Harpers Ferry Half Marathon & 5K
Harpers Ferry, WV
- Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Harpers Ferry Half & 5K was a vision of locals as a way to showcase the beautiful landscape of our region while highlighting the rich history surrounding it. The Harpers Ferry Half races take you to scenic overlooks, through a historic Down Town where civil war ruins stand as … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 16):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 82 | 86 | 77 | 75 | 78 |
| L (°F) | 47 | 63 | 54 | 51 | 61 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Steep hills but worth it
Don't expect a PR. There are trails and some single file areas along with the steep hills. But the scenery is amazing, especially at the turnaround. There isn't much of … MORE
Don’t expect a PR. There are trails and some single file areas along with the steep hills. But the scenery is amazing, especially at the turnaround.
There isn’t much of a crowd cheering you on and the roads aren’t shut down.
Challenging Race with Unique Scenery
This is the most unique and difficult course I have ever run. It has trails, grass, a national park, a river, and historical landmarks. The unique challenge was awesome, but … MORE
This is the most unique and difficult course I have ever run. It has trails, grass, a national park, a river, and historical landmarks. The unique challenge was awesome, but many runners did not seem prepared for the rocky and hilly trail sections. If you sign up and you are not a trail runner, make sure you take it slow to avoid injury.
Parking was fine and there is a hotel next door. The volunteers were wonderful and there were plenty of water stops, but there was no finish line food, water, or celebration. The restaurant at the place was not open. It was disappointing and a missed opportunity by the race host.
There were multiple spots on course with no arrows or arrows people missed. People went in different directions in three spots along the course that I saw. It was stressful to worry about getting lost in the woods.
The worst part of this race are the shirt and medal. I was expecting a cool medal with the unique Harper’s Ferry theme, but it’s super cheap and thin. They probably bought them in bulk and will hand them out for years.
Overall, I still recommend this race because of the terrain and the national park.
Nice run through a historic area
Lots of hills!!!! Big hills!! Nice run otherwise. The race starts through a campground, then through a battlefield. DOWN a big hill and through the streets of Harpers Ferry (big … MORE
Lots of hills!!!! Big hills!! Nice run otherwise. The race starts through a campground, then through a battlefield. DOWN a big hill and through the streets of Harpers Ferry (big incline). Once you hit the midway point, turnaround and come back so another downhill followed by a BIG incline. THe legs are burning after this race! Wood medal from a local craftsman.
Beautiful but so hilly!
I really enjoyed this small town race! The course runs via some beautiful spots and gorgeous views. It’s so incredibly hilly, though - truly, I only saw one person running … MORE
I really enjoyed this small town race! The course runs via some beautiful spots and gorgeous views. It’s so incredibly hilly, though – truly, I only saw one person running up the big hill at Mile 10. You won’t get a PR here, but that was ok by me.
As for production: everything seemed to run well. I thought the medals were a bit lackluster, but the shirts are cute. I’m also fully aware that it’s small and family run (maybe?), so I’m not upset about it.
My two complaints: I wish they had mile markers! I only knew how far I’d gone because of my watch. And the post-race food tents only had bananas, clementines, water, and pizza — would’ve been great to have a bit more variety. Overall, though, I enjoyed this race and think it’s a good option for a 50 States hopeful 🙂
Hill after hill after hill.......
This race is all hills, going up and going down. They are a lot more fun running down. The route is through park dirt trails, roads, and hills. You run … MORE
This race is all hills, going up and going down. They are a lot more fun running down. The route is through park dirt trails, roads, and hills. You run through 3 different park areas, some of the trails were not marked well. Then through Harper’s Ferry which is cool. Small race that starts and ends at a river tubing place. No race shirt the year I did it, bought a shirt online to help out the race, and it sucked. Wood finishers medal which was cool. Beer and snacks at the end. Ok race, it was driving distance for me. Did mention there were a lot of hills. My legs actually gave out at the end. I swear there is one hill that is over 1.5 miles long, if not longer. Challenging, but I enjoyed it.
Holy hills!!!!
The course is hard as you would expect from a WV race. There are hills and scenery and it is challenging. Completely doable but it is challenging. It is a … MORE
The course is hard as you would expect from a WV race. There are hills and scenery and it is challenging. Completely doable but it is challenging. It is a small town race and has a small town vibe which I love. I will definitely be back again.
Rolling hills through historic land
Hilly although this year the course was altered from the usual course. But the racecourse will always be hilly. Beautiful scenery, historic landmarks, good crowd support, and well-run race. MORE
Hilly although this year the course was altered from the usual course. But the racecourse will always be hilly.
Beautiful scenery, historic landmarks, good crowd support, and well-run race.