
From the Organizer
It's been fun to offer our returners new courses and formats which have highlighted different parts of Ithaca and its surrounding communities. And, first timers, what hopefully will be another day running one of the most beautiful and finest half marathons in the Country. 2025 will be no different. Here's what we're planning:
We'll again start stage from Trumansburg High School, with a Start line on South St. From South St, runners will take a left onto Main St to start a weave through downtown Trumansburg's rolling before beginning to head for Ithaca. They'll pass through the upper tip of Taughannock Falls State Park before reaching the head of the Black Diamond Rail Trail. From there it'll be a steady descent along the hard packed gravel surface to arrive back in Ithaca. Once you emerge it'll be a, hopefully, fast final mile, running north along the Cayuga Lake for a finish in Cass Park.
Note: Course configuration may change.
2026 Course Format / Highlights:
What you'll get:
Staging Area / Finish Lines:
Starting Line: 2026's running will again start on South St near Main in Trumansburg.
Finish Line: The event will end at Cass Park (701Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, NY)
Packet Pickup:
Thursday & Friday 12 - 6 @ Finger Lakes Running Co (700 Cascadilla St, Ithaca - Next to Purity)
Saturday from 12 - 6 @ Garrett's Brewing in Trumansburg (1 W Main St, Trumansburg)
Sunday / Raceday from 5:30 - 7:15 @ Trumansburg Central School's Complex (100 Whig St, Trumansburg)
Raceday
Sunday, June 7, 2026
05:30 – 07:00 – Raceday Check-In at Trumansburg High School
05:30 - 06:30 - Race morning finish area parking in targeted zones of Cass Park, Ithaca (adjacent to finish) w/ shuttle buses leaving for start when full.
07:30 - Mass Start on South St (@ Truman St Intersection)
08:40 - First finisher anticipated to reach finish line in Cass Park
09:30 - Shuttle Buses begin transporting finishers back to Trumansburg High School / Start
11:30 - Last finisher anticipated to reach finish line and course closed
12:00 – Catering closed and Park Cleared of Event Staging & Last Shuttle Bus leaves Cass Park for the Start Area
Parking
Distances & Pricing
Race Location
About This Sport
Endurance Grid is here to help you understand the sport, decide if it's the right fit, and learn how to prepare. For course distances, logistics, and race-day specifics, always defer to the race organizer's event page.
The half marathon is the distance where you find out what you're actually made of. Long enough to demand real preparation. Short enough that it doesn't consume your life to train for it. Most people who run their first half describe it as the race that changed their relationship with what they're capable of. Once you cross this finish line, the bar moves. That's not a warning — that's the point.
Race day energy varies by event size, but the finish line feeling is the same regardless. Big races keep the noise going the whole way. Smaller races give you stretches where it's just you and the miles — and that solitude becomes its own kind of fuel.
The half marathon rewards people who show up for the boring training miles.
How long to train: 10–14 weeks. If you're already running consistently, 10 weeks of structured buildup is enough. If you're building from a casual base, give yourself 14.
From 5K to marathon, running races are the most accessible entry point into endurance sport. There's a distance for every fitness level and a community at every start line.
Coming Up
Rocky - Raccoon 5 K walk and run
5th Annual Miles For Meag 5K Trail Run/Walk & We Are Loved Kids Run
Run for Coffee Lovers 5K/10K/13.1 NYC Central
Rachael's Warrior Run
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Gorges Ithaca Half Marathon
Jun 7, 2026