There are literally hundreds of road races throughout New England year-round. From fun runs, to 5 and 10K races, to longer half-marathons, and marathons and even a 220 mile relay race from Rhode Island to Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and finishing in Maine.
Of course the grandaddy of all of these races is the world-famous Boston Marathon that is held on Patriots day every year. The course runs 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston. Thousands of runners participate every year and tens of thousands more watch and cheer on the runners.
Below are most of the major long-distance races (marathons and half-marathons) and a sample of some of the other major road races throughout New England by season.
To find any of the hundreds of other races throughout New England you may wish to check:
- Cool Running
- Road Races – Martha’s Vineyard
- Race Finder from Runner’s World
New England Spring Road Races
Spring is a great time to hit the road for a run. Gone (hopefully) are the snow banks making the roads dangerous for runners and cars to share. Gone too are the icy cold temperatures. You can actually comfortably run in shorts again, and may need to as temperatures warm up later in spring!
Following are some of the major spring races throughout New England:
| When | Race | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | The Half of Quincy: Historic Quincy’s Half-Marathon | Quincy, MA | 13.1 miles |
| April | Boston Marathon | Hopkinton, MA to Boston, MA | 26 miles, 385 yards |
| April | Cheshire Half Marathon | Cheshire, CT | 13.1 miles |
| April | Gansett Marathon | Narragansett, RI | 26.2 miles |
| April | Great Bay Half-Marathon | Newmarket, NH | 13.1 miles |
| April | Oleksak Half-Marathon | Westfield, MA | 13.1 miles |
| April | Rollin Irish Half Marathon | Essex Center, VT | 13.1 miles |
| April | Stratton Faxon Greater Danbury Road Race | Danbury, CT | 13.1 miles |
| May | Boston’s Run to Remember | Boston, MA | 13.1 Miles |
| May | Cox Sports Marathon | Providence, RI | 26 miles, 385 yards |
| May | Dandelion Run | Derby, VT | 13.1. miles (also a 10K) |
| May | Memorial Day Marathon Races | Lenox, MA | 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles, 10k, 5k |
| May | Middlebury Maple Run | Middlebury, VT | 13.1 miles |
| May | RaceVermont.com Half Marathon (Spring) | Shelburne, VT | 13.1 miles |
| May | Redding Road Race | Redding, CT | 13.1 miles, 10K, 5K, 1 mile |
| May | Rhode Races Half Marathon | Providence, RI | 13.1 miles |
| May | Shires of Vermont Marathon | Burlington, VT | 26.2 miles |
| May | Sugarloaf Marathon | Eustis, ME | 26.2 miles |
| May | Vermont City Marathon | Burlington, VT | 26.2 miles |
| May | Wallis Sands Half Marathon | Rye, NH | 13.1 miles |
| June | Amica Ironhorse Half-Marathon | Simsbury, CT | 13.1 miles, 10K, 5K |
| June | Covered Bridges Half Marathon | Pomfret, Woodstock, Quechee, VT | 13.1. miles |
| June | New England Relay | RI, CT, MA, VT, NH, & ME | 220 miles |
New England Summer Road Races
While the warm months of summer do feature a lot of races of shorter distances, the heat of the summer is not that conducive to the longer distance races. For this reason it should come as no surprise that there are many fewer half-marathons and marathons in the hot summer months.
Following are some of the major summer races:
| When | Race | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| August | Blueberry Cove 13.1 | Tenants Harbor, ME | 13.1 miles |
| August | Falmouth Road Race | Falmouth, MA | 7 miles |
| August | Kingdom Run | Irasburg, VT | 13.1 miles, 10k, 5k |
| August | Providence Rock n Roll Half Marathon | Irasburg, VT | 13.1 miles |
| September | Maple Leaf Half Marathon | Manchester, VT | 13.1 miles, 5k |
New England Fall Road Races
With the return of cooler temperatures in the fall comes an increase in the number of long-distance races. All throughout New England you can find half-marathons and marathons.
Following are some of the major fall races throughout the six-state region:
| When | Race | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | New Hampshire Marathon | Bristol, NH | 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles, 10K |
| September | Niantic Bay Half-Marathon | East Lyme CT | 13.1 miles |
| September | Smuttynose Rockfest Marathon and Half Marathon | Hampton, NH | 26.2 and 13.1 |
| October | Amica Marathon and Half Marathon | Newport, RI | 26.2 and 13.1 |
| October | B.A.A. Half Marathon | Boston, MA | 13.1 miles |
| October | CHaD Hero Half-Marathon | Hanover, NH | 13.1 miles, 5K |
| October | Hartford Marathon & Half-Marathon | Hartford, CT | 26.2 and 13.1 |
| October | TARC Fall Classic | Lexington/Burlington, MA | 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles, 50K, 10K |
| October | Tufts 10K for Women | Boston, MA | 10K |
| November | Chilly Half-Marathon | Newton, MA | 13.1 miles |
| November | RaceVermont.com Fall Half-Marathon | Charlotte, VT | 13.1 miles |
New England Winter Road Races
And for those intrepid souls willing to brave the cold and the elements, there are even some major races in the dead of winter:
| When | Race | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | Half at the Hamptons Half-Marathon | Hampton, NH | 13.1 miles |
| February | Hyannis Marathon, Half Marathon & Marathon Team Relay | Hyannis, MA | 13.1 miles |
| February | Martha’s Vineyard 20-Miler | Vineyard Haven, MA | 10 miles |
