How much is a half marathon?

How much is a half marathon?

A half marathon place costed $64, according to RunSignup 2019 data. The “1st Half Marathon” also known as “The Bridge Half” (organized by San Francisco marathon) costs $277.91.

Here’s a screenshot from the original website.

Have half marathon prices changed? Are they more expensive?

Not really, as we can see from a guest blogger on Oregon Live.

They signed up for the Portland half marathon in 2010, and the price they saw was $100. In fact they even commented this:

Seemed unchanged from last year and what I expect to pay for a marathon these days

But when we look at the United Kingdom, it’s a different picture.

The Oxford Mail in October 2024 reported that the Oxford half (marathon) costs almost as much as the London marathon.

Apparently the half marathon places went on sale for £49 as early bird tickets. The last few tickets for it were priced at £66.03.

There were 13,000 runners signed up for the Oxford half, and an astonishing 9,500 participants actually showed up.

Are half marathons too expensive?

Well, in the UK, yes, with the cost of living crisis, running can become an expensive hobby. In fact, Ionna Bezirtzoglou told the Oxford Mail:

I understand a lot of the prices have risen due to popularity of running and races but I think it needs to be capped to an affordable price, or at least when you buy a year in advance to not be that expensive

And I agree. It doesn’t seem too costly when you first start, if you go for a jog in your gym gear or anything comfortable. But before you know it, you’re buying smart watches, running trainers, and spending hundreds on running half marathons.

Why are half marathons expensive?

The more runners you have, the more people and staff you need to actually run the event. Having run 2 half’s myself, I know it can seem a bit of a rip off for little ol’ you to turn up, do your race and celebrate, for 3 figures?!

But actually, the organization running (pun intended) the event have costs to cover. Here’s where your money goes when you pay for a half marathon race:

• Road closures
• Police
• Signage
• Any race ‘entertainment’ and merchandise
• The staff – if they’re not volunteers
• Hydration tables (the bottles of water, the people manning the tables)

And on top of all that, everything gets more expensive due to inflation.

The above is all a huge reason that there’s often a limited number of runner places in a half marathon.. because the more people you have, the longer your staff and supplies (Etc) will need to paid for.

For example, if we were talking about a 5K Parkrun, there might only be 100 runners, and so they’re often organized by volunteers.

But the Brooklyn half marathon had 25,000 participants. So it needs proper management as an event!

$100 dollars doesn’t seem too bad now, does it?

US Half marathons and costs involved

Here’s a table of some of the most popular half marathons in America, the event dates and the average fee (taken from early bird where relevant).

Let’s break those down one by one.

Walt Disney World Half Marathon (Florida)

When:  January 10, 2026

Average fee: Early bird $240, then $250

Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon (California)

When: Third Sunday of July

Average price: Approx. $135 for early registration

Number of participants: Approximately 2,000

Gasparilla Distance Classic Half Marathon  (Florida)

When: Fourth Sunday of February

Average price: Approx. $155 for early registration

Number of participants: Approximately 30,000

Monterey Bay Half Marathon (California)

When: Second Sunday of November

Average price: Approx. $135 for early registration

Number of participants: Approximately 4,000

Written by Katie McDonald, 10th May 2025

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