Good Life Halfsy
Lincoln, NE
- Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
RUN THE BIGGEST AND BEST RACE IN NEBRASKA… this fast net-downhill course, amazing crowd support and atmosphere, great race swag, and overall experience has earned the Halfsy a world-class reputation and grown the race to the largest in the great state of Nebraska! With 13.1 miles of parks, water features, … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Nov 08):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 52 | 51 | 69 | 64 | 64 |
| L (°F) | 33 | 37 | 42 | 45 | 37 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
The Unexpected Good Life
I went to Lincoln with literally no expectations and was blown away by how much I enjoyed this race and the city. The biggest surprise? The support in the course! … MORE
I went to Lincoln with literally no expectations and was blown away by how much I enjoyed this race and the city. The biggest surprise? The support in the course! The crowds were fantastic and along 90% of the course.
The views and course itself were also more idealic than i expected and with a net downhill run, a PR is possible – just make sure you’re prepared for that final hill at mile 13! It’s steep but the minute you get to the top, it’s a full sprint downhill directly into the finish!
Minus it being 16° for 2025, the post race is great and the expo is super easy.
Freezing day, but surprisingly good race
Decent logistics - easy packet pick up. If you register early, you get some additional freebies - we love the pint glass and use it all the time! Stayed at … MORE
Decent logistics – easy packet pick up. If you register early, you get some additional freebies – we love the pint glass and use it all the time!
Stayed at a hotel right by the finish line. Took the shuttle to the start. Was a freezing cold day (temperatures hovered around 20 degrees, with 20 mph winds), and the high school at the start area allowed runners to wait inside, which was nice. Was surprising to see how many spectators turned out to cheer/support on such a cold day – was very much appreciated. Didn’t really notice the course much, as was focused on finishing and getting out of the cold! The race finishes going up on a bridge, which is rough. Overall good race production. I did wish the race went through/by the University, but the course seemed decent. Finish area had lots of free food/goodies, but unfortunately with the cold, make it not as easy to eat.
Would recommend this for Nebraska, as long as it isn’t another cold day!
Omg the weather
Frankly, I have PTSD from this race, but it’s not the fault of the race organizers! It was the weather! I traveled from Maryland for this race and all the … MORE
Frankly, I have PTSD from this race, but it’s not the fault of the race organizers! It was the weather! I traveled from Maryland for this race and all the race morning it was freezing! 20 mile an hour winds and it even snows some! I thought the race was well organized. I thought the swag was nice and in better weather it would’ve been a much more fun experience. Other runners who I talked to who have run it before really enjoy it and I can see why but frankly, I can hardly even remember this race because I was so miserable from the cold.
I would recommend it and potentially consider doing it again and hope for better weather!
It's All Downtown From Here
My review is a couple months late but I ran this race on November 9, 2025. We were instructed to arrive by 6:20 AM at the Pre-Race Shuttle Pickup at … MORE
My review is a couple months late but I ran this race on November 9, 2025. We were instructed to arrive by 6:20 AM at the Pre-Race Shuttle Pickup at Lincoln Station, 277 Pinnacle Arena Drive, which was a bitterly cold half mile walk from the hotel. The 15 mph wind was bone-chilling, the temperature was 27°, and it wouldn’t get any warmer than 32° later that afternoon. Hundreds of runners lined up neatly beside the row of school buses parked behind Lincoln Station, as a volunteer counted us as we boarded. It was about a 20 minute ride from Lincoln Station to Lincoln East High School, where we would have an hour to hang out indoors in the warmth before the race started.
For the first time since the inception of the Halfsy, due to record cold temperatures, the high school generously allowed us use of their gymnasium and facilities as our warming center. With over 9,000 registered participants for the 12th year of Nebraska’s largest road race, every square inch of the hallways and spacious gymnasium were occupied. I had absolutely no complaints, because although we were packed in pretty tight, we were all content to be out of the cold and just thankful we had real toilets to use before the race instead of porta-johns.
