Bird in Hand Half Marathon & 5K
Bird In Hand, PA
- Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Experience a Race Like No Other. Old-world practices. Lush countryside. Hard-working people. All these things and more make BIH Half a special experience. But some things can’t be described – like the sense of community that follows well after you cross the finish line. Tour the gorgeous Amish farmlands of … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 11):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 79 | 81 | 81 | 72 | 78 |
| L (°F) | 65 | 55 | 69 | 67 | 53 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Bird In Hand for the Win
Loved-Loved-LOVED this race. It's a must that you do the 5k run on Friday night and then the half the next day. It's a total package deal and so much … MORE
Loved-Loved-LOVED this race. It’s a must that you do the 5k run on Friday night and then the half the next day. It’s a total package deal and so much fun. I loved the how much the whole town got together to put this event on. The race really was on a beautiful layout. It happened to be very warm, and the hills mixed in were difficult for me. But the fact there were coolers of ice spread out on the course was a lifesaver. The swag was the most unique of it all! I hope to come back and do this race again.
BEST DESTINATION RACE EVER!!!!
The half marathon in Bird and Hand, Pennsylvania, was an incredible experience, winding through the picturesque Amish countryside. The event was organized flawlessly, and I truly appreciated the ice provided … MORE
The half marathon in Bird and Hand, Pennsylvania, was an incredible experience, winding through the picturesque Amish countryside. The event was organized flawlessly, and I truly appreciated the ice provided along the route. It was hot and humid this year 82° and 74% humidity. This is made for a rough race for me. The volunteers were fantastic, and the community’s support was remarkable. The whole weekend was so incredibly fun. From the pasta dinner (even though the pasta was super mushy) and s’more’s bonfire night the evening before to the race itself. This is definitely a race you won’t want to miss.
Race in the heart of Amish county
A well-produced race in the heart of Amish country. There were close to 2,000 runners in the half marathon alone, yet it was immaculately managed—from bib pickup to the sumptuous … MORE
A well-produced race in the heart of Amish country. There were close to 2,000 runners in the half marathon alone, yet it was immaculately managed—from bib pickup to the sumptuous post-race meal.
The medal, made from a horseshoe, is one of my favorites. If medals are your thing, this one is a must.
The course itself is hilly, especially if you’re not used to running inclines. There were several rolling hills with about 550+ ft of elevation gain, so make sure to train for the hills if you’re planning to run this race.
Vella Shpringa
Vella Shringa means “Let’s Run” in Amish. I don’t even know where to start this was such an awesome experience, I recommend everyone to come run the Bird in Hand … MORE
Vella Shringa means “Let’s Run” in Amish. I don’t even know where to start this was such an awesome experience, I recommend everyone to come run the Bird in Hand half marathon at least once in their lifetime. This is true hidden gem and I hope it stays the way it is forever.
We stayed at the Amishview Inn, which is about 2 miles from the start/finish. Very spacious and quiet place. They allowed me to check out late so that I can shower after the race before checking out. Also their free hot breakfast is usually starts from 7, but just for the race they started the breakfast at 6 so that runners can get some breakfast before the race, very charming place and I would recommend this hotel to anyone. They advise everyone to get to the race at least an hour early, as bird in hand is a very small rural town with only few ways to get there, the roads will get congested. Race morning was very smooth, so many port a potty, they had volunteers directing the line even. The first few miles of race was a little congested but it spread out after awhile. Amish people sitting on their front lawn cheering for you, singing, playing instruments, the Amish kids volunteering at the water stations were simply adorable. After the race, stick around for a community picnic where the whole community is invited. The line is long and looks intimidating, but it moves fast. I promise, don’t let the line turn you away. Honestly the best race medal I have ever gotten. Hand made medal from old horseshoe. Stick around the community and checkout all the Amish stores, pastries. I highly recommend checking out Shady Maple smorgasbord. I also highly recommend trying an Amish pretzel, they are a game changer and I don’t even like pretzels. My friends and family are already making plans for next year. The only thing I regret about this race weekend is that we only stayed one night, next year we are planning on staying 2 nights as there are so much that we wanted to do but didn’t have enough time for.
Experience the joy of community
What a great race! The production for the BIH Half is excellent. During the weeks leading up to the race, the team sent out several helpful emails with all of … MORE
What a great race! The production for the BIH Half is excellent. During the weeks leading up to the race, the team sent out several helpful emails with all of the info you need for the expo, parking on race day, and the race itself.
