McKinney Historic Half
McKinney, TX
- Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The McKinney Historic Half Presented by BMW is more than a race, it’s a celebration of community, history, and health in one of the fastest-growing areas of Texas. Hosted by TUPPS Brewery, the annual event will bring the BMW Dallas Marathon’s standard of excellence to McKinney with a distinctly local … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Apr 03):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 82 | 65 | 70 | 90 | 81 |
| L (°F) | 70 | 55 | 48 | 60 | 49 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Great First Start
The inaugural McKinney Half Marathon sets a strong foundation for what could become a standout race in North Texas. For a first-time event, it delivers an above-average experience, thanks in … MORE
The inaugural McKinney Half Marathon sets a strong foundation for what could become a standout race in North Texas. For a first-time event, it delivers an above-average experience, thanks in large part to solid organization and execution.
Production is handled by the same team behind the Dallas Marathon, and that experience shows. The race runs smoothly, with clear logistics and well-coordinated pacing teams. The pacers, in particular, deserve a shoutout—they were encouraging, approachable, and helped maintain a positive atmosphere throughout the course.
The route itself is semi-hilly and offers a scenic tour through many of McKinney’s parks, which adds a refreshing, natural element to the race. However, portions of the course that run along sidewalks can feel a bit cramped and take away from the flow, especially when runners are tightly packed.
Aid stations are available but start to feel a bit too spaced out in the later miles, which could be improved for future races. Crowd support is modest, as expected for a suburban course, but there were still pockets of enthusiastic spectators along the way.
One area that could use improvement is the race merchandise, which felt somewhat limited for an inaugural event.
Overall, the McKinney Half Marathon is a well-organized and enjoyable race with room to grow. With a few adjustments, it has the potential to become a must-run event in the coming years.
Well-produced, but expensive
I signed up for this race primarily because the timing aligned perfectly with my training for an April marathon. I've run Dallas BMW multiple times and trusted that this would … MORE
I signed up for this race primarily because the timing aligned perfectly with my training for an April marathon. I’ve run Dallas BMW multiple times and trusted that this would also be a well-produced race. The Irving half is much closer to me and was significantly less expensive, but they’re disorganized and the course is ugly so I thought it was worth the investment to try something new. Plus, I love Tupps. Their beer is good and the brewery is a fun spot to hang out.
This race did not disappoint. Easy DRIVE-THROUGH packet pickup the weekend prior to the race. Nice start/finish in downtown McKinney. Great afterparty at Tupps. The course was semi-hilly. Somewhere around 400ft elevation gain maybe? So not exactly flat but you aren’t scaling any mountains either. Aside from the start/finish, the course is pretty dull. Some parts in a park, some parts on suburban highway. Unremarkable, really. Good on course support except that, like Dallas, they use U-Can (seriously who likes that?). Medal doubles as a bottle opener. I’m too old to care about getting a medal so it’s nice when they give you something you can actually use.
The main draw for this race is Tupps. Get some friends together, run the race, plan to stay awhile and enjoy the brewery. Fun day all around.