Planning a massive road race with thousands of runners is a bit of a logistical nightmare. Race organizers have to shut down roads, work with local law enforcement, rent portable bathrooms, transport water to aid stations, and of course make sure a massive crowd of runners can make it from the starting line to the finish line. With all these aspects to juggle, time really is of the essence and every additional hour that a race course is open means another hour of potential problems, which is why many marathons cap their time limit to six hours.
While six hours to travel 26.2 miles may not seem too difficult to avid runners, there are plenty of marathoners, especially those who like to sprinkle some walking into their journey, who are anxious about getting nabbed by the sweeper van. After all, if you’ve trained for months, you don’t want to be stopped from crossing that finish line just because you slowed down a bit.
To help you stave off nightmares of slow moving buses, we’ve put together a list of 12 half and full marathons around the United States that are walker-friendly. These are races with later cut-off times (or no cut-off time at all) that will give entrants ease of mind when they sign up. While many half marathon counterparts to simultaneous full marathons are walker-friendly due to the fact that the finish line must stay open for the full marathon finishers, we’ve pinpointed exactly which ones you’ll want to sign up for if you’re looking for an easy, breezy run/walk.
So take your time perusing our list of options and then sign up for your next big race worry-free. Here are the best half and full marathons for running and walking in the United States.
Walt Disney World Marathon
Date: January 11, 2026
Location: Orlando, Florida
Despite being a relatively flat course, the Walt Disney World Marathon is not a race designed for speed. With photo ops, character meet-and-greets, and even rides open along the course, many of the Disney Marathon entrants are stopping and starting along the way with a lot more focus on the journey than the actual destination (EPCOT’s parking lot). While the website lists a 16-minute mile as the cut-off pace for the race, depending on which corral you start in, you can certainly run slower. Some runners in the 2024 race finished in just shy of eight hours. If you like to run/walk, Disney is also great because the race offers pace groups who employ the method, rarely paced for in other major races.
Little Rock Marathon
Date: March 1, 2026
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
The Little Rock Marathon bills itself as “Arkansas’ race for every pace” and with an 8-hour cut off-time for the marathon, walkers should have plenty of time to make it to the finish. While the race begins at 6 a.m. for most runners, if you think it will take you a bit longer to complete the race, you’re able to start an hour early at 5 a.m. so that you can get a head start. Whereas many races put the slowest runners at the back of the corrals, Little Rock puts the slowest individuals first so they have the best chance of finishing and earning one of the race’s famous MASSIVE medals.
Los Angeles Marathon
Date: March 8, 2026
Location: Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Marathon course officially shuts down 6 hours and 30 minutes after the last runner crosses the starting line, but that’s not when the finish line shuts down. As the organizers state on the website, the course will reopen to traffic at that point, BUT “participants who wish to continue must leave the roadway, run on the sidewalk, and assume the role of a pedestrian obeying all traffic laws.” So provided you’re fine with running/walking on the sidewalk rather than in the middle of the road, you can take your sweet ole time finishing the L.A. Marathon and still get your medal.
Fargo Marathon and Half
Date: May 31, 2025
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
If you want plenty of time to conquer a half marathon, your best bet is to sign up for a race that also has a full marathon. The Fargo marathon’s cut-off time is seven hours, so you half marathon runners will have PLENTY of time to travel their 13.1 miles on an overlapping course. While the Fargo Half Marathon’s website lists the cut-off time at a generous four hours, since you’re running on the same road as the full marathon runners, you likely could take even longer if you needed to.
Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half and Full Marathon
Date: June 1, 2025
Location: San Diego, California
Both distances in the Rock ’n’ Roll race series’ San Diego race provide a nice cushion for walkers and runners. The marathon has an official cut-off time of seven hours. Meanwhile, the half marathon has a four-hour time limit. Either way, you can enjoy San Diego at your leisure and still nab a medal.
Hatfield McCoy Marathon
Date: June 14, 2025
Location: Williamson, West Virginia
NO TIME LIMIT! You read that right folks. The Hatfield McCoy Marathon (along with its two half marathon options and 5K) has no time limit whatsoever. The nice thing about running a race that is in a more rural locale is that shutting down the roads isn’t quite as big of an ordeal. While shutting down the Golden Gate Bridge can be hard to do for more than a few hours, the Hatfield McCoy course can keep runners and walkers moving toward the finish for quite a while. Especially because this hilly course is so difficult, it’s nice to know that you can take your time.
Mayor’s Midnight Sun Half Marathon
Date: June 21, 2025
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
As with other half marathons on this list, Anchorage, Alaska’s, summer solstice half benefits greatly from the presence of a full marathon. The finish line for both distances shut down at 3 p.m. on the day of the race, but because the half marathon starts at 8:30 a.m., that means runners have six and a half hours to travel 13.1 miles. Even if you’re a slower walker, you should be able to make it to the finish before the time cut off.
Baltimore Half Marathon
Date: October 18, 2025
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
While perhaps not quite as generous as the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Half Marathon’s 6.5 hour cut off, the Baltimore Half, which also is run alongside a full marathon, provides runners with five hours to achieve their goal. That rounds out to a 22:54 minutes per mile pace, which is pretty slow even for walking. While the course does have a few hills, the last mile near Baltimore’s famed harbor will give you plenty to look at.
Kansas City Half Marathon
Date: October 18, 2025
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, which is located in Missouri and not actually Kansas although that is a common misconception, also offers a half and full marathon combo with a six-hour cut off for both races. While six hours might not be enough for you to walk the entirety of the marathon at a slower pace, it certainly should be enough time for you to complete the half. If you’re looking for a nice little walking tour of Kansas City, here’s a great option.
New York City Marathon
Date: November 2, 2025
Location: New York City, New York
Because the New York City Marathon is televised, the race can’t start until it’s broad daylight. And because the marathon begins by sending runners over the Verrazano Bridge, the wave starts take hours. Because of that, the island of Manhattan is essentially shut down the entire day. With that in mind, the marathon doesn’t close its finish line until 10 p.m., that’s well into the night, allowing every runner and walker who so chooses to finish. While the roads open back up at a certain point and participants will have to move to the sidewalk, if you want that big Central Park finish, you can get it even in the dark.
Rehoboth Seashore Half Marathon
Date: December 6, 2025
Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
With a seven-hour cut off, Rehoboth Beach’s marathon can be finished by itself by many run/walkers. And for the half, you get the same seven-hour window. The breeze beach run at the start is perfect for those who don’t want to be sweaty, but you might want to wear layers if you’re planning on walking 13.1 miles along the Atlantic Ocean in December.
Honolulu Marathon
Date: December 14, 2025
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
While there are smaller marathons without a cut off time, the Honolulu Marathon proudly bills itself as “the only world-class marathon that allows ALL participants to finish.” With over 20,000 runners every year, it is one of the largest marathons in the United States and draws plenty of runners and walkers who want to make sure they have all the time they need to finish. The race organizers say that as long as you keep moving, they’ll let you finish no matter how long it takes. And let’s be real, there are worse ways to spend a day than strolling around Hawaii.
