“To create this list of top contenders, our data expert crunched the numbers on half marathons around the U.S. We looked at races held in 2024 with 200 or more finishers and analyzed those events to determine the fastest average times for runners aged 18-39 and 40-59. Then, we looked at 10 years’ worth of weather data for those races. Finally, we checked elevation gain and came up with this list of the top 11 half marathons in the U.S. for a PR.
The Raleigh (Holiday) Half Marathon is another race that made it on to all four lists. It’s a flat course on the Crabtree Creek Greenway with 400 feet of gain. The race-day temperature range in December is 38.2-53.9 degrees F.
This half marathon was ninth on the fastest races list for 45-59 runners and 29th on the 18-39 list. If you’re looking to hit a PR, there are pacers for times ranging from 1:20 to 3:00. The course begins on Crabtree Boulevard and heads to Anderson Point Park with a simple out-and-back design.”
Thanks Outside Magazine! Read the entire article here: run.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/top-half-marathons-in-the-u-s-for-a-pr/