Welcome to your RaceRaves guide to October races! Here we spotlight best bets & hidden gems to help you navigate the busiest racing month of the year.
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🏆 = Top Rated (Overall rating of at least 4.7 across 10+ reviews)
- October Marathons
- October Half Marathons
- October Ultra Marathons
- October Other Distances
- October International Races
October Marathons
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend
Oct 4–5; St. Paul, MN
Marathon, charity half marathon, 10 miler, 10K, 5K
Rise & shine at “The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America”
(10 Miler sold out)
Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon 🏆
Oct 4–5; Milwaukee, WI
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
“Gorgeous” urban/suburban run along Lake Michigan
Run Crazy Horse
Oct 4–5; Crazy Horse, SD
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K
Start in the shadow of the world’s largest mountain monument
Greenbrier River Trail Marathon 🏆
Oct 5; Cass, WV
Marathon, half marathon
Peaceful Appalachian gem 💎 in “Almost Heaven” country
Wineglass Marathon
Oct 5; Bath, NY
Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Picturesque rural run features handcrafted glass medals
Breckenridge Road Marathon (above)
Oct 11; Breckenridge, CO
Marathon, half marathon, 10K
Bask in the breathtaking beauty of the Rocky Mountains
Cape Cod Marathon
Oct 11–12; Falmouth, MA
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 5K
Charming coastal course on the Atlantic Seaboard
Baystate Marathon
Oct 19; Lowell, MA
Marathon, half marathon, half marathon relay
“For runners, by runners” mindset fuels this BQ best bet
Columbia Gorge Marathon
Oct 19; Hood River, OR
Marathon, half marathon, half marathon relay
Pacific Northwest knockout flaunts its fall foliage
Grand Rapids Marathon 🏆
Oct 19; Grand Rapids, MI
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Small-town heart meets big-city amenities
Lake Tahoe Marathon & Emerald Bay Half
Oct 19; Homewood, CA
Double marathon, marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, 10K, 5K
If the hills don’t kill ya, the stunning views will thrill ya
Mount Desert Island Marathon 🏆
Oct 19; Bar Harbor, ME
Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon
Pristine coastline on the doorstep of Acadia Nat’l Park 🦞
Marine Corps Marathon
Oct 26; Arlington, VA
Marathon
The People’s Marathon celebrates its 50th anniversary
(Psst! Enter to win a free VIP entry here)
👉 Or search for more October marathons
October Half Marathons
Crawlin’ Crab Half
Oct 4–5; Hampton, VA
Half marathon, 5K
Festive shell-ebration on the shores of Chesapeake Bay
Jackass Half 🏆
Oct 4; Kellogg, ID
Half marathon, 5K
Speedy point-to-point in spectacular surroundings
Mighty Niagara Half
Oct 4; Youngstown, NY
Half marathon, 5K
Go with the flow at this riverfront run near Niagara Falls
Smuttynose Rockfest Half 🏆
Oct 5; Hampton, NH
Half marathon, 5K
Oceanside course + wicked aftah-pahty = NH’s best half
Amelia Island Half
Oct 11–12; Amelia Island, FL
Half marathon, 12K, 5K
Life’s a beach on FL’s northernmost barrier island
Queen Bee Half 🏆
Oct 11; Cincinnati, OH
Half marathon, 4 miler
You’ll “pollen” love with Cincy’s female-focused favorite
Northshore Half 🏆
Oct 12; Mandeville, LA
Half marathon, 10 miler, 5K
Soak up the sun on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain
End of the Road Half
Oct 18–19; Waterfall, PA
Half marathon, 4 miler
Run the abandoned PA Turnpike where “The Road” was filmed
Mother Earth Brewing Ironclad Half 🏆
Oct 18; Kinston, NC
Half marathon, 5K
A+ production & unmatched community support FTW
Urban Bourbon Half
Oct 18; Louisville, KY
Half marathon, 5K
“Spirit”ed ode to Louisville distilling is “whiskey” business
New England Half
Oct 19; Concord, NH
Half marathon
Quintessential fall favorite travels colorful country roads 🍁
IPS Malibu Moves 🏆
Oct 26; Malibu, CA
Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Inclusive event on one of the nation’s most iconic coastlines
👉 Or search for more October half marathons
October Ultra Marathons
Tesla Hertz Run
Oct 10; Rocky Point, NY
150 miler, 100 miler, 100K, 50 miler, 50K, 10 miler
Fully supported, wooded 10-mile loop on Long Island
California Fall Classic at Lake Sonoma 100K & 55K
Oct 18; Geyserville, CA
100K, 55K
Relentlessly rolling singletrack showcase in wine country
Door County Fall 50
Oct 25; Ellison Bay, WI
50 miler, 50 mile relay
Point-to-point tour of Wisconsin’s flamboyant fall foliage
(Relay sold out)
Yippee-Ki-Yay 50K, Half & 10K
Oct 25; Council Bluffs, IA
50K, half marathon, 10K
PR-friendly, rails-to-trails route thru the Heartland
Silver Falls Trail Runs
Oct 31–Nov 2; Silverton, OR
50K, marathon, half marathon, 7 miler, 5K
Waterfalls & rolling hills in OR’s largest state park
👉 Or search for more October ultra marathons
October Other Distances
Grand Circle Trailfest: Kanab 🏆
Oct 2–4; Kanab, UT
16 miler, half marathon, 10 miler
3-day festival in Southern Utah’s picturesque parks
High Knob Hellbender 10K
Oct 4; Norton, VA
10K
Lung-busting climb gains 2,000+ feet over 6.2 miles
Army Ten-Miler
Oct 12; Washington, DC
10 miler
Hooah! Run with the Cadets in the nation’s capital 🇺🇸
Mermaid Run San Francisco
Oct 19; San Francisco, CA
10 miler, 10K, 5K
Female-focused run crosses the Golden Gate Bridge
Tulsa Run
Oct 25; Tulsa, OK
15K, 5K, 2K
High-energy, Halloween-adjacent urban showcase
👉 Or search for more October other distances
October International Races
Come to Galapagos Marathon 🇪🇨
Oct 5; Galapagos, Ecuador
Marathon, half marathon, 10K
Follow in Darwin’s footsteps at this eco-friendly adventure
Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 🇿🇦
Oct 18–19; Cape Town, South Africa
43K, marathon, 22K, 11K, 10K, 5K
Cape Town sets its sights on World Marathon Major status
Copper Canyons Endurance Runs 🇲🇽
Oct 26; Cerocahui, Mexico
60K, marathon, half marathon
Remote mountain challenge in a Rarámuri community
Frankfurt Marathon 🇩🇪
Oct 26; Frankfurt, Germany
Marathon, marathon relay
Fast circuit with a red-carpet finish in the fabulous Festhalle
Niagara Falls Marathon 🇨🇦
Oct 26; Niagara Falls, Canada
Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K
Riverfront out-and-back finishes above the Falls
👉 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 marathons on all seven continents plus all six Abbott World Marathon Majors — in locations ranging from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.
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And for more helpful articles, check out our blog!
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