Greenville Half Marathon & 5K
Greenville, SC
- Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Fastest Half Marathon in the south! The Greenville Half Marathon & 5K is a net downhill half marathon and 5K run. The half marathon starts in Travelers Rest, SC and ends on the TD Stage at the Peace Center in downtown Greenville, SC. The 5K starts at the Swamp … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Feb 28):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 68 | 66 | 73 | 79 | 61 |
| L (°F) | 49 | 45 | 44 | 58 | 38 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Swamp Rabbit is a fun race!
Overall this was a fun race that I’m so glad I got to participate in! I didn’t know what to expect since I hadn’t ran it before. It was a … MORE
Overall this was a fun race that I’m so glad I got to participate in! I didn’t know what to expect since I hadn’t ran it before. It was a bit hilly. Gradually. And all pavement terrain. Pretty scenic! Plenty of water stations with gel packets, too! This race was very well organized; it had friendly volunteers and a lot of spectators at each road and park that we cross so that was very nice. The finish line was pretty awesome! I was impressed with the medal and the food, not just snacks, and plenty of drinks. They had free beer as well; I just didn’t get any. Maybe next time! I would run this race again!!
Meh
I had been watching this race for a few years and finally it lined up on my calendar to run a double state weekend with the Atlanta marathon on Sunday. … MORE
I had been watching this race for a few years and finally it lined up on my calendar to run a double state weekend with the Atlanta marathon on Sunday. The town of Greenville is adorable. This race is point to point so you need to either park your car at the start or the finish and then they will transport you the other direction. Most races that do they don’t charge you however they charge $20. I didn’t love that, but it didn’t dissuade me from doing it. I chose to park my car at the start in Travelers‘s rest. Race morning was a little bit chaotic. It was not organized where to line up and even the Pacers were super confused about where to start. Definitely could use some more organization next year. The course itself is closed, which is great from a safety perspective but frankly, I find it pretty boring. I know it’s a net downhill, but it didn’t really feel like a downhill at mile 10 there was no water volunteers were there, but the tables were empty and I’m not super slow! At the finish, I had a real trouble finding where the buses were to take me back to my car. I found several other runners wandering about looking for the same thing we ran into a runner who had run this race for other times and she showed us we waited there for almost a half an hour before someone said hey the buses are over here in a completely different spot! There was not any signage for the bus situation, which I thought was a complete miss! Even if you had run it before you wouldn’t have known where to go because they had moved it! And then when the bus dropped us off, the bus stopped and no one moved to get off because everyone was confused about where we were! We all got off the bus and had a traverse down a hill back towards the start area. It was really not fab.
I would not do this race again, nor would I recommend traveling to it unless you were trying to bundle it for a double state weekend with Atlanta.
I wouldn’t run it again
Greenville is a cool area and I was super excited to run the swamp rabbit trail. Guess I didn’t really think about that there is no where for spectators to … MORE
Greenville is a cool area and I was super excited to run the swamp rabbit trail. Guess I didn’t really think about that there is no where for spectators to cheer you on while on the trail for 8 miles-made for a boring half. I didn’t make the expo nor did I stick around after so can’t speak on that. Will say that this course is over measured- both my apps were saying I had hit 13.1 prior to finishing, was a little frustrating at the end cause you can’t see the finish line and it’s like but seriously, where do you finish? Did pick up my shirt after race and it was quite thin.
Great Race
This is a great race for South Carolina. The race starts in Travelers Rest, SC and runs to Greenville, SC. It provides buses from before the race or after race … MORE
This is a great race for South Carolina. The race starts in Travelers Rest, SC and runs to Greenville, SC. It provides buses from before the race or after race with a fee.