The expo was small and nice to walk through and packet pick-up is quick if you go outside of peak hours. I especially enjoyed the whoopie pie!
Race day runs smoothly as the parking attendants and fire police make sure you go the right way. It was a humid and hot day this year, so I was thankful for the plentiful water stops and coolers with ice.
Of course, staying for the post-race community picnic is a must if you have time. Lancaster County knows how to do a country picnic well. The sense of community in this race comes through and is not to be missed. BIH Half truly is a unique and special race.
So much fun, gonna try to run every year
I have had the BIH half on my radar for many many years but it was always on the weekend that I had to report to National Guard or away … MORE
I have had the BIH half on my radar for many many years but it was always on the weekend that I had to report to National Guard or away for other military duties. This year we finally buckled down, took off work on Friday and decided to experience BIH the proper way by doing the fire company challenge (5k on Friday evening, half marathon on Saturday morning). Drove into Bird in hand around 2 pm, picked up the bib at the tent, walked around some local shops. We ran the 5k, which was not that hilly, but my wife was pushing our 6 month old in a jogger and parts of the course is on grass which was a bit bumpy and challenging. So many Amish people running, so many kind people. Free s’mores party and bonfire, my 7 year old son had blast. One advice to everyone, all the local restaurants close around 7 pm here, so plan accordingly if you are planning on running the 5k. Getting dinner after the race can be challenging.
Camel Alert!
This race has been on my radar since it was voted the best half in PA and I have heard nothing but good things from my runner friends. I looked … MORE
This race has been on my radar since it was voted the best half in PA and I have heard nothing but good things from my runner friends. I looked into it a few years ago but the race wasn’t offering race day packet pick-up and there was no way I could make Friday packet pick-up without taking a day off and there was no way I was using a vacation day for a race as close as PA so I opted for a different race. However I decided to look into it again as I have made more running friends and figured worst case I could get someone to pick up my packet and was very happy to see they now offered race day packet pick-up for $20 so I immediately signed up after seeing that. This race is located in Amish county about 1.5 hours outside Philadelphia. It would be pretty easy to fly into Philadelphia or Baltimore and drive to the race but it’s not a race you could easily do without a car. I opted to drive from work in MA and it was about a 7 hour drive which meant I arrived after midnight. I stayed at a holiday inn express about 20 minutes away. I did hear the 5K and pasta dinner are really good so if you are willing to take a day off to go to PA you should try to get there earlier on Friday. There was good pre-race communication although the email they sent was a bit wordy and not the easiest to quickly get information from. However it was clear and easy where to park. I arrived early as they suggested and it was easy but this is a small area with limited roads so there was definitely congestion for the later cars. Packet pick-up was easy and there was also vendors (mostly local Amish goods and foods but also the typical stuff) and fire pits and a lot of porta potties though of course there were long lines close to the start. Packet included a tech shirt that I would consider average for a half and a delicious whoopie pie which was a nice additional treat. The race start was pretty well organized. There were no corrals but they had pacers to help people line up. I was planning to take this race easy so I stood near the back. There were pre race announcements and the race started on time. One thing I appreciated was the RD said the race would start on time and anyone who was still in bathroom line could start after since it was chip timed which is so much better than waiting for everyone to finish and starting late in a bigger race like this with a few thousand runners. The race started and it was amazing. After running in Kauai last weekend, it was going to be hard to beat that scenery but this race came close. The race is through beautiful Amish farmland. It is similar to the Amish Country Running Festival I’ve done in western NY but with about 50X more runners and half the elevation gain. Along with the picturesque farms there are a bunch of Amish families cheering you on. And even better there are a bunch of farm animals cheering you on. There are all the usual farm animals cows, horses, pigs, goats, chicken, etc but then at mile 12 there is a camel!! It was such a cool and fun race. I took it very easy and took a ton of pictures so my finishing time was not the best. Overall production was excellent. Course was well marked and had mile markers and plenty of aid stations with water, gatorade and one had a sherbert type dish that was so refreshing. The end was a little rough as part of it was on grass but I wasn’t PRing this race. It’s also not the easiest course. There are a moderate amount of hills. I think it is well described in the pre race info. It is hilly compared to Nebraska but flat compared to Vermont. It was about 500 feet of elevation gain and similar to an average course in NH or MA where I usually run. Weather today was quite nice but the course is unshaded and it can be hot in early September which can add to the difficulty. I made it to the finishing time with one of my slower half marathon finishes but I had a blast. Also there were ton of back of packers so it did not matter. The race has a stated 4 hour time limit but they were not strict. The finish line had an LED arch and big screen with results. You get your medal which is a horseshoe medal and is huge. This medal may even be better than my Pro-Football HOF superbowl ring medal. Definitely a top 2 medal and it’s probably in my top 5 definitely in my top 10 half marathons. Afterwards there is a picnic. I’m gonna be completely honest I was very disappointed in the picnic. There was nothing vegetarian except salad and potato salad so I really couldn’t get a full lunch and didn’t want it wait in line for just salad. I mean the picnic is a nice gesture and I get that traditional Amish food isn’t vegetarian but if you are vegetarian don’t plan on getting a full meal. I did get a piece of cake from the dessert table to hold me over until I could get lunch. Overall this was an excellent race and had some of the best scenery and farm animals in any race I’ve done. I’ve now done several races in PA and this one is definitely the best though logistically it’s a bit trickier to get here than a race in Philadelphia and there are some wonderful races in Philadelphia as well. If you can make this race work with your schedule you should definitely try to do it. I think it is a bit far of a drive to make it an annual race but I’d definitely be open to doing it again.
