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About RaceIndexOur methodologyData coverageCyclingTriathlon

Most descent half marathons

The most descent half marathons, ranked from trusted raw-elevation route profiles across 191 qualifying races.

Ranking current as of

Which race ranks first — and why is it Dolomiti di Brenta Trail (Molveno)?

Dolomiti di Brenta Trail (Molveno) leads this ranking on total descent (1,511 m).

Compare Dolomiti di Brenta Trail (Molveno) vs Chudy Wawrzyniec (Rajcza)

#RaceTotal descentAscentClimb densityNet elevationMax absolute gradeAs of
1Dolomiti di Brenta Trail (Molveno) Half Marathon - italy1,511 m1,509 m71.9 m/km-2 mUnavailable
2Chudy Wawrzyniec (Rajcza) Half Marathon - poland1,264 m1,324 m63.9 m/km59 m53.1%
3Dolomiti Extreme Trail Half Marathon - italy1,122 m1,122 m52.2 m/km0 m48.4%
4Endurancelife Peak District (Castleton) Half Marathon - east-midlands1,097 m1,097 m52.0 m/km-0 m39.5%
5Zagori Mountain Running (ZMR) Half Marathon - greece1,092 m1,107 m52.7 m/km14 m39.9%
6Tatra SkyMarathon (Zakopane) Half Marathon - poland1,089 m1,090 m51.9 m/km1 m39.9%
7Salomon Ultra-Trail Hungary Half Marathon - hungary1,048 m716 m32.5 m/km-332 m48.1%
8Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon Half Marathon - virginia1,002 m1,127 m53.4 m/km125 mUnavailable
9Mohawk Mountain Race (Cornwall) Half Marathon - connecticut995 m996 m47.2 m/km1 m37.0%
10Arrowhead Half Marathon & 5K (Vail/Edwards) - colorado939 m939 m44.5 m/km0 m32.8%
11Escape from Prison Hill (Carson City) Half Marathon - nevada819 m841 m38.2 m/km23 m30.6%
12Golden Leaf Half Marathon (Aspen) - colorado759 m533 m24.9 m/km-226 m25.2%
13Wild Duluth Races Half Marathon - minnesota659 m687 m32.6 m/km29 m33.3%
14Plitvički maraton (Plitvice Marathon) Half Marathon - croatia645 m645 m30.6 m/km-0 m40.9%
15Carson Canyons Super-K Trail Runs Half Marathon - nevada590 m603 m27.4 m/km13 m15.2%
16Endurancelife Pembrokeshire Half Marathon - wales581 m570 m26.4 m/km-11 m28.9%
17Jack & Jill's Downhill Marathon & Half Half Marathon - washington574 m311 m14.7 m/km-264 m31.2%
18Silver State 50/50 (Reno) Half Marathon - nevada546 m546 m25.9 m/km-0 m22.9%
19Tollymore Extreme (Tollymore Trail Marathon), Newcastle Half Marathon - northern-ireland545 m538 m25.5 m/km-7 m28.1%
20Estes Park Marathon and Half Marathon - colorado539 m61 m2.9 m/km-477 m21.5%
21Mount Rushmore Half Marathon - south-dakota516 m603 m28.6 m/km87 m26.3%
22Lakeland Trails Coniston Marathon, Half, Mini-10k & 5k Half Marathon - north-west503 m503 m23.8 m/km0 m23.9%
23Tecumseh Trail Marathon (Tecumseh Trail Challenge), Nashville Indiana Half Marathon - indiana490 m490 m23.2 m/km0 m25.1%
24Two Tunnels Railway Races Half Marathon - south-west487 m489 m23.2 m/km2 m18.1%
25Adamant Half Marathon - vermont472 m459 m21.8 m/km-13 m15.6%
26Beachy Head Marathon Half Marathon - south-east469 m468 m22.2 m/km-1 m24.2%
27Three Forts Challenge Half Marathon - south-east463 m463 m21.9 m/km0 m16.4%
28Trondheim Skogsmaraton Half Marathon - norway453 m453 m21.5 m/km0 m17.0%
29Columbia Gorge Marathon Half Marathon - oregon434 m434 m20.6 m/km0 m25.6%
30Telekom Vivicittá (Budapest) Half Marathon - hungary430 m429 m20.4 m/km-0 m23.4%
31Aletsch Halbmarathon (Bettmeralp) Half Marathon - switzerland398 m1,123 m53.2 m/km725 m40.4%
32Juneteenth Half Marathon & 10K (Washington DC) - dc398 m396 m18.7 m/km-2 m16.0%
33Fjordkraft Bergen City Marathon Half Marathon - norway388 m389 m18.5 m/km1 m24.1%
34Spring Dash (Coeur d'Alene) Half Marathon - idaho367 m368 m17.4 m/km0 m16.9%
35Portland Coastal Marathon Half Marathon - south-west363 m364 m17.3 m/km0 m33.5%
36Haulin' Aspen Trail Race Half Marathon - oregon344 m322 m15.2 m/km-22 m14.2%
37Flying Pig Marathon Half Marathon - ohio342 m340 m16.1 m/km-2 m33.9%
38Διεθνής Ημιμαραθώνιος Κρήτης (Crete Half Marathon), Arkalochori - greece331 m300 m14.2 m/km-31 m40.6%
39Acadia Half Marathon & 10K - maine325 m321 m15.2 m/km-5 m23.6%
40The Asheville Marathon & Half Half Marathon - north-carolina322 m260 m12.3 m/km-61 m12.1%
41Otter Creek Trail Run (Mandan) Half Marathon - north-dakota321 m323 m15.4 m/km2 m18.2%
42The Skippo Trail Race Half Marathon - missouri319 m319 m15.1 m/km0 m21.1%
43Gornergrat Zermatt Marathon Half Marathon - switzerland315 m1,284 m58.4 m/km970 m26.2%
44La Jolla Half Marathon, 10K & 5K - california297 m304 m14.4 m/km7 m26.6%
45Queen Bee Half Marathon (Cincinnati) - ohio284 m266 m12.6 m/km-17 m34.1%
46Stavanger Marathon Half Marathon - norway281 m264 m12.5 m/km-17 m48.8%