It was just OK
Course - was the Swamp Rabbit Trail so it was basically like any other converted railroad track. The first mile or so was pretty congested given the width of the … MORE
Course – was the Swamp Rabbit Trail so it was basically like any other converted railroad track. The first mile or so was pretty congested given the width of the trail and number of runners. Could have used a couple of waves to spread out the field. There were mile markers but no other signage. Granted 95% of it was a straight trail but once you got downtown there were several turns and not a single one had signage or volunteers directing runners. You had to hope you were following other runners and not a random person on the trail going a different direction. The trail is a net drop in elevation and went pretty fast outside of the congested areas
Aid Stations – pretty frequent and most seemed to be stocked with Gu packets and of course water and/or electrolytes. One of the later aid stations was bone dry with no fluids. I don’t think I have every seen one empty before on any race
Swag – the shirt was on par with other tech shirts you would get at other events. Great logo that is nice and prominent on the chest. Considering the cost of the race it would have been nice to have a separate shirt for the half marathoners and 5K runners. The finishers medal was a pretty weak. Small and not very creative. Like if you got it at a charity 5K event you would still be disappointed
Race Production – the few staff and volunteers that I interacted with were very nice but that was literally just two people. I asked one of them where the bus that we purchased a ticket to was located and they had no idea. They told me where they thought it was it was completely the wrong location. I didn’t see a single sign or person directing people where to find the bus. Thank goodness I found it by just walking around the entire area
Verdict – it was still a nice time because the weather was perfect, the other runners were very cool and polite. The finish area was very attractive being in a nice part of downtown Greenville. It’s not a bad race but I wouldn’t go out of my way to do it again
Great race
This was a super fast net downhill race. The race was super organized - well placed hydration stations, nice rabbit themed athletic shirt, fun medal with a rabbit that actually … MORE
This was a super fast net downhill race. The race was super organized – well placed hydration stations, nice rabbit themed athletic shirt, fun medal with a rabbit that actually hops. Beer and breakfast burritos at the end of the race and a super fun town to visit.
Great First Half
Difficult to review this in comparison to other races as this was my first half marathon. However, I felt like everything went really smoothly and was a great environment to … MORE
Difficult to review this in comparison to other races as this was my first half marathon. However, I felt like everything went really smoothly and was a great environment to run in. Due to the nature of running on a paved path most of the way, I assume it is narrower than the average paved road half marathon – this made it a lightly tighter to pass people. Everything went well, though, and it was a blast.
Nice run through the Swamp Rabbit Trail
Greenville impressed me. Very nice city and this race is equally enjoyable. From a organizing point of view is a bit strange though. About 2500 runners but has quite a … MORE
Greenville impressed me. Very nice city and this race is equally enjoyable. From a organizing point of view is a bit strange though. About 2500 runners but has quite a small … expo (?!). It is a point-to-point race which is not a problem, but having to pay separately for the bus to take you to the start was a first. Race day was chilly, right at the freezing mark (32F, 0C). Start is in a nice park but a chaotic bottleneck. The race is 1 3/4 miles out and the same back to the enter the Swamp Rabbit Trail (paved all the way). From that point on, the race is fantastic. Water/electrolyte stations about every 2 miles, with wonderful cheering volunteers. The finish line is in the heart of downtown Greenville near the Reedy River Falls. Very festive atmosphere in the finish line, but quite compacted area for the amount of runners. There was construction in the adjacent area to the finish line, so I imagine that it would be more ample in the future. I appreciated the breakfast wrap at the end. This is a fantastic alternative to check off South Carolina of your 50 state goal.
Pricey race & bus is extra $
I was unable to attend packet pickup the day prior to the race, so I attended race morning. Having a discount code and signing up early, I think I paid … MORE
I was unable to attend packet pickup the day prior to the race, so I attended race morning. Having a discount code and signing up early, I think I paid $80 for this race. When signing up there is option to purchase bus tickets. I thought this was odd as this is a point to point race, and I have never had to pay extra for transportation. I put this off until the week of the race. The bus was $25 after taxes and fees. I ended up opting for $20 lyft. As only the early bus had open seats and I didn’t want to be standing in the cold 1.5 hours before the race start. It was in the upper 30’s at the start, so naturally I was bundled up. There was no drop bags for items. I ended up finding someone with an extra bag and used that. I felt this really should have been in the communication. Nice amount of port o potties at the start. The race was mostly on a pedestrian trail (Swamp Rabbit Trail) fast, flat course. Lots of crowd support. Aid stations had Electrolytes and water. The end had a hairpin turn that was unexpected and a pain but other than that course was nice. Finish line had a nice crowd and festivities. Beer tag for free beer (if that’s your thing). Breakfast burritos and other snacks for post race food. I heard the race had run out of medals (I got one). Swag was nice soft, cotton shirt (unisex sizing). It’s not a shirt I personally would wear except around the house. I honestly think the race is overpriced. I had a discount code and signed up early and it was still over $100 with the addition cost of transportation.
Does Slow and Steady Win the Race?