Beautiful run through Amish country
Will do this run again for sure. Pre-race there are fire pits with chairs set up around them. I picked up my race bib the morning of and had no … MORE
Will do this run again for sure. Pre-race there are fire pits with chairs set up around them. I picked up my race bib the morning of and had no problem with it. The course is rolling hills that winds through farmland. It is a wonderful course. I ran a little slower to take in the sights. The finisher medal is awesome. You get a horseshoe medal.
A truly special race
This was my 39th half marathon and one of the most unique and special I’ve run! For a city girl like me, the farmland/country scenery was breathtaking, as was the … MORE
This was my 39th half marathon and one of the most unique and special I’ve run! For a city girl like me, the farmland/country scenery was breathtaking, as was the variety of animals along the course (I even got passed by a horse and buggy at one point). The water stops are all manned by local Amish people and lots of children. Buckets of ice along the course (the downside to no shade). Great swag and plentiful delicious food for everyone at the finish line. Vibe was low-key but tightly organized, which I very much appreciated! They describe the course as “rolling hills” but some of those hills did more than roll — they just kept going up!
Beautiful Sunset
The course was fairly straight forward - lots of Amish cheering on the course, amazing energy. Pasta & Pizza dinner after for a fee. Parking is in a field little … MORE
The course was fairly straight forward – lots of Amish cheering on the course, amazing energy. Pasta & Pizza dinner after for a fee. Parking is in a field little rough on the car but easy to get to.
Unique must do race but HOT
Easy bib pickup - in middle of field Well organized and supported even with heat and crushing humidity. Farms had hoses pointed out to road. Organizers had huge coolers of … MORE
Easy bib pickup – in middle of field
Well organized and supported even with heat and crushing humidity. Farms had hoses pointed out to road. Organizers had huge coolers of ice along course – godsend.
Huge FREE and delish Amish BBQ at finish.
Fabulous Horseshoe medal!
Big Time Celebration, Small Town Heart
This was State #12 for me on my 50 states quest. When I think of traveling for a race in September or October in one of the "Middle Atlantic" states, … MORE
This was State #12 for me on my 50 states quest. When I think of traveling for a race in September or October in one of the “Middle Atlantic” states, I’m envisioning the leaves changing color, cooler temperatures, fall-themed beverages, apple cider, flannel and sweaters, pumpkin-flavored everything, pumpkins on porches, pumpkins in patches, and Halloween candy and decorations on every retail shelf. What we got instead on race morning was a rude awakening characterized by what I like to call The Trifecta of Hazardous H’s: heat, humidity, and hills. The consensus among visitors and locals alike was it was unseasonably warm for the time of year in Pennsylvania, and this year’s Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon was reported to be the second hottest on record.
I checked the weather on my phone, and my heart sank when I confirmed it was 68° at that point in time with 98% humidity, and expected to be around 78° by the time I planned to finish. Our herd was led by a horse and buggy, in keeping with race tradition. On the course, we enjoyed the most breath-taking country scenery for 13.1 miles, consisting of rolling hills of grassy farmland, pastures dotted with cows, and roads lined with tall corn stalks bearing the absolute biggest ears of corn I’ve ever seen ready for harvest.
