Races Half marathon · Bethlehem, USA
Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon
Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon is a rolling half marathon in Bethlehem, USA, held each October. A loop from SteelStacks over the Lehigh River, up past Monocacy Park and back through historic downtown. It has about 245 m of climb in many short rises, not one long hill. Mid-October in the Lehigh Valley is cool and often bright, with temperatures of 5 to 17°C. The rises around Bethlehem are small but relentless — train on similar terrain and race by effort, not pace.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
October
next: Sunday 17 October 2027
Course
rolling
Half marathon
Conditions
Mid-October in the Lehigh Valley is cool and often bright, with temperatures of 5 to 17°C.
Racing this course well
A loop from SteelStacks over the Lehigh River, up past Monocacy Park and back through historic downtown. It has about 245 m of climb in many short rises, not one long hill.
The rises around Bethlehem are small but relentless — train on similar terrain and race by effort, not pace.
Getting a place
- How you get in
- Open entry: first come, first served
- Entries open
- Entries for the next race were open in November 2026
- Price
- $85, rising after 27 February 2027 (2027 race)
Official Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Next race
- Sunday 17 October 2027
- Start time
- 08:00
- Also on the day
- 10k, 5k
The course in numbers
The course crosses the Lehigh River by the Fahy Bridge, runs north to Eaton Avenue, then returns past Monocacy Creek. It finishes over the Minsi Trail Bridge into SteelStacks.
- Layout
- Loop
- Surface
- Paved city streets
- Total climb
- 245 m (800 ft)
Worth knowing
- First run in 2023.
- Bart Yasso designed the course, which he described as a series of small climbs.
- Start and finish are at the SteelStacks arts and culture campus.
Pick your goal for Bethlehem
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common half marathon goals:
The date shown is the one the organiser has announced. Change it if yours differs.
Build your training around Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon?
- The next Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon is on Sunday 17 October 2027 in Bethlehem, USA. It is held each October.
- Is the Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon course flat?
- A loop from SteelStacks over the Lehigh River, up past Monocacy Park and back through historic downtown. It has about 245 m of climb in many short rises, not one long hill.
- How do I enter the Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon?
- Open entry: first come, first served. Entries for the next race were open in November 2026. Price: $85, rising after 27 February 2027 (2027 race).
- How should I train for the Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon?
- Build for the course you'll actually race at the Bethlehem Running Festival Half Marathon: rolling terrain, October conditions. RunV Premium builds a training plan around your goal time and race date, and lets you adapt it when life interrupts the Bethlehem build.
Not sure what to target? Predict your half marathon time from a recent race →
More half marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Bethlehem — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in October — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