I signed up for the Greenville Half Marathon in part because it is touted as "The Fastest Half Marathon in the South," and also because I wanted to run the … MORE
I signed up for the Greenville Half Marathon in part because it is touted as “The Fastest Half Marathon in the South,” and also because I wanted to run the Swamp Rabbit, which seemed beautiful from the photos I’d seen during my research phase. Admittedly, I was also lured in by the prospect of cute rabbit-emblazoned swag. The course was net downhill, and while I wasn’t expecting a PR, I also knew I wasn’t going to be in a huge hurry because I wanted to enjoy the scenery and document the race.
For the size of the race, I was admittedly a bit surprised by the complete lack of an expo. Not disappointed, just surprised, because it was literally two tables set up in a gymnasium and a row of tables with T-shirts piled high. The volunteers were friendly, albeit the no-frills, straightforward process. I was handed a race T-shirt, my bib, and a drawstring bag, and sent on my way.
The race was scheduled to begin at Gateway Park in Traveler’s Rest, and the point-to-point course eventually would conclude on the TD stage at the Peace Center in Greenville. I had pre-purchased a bus ticket to the start for $20.00, and runners lined up on race morning for the early buses in front of the Peace Concert Hall, for a 5:45 A.M. departure. I once again thanked myself profusely for booking a hotel right across the street from the shuttle departure site, and what would later be the finish line. There was an option for a later bus, and being from out of town and not knowing what to expect at the start line, I decided to play it safe and get to the start as early as possible. I ended up regretting my decision (more on that later).
It was a 20-minute bus ride from Greenville to Gateway Park. When we rolled up to Gateway Park and unloaded from the bus, we noticed two things: the first was how completely devoid of light most of the park was, especially the area around the bank of portable toilets; and second, how cold it was. It was around 6:30 A.M., an hour before the race start, and the temperature was a crisp 36° F. The wind remained steady at a mild 3 MPH, however, it did not make up for the unpleasantness of standing around in a temperature only four degrees above freezing for the next hour. If I had only gotten on the later bus!
The consensus about the porta-john situation being sketchy at best was unanimous, in that no one wanted to do their business in complete darkness, or have to perform the delicate balancing act of occupying one hand by using their phone as a flashlight. We all stood around doing pointless stretches and warm-up exercises until a small orange sliver of the sun crested the horizon, and runners felt confident enough to use the toilet without dropping their phone or other valuable item into the blue liquid abyss.
The start corrals were released in waves, and by the time I actually crossed the timing mat, it was approximately 15 minutes past the race kickoff. During the first mile, we headed north on Main Street for a little while before entering the Swamp Rabbit trail at Tolar Road. From there, we continued north on the trail, for about two miles, before looping around and heading south. During the first two miles, runners crowded each other on the paved trail, continuously jockeying for positions. I did my best not to get stepped on, or step on anyone else. We waved at the other runners who were coming at us from the opposing direction when the first couple of corrals completed their loop around.
We crossed Greer Highway and headed south on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, slowly but steadily making our way towards Greenville. The trail was lined with a canopy of trees for a good portion of the course, and between the trees I could see the many different restaurants lining the highway that we passed along the way. I found the course to have quite a few hills, especially the first 5 miles, though they may have been imperceptible to others.
There were aid stations approximately every 2 miles, stocked with plenty of water and Gatorade, and volunteers enthusiastically offering their support and encouragement. Somewhere around mile 9, my stomach didn’t feel good, and from that point I could only consume fluids without feeling a tendril of fire roaring through my intestines. I’d brought 6 Huma gels with me for nutrition, meant to be consumed every 30 minutes, and my plan had worked for approximately 4 gels. We passed through Swamp Rabbit Station at Berea, which marked the exact halfway point between Downtown Greenville and Travelers Rest.
Prior to reaching mile 11, a cheerfully painted sign let us know we were half a mile away from the Swamp Rabbit Café. Between mile 12 and 13, I was treated to a view of Greenville’s adorable giant steel rabbit sculpture, named Rusty. Rusty is the centerpiece of Unity Park, and of course I couldn’t pass by him without getting a photo. When we reached mile 13, volunteers and runners who had finished were coming at us in the opposite direction, looking for their friends so they could cheer them on for the final push. I got a glimpse of the medal on the necks of the finishers, and couldn’t wait for mine.