47Run Woodstock Half Marathon - michigan280 m281 m13.3 m/km0 m12.7%
48Norfolk Festival of Running (King's Lynn) Half Marathon - east-of-england279 m278 m13.2 m/km-1 m9.8%
49Clonakilty Waterfront Marathon Half Marathon - ireland274 m265 m12.6 m/km-8 m12.6%
50Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon - massachusetts270 m269 m12.8 m/km-1 m26.2%
51Cambridge Half Marathon + 5K at CambridgeSide (Cambridge, MA) - massachusetts270 m273 m12.9 m/km3 m26.7%
52Montana Marathon (Billings) Half Marathon - montana266 m73 m3.5 m/km-193 m11.6%
53TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival Half Marathon - massachusetts262 m262 m12.4 m/km0 m17.5%
54Maidstone Half Marathon - south-east261 m269 m12.8 m/km9 m12.5%
55HiTOPS Princeton Half Marathon - new-jersey252 m250 m11.8 m/km-3 m11.2%
56Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay Half Marathon - maine250 m253 m12.0 m/km4 m14.3%
57Maui Oceanfront Marathon Half Marathon - hawaii249 m242 m11.5 m/km-7 m20.5%
58Bozeman Half Marathon & 10K - montana249 m67 m3.2 m/km-182 m6.7%
59Run Madtown Half Marathon, 10K & 5K - wisconsin244 m245 m11.6 m/km1 m10.8%
60Isle of Skye Half Marathon - scotland243 m241 m11.4 m/km-2 m9.9%
61Midwest Financial Group Madison Mini Marathon Half Marathon - wisconsin237 m235 m11.2 m/km-1 m9.2%
62Ice Age Trail 50 Half Marathon - wisconsin234 m235 m11.1 m/km1 m11.3%
63Cedar Rapids Marathon Half Marathon - iowa232 m229 m10.9 m/km-2 m13.9%
64The Nebraska Half (Omaha) Half Marathon - nebraska230 m230 m10.9 m/km-0 m9.0%
65The Kauai Marathon & Half Marathon - hawaii229 m225 m10.6 m/km-4 m18.5%
66Greene & Schultz Hoosier Half Marathon, 5 & 10K - indiana227 m227 m10.8 m/km0 m16.5%
67Helvetia Half Marathon - oregon227 m228 m10.8 m/km1 m14.9%
68Run the Rainbow for Children's Half Marathon - mississippi226 m226 m10.7 m/km-0 m8.9%
69Bend Marathon and Half Half Marathon - oregon225 m224 m10.6 m/km0 m18.8%
70St Albans Half Marathon - east-of-england221 m220 m10.4 m/km0 m8.8%
71FirstEnergy Akron Marathon Half Marathon - ohio215 m209 m9.9 m/km-6 m25.8%
72Middlebury Maple Run Half Marathon - vermont213 m213 m10.1 m/km-0 m15.6%
73Connemara International Marathon (Connemarathon) Half Marathon - ireland210 m239 m11.3 m/km29 m19.4%
74Tobacco Road Marathon and Half Marathon - north-carolina208 m209 m9.9 m/km1 m11.4%
75Naptown Half Marathon & 10K/5K - maryland208 m208 m9.8 m/km0 m11.1%
76RAD Half Marathon & 10K (Asheville) - north-carolina206 m135 m6.4 m/km-71 m11.9%
77Sparkassen-Phoenix-Halbmarathon Dortmund Half Marathon - germany205 m205 m9.7 m/km-1 m8.8%
78Bay of Fundy International Marathon Half Marathon - maine203 m176 m8.3 m/km-27 m12.0%
79Rochester Regional Health Flower City Half Marathon - new-york201 m200 m9.5 m/km-0 m16.6%
80Richmond Park Marathon (London) Half Marathon - london201 m204 m9.6 m/km3 m13.2%
816 sjöar (Uppsala) Half Marathon - sweden201 m200 m9.5 m/km-0 m15.8%
82Mississippi Blues Marathon Half Marathon - mississippi199 m201 m9.5 m/km1 m10.2%
83Arctic Marathon (Rovaniemi) Half Marathon - finland196 m196 m9.3 m/km-0 m11.8%
84Fayetteville Half Marathon - arkansas194 m194 m9.2 m/km0 m10.5%
85Marshall University Marathon Half Marathon - west-virginia189 m187 m8.9 m/km-2 m18.8%
86St. Croix Crossing Half Marathon - minnesota189 m124 m5.9 m/km-64 m10.8%
87The Race Half Marathon & 5K (Atlanta) - georgia186 m186 m8.8 m/km0 m7.4%
88Lift Bridge Road Races Half Marathon - minnesota182 m194 m9.2 m/km11 m17.3%
89HooDoo Half Marathon (Fairbanks) - alaska180 m133 m6.3 m/km-48 m10.2%
903-Sjøersløpet (Stavanger) Half Marathon - norway180 m177 m8.4 m/km-3 m15.5%
91Windermere Marathon (Spokane) Half Marathon - washington170 m140 m6.6 m/km-30 m13.5%
92Phoenix 10k & Half Marathon - arizona169 m169 m8.0 m/km0 m7.3%
93TUI Μαραθώνιος Ρόδου (TUI Rhodes Marathon) Half Marathon - greece167 m169 m8.0 m/km2 m10.4%
94Milton Keynes Marathon Half Marathon - south-east165 m162 m7.7 m/km-3 m8.1%
95The Original Las Vegas Marathon Half Marathon - nevada164 m164 m7.8 m/km0 m11.9%
96Albany COMBOS Marathon & Half Marathon - georgia160 m154 m7.3 m/km-7 m5.7%
97Thames Meander Marathon (London) Half Marathon - london159 m159 m7.6 m/km0 m6.5%
98Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival Half Marathon - california157 m125 m5.9 m/km-32 m7.9%
99Montpellier Run Festival Half Marathon - france154 m166 m7.9 m/km12 m9.7%
100DNB Oslo Marathon Half Marathon - norway153 m153 m7.2 m/km-0 m6.5%
21
Mount Rushmore Half Marathonsouth-dakota
Total descent
516 m
Ascent
603 m
Climb density
28.6 m/km
Net elevation
87 m
Max absolute grade
26.3%