I think I speak for every participant when I say we were surprised to see Lincoln turn out with thousands of bundled up, cheering spectators all along the course, in spite of the below freezing temps. It was 13.1 miles of 28° and winds between 15 and 17 mph the whole way. It even flurried at one point. Huge kudos to the volunteers at every aid station, they braved the cold with us for hours and were truly amazing. Despite this being the coldest race I’d experienced in my 50 states journey thus far, I weathered the blistering freezing temperature and biting wind exceptionally well, and the first 9 miles of the race were a dream to run.
For the first 2 miles we headed down 70th street, and then turned onto Holmes Park Road through a quiet little residential neighborhood. Residents were parked on their front lawns with encouraging and funny signs, wrapped in blankets and shivering in their oversized boots, slippers, and flannel pajamas. They cheered us on and kept their cell phone cameras recording, anxiously looking for their loved ones in the rolling crowd of thousands of passing runners. Aid stations were plentiful, with water and Gatorade and tons of volunteers.
Eventually we looped back up 70th street, before turning up Holmes North Shore Road, which runs along Holmes Lake. I don’t even remember the lake views to our left, because I was only focused on being cold and running fast. The course scenery was pretty serene and in some spots we had some nice foliage to look at, which broke up the more industrial sights of downtown later in the course. Overall, the course was pretty hilly even though it was a very gentle net downhill, and the hills were small and extremely imperceptible for most of the race. I knew this going into it from the elevation chart, however what I didn’t expect was the difficulty I would have past mile 10 with the head wind while navigating some of the longer incline hills.
Part of the course took us through tunnels and under overpasses, especially right after mile 12 on Charleston Street, and it was extremely windy beneath the overpasses. What took everyone out was the bridge at the end of the race, and we were all dropping F bombs. The crowd lining the finish chute was nothing short of spectacular. Lincoln’s energy rivaled some of the biggest races around the country, with supporters cheering our names as we sprinted past them to cross the timing mat.
The finisher’s festival at the railyard was extremely chaotic, and too overwhelming for me to want to stick around in the cold. Compared to my experience with the Omahalf at the start of my 50 states journey, I can absolutely say the Good Life Halfsy made this Nebraska redemption trip worth it. Pre-race communication and the expo were very well executed, and the expo especially was awesome and super organized. Lots of vendors and photo ops. If you are visiting from out of town, check out the Nebraska State Capitol and International Quilt Museum.
PR's and Friendly People
Great flat course, the weather was COLD (perfect for me, less so for people who do better in warm weather), solid course through Lincoln and coming back into downtown for … MORE
Great flat course, the weather was COLD (perfect for me, less so for people who do better in warm weather), solid course through Lincoln and coming back into downtown for the end, great finish line party, good race expo and swag (and really cheap race shirts at the expo, I actually bought a couple extra ones since they had really nice DriFit long sleeves for $5-10), well-run race, minimal hills (also note that it starts at a HS so you get to stay inside after getting bussed over to there, and mostly avoid standing around in the freezing cold).
Nebraska Nice!
The Good Life Halfsy is one of the most well-run, high-energy races in the Midwest. The course is fast with generous downhills, the crowd support is incredible, and the volunteers … MORE
The Good Life Halfsy is one of the most well-run, high-energy races in the Midwest. The course is fast with generous downhills, the crowd support is incredible, and the volunteers are top-notch. One of the best parts? Your name is printed on your bib, so total strangers cheer you on personally all along the way — it’s surprisingly emotional and unbelievably encouraging. Lincoln shows up big for this race, from music on the corners to friendly neighborhoods lining the route. Logistics are smooth, parking is easy, and the finish line energy is fantastic. If you want a fall half marathon that feels both welcoming and professionally organized, the Halfsy delivers
Cold but pretty fun
Did this race as the second half of a back-to-back weekend. Salina (KS) Crossroads Half was Saturday. As we drove back to Lincoln, the temperature plummeted. We made it to … MORE
Did this race as the second half of a back-to-back weekend. Salina (KS) Crossroads Half was Saturday. As we drove back to Lincoln, the temperature plummeted. We made it to the expo in the last hour. Parking was pretty congested but not impossible. We had joined a team so we had earned LOTS of swag (hat, race charms, etc.) Loved the branding and big feeling of this expo. There were local racing stores there if you forgot race day essentials. It was a reasonable size expo for the race and city size. Some good photo opps, etc.
