Half
Oct 5; Youngstown, NY
Half marathon, 5K
Canada to the left of me, US to the right, here I am 🎵
SPACEROCK Trail Race 🏆
Oct 5; Agua Dulce, CA
Half marathon, 15K, 10K, 5K
Out-of-this-world setting for iconic movies and TV shows
The Race
Oct 5; East Point, GA
Half marathon, 5K
Run to represent black-owned businesses & neighborhoods
Smuttynose Rockfest Half 🏆
Oct 6; Hampton, NH
Half marathon, 5K
Quaint coastal run meets wicked aftah pahty at NH’s best half
Lake Powell Half 🏆
Oct 12; Page, AZ
Half marathon
“Spectacular” road/trail hybrid in red rock desert country
Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon
Oct 12; Myrtle Beach, SC
Half marathon, 5K
5+ miles of oceanfront running plus a boardwalk finish
Queen Bee Half 🏆 (above)
Oct 12; Cincinnati, OH
Half marathon, 4 miler
Runners swarm to Cincy’s female-focused favorite 🐝
Northshore Half & 10 Miler
Oct 13; Mandeville, LA
Half marathon, 10 miler, 5K
Idyllic Louisiana run along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain
👉 Or search for more October half marathons
Early October Ultra Marathons
Arches Marathon & Half
Oct 5; Moab, UT
50K, marathon, half marathon, 15K
Rugged red-dirt adventure next door to Arches Nat’l Park
Wild Wild West Marathon and Ultra
Oct 5; Lone Pine, CA
50 miler, 50K, marathon, 10 miler
Run in the shadow of Mt Whitney, highest peak in the lower 48
Blues Cruise 50K
Oct 6; Leesport, PA
50K, 50K relay
Rolling, runnable trail circles Blue Marsh Lake
Heartland Spirit of the Prairie 100
Oct 11–12; Cassoday, KS
125 miler, 100 miler, 100K, 50 miler, marathon, half marathon
Tallgrass prairie out-and-back on backcountry gravel roads
West Virginia Trilogy
Oct 11–13; Circleville, WV
50 miler, 50K, half marathon, 5K
3 days, 3 distances in Monongahela Nat’l Forest
👉 Or search for more October ultra marathons
Early October Other Distances
Grand Circle Trailfest: Kanab 🏆
Oct 3–5; Kanab, UT
16 miler, 10 miler, half marathon
3-day festival in Bryce Canyon, Zion & Antelope Canyon
Ragnar Road Bourbon Chase
Oct 4; Lexington, KY
200 mile relay
Epic tour of Bourbon Country starts at Jim Beam distillery
Manhattan Beach 10K Run
Oct 5; Manhattan Beach, CA
10K
High-energy race day w/an oceanfront beachside finish 🌊
Boston 10K for Women
Oct 12; Boston, MA
10K
48-year tradition inspires & celebrates female runners
Army Ten-Miler 🏆
Oct 13; Washington, DC
10 miler
Hooah! Patriotic circuit of DC highlights marks 40 years
👉 Or search for more October races of other distances
Early October International Races
Košice Peace Marathon 🇸🇰
Oct 6; Košice, Slovakia
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon
Europe’s oldest marathon celebrates its 100th year
Wizz Air Skopje Marathon 🇲🇰
Oct 6; Skopje, North Macedonia
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K
Laid-back capital city is a gem of the Balkan Peninsula
Royal Victoria Marathon 🇨🇦
Oct 12–13; Victoria, Canada
Marathon, half marathon, 8K, 5K
Seaside beauty coincides with Canadian Thanksgiving
Melbourne Marathon Festival 🇦🇺
Oct 13; East Melbourne, Australia
Marathon, wheelchair marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Finish strong in the Southern Hemisphere’s largest stadium
(Waitlist only; 2025 registration opens in Nov)
Sparkasse 3-Country Marathon 🇩🇪
Oct 13; Lindau, Germany
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 11K, quarter marathon
Unique opportunity to run in 3 countries (🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇨🇭)
👉 Or search for more October international races
Looking for more great races across the U.S. and around the world? Check out our Featured Races for:
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 completed over 120 races — including 60+ marathons and ultras plus all six Abbott World Marathon Majors — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.
Other RaceRaves articles you’ll enjoy (trust us!)
Lunatic Spotlight: 50 States, 7 Continents & 6 Majors
Unconventional Races that Dare to be Different
Top Five Things You Can Do as a RaceRaves Member
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