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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 burning off the bird on Thanksgiving morning (ya know, burning calories – not actually burning the turkey!) 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.  We’ve tackled back to school but those holidays will be here before you know it.  Signing up for a few races now to keep you accountable to your goals and give you something to look forward to is ideal at this time of year!

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!  Who doesn’t love a fall road trip with a little racing involved?

If you are planning to road trip to some of these races this fall, be sure to take a look at the car now to see if it’s geared up to go.  The last thing you want is to be struggling during your drive.  A few quick things to check:  How’s the tire pressure?  Do you need new wipers?  What about an oil change?  

Knowing we’ll be traveling for some fall road races, we did a quick check like this – and realized I was overdue for an oil change on my car.  So off we went to Walmart’s Auto Care Center this past week! 

I never even realized they had auto care there, but it was easy to find.  When we got to the store, the auto care center was over on the side of the building.  They had the car bays right there next to a store entrance door, and when you walked through that door there was a counter with all the options right there.  I opted for the Pit Crew Oil Change with Quaker State™ Oil.  You can see the green sign below – only $19.88?!  Yes, please! 

I mean let’s be real – I am not at all a car expert and maintenance is just about the furthest thing from my mind a lot of the time.  But I know getting those regular oil changes are important to keep the car running smoothly to get us to all the best fall road races.  Plus, Quaker State ® Advanced Durability Motor Oil offers extra wear protection and durability throughout thousands of miles of driving.  {Which I need for all the work, race, and family fun driving that we like to do!}

And if I can bring it somewhere that costs less than 20 bucks?  That’s a huge win in my book.  You can even shop while the car is being worked on, since they give you a handy little barcode that can be scanned anywhere in the store to tell you the car’s status.

If you prefer doing oil changes yourself, you can also find the product right in the automotive section of the store.  {I’ll pay for the convenience of having someone else deal with my car, thank you!}

Now that the car is ready to go, I just need to finish choosing the races I want to run and hit that register button!  Here are some favorites that I picked out!

10 Best Fall Road Races in New England

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)  Narragansett Fall Half Marathon – October, Swansea MA 

Downeast Hard Cider at the finish?  Check.  Maple syrup energy gels on the course?  Check.  Pumpkin pie at the finish?  Check!  Seriously, could this race be any more fall-themed?  I’m loving this.  As an aside, I can tell you that the race director of this event is one of the most passionate runners I’ve ever met and strives to make his events amazing.

4)  Harvest Wine Run (4 miles) – October, Westport MA

OK, so this one is technically not a road race but an approximately 4 mile trail run through a vineyard – but I had to include it on the list.  I mean, the race offers WINE at the water stop!  There is also a lovely post-race wine and BBQ event, and since it’s an afternoon race (3:30pm start) you get to enjoy the fall sunset while finishing up those last sips of wine. 

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)  White Mountain Milers Half Marathon and 5K – October, North Conway NH

This race is a relatively flat course and is also stroller-friendly for those moms and dads that want the extra challenge of pushing their little one.  There is also a post-race party with Sea Dog Brewing Co.!  And since it falls around Halloween, it’s a great option if you like running in costume. {As you can tell from past photos below, I’m a big fan of costume 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!

Share with me:  Are you doing any fall road races?  Have you done a race in New England?  How do you take care of your car to make sure it stays in tip-top shape to get you to your races?  

{And if you’re behind on oil changes, be sure to check out the Pit Crew oil change at Walmart’s Auto Care Center.}

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Chrissy Carroll

Chrissy Carroll is a Registered Dietitian and USAT Level I Triathlon Coach. She specializes in sharing nutrition and fitness tips, as well as 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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