We stayed in the race hotel in Haymarket which was great aside from the lack of a breakfast buffet….I would have chosen one that had an open breakfast in the future. Our hotel had a starbucks / bistro but we didn’t have time to wait in line. We took the race day transportation shuttles and those were great. Our shuttle was almost empty…but they were telling people they couldn’t take a shuttle without their ticket. It was so cold, I think many people dropped to the virtual option which may have changed their planning. Traffic getting in to the high school / start line was a lot.
Thank goodness the high school was open to wait for the start. It was flurries and wind which was very tough conditions. We used the restroom and waited inside as long as we could. We went out to the starting chute about 15 minutes before the race was scheduled to begin. According to the race guide, they have strict cut times at every mile. Granted, it is like 17/18 minutes give per mile from the time the last finisher crosses, but as back of the pack people who were doing their second half marathon in 2 days, I was still nervous. We followed the advice of the race guide and moved up in the self-seeding chute to give ourselves more of a buffer.
The race did not start until about 10 minutes after the scheduled time. They didn’t have clearance from police that the course was secure. We finally got started and my friend and I crossed about 5 minutes after the first runner. There were parts of the course that had cheer stations, but much of it was just winding through the city and local neighborhoods. I didn’t take many photos – I was mainly just trying to keep moving and stay warm. Basic aid stations were fine – water and sometimes gatorade. Just one with gels around mile 8. All of this was consistent with the race guide. Good, supportive volunteers and there were medical people on bikes pretty often patrolling the route.
I liked the last few miles on the bike path. I know not everyone would agree. As a back of the pack person it didn’t bother me that the course narrowed since there aren’t many people of my pace. I liked the Kool Aid guy on the course, passing the Nebraska sports facilities, and seeing the capitol (although from afar!) I loved the pedestrian bridge and the beautiful downhill finish. Wish there was a way to get the amazing chalk art in a photo but it was like 20 feet before the finish line.
I was sort of disappointed in the finish line experience. I DID appreciate the mylar blanket. (Ive been at races where they ran out for the later finishers.) Medal is good and I like the branding. Snacks were just fairly average…if I had known that chocolate chip cookies were the one thing that didn’t come from a package (oh and the banana), I would have grabbed a half dozen. I must have misinterpreted previous reviews that said there was hot food offered. This seems small but as I travel around the 50 states, it seems that most larger races have a signature food item at the finish (Flying Pig’s Pizza, Oklahoma City Memorial’s ice cream, etc.) I asked at the info tent near the finish line and was met with scorn…I can only imagine that this person had been standing out in the bitter cold for hours and didn’t love my question about was there any other hot food available as part of our registration. In that vein, because of the weather (still hovering around freezing at noon), most finishers had already cleared out so there wasn’t much party left. But I can imagine in other years people hang out and enjoy the beer, music etc.
Thankfully it was not hard to find a good cheeseburger in the haymarket district after we cleaned up. Overall, I am glad I did this race but probably wouldn’t travel to do it again. I’m chalking it up to the tough conditions. Happy to check off another state.
Not that bad! just unexpected cold front
It's a packed race and save your energy not only to finish strong but to go up an incline on the bridge before the last bend to the finish line MORE
It’s a packed race and save your energy not only to finish strong but to go up an incline on the bridge before the last bend to the finish line 😄.
Good Life is just…. fine
First things first, Good Life Halfsy is a perfectly fine race. The medal is simple, but vibrant. I absolutely loved the pink gorilla mile markers, which were noticeable absent at … MORE
First things first, Good Life Halfsy is a perfectly fine race. The medal is simple, but vibrant. I absolutely loved the pink gorilla mile markers, which were noticeable absent at the finish line. The expo was decent. All-in-all, there is not inherently wrong or bad with the race, but it didn’t live up to the hype. Within 8 days, I did three half marathons (thank jkelling for that madness), all within 3-hour driving distance. If I only had to choose one, it would not be Good Life Halfsy. I’m a girl – I want the whole package, or as close as possible.
