The Cambridge Half Marathon + 5K takes place on a weekend in late fall, headquartered at CambridgeSide in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both the 5K and half marathon begin and end at 100 CambridgeSide Place. The 5K covers 3.1 miles, and the half marathon is a 13.1-mile USATF-certified event. Participants can choose to run the half marathon, the 5K, a charity-runner category, or the Cambridge Half Marathon + 5K Challenge, which involves completing both races during the same weekend.
The 5K follows a straightforward out-and-back path beside the Charles River. The half marathon route is fast and level, running alongside Memorial Drive. The half course offers sights of the Charles River, MIT, the John W. Weeks Footbridge, and Harvard University Stadium. The event attracts both regular participants and those seeking a dual-race challenge, including charity runners. It benefits local organizations like Cambridge Camping and the City of Cambridge Scholarship Fund, with its charity initiative having generated over $1.7 million since 2017.