Hershey Half Marathon
Hershey, PA
- Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Hershey Half Marathon is 13.1 sweet miles through Hershey, Pennsylvania. Runners take in all Hershey has to offer as they go through Hersheypark and past iconic locations such as the M.S. Hershey Mansion, Milton Hershey School, and down Chocolate Avenue where there is a Chocolate Aid Station. Participants can … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Oct 20):
| 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
| H (°F) | 74 | 63 | 73 | 79 | 71 |
| L (°F) | 44 | 48 | 48 | 63 | 41 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
The Sweetest Race on Earth
I love Hershey, PA! Sadly, this race does not exist anymore, as far as I know it did not come back after Covid. I really enjoyed this race, we made … MORE
I love Hershey, PA! Sadly, this race does not exist anymore, as far as I know it did not come back after Covid. I really enjoyed this race, we made a fun family weekend out of it. The course itself is challenging, but cool to run through the amusement park and out into the quiet countryside. Quiet being the key word, there wasn’t much crowd support out there. It was a dreary, rainy day when I ran this, so my shoes were soggy and I was happy just to finish and earn that gorgeous Hershey kiss medal! Still one of my favorite medals to this day. I hope they bring back a Hershey Half Marathon eventually, I would definitely run it again!
Chocolate!
Packet pickup is pretty smooth the day before, and is available on race day if needed. The start and end of the course run around the parking lot, so it's … MORE
Packet pickup is pretty smooth the day before, and is available on race day if needed.
The start and end of the course run around the parking lot, so it’s not that scenic, but the trip around Hershey is nice. Great support from students as you run around the Milton Hershey school. Race finishes inside Hershey Park Stadium.
Good post race food, with a reusable bag.
Medal is shaped as a Hershey kiss.
Mini chocolate bars as you pass Hershey HQ around mile 11.5.
It may not make my “do it every year” list, but it is well worth the trip at lease once.
2 tickets to Hershey Park After Dark are included with each entry.
Hershey Half is Sweet!
Really nice race! Rolling hill course: about 1-2 miles through Hershey Park, then the rest was mostly through a pretty golf course on paved golf cart paths or through quiet … MORE
Really nice race! Rolling hill course: about 1-2 miles through Hershey Park, then the rest was mostly through a pretty golf course on paved golf cart paths or through quiet neighborhoods. They had VERY WELL ORGANIZED AND STAFFED aid stations–all but one station had water first and gatorade second, and the one where it was reversed, they hollered out so you knew. Lots of nice high school kids out in cheer group stations. Race starts and ends at a stadium, where you could shower post race if needed. AWESOME medal: it’s a Hershey kiss and the little white paper strip says “finisher” (Others told me previous years were other Hershey chocolates, but I definitely got the best with the kiss this year!) Food was only a banana and apple, but I’m not big on post race food anyway. Really nice long sleeve tech shirt with hood. The only thing I would say they could improve would be to have a bigger race start area–it got really bottled up with the porta-potty lines and the 5K people, so getting to the front to start the half was a challenge
Running through Chocolate
I loved the Hershey Half Marathon. It was a super fun race to do in a great location. The medal was awesome, a giant kit kat. I believe all of … MORE
I loved the Hershey Half Marathon. It was a super fun race to do in a great location. The medal was awesome, a giant kit kat. I believe all of their medals tend to be some type of Hershey candy.
The course is challenging with lots of hills, and some farm country, so there isn’t a whole lot to see. But in the beginning stages running through the park with only the other runners besides you is a super cool site to see.
The long sleeve technical shirt was nice to because you can use it around the house or on those fall training run days. Also you got 2 tickets to Hershey park in the Dark. My only recommendation for that would be if your local don’t go the day before, the park will be incredibly crowded.
It was nice to run past the Hershey School kids because despite it being super cold and windy they were out cheering you on and it gave you that extra boost you needed on a day where they weather was not very cooperative.
I would absolutely run Hershey again!
Challenging Course
I ran the Hershey Half for the fourth time in 2018. The course is really neat and enjoyable. You get to go through the park early on, which is a … MORE
I ran the Hershey Half for the fourth time in 2018. The course is really neat and enjoyable. You get to go through the park early on, which is a nice bonus. The spectator support is pretty fantastic throughout. This year the shirts were really nice and I loved the KitKat medal. It’s a nice addition to my collection. As always, the aid stations had great volunteers. The shirt this year was really nice, plus you get 2 free tickets to the park, a coupon for additional admissions and a coupon for some cookies from the bakery. They were delicious!
The weather was sunny, but very windy this year adding a new challenge. The course is hilly, but scenic. I enjoyed getting a photo with a Hershey character…Reese’s Cup…at the finish!
Only thing I’d say that needs improvement are the food bags at the end. The bag itself was nice, but there was very little in it this year.
Would do it again
Awesome finisher medal shaped like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Started at Hershey Stadium, ran through the amusement park, and then the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania. All-in-all a solid … MORE
Awesome finisher medal shaped like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Started at Hershey Stadium, ran through the amusement park, and then the rolling hills of central Pennsylvania. All-in-all a solid run and would do it again.
Sweet Race
I've run this race every year since inception. The organization has improved since the beginning. There's not much of an expo, just a few local vendors and the "always present" … MORE
I’ve run this race every year since inception. The organization has improved since the beginning. There’s not much of an expo, just a few local vendors and the “always present” running store that’s at every expo (you know who I mean). You can pick up your packet on race morning, which is convenient. There are no corrals, so it’s a mass start. The course is fine, a few hills, some local support (which has improved throughout the years). The best part of the course is running through the Milton S. Hershey School. The kids are out and scream, cheer, high five you during your trek through the school. At mile 11 or so, they had out Hershey candy. The other aid stations are adequate and there are enough for a half. You do run through HersheyPark for a period, but most of the race is through the town. The finish is on the track at Hershey stadium. One of the things I like best is they hand you an insulated lunch bag full of snacks and a handmade cookie. There’s no running out of food because the early finishers took more than they should. I wish all races did this. The medal has evolved and has become very nice. It has featured a different Hershey candy character. Unique!
Smell Chocolate for 13.1 Miles!!!!
This was a great race. Unfortunately, this was the 2nd leg of a back to back half weekend for me, so my performance tanked. Great medal, great post race stuff, … MORE
This was a great race. Unfortunately, this was the 2nd leg of a back to back half weekend for me, so my performance tanked. Great medal, great post race stuff, 2 free tickets to HersheyPark. Great time.