The temperature had risen considerably, and it was now in the mid-50’s. I was very uncomfortable in my long sleeve shirt, which had dutifully served its purpose during the earlier part of the morning. Reaching the final mile marker, and knowing I only had a tenth of a mile to go, I picked up the pace and was consumed by a final jolt of adrenaline. More spectators converged on the course, and everyone was cheering and yelling words of encouragement for our pack of runners.
At the finish, I was not immediately christened with a medal, and I didn’t see any volunteers standing by to do so as more finishers came through the corral. We were greeted with the bad news that they had run out of medals, and they would be mailed to us. I was upset, as you can imagine, and this is not something any runner really mentally prepares for.
A kind volunteer let me pose for a photo with a 5K medal, and tucked away the part of the ribbon that said “5K.” It was better than having no photos at the finish line at all. Aside from the lettering on the ribbon and what was engraved on the actual medal, it was almost identical to the half marathon medal, especially from a distance. This anti-climactic conclusion of the race is my reason for the 3-shoe rating, however, I was fortunate that I had an amazing friend who was faster than me who insisted I take his medal with me since he lived locally and I traveled from out of state. This is truly the best part about the running community, meeting lifelong friends and sharing these experiences!
Great race in Greenville!
- Very easy race bib & t-shirt pick up the night before the race - Mostly flat course - Great weather on the day we ran - Start line was … MORE
– Very easy race bib & t-shirt pick up the night before the race
– Mostly flat course
– Great weather on the day we ran
– Start line was kinda crowded and nothing to write home about…basically started in an empty field
– 6 water/Gatorade stations along the half marathon route (different flavors of Gatorade at each)
– Most of the course is on the Swamp Rabbit Trail with no car traffic (only bike/pedestrian traffic)
– Great, post-race food (breakfast burritos, individual packaged snacks, coffee, beer)
– The end was in downtown Greenville at the Pavillion, which was very cool. However, it was incredibly crowded with little room to mingle or sit after the race.
With the race being in February, we had mild winter weather on race day (start ~40 degrees, warming up to ~55 degrees; sunny entire time). While we had great temps, there wasn’t much to see on the Swamp Rabbit Trail course b/c most of the trees didn’t have any green, yet. There were a few little areas with some art or sculptures but the majority was fairly “plain”.
Instead of the 3 miles at the beginning before getting onto the Swamp Rabbit trail, I wish we had done those 3 miles thru the Furman campus. We could have taken that Furman running trail off of the Swamp Rabbit and run around their campus. That would have provided much better scenery than the highway at the beginning.
Downhill, great city to finish in.
You'll do this race because of the finish line in a great small city and because you expect to have a good time. The scenery is nothing special, but isn't … MORE
You’ll do this race because of the finish line in a great small city and because you expect to have a good time. The scenery is nothing special, but isn’t anything to complain about either. The first four miles are rolling along a road and sidewalk and the next nine miles are along a paved greenway. This has everything you could want in a race: easy packet pickup, port-a-potties at start and aid stations, plenty of aid stations, great post-race support, and the typical medal and t-shirt at finish.
The only two things that would make this race better are both possibly beyond expectation. The first is to have the packet pickup at the high school where everyone parks. That would avoid the 4-lane hwy crossing by 2,000 runners and it would provide an indoor place to wait, particularly in case of bad weather, which we narrowly avoided this year. It would also mean a lot less walking to packet pickup. Traffic up here for an hour before the race is jammed. Plan to arrive earlier than you think you need to arrive, just to get through traffic and parked. Heaviest traffic I’ve seen for a race, even for much larger races.
The second thing is to drop the cap of runners. 1,850 for the half was a bit crowded, although I’ve certainly run races that were more crowded, so that’s a minor issue, imo.
Another reviewer mentioned bag pickup. I didn’t use this so I have no observation. I also didn’t notice the food shortage, although that could have been after I finished.
If you are a runner who clocks a sub-9 minute mile but who doesn’t typically care where you start, or who likes to start in the back of the field, this is one race where you may want to reconsider. I’ve done that in previous years at this race and it’s not easy working your way up once the trail narrows down to a greenway after mile 4. I started near the pacer whose time I expected to match and things moved pretty much my preferred speed after the first quarter mile or so. So if you start with your pacer time then you should be fine.
I drove four hours to get to this race and this is my third time. And I’ll probably be back. It’s a really nice race and a great weekend destination. This is one that the non-runner wife is happy to return to each year.
