This one is a half, not a marathon, so treat it as a June tune-up with a beach at the end. You gather on Fairfield Beach Road beside Jennings Beach on a Sunday morning, salt in the air and Long Island Sound flat and silver to your left. The course heads west toward Southport Harbor, past shingled houses and the masts in the harbor, then turns and brings you back along the coastline with the water on your right the whole way home. It is not pancake flat; the shoreline roads roll, and June humidity can settle in by 9am, so start easy and drink at the eleven water stations. The finish spills onto the sand for the beach party, live music and food, and the 3:15 cut-off is generous enough for a steady walk-run. Run the 5K on Saturday too and you have earned the Lucas Challenge medal.
Half marathon begins on Fairfield Beach Road, heads toward Southport Harbor and returns along the Long Island Sound coastline to Jennings Beach; certified courses per the organizer. Course map ↗
2027 registration is open on RunSignup (Half $58.14 incl. fee, 5K $31.01, Lucas Challenge $79.01); prices increase after December 1, 2026 at 11:59pm EST. Refund minus $10 or one-year deferment if more than 30 days out; deferment only 10-30 days out; nothing inside 10 days. Register ↗
- The half marathon began in 1981 with just 200 runners; the half and 5K now draw over 6,000 runners annually, and the event has raised nearly $5,000,000 for community organizations. ↗
- The event is run by the non-profit Fairfield Half Marathon & 5K Inc., benefiting Ben's Lighthouse and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, with Athletic Brewing Company as title sponsor. ↗
- Course cut-off is 3 hours 15 minutes (an average of 14:53 per mile), after which roads reopen and aid stations close. ↗
- The 2027 edition is Saturday, June 5 - Sunday, June 6, 2027, starting at Jennings Beach, 880 S Benson Rd; events are Half Marathon, 5K, Lucas Challenge, Athletic Brewing Beer Mile and a kids' half-mile. ↗
- The race has been held every year from 2023 through 2026 (results posted for each year); the old fairfieldhalf.com domain is now parked and the site lives at fairfieldhalf.org / fairfieldhalf.space. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.