Good Life Halfsy was part of another back-to-back half marathon (review: Salina Crossroads) weekend (note to self: quit signing up for races in the dead winter when you are at home going stir crazy). We arrived in the nick of time to pick-up our personalized bibs and extra swag for signing up early. Bonus: I LOVE personalized bibs. Good Halfsy has an amazing marketing department and does a great job at the little details. Personally, I like getting my bib and bag at the start of an expo to later fill it with expo swag. There were a couple of running store vendors with merchandise and booths for other races. We took advantage of the big “Halfsy” marque letters for a selfie. Another bonus: pre-race t-shirt exchange. Good Life offered men and women size shirts. As any woman knows, the fashion industry lies to us – even in running. The women shirts ran small. The female volunteer immediately suggested an appropriate size and showed me the difference. I was glad to have that option rather than the traditional post-race exchange, which I almost never do.
At a pre-race dinner, my running partner and I dined with a runner and spent a good 30 minutes discussing the parking situation for this point-to-point race. If I hear “pre-register” again I will go crazy. But probably not as crazy as my running partner every time I scrolled the website page to reread the same information. We even checked our online registration to see if we had pre-registered six months prior. Nothing. It wasn’t until we looked at the upper right-hand corner of our bib envelope to read the 13-point Arial font size “Parking: Pre-Registered” to find out that we had indeed registered for the shuttle.
Once at the race site, the nine-degree real feel weather kept us inside the over-crowded gymnasium and hallways. We weaved our way outside to the freezing porta johns as I layered with another shirt. With only one distance, (thus ‘halfsy’), the 9,000 runners lined up, moving only as to not shiver from the cold. I was not successful in keeping warm and it showed in my time.
Good Life Halfsy is touted as a net downhill, and technically, it very well may be. However, that downhill only comes after 5.5 miles of climbs and descents. The fashion industry is already lying to this woman, I don’t need more lies from the Nebraska hills. Running is as much mental as it is physical, so the hyped-up net downhill neglected to warn runners that it only comes because what goes up must come down. I generally enjoy point-to-point, because they offer something different, but in this case, it was just okay. The last 4.5 miles we were on the local park trail, empty business park and rounded out in a residential area before crossing the bridge to the Pinnacle Arena parking lot finish line. Again, it’s a fine race, but it didn’t excite me. Within the past year, I’ve traveled to various mid-size and small-town races that really tried to highlight their respective cities on the course. My running partner and I even took pictures of places we wanted to dine post-race while on the course. This did not happen at Good Life. With all the support and fanfare Good Life Halfsy gets, I simply expected more.
I did really like the finish line. The DJ rocked Rocky’s theme song as we crossed the bridge, so we both appreciate the challenge to push it. The bridge crossing led into the finish line as we collected our gorgeous, heavy, colorful medals. The finisher line had an assortment of goodies, some in mislabeled boxes. (The Smart Pop boxes with filled with trail mix treats.)
I really do not mean to speak negatively of the Good Life, because it is a fine race. The swag is on point. Personalized bibs make you feel special as spectators call out your name. I love that the bibs also include the team’s name. Pre-race shirt exchange? Divine! Volunteers in pink gorilla suits at the mile markers? LOVED IT – and missed them at the finish. I didn’t take a picture on the course because my running partner and I expected to see them at the end.
I am happy I did the race. I checked the box and won’t discard it as a possibility in the future. With a generous 4-hour cutoff time, this a good race for anyone needing that extra time. If you are a back of the packer striving to improve, be careful not to get caught up in the walker pack. I absolutely love that it is walker-friendly, but as someone who can get caught up in fellow runner’s pace it was not helpful to me. There were sections that were probably slower than need be because I went with the flow of the people rather than my own pace. It’s not bad, but it’s also not all that good. It’s fine – just like the Good Life Halfsy.
Somewhat disappointing solid 4-shoe
Sounds weird doesn't it (the title, in case you skipped over it). The music was decent if hard to hear at times through the whipping wind. Nothing the race can … MORE
Sounds weird doesn’t it (the title, in case you skipped over it).