Each aid station had extremely friendly volunteers who smiled, encouraged us with kind words and thoughtful funny signs, and at some of the aid stations they even treated us to a live instrumental band. One aid station had orange sherbet samples, which I greedily snatched up in my dehydrated, thirsty state, desperate for anything cold. In that moment, that little cup of sherbet was the best thing I’d ever eaten in my entire life.
In addition to the manned aid stations, there were also large coolers filled with ice on the side of the road at different points on the course, and I helped myself to heaping armfuls of ice from these treasure troves. In addition to hoarding ice on my person, I ran through sprinklers, which were also strategically placed at different points along the course.
Somewhere at the turnaround point between miles 6 and 7, I had a hard time containing my excitement when we came across a group of the prettiest cows, fixing passing runners with their bovine stare. The cows lifted my spirits as I jogged around the orange cones at the turnaround point. At mile 9, I started laughing pretty hard, because a band of five locals — three men and two women — were singing the most sorrowful, sad song as we ran by, and the irony was not lost on me that it was reflective of how many of us were feeling at that point in the soaring temperatures.
All throughout the race, I’d heard whisperings of a camel sighting, and it sounded like it was the stuff of legends. At that point, I’d gone almost ten miles without seeing a single exotic animal, let alone a camel. I began second-guessing myself, wondering if in my overheated state of delirium, I had somehow missed it. Suddenly, as I crested the hill at mile 12, I realized we finally reached the camels. Not one, but two! Taking a camel selfie was what I needed to give me a second wind.
From 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., a community picnic was held for race finishers, family, and the entire community, and everyone was welcome. By the time I crossed the finish line and began making my way over to the tent with the buffet, the lines were super long, but it appeared to be moving quickly. Volunteers in the main tent served barbecue chicken, grilled sausage, cake, and ice cream.
Packet pick-up was held at 338 North Ronks Road, right across from Bird-in-Hand Family Inn, which is where I stayed. The location was super convenient because it was across the street from pretty much everything connected to the race. The most awesome swag we got during packet pick-up was a whoopie pie! From 4pm – 8pm the night before the race, there was a pre-race pizza & pasta dinner (had spaghetti, breadsticks, shoofly pie), which was amazing.
The Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon was fantastic in all the ways a race can be when it comes to race communication, organization, sense of community, festivities, and Amish hospitality. Most of all, I’m thankful I made some amazing friends along the way to take my mind off how hot it was!
Must Do!
Difficulty/ course: the start was kind of congested. If you’re going for a PR make sure to get in front. They could prob benefit from doing waves next time. sure, … MORE
Difficulty/ course: the start was kind of congested. If you’re going for a PR make sure to get in front. They could prob benefit from doing waves next time. sure, there were hills, but there were also horses and camel!! It had rained the days before and the race directors warned of the mud in the road (… I don’t think that was mud!). Elevation map uploaded in pics. Additionally, there were TEN aid stations, and in between the aid stations there were coolers of ice!! And many people left their sprinklers on for you to run through.
-scenery: did I mention camels and horses? Beautiful farm land all around… of course it comes with the fresh aroma of the farm land, but hey, it just adds to the full experience!
Production: super smooth! Packet pick up was a breeze! Pre run bathrooms were the quickest I’ve seen- even for the crowd as big as it was! Post run meal line was kind of long, but moved fast as there were 2 lanes. Food was grilled chicken, brats, hot dogs, and potato salad. Plus there was a little known rib stand right in front so you could get your appetizer. The massage booth was as would be expected, but the wait was worth it!!
Swag- whoopie pie and a tech shirt. Some folks said the shirts were small, but they seemed good to me (but I’ma small person!) I did buy a previous year’s shirt a size smaller and they were actually the same size! So something to ask about when ordering your shirt! If you ran the 5k and the half you got your choice of a hand made serving tray, cutting board, or water bottle! (Water bottle wasn’t home made). I’m sure no one has made it this far without knowing about the medals. Yes. They’re heavy.
– we stayed in a airbnb and had a late check out accommodation which was super nice!
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FAVORITE HALF MARATHON SO FAR!!!
My finish time was slower than normal, but I walked some of the hills because my husband was with me and it was his first half ! This was a … MORE
My finish time was slower than normal, but I walked some of the hills because my husband was with me and it was his first half ! This was a WONDERFUL race with beautiful scenery through lovely Amish country. I loved everything about this experience!
THE ONLY Negative was, the local hotels checkout time was 11:00, so we missed the lunch because the line was SO LONG to be served in time to shower and check out.
