Half Marathon races near Ephrata

The Fleet Feet Half Marathon is a fall half marathon held at John Rudy Park in York, Pennsylvania. The race begins at 8:00 a.m., sponsored by HOKA, and offers participants three and a half hours to complete the 13.1-mile course. The course begins and ends within the park, utilizing the York Heritage Rail Trail for the majority of the run. Following the race, participants can find refreshments at the Eastern Hemlock pavilion, where awards will be presented to the top three male and female finishers in age categories ranging from 19 and under to 80 and over. Every finisher will receive a custom shirt and medal. Additionally, Fleet Feet provides a training program with weekday sessions in Mechanicsburg and Saturday runs originating from City Island.

At End of the Road in Waterfall, Pennsylvania, runners use the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike instead of a typical road course. The series takes place in October and includes a Half Marathon and a One Tunnel 4 Miler, with a two-day challenge for those racing both events. The appeal is straightforward and unusual: extended sections of vacant highway, dark turnpike tunnels, and autumn foliage on the ridges surrounding the old road. The half marathon covers approximately five miles within Sidling Hill and Ray's Hill Tunnels, two lengthy tunnels where participants use headlamps and glow sticks because of the absence of artificial lighting. Beyond the tunnels, the course follows quiet, old pavement and undulating rural roads on a highway bypassed decades ago and left without vehicle traffic for almost fifty years. The 4 Miler offers newer runners, walkers, and those progressing from a 5K a shorter option to experience the abandoned tunnel environment without completing 13.1 miles.