The music was decent if hard to hear at times through the whipping wind. Nothing the race can do about a brutal cold snap that moved in, but they did a great job of having room inside the local school for us to keep warm in prior to the race. Portapotties were plentiful at the start with minimal line, probably because my weather app said the windchill was an invigorating 9F.
This is marketed as a mainly downhill race. It’s not just talked about, but it’s seen as THE standard around here for fast races. This race didn’t fail to be good, but it failed to live up to all the hype. Everyone in the local running community has done this race at least once. I’m glad I finally checked that box, and as I said, it did nothing wrong, but I see no reason to do it again unless I’m gunning for another Capital City Challenge medal, of which this is the second and final leg, after Lincoln (half) Marathon. Maybe it was the freezing wind that kept people in, but this seemed like the little brother to the Lincoln Half in every way. That coupled with the fact that the entire second half of the race was in a park on a rolling concrete path, it just had a very “small” feel to it. Like doing a 10k in the local park for some local charity to raise money for their rec center renovations, not the big spectacle race I was expecting after all the hype.
This wasn’t Des Moines, this wasn’t Indy, or Kansas City, this was just a longer version of any given weekly 10k. The swag was nice and the medal was stylish, and the Capital City Challenge medal was really pretty. I hate that I sound like I’m dumping on the race. I’m not. I’m not trying to at least, and I stand firm that this is a 4-shoe race, but honestly, with the overuse strain I’m trying to ignore, I’d have mentally zoned out in the park with all that concrete if my running buddy hadn’t pushed me along, so props to ccruiz03 yet again.
Will I do this race again one day? Yeah, I’d like to give it a fair shot when the weather isn’t lousy to see how things change, especially as how the same city (Lincoln, NE) brought it SO much harder at the other race. Am I in a rush to do that next year or the year after? Probably not since it is a bit of a drive. The first part of the course was nice and filled with people. Maybe the second half would be as well, a la Des Moines if the weather was better. I look forward to finding out. Just not necessarily outside of an anniversary year.
Great course and people.
Great course and volunteers. Last hill just before the finish line was a bit rough. Lots of other runners to navigate around. Overall a fun time ending in the haymarket! MORE
Great course and volunteers. Last hill just before the finish line was a bit rough. Lots of other runners to navigate around. Overall a fun time ending in the haymarket!
Very fun Race!
A lot of information given for spectators. Race route was very simple. This year was a little cold, but that was just unlucky weather. I loved that the race was … MORE
A lot of information given for spectators. Race route was very simple. This year was a little cold, but that was just unlucky weather. I loved that the race was prepared for the cold and started at a school were we were allowed inside prior to stay warm. And the end of the race had an assembly hall that was opened up so runners could warm up and get dry! Cold blankets were also given out post race. Very well prepared!
Lots of pluses, Challenging Course
Nice production. Lots of great volunteers. Nice swag. Nice size expo. Super medal and it's big. Lots of port o potties throughout the race. The course was hilly downhill course. … MORE
Nice production. Lots of great volunteers. Nice swag. Nice size expo. Super medal and it’s big. Lots of port o potties throughout the race. The course was hilly downhill course. I got a good finish time so I won’t complain.
Overall, I liked the race and would recommend it. They did a great job.
Some hits & misses
This was my first time running the Halfsy which is pretty hyped up here in NE! Overall, you can tell the production company is organized most of the time (done … MORE
This was my first time running the Halfsy which is pretty hyped up here in NE! Overall, you can tell the production company is organized most of the time (done other PG races). A lot of communication via email which was helpful. Expo was pretty busy, vendors were alright. I had some questions regarding parking during the expo that they weren’t really able to answer. Through the emails over time, information about parking for the race got a little confusing (at least for me). My biggest peeve was at the end there was a HUGE backup of runners trying to get food, spectators trying to meet their runners, people taking pictures and doing typical post-race stuff. It was impossible to move, had to kind of push my way out. Also had challenges finding the drop bag areas at start and finish.
My biggest yay is that the crowd was wonderful despite freezing cold and flurrying. Anytime it felt like there was a lull in the race, a crowd was there cheering us all on. The course is relatively flat aside from the bridge at the end. Swag was also great! Once I got to drop bag area for pick up, the helpers were great and got my bag super fast.