Wouldn’t do again
I probably wouldn’t recommend this race. The first 3-4 miles was too crowded on a small path, the port a pots were a 1/2 mile from the start, there were … MORE
I probably wouldn’t recommend this race. The first 3-4 miles was too crowded on a small path, the port a pots were a 1/2 mile from the start, there were no bananas at the end and they ran out of snacks, I had to grab my own GU at the stop, and there wasn’t much crowd support along the way. The worst part was they had bag check in a van at the start and I found my bag (along with others) behind a building sitting on the ground not near the finish, with no one watching them. RIDICULOUS! The course was mostly flat and downhill so that’s a plus.
A great PR race
This course is great. The first four miles are rolling. The next six are on a slight decline. And the remaining three are a mix of down and flat. If … MORE
This course is great. The first four miles are rolling. The next six are on a slight decline. And the remaining three are a mix of down and flat. If you don’t get a PR here then your PR is already on some other downhill race. This isn’t the sort of downhill that leaves you with sore quads for a week or two after either. It’s a very gentle, almost imperceptible, downhill. Quite a nice run, actually.
My only complaint is that this year the packet pick up and port-a-potties were about a quarter mile from the start line and there were no clear markings or signs. I understand that there would be complications with moving the packet pick up to the start line, but why not move the start line to the packet pickup, and then just have runners cross the road (after the race begins) a quarter mile sooner?
But this is a great race and that’s my only gripe. And even then, if they had sent a few emails out about this, or had signs posting where things were, it would have been okay. It probably did not help that I arrived to the start line, sans packet, only about 15 minutes before the race started. Traffic was clogged with all the runners and there were a lot of us who arrived in the nick of time because of the bad traffic. And there was even a shuttle bus that arrived at the same time as we did; presumably some of them needed packet pick up as well? Bottom line, that bit needs work. But the rest is great. I’d absolutely recommend a weekend in Greenville if you come out for this race. You’ll love it and you’ll be back.
Super fast course
This course is fast but not hard on the body. Once you pass the first few miles of some easy rolling hills, the course picks up the swamp rabbit trail. … MORE
This course is fast but not hard on the body. Once you pass the first few miles of some easy rolling hills, the course picks up the swamp rabbit trail. It is a gentle decent into Greenville. The most downhill part of the race is between miles 4-10. I like this course. The trail was pretty and peaceful. The swag was ok – cute medal and tech shirt. There wasn’t really an expo. The finish line did have nice warm burritos for runners. Course support was good. Getting to/from the start and/or finish was tricky if you didn’t have a ride since it was a point to point and transportation was not guaranteed. Definitely worth going – stay in Greenville and enjoy the town.
This will be your PR race.
This is a great race, in just about every regard. If this isn't your PR race then you aren't trying hard. It's up and down for the first few miles … MORE
This is a great race, in just about every regard. If this isn’t your PR race then you aren’t trying hard. It’s up and down for the first few miles and then the rest of the race is downhill. And not like falling-down-the-mountain downhill. It is almost imperceptible, which is the best downhill you can have when running. The course is on a paved greenway and you have only a few road crossings. It’s pretty, but it’s not running by waterfalls, cliff edges, or spectacular views. But no complaints, really. It is a nice course. There are also amply stocked aid stations every few miles which is always a plus. For context, I finished 508 out of 1,052. Pretty average.
The organization of the race was also great. Timely emails, easy start and finish, and the race starts (point to point) downtown, so if you want to stay at a hotel near the start line, you can. But you’ll need a ride up to Traveller’s Rest, where it starts. And Greenville is such a cute town! I grew up only an hour away and don’t remember Greenville being such a nice town, but it’s definitely worth a weekend trip. If you do this race, I would highly recommend staying at a hotel in downtown Greenville and exploring the town. And the spouse can drop you at the start line, then go back, sleep a bit longer or eat breakfast, and then wander down to the finish line to watch you finish.
And the post-race party at the end, despite Covid, was great. This was my first time in this race – 2021 – and I think the norm is to have a more lively post-race party. And at the finish line you are in the Falls Park area of the city. Lots of bridges and benches to walk and sit on, and nearby cafes to eat at… if you are still hungry after eating the post-race meal.
In 25+ half marathons and 25+ other races, this is easily in my top 5 races, all things considered. Highly recommend.