Incredible Community Support
This race is a must do for Pennsylvania. Located in Lancaster right in the middle of Amish country, the local community comes out to put on a spectacular race. Not … MORE
This race is a must do for Pennsylvania. Located in Lancaster right in the middle of Amish country, the local community comes out to put on a spectacular race. Not only do the Amish put together an amazing spread at the end, they handcraft horseshoe finisher’s medals, participate in the race and welcome runners through their farms as mush of the course goes by or through the local farms. It is the nicest display of community I have ever seem at a race. If you can do the Fireman’s challenge (half and 5k), it is worth it.
The course itself is gently rolling hills but no shade so it can be very hot like this year. But there were more water stations than I could count, misting spray hoses setup around the course and random chest of ice for runners. Communication is excellent, swag is excellent and organization is excellent.
ONE NOT TO MISS
COMMUNITY!!!! This race production was spectacular. If you want community support this is your race. It starts on Friday with your packet pickup and pasta dinner (extra cost but worth … MORE
COMMUNITY!!!! This race production was spectacular. If you want community support this is your race. It starts on Friday with your packet pickup and pasta dinner (extra cost but worth it) and vendors. (I bought some nice made horse shoe items for a great price). There were plenty of water/powerade/gatorade stops. There were coolers of ice about each mile marker. Many farms had sprinklers hooked up so you could run under them. Some of the best scenery through Amish country. I was thinking to try to PR this race, but once I started I chose to enjoy the views (rolling farm land, animals, people, the crowd support) it was all beautiful. It was a warm day, but being from Missouri I am used to the heat and humidity but it did add to the challenge. Gently rolling inclines and declines through out. Great after race food (included in the race price). I’m talking chicken, hotdogs, sausages, potato salad, ice cream, desserts! Swag is a beautiful medal made from a horse shoe so they are all different. I joined the Fireman’s Challenge which was running the 5K on Friday along with the half marathon. Thankfully they had enough of the cutting boards left for me to get one.
The porta potty line had a director – smoothest line I have ever stood in and plenty of porta potties for the 1800 people. Also they had different inspirational quotes in them. 🙂
The only negative I have for this race is the turns were only marked on the ground and no signage on posts to show a turn. So if you were left with no one to follow you might take a wrong turn (which 2 of my friends did).
We flew in on a Thursday and stayed until Monday and took in many city activities in the area from Harrisburg, Hershey, Philly, Gettysburg and a fun scooter/coupe tour through Lancaster. Spend time there, you will not be disappointed.
Best Race in PA
This is not just a race, it's like an all-weekend festival supporting a good cause. I did the 5K and half marathon double and got an Amish-made charcuterie board with … MORE
This is not just a race, it’s like an all-weekend festival supporting a good cause. I did the 5K and half marathon double and got an Amish-made charcuterie board with the race logo on it. Dinner Friday night was worth the cost and the lunch Saturday is free. Great food, great people, and great atmosphere. The medal for the half is an actual horseshoe!
Must do
See 1/2 marathon review! Elevation chart uploaded. Hilly but not terrible Great swag if you do both. Camels and horses. Farm lands. Post run there were s’mores and camp fires. MORE
See 1/2 marathon review!
Elevation chart uploaded. Hilly but not terrible
Great swag if you do both.
Camels and horses. Farm lands.
Post run there were s’mores and camp fires.
…………………………………..
This Race Has To Be on Your Bucket List
My favorite race, the Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon in the heart of Amish Country has become a destination race for runners from all over the country. This year they had runners … MORE
My favorite race, the Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon in the heart of Amish Country has become a destination race for runners from all over the country. This year they had runners from as far as Texas, Florida, California and Hawaii. It’s understandable with the great warmth, welcoming community vibe from start to finish. Getting to run through the working farms, corn fields, and backroads, trying to avoid road apples (aka horse poop) makes this one of most unique and enjoyable races anywhere. Plus a delicious post -race BBQ and the coolest finisher medal a real horseshoe.
Cool farm running with the amish!
The weather was absolutely perfect on this September day! Great farm-land running. Everyone was encouraging and helpful. You're running through active farms so we saw tractors and a dairy truck … MORE
The weather was absolutely perfect on this September day! Great farm-land running. Everyone was encouraging and helpful. You’re running through active farms so we saw tractors and a dairy truck that blocked the course at one point, but it was easy enough to run around. Plenty of water/aid stations. The meal after was great and the entire town is so much fun to visit. Highly reccomend!