10 Best Fall Road Races in New England

Fall is by far my favorite time for road races in New England.  I think about jogging through the fall foliage, passing by the sweet scents of a local apple orchard, or getting a little sweaty on Thanksgiving morning before snuggling into pajamas for the day and digging into a pie (wait, is that just me? 😉 ). 

It’s the perfect time to get a few races on the calendar. To help you out, I’ve rounded up 10 of the very best fall road races in New England in this post.  Some of them I’ve personally done, some are well known in the running community, and some just sounded downright awesome.  If you live in New England, there’s bound to be one that’s close to you.  And the rest are all likely within a few hours of driving distance, making them perfect opportunities for a weekend getaway!

This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated in 2026.

1) The Feaster Five – November, Andover MA  

The Feaster Five has been a Thanksgiving Day tradition in Massachusetts for almost 30 years.  It offers both a 5 mile and 5K option, and is one of the biggest fall road races in New England with approximately 10,000 participants.  If you’re one of the first 9,000 registrants you’ll be treated to some awesome swag – a long sleeve tech tee and an apple pie!  No better way to start Thanksgiving day.

2) The Newport Marathon and Half Marathon – October, Newport RI

I’ve ran this half marathon twice before.  Ironically, it holds my best half marathon pace (2010) and my worst half marathon pace (2013), haha.  But regardless of run time, this course is absolutely gorgeous.  Weaving through Newport you’re treated to views of mansions, sprawling landscapes, and (my favorite) the beautiful coastline.  It’s nice rolling terrain that’s perfect for beginners or advanced runners.  {I know many who have done the full, and have heard the latter half isn’t quite as nice since it goes off into residential areas – but this is definitely a winner for the 13.1 distance.}

3) Ocean State Rhode Races (Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K) – October, Narragansett, RI

I love that this event features a marathon, half marathon, and a 5K – making it ideal for you no matter what distance you want to race. It features post-race festivities on Narragansett Town Beach that are a blast. Also, if you’re a slower marathoner: the course cutoff is 6 hours, *but* they have an early start option that allows you to start the marathon an hour early for extra time. It’s unsupported during that first hour but is a great option if you need it.

4) Wineglass Race Series (Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K) – October in Corning, NY

This event offers a 5K on Saturday, and the half and full marathons on Sunday. The half and full marathon races are point-to-point courses that are known to be fast and flat. The race includes handcrafted glass finisher medals and a nice post-race food selection. There are lots of wineries to visit in this area of New York as part of your destination race weekend!

5) The Kingdom Challenge ½ Marathon and 5K – October, Lyndonville/St Johnsbury VT 

You can choose from a fun and relatively flat 5K, or a challenging point to point half marathon!  The half marathon includes scenic Vermont back roads and covered bridges.  It’s one of the most challenging fall half marathons in New England with approximately 3000 feet of elevation change.

6) Witch City 5K – October, Salem MA

Is it going to be a bit hectic in Salem this time of year? Absolutely. But is it worth it to experience the city at least once at Halloween-time? Yes! This 5K is a fun event that raises money for the Y. It goes through all the spooky scenery in Salem, and you will feel right at home if you love running in Halloween costumes (in fact, there may even be special prizes for the best costumes). {As you can tell from the past photo below, I’m a big fan of dressing up for Halloween-themed races…}

7) Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon and 5K – October, Hampton Beach NH

Put on by the brewing company, these Smuttynose races are a definite contender for top fall road race.  The post-race celebration is complete with a rock n’ roll band and a beer tent, and half marathon participants get an amazing fleece pullover for swag! (5K participants still score a nice tech t-shirt).

8) Devils Chase 6.66 Miler – October, Salem MA

Dress as a devil or in your favorite Halloween costume, and run with 1000+ festive athletes through the streets of the Halloween capital of the world.  Costumes are available for top devil costumes as well as top Halloween costumes.  Plus if you happen to be lucky enough to get bib #666, you’ll score a gift package worth over $500!

9) Mount Desert Island Marathon, Half & Relay – October, Bar Harbor ME

I’ve never done this race, but it came highly recommended from my blogger friend over at Marathons and Motivation.  There are a few things I love about this race – the first being that it visits Bar Harbor at peak fall foliage, taking runners through beautiful scenery.  And as a slow runner, I absolutely love that the marathon course has an 8 hour cut off rather than the traditional 6 hour cutoff used.  If all that isn’t enough, New England Runner has named this the Race of the Year in 2016.

10) Baystate Full and Half Marathon – October, Lowell MA

I’m not going to tell you that this is the most beautiful course out there for a fall race – some parts go through historic Lowell, but it’s certainly not as pretty as some of the other ones.  But the thing this race has going for it is the elevation – this course is fast and flat, making it ideal for those looking to PR or BQ!

Bonus Trail Option: Tarc Fall Classic – September in Carslile, MA

If you want to expand out from road races, I highly recommend the Tarc Fall Classic. This is a very reasonably priced race and features many distances – 10K, half marathon, 20 mile, 50K, and 50 mile. There is also a free kids fun run. A great day for the family!

Share with me:  Are you doing any fall road races? 

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian, RRCA Running Coach, and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing training tips, sports nutrition information, and healthy recipes for runners, triathletes, and active women.Chrissy holds a Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition, a Masters Degree in Public Health, and is also an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

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