As of

25
Adamant Half Marathonvermont
Total descent
472 m
Ascent
459 m
Climb density
21.8 m/km
Net elevation
-13 m
Max absolute grade
15.6%

As of

39
Acadia Half Marathon & 10Kmaine
Total descent
325 m
Ascent
321 m
Climb density
15.2 m/km
Net elevation
-5 m
Max absolute grade
23.6%

As of

47
Run Woodstock Half Marathonmichigan
Total descent
280 m
Ascent
281 m
Climb density
13.3 m/km
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
12.7%

As of

54
Maidstone Half Marathonsouth-east
Total descent
261 m
Ascent
269 m
Climb density
12.8 m/km
Net elevation
9 m
Max absolute grade
12.5%

As of

58
Bozeman Half Marathon & 10Kmontana
Total descent
249 m
Ascent
67 m
Climb density
3.2 m/km
Net elevation
-182 m
Max absolute grade
6.7%

As of

60
Isle of Skye Half Marathonscotland
Total descent
243 m
Ascent
241 m
Climb density
11.4 m/km
Net elevation
-2 m
Max absolute grade
9.9%

As of

67
Helvetia Half Marathonoregon
Total descent
227 m
Ascent
228 m
Climb density
10.8 m/km
Net elevation
1 m
Max absolute grade
14.9%

As of

70
St Albans Half Marathoneast-of-england
Total descent
221 m
Ascent
220 m
Climb density
10.4 m/km
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
8.8%

As of

84
Fayetteville Half Marathonarkansas
Total descent
194 m
Ascent
194 m
Climb density
9.2 m/km
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
10.5%

As of

92
Phoenix 10k & Half Marathonarizona
Total descent
169 m
Ascent
169 m
Climb density
8.0 m/km
Net elevation
0 m
Max absolute grade
7.3%

As of

Showing the top 100 of 191 qualifying races; use the distance catalogue for the full searchable list. Scores are out of 100 when present; route, elevation and cost figures are shown in their natural units.

How we ranked these

Races are ranked by Total descent. Score metrics use methodology scoring-methodology-v1.0. Elevation rankings use only trusted raw-elevation course profiles. A ranking is only published when at least five races qualify, so the table is never padded with thin data.

See exactly how each figure is calculated →

Route maps for this ranking

How we calculated this

Published facts and derived model outputs on this page are tied to stored sources or a published, version-locked methodology. We show the provenance so runners, coaches and organisers can check it. Data on this page is current as of .

Derived numbers use scoring-methodology-v1.0.

Sources used on this page (193)

Read the full methodology →

Common questions

What is the most descent half marathons?

Dolomiti di Brenta Trail (Molveno) Half Marathon ranks first by total descent, from 191 qualifying races compared under our published methodology.