May 2026 Featured Races

January 14th, 2026 by Mike Sohaskey

Miles of positive energy greet runners at the Fargo Marathon

Welcome to your RaceRaves guide to May races! Here we spotlight best bets & hidden gems for one of the busiest racing months of the year.

🏆 = Top Rated (Overall rating of at least 4.7 across 10+ reviews)

May Marathons
May Half Marathons
May Ultra Marathons
May Other Distances
May International Races

May Marathons

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon 🏆
May 1–3; Cincinnati, OH
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 miler
Ohio’s top marathon proves its (pork) chops 🐷

Eau Claire Marathon 🏆
May 2–3; Eau Claire, WI
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Midwest beauty, bridges & the beloved Blugold Mile

OC Marathon Running Festival
May 2–3; Newport Beach, CA
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Coastal tour of Orange County rises to the OCcasion

Pittsburgh Marathon
May 2–3; Pittsburgh, PA
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K, 1 miler
Test your mettle on Steel City’s hills and bridges

Lincoln Marathon
May 3; Lincoln, NE
Marathon, half marathon
Flat & friendly tour of Nebraska’s capital city

Ogden Marathon 🏆
May 16; Ogden, UT
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 8 miler, 5K
Downhill delight celebrates its 25th anniversary

Prince of Wales Island Marathon
May 23; Craig, AK
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon
Well-hidden gem 💎 in stunning Southeast Alaska

Buffalo Marathon
May 23–24; Buffalo, NY
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Memorial Day tradition marks its 25th running

CDA Marathon
May 24; Coeur d’Alene, ID
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Lakefront destination race in a mountain resort town

Vermont City Marathon & Relay
May 24; Burlington, VT
Marathon, marathon relay
Rolling double loop along sparkling Lake Champlain

Fargo Marathon
May 29–30; Fargo, ND
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Perennially popular party is a 50 States favorite

👉 Or search for more May marathons

May Half Marathons

IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon (Indy Mini)
May 2; Indianapolis, IN
Half marathon, 5K
Celebrate 50 years of The Greatest Spectacle in Running

Frederick Running Festival
May 2–3; Frederick, MD
Half marathon, half marathon relay, 5K
Charming circuit of a historic Civil War crossroads

Running With the Cows 🏆
May 9; Bucyrus, KS
Half marathon, 5K
Rolling rural roads & a bountiful post-race buffet

San Juan Island Half 🏆
May 9; Friday Harbor, WA
Half marathon
A feast for the eyes where the sea meets the sky

Harpers Ferry Half
May 16; Harpers Ferry, WV
Half marathon, 5K
Hilly & historic challenge in a Civil War setting
(Registration opens Jan 24)

Hospital Hill Run
May 16; Kansas City, MO
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Feel the “Thrill of the Hill” at KC’s original road race

La Jolla Half
May 16; San Diego, CA
Half marathon, 5K
Oceanfront point-to-point embraces its SoCal spirit

NYRR RBC Brooklyn Half
May 16; Brooklyn, NY
Half marathon
Oversized party from Prospect Park to Coney Island 🎡
(Application window closes Jan 19)

Run The Bluegrass
May 16; Lexington, KY
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Roll with the hills in the “Horse Capital of the World”

Marine Corps Historic Half
May 16–17; Fredericksburg, VA
Half marathon, 5K
#RunWithTheMarines at the site of 4 Civil War battlefields

Top of Michigan Festival of Races
May 23; Petoskey, MI
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Stunning out-and-back hugs the shores of Lake Michigan

👉 Or search for more May half marathons

May Ultra Marathons

Greenland Trail Races
May 2; Larkspur, CO
50K, 25K, 8 miler, 4 miler
Pikes Peak looms large over “Colorado’s fastest 50K”

Strolling Jim
May 2; Wartrace, TN
40 miler, marathon
48-year Laz classic travels the back roads of rural TN

Paiute Meadows Trail Run
May 9; Susanville, CA
50K, 50K relay, 30K, half marathon, 4.5 miler
Sublime singletrack on the edge of Lassen Nat’l Forest

Highball to Thurmond Ultra & Relay
May 17; Thurmond, WV
50 miler, 50 mile relay, 50K
Epic & exhilarating tour of New River Gorge Nat’l Park

Cayuga Trails 50
May 30; Ithaca, NY
50 miler, 50K
Waterfalls, gorges and stairs, oh my!

👉 Or search for more May ultra marathons

May Other Distances

Tulip Time Run
May 2; Holland, MI
10K, 5K
Tiptoe (or heel-strike) through tulip-lined streets 🌷

Bloomsday
May 3; Spokane, WA
12K
Lilac City showcase celebrates its 50th anniversary

She is Beautiful Santa Cruz
May 9; Santa Cruz, CA
10K, 5K
Female-focused race day fosters passion & positivity

Harpoon 5 Miler
May 16; Boston, MA
5 miler
Harbor views & Harpoon brews to support ALS research
(Registration opens Feb 3)

Soldier Field 10
May 23; Chicago, IL
10 miler, 10K
Memorial Day lakefront out-&-back finishes on the field

👉 Or search for more May other distances

May International Races

Mendoza International Marathon 🇦🇷
May 3; Mendoza, Argentina
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 4K
Speedy downhill in the heart of Andean wine country
(NOTE: Current course incurs +5:00 BQ index)

Great Ocean Road Running Festival 🇦🇺
May 16–17; Lorne, Australia
60K, marathon, half marathon, 14K, 12K, 10K, 6K, 5K
Dramatic coastal stretch hosts koalas & kangaroos

Salzburg Marathon 🇦🇹
May 17; Salzburg, Austria
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5.5K, 1 miler
UNESCO World Heritage Site & birthplace of Mozart

Bhutan Thunder Dragon Marathon 🇧🇹
May 24; Paro, Bhutan
Marathon, half marathon
Mountain trail race in a remote Himalayan kingdom

Edinburgh Marathon Festival 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
May 24; Edinburgh, Scotland
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K
From the city to the sea, Scotland’s capital shines

👉 Or search for more May 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 marathons on all seven continents plus the original six Abbott World Marathon Majors — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.

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