Upper Cumberland Haunted Half Marathon, Relay & 5K Cookeville, TN   Oct 25, 2025

Among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee, this Halloween-themed race takes runners on a loop course through the small city of Cookeville, where runners and walkers will start the race on the campus of Tennessee Tech University.

From the starting line near the intersection of North Dixie Avenue and B Street on the Tennessee Tech campus, runners head south on what is basically a clockwise loop through the city’s downtown and out into some of the more rural areas just outside town. Runners make their way through mostly city streets and retail shops in the first couple of miles, and then head into more residential neighborhoods in the later miles.

The course for the half marathon is USATF (USA Track & Field) certified, and entrants must be at least 12 years of age on the day of the race in order to participate.

Located along the Upper Cumberland Plateau of eastern Tennessee, about 80 miles east of Nashville and roughly 100 miles northwest of Knoxville, Cookeville typically sees mild to moderately warm weather in October, while rainfall totals average just over 3.4 inches for the month, making October the city’s driest month of the year.