Part of the allure of distance running is pushing yourself to seemingly impossible lengths. In recent years, however, yet another feat of running masochism has arrived: race challenges.
Many race organizers have created race challenges enticing runners to complete multiple races (often during the same weekend) for some extra bling and bragging rights. Why just run a marathon when you can also run a half, 10K, and 5K all in one weekend? Rather than head home with only one medal to add to your collection, now you can earn four, plus an extra special fifth if you complete the other four races.
Plus, what better way to spice up your schedule than to tackle multiple distances in a short timeframe? To help narrow down your options, we’ve sorted through the offerings and compiled a list of a dozen of the best race challenges around the world. While they’re tough, they might be just what you needed to push yourself to a new impossible.
World Marathon Challenge
Date: Threshold Workouts to Build Speed Endurance
Location: Seven continents
More information
This challenge is not for the faint of heart (or those strapped for cash). The World Marathon Challenge requires runners to run seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. Yes. You heard that right, you’ll be running races all around the world for a week, sleeping on a plane in between. The experience is an exhausting one and requires that runners clock 26.2 miles in Antarctica of all places, but if you can manage to complete the task, you’ll have an incredible story to tell at parties for the rest of your life.
MCM Runners Club
Date: April 8, 2025
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
More information
Unlike many race challenges that require runners to take on different races, the MCM Runners Club is for individuals who have run the same race, Washington D.C.’s Marine Corps Marathon, at least five times. After completing your fifth race, you’ll earn entry into this elite club and guaranteed entry into future iterations of the MCM. Runners will also earn special patches for every five Marine Corps Marathons that they run so you can really spruce up a jacket.
Fly! Fight! Win! Challenge Series
Date: Threshold Workouts to Build Speed Endurance
Location: Dayton, Ohio
More information
If you’re planning on running the Air Force Marathon or Half Marathon in Dayton, Ohio, you might as well sign up for the challenge. It’s a two day event that will have you running three races and earning four medals. While there are plenty of race challenges that involve running a 5K the day before a marathon, this challenge is a little different because runners will need to complete a 10K (in 75 minutes) directly before running either a full marathon or a half. While the 5K is on Friday night, the 10K and longer distance are both on Saturday morning. Basically you’ll be running an ultramarathon Washington, District of Columbia.
Rock ’n’ Roll Remix Challenge
Date: Various
Location: Download Your Training Plan
More information
The Rock ’n’ Roll Race Series boasts some of the most popular races in the world with marquee events in Las Vegas, Nashville, and San Diego among others. Most of their music-centered race weekends offer events on both Saturday and Sunday, with the shorter races on the first day and the longer ones on the second. Their Remix Challenge offers a LOT of options across cities and distances. All you have to do is run one Saturday race and one Sunday race and in addition to those two medals, you’ll also snag a coveted Remix Challenge medal for your rack.
Five-Borough Series
Date: Various
Location: New York, New York
More information
Don’t let the name confuse you. The Five-Borough Series is actually comprised of six races. There’s one for each of New York’s five boroughs (Manhattan 10K, Brooklyn Half, Queens 10K, Bronx 10 Mile, Staten Island Half), plus the NYC Half which runs through both Manhattan and Brooklyn. While you don’t earn a special medal for running all six of these, if you run four out of the six in a calendar year and have an active NYRR membership by the last qualifying event, you’ll earn guaranteed entry for the NYC Half the following year. That’s a prize in and of itself given that race boasts one of the best half marathon courses in the country and is not easy to get into. This is also a perfect way to explore parts of NYC you might not normally venture into.
SuperHalfs
Date: Various
Location: Many race organizers have created race challenges enticing runners to complete
More information
Oh no! You’ll have to take six trips to Europe! What a hardship! The SuperHalfs are a series of six half marathons in some of Europe’s most beautiful cities, and after you complete all six, you’ll earn an extra medal commemorating your accomplishment. There’s no time limit here, so you can take your time and spread the races out over several years, you just need to run the Lisbon Half Marathon, Prague Half Marathon, Berlin Half Marathon, Copenhagen Half Marathon, Cardiff Half Marathon, and Valencia Half Marathon in any order. A perfect excuse for runcations to Spain, Germany, Denmark, the U.K., and the Czech Republic.
Disney Coast to Coast Challenge
Date: Various
Location: Orlando, Florida or Anaheim, California
More information
If you’re looking for race challenges, Disney World Marathon Majors—Ranked race weekends where runners who complete several different distances earn a bonus medal. If you’re looking to visit both parks in the same year, however, you can earn the Coast to Coast Challenge medal. All you need to do is run a race that’s 10 miles or longer in both parks in the same calendar year. Buy some ears and get packing.
Beach Cities Challenge
Date: Various
Location: How to Build Fatigue Resistance
More information
Beach lovers rejoice! If you’re a Californian (or just someone who frequents SoCal), this is the race challenge for you. Running a combination of either the full marathon or the half of the Surf City Marathon, the Hoag OC Marathon, and the Long Beach Marathon will earn you a special bonus medal. The one wrinkle here is that you have to complete all three in consecutive order. You can start with whichever race you want, but you can’t skip around or wait a few years to run the other two. If you miss one race in order, you’ll have to start again. But should that happen, you’ll just have to run some more on the Pacific Coast Highway and that’s more of a treat than a punishment.
Golden State Challenge
Date: Various
Location: Various locations throughout California
More information
Another fun Californian option is the Golden State Challenge, which includes races up and down the entire state in a variety of different locales. This one is also a bit more flexible with runners just tasked with completing four out of the eight eligible distances in a single year. If you run a 5K or longer at any four of the events, you’ll complete the challenge and earn an extra medal. The eligible options include the Surf City Marathon, Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon, Bay to Breakers, Napa to Sonoma, Surf City 10, Long Beach Marathon, Run Malibu, and the Golden Gate Bridge Run. Not a bad race in sight.
Flying Pig Marathon Challenges
Date: Various
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
More information
Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon has a LOT of different options. There’s the Snout and Stinger Challenge, which earns you an extra medal if you run one race on the Flying Pig Marathon weekend and one on the Queen Bee Half Marathon weekend. There are the 3-Way and 4-Way Challenges which are for running three races (5K, 10K, and half or full marathon) on Flying Pig Marathon weekend (you can add “extra cheese” to the challenge by running a mile race as well) and there’s the Brew Hog Challenge which has runners completing three beer-themed races in the area. You can mix and match all kinds of distances for these, so really there’s something for everyone.
50 States Marathon Club
Date: Various
Location: United States
More information
While not officially hosted by any particular race, the 50 States Marathon Club is an organization for those trying to run one marathon in all 50 of the United States, a feat that can take years for obvious reasons. Once you’ve crossed 10 states off your bucket list, you can apply to this special club, which offers perks like discounted race entry rates, cool swag, and marathon meetups. After you’ve run a number of marathons, you might as well start trying to hit one in every state. It’s a great excuse to travel as well.
World Marathon Majors
Date: Various
Location: Various
More information
Summer Running Gear World Majors. Increasingly difficult to gain entry into, the World Marathon Majors are the most prestigious marathons in the world, with Boston, Chicago, New York, London, Berlin, and Tokyo earning the prestigious mark. If you run all six, you qualify for the coveted Six Star finishers medal, which really is an incredible achievement. While the World Majors have recently added the Sydney Marathon to their ranks and are eyeing two more for a total of nine races, the Six Star finishers medal will remain with a new prize for completing the larger group likely coming once the roster has been filled out.