If you’re looking for a PR, this could be it for you!
Must do Nebraska event...
I put "first timer" but this was 2nd time starting the race, but 1st time finishing the race. Was there in 2021 when the race was canceled due to lightning … MORE
I put “first timer” but this was 2nd time starting the race, but 1st time finishing the race. Was there in 2021 when the race was canceled due to lightning in the middle of the event (as I just passed the 4 mile distance). Everything leading up to the first time was so great, I made sure to return again.
Great communication, great packet pickup & race expo, great swag, great medal.
The course itself is flat & easy, not very scenic, but does have some highlights. A lot of on-the-road for the first half, then combination of sidewalk/road the second half. I do wish the course would’ve somehow got closer to the capital building, but you do get peaks of it in the distance. The last bridge just before finish line was intimidating but wasn’t terrible. It does give a nice little birds-eye view just before heading down to finish line.
Not much to do in Lincoln, so don’t book too long of a stay. Although Omaha is not far away, so you can do sightseeing there pretty easily.
Never alone!
7000+ runners, course route lined with spectators...the entire route A great tour of Lincoln, NE! Post-race food was so abundant, I needed my husband to help me carry it. Husband … MORE
7000+ runners, course route lined with spectators…the entire route
A great tour of Lincoln, NE!
Post-race food was so abundant, I needed my husband to help me carry it.
Husband loved the ability to track my progress, even though me missed me at all the checkpoints, lol! Great pre-race expo!
advertised as flat - was not -but great
This was a huge race. I flew into Omaha and drove to Lincoln which was about a one hour drive. I stayed away at one of the suggested hotels with … MORE
This was a huge race. I flew into Omaha and drove to Lincoln which was about a one hour drive. I stayed away at one of the suggested hotels with a special rate. I wish I would have stayed downtown where the race ended – I could have walked to the start shuttle and walked back after the finish. Packet pickup was way out of town but it was an amazing expo with lots to purchase. On the day of the race – I parked in one of the many garages (you will be charged an hourly rate so make sure you have a credit card only with you) available downtown and took the shuttle ($10) to the start of the race. It was about a two hour wait for the race to start and it was cold – be prepared. The course was a point to point going through Lincoln. It was interesting seeing the state capital building and all the University of Nebraska buildings. It is NOT flat as advertised. There were rolling hills across the course. The last half mile is straight up onto a pedestrian bridge that leads to the finish. Crowd support was amazing and there were plenty of water stations. After party provided the basics. Photos are free and there were many. Overall, an expensive race but impressive. Glad I chose this for Nebraska.
Very fast race, very big race over 5,000
Expo is not local to downtown but the shuttle is good to get to start, really enjoyed the race and the after party was pretty good, Lincoln got very quiet … MORE
Expo is not local to downtown but the shuttle is good to get to start, really enjoyed the race and the after party was pretty good, Lincoln got very quiet once race was over
Good race set-up.
It starts off going up hill for about the first mile and then it is small gentle rolling hills the whole way with a bridge right before the finish. There … MORE
It starts off going up hill for about the first mile and then it is small gentle rolling hills the whole way with a bridge right before the finish. There were a lot of people on coarse cheering on runners. Lots of music playing. Water stops had plenty of water and Gatorade which was nice because it warmed up later on. The swag was nice. The medal is big. The expo was decent. If I was local I would run it again since my calf was cranky.
What a well put together production
This race is well supported from start to end. The expo was easy to find and navigate, and the race swag was on point. I received both a long sleeve … MORE
This race is well supported from start to end. The expo was easy to find and navigate, and the race swag was on point. I received both a long sleeve t and a pullover, which are nice. Navigating to the start on the shuttles was a breeze since we stayed at the HGI right by the finish and the shuttle stop. The pacers were awesome, I hung out w the 1:50 pacer for the first 10 and he was quick on the water stops, etc. The course support was almost the entire 13.1 with people and the course was a little hillier than I was expecting for Nebraska but nothing crazy. The finish line snacks and drinks, they gave you like 6 drinks and 8 snacks including a hot breakfast taco if you wanted it all. I would recommend this one for sure.