South · KY
Running Races in Kentucky
Kentucky currently has 134 upcoming races with a confirmed date listed in RaceRove. Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green and Richmond have the largest concentration of events.
By distance, that includes 97 5Ks, 35 10Ks, 22 half marathons and 10 marathons. Many events offer more than one distance, so a race can appear in more than one of those counts.
November (37), December (18) and October (17) are the busiest months on the calendar right now. Another 189 annual races are waiting for next year's date to be announced.
- Upcoming, date confirmed
- 134
- Active listings
- 323
- Cities with races
- 99
Browse Kentucky races by distance
Upcoming races in Kentucky
The next 60 of 134 with a confirmed date, soonest first.
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bg26.2 Marathon, Half Marathon & bg6000Bowling Green, KYMarathonHalf Marathonbg6000 (6K) ~700 runners
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Pupkin 5pice 5kLouisville, KY5kFamily of Four RegistrationVirtual 5kVirtual 5k with Packet Mailing
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Black Gold 24hr and 12hr Endurance ChallengeBelfry, KY24 Hour Relay24 Hour24hr Rucksack12hr individual +2 more
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Northeast Family YMCA Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Brought to you by PublixLouisville, KY5K0.5 Miles
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Crooked Creek Ultra Trail RaceShepherdsville, KY100 Mile50 MileMarathonHalf Marathon +1 more ~140 runners
Dates come from each race's own listing. Always confirm on the organiser's site before you book travel.
Largest races in Kentucky
By estimated field size across all distances at the event.
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Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon & Marathon (Humana)Louisville, KYMarathonHalf Marathon (miniMarathon) ~10,000 runners
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Urban Bourbon Half Marathon & 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in October · next date not announcedHalf Marathon5K ~3,200 runners
When races happen in Kentucky
- January
- 6 upcoming races
- February
- 4 upcoming races
- March
- 10 upcoming races
- April
- 9 upcoming races
- May
- 8 upcoming races
- June
- 4 upcoming races
- July
- 4 upcoming races
- August
- 10 upcoming races
- September
- 7 upcoming races
- October
- 17 upcoming races
- November
- 37 upcoming races
- December
- 18 upcoming races
Kentucky cities with the most races
- Louisville
- 28 upcoming races
- Lexington
- 18 upcoming races
- Bowling Green
- 16 upcoming races
- Richmond
- 6 upcoming races
- Versailles
- 5 upcoming races
- Owensboro
- 5 upcoming races
- Nicholasville
- 3 upcoming races
- Slade
- 3 upcoming races
Running in Kentucky cities
Browse Kentucky races by month
Annual events awaiting their next date
These races are held every year, but the next date isn't in the listing yet. The month shown is when each is usually held.
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Urban Bourbon Half Marathon & 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in October · next date not announcedHalf Marathon5K ~3,200 runners
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Bourbon & Beyond 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K ~2,826 runners
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Second Stride 5K and 2.5K Run/Walk at Claiborne FarmParis, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K ~2,274 runners
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The Iron Horse Half Marathon, 12K & 5KMidway, KY Usually held in October · next date not announcedHalf Marathon12K5K ~1,800 runners
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Thru the Ville 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in October · next date not announced5K ~1,450 runners
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#FeedTheKids 3KLexington, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced1.86 Miles250 Yards ~896 runners
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Mammoth Cave 50K/25KPark City, KY Usually held in October · next date not announced50K25K ~740 runners
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Glow for Recovery 5K Run/WalkElizabethtown, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K ~650 runners
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LBL Bridge to Bridge Trail RunHardin, KY Usually held in October · next date not announced22K ~481 runners
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Little Batty Trail RunsNancy, KY Usually held in October · next date not announced5K10K ~465 runners
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#FEEDTHEKIDS Beer MileLexington, KY Usually held in July · next date not announced1 Mile ~60 runners
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Miles For Medicine 5K Run/WalkLexington, KY Usually held in October · next date not announced5K250 Yards ~20 runners
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Run Baby Run 5K Benefiting NICU BabiesLexington, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K400 Yards ~16 runners
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9/11 Heroes Run - Louisville, KYLouisville, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K
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9/11 Heroes Run - Madisonville, KentuckyMadisonville, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K1 Mile
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Aphasia in Motion 5K & Fun RunLexington, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K1 Mile
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Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass ClassicPaducah, KY Usually held in October · next date not announced10K5K
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Bark in the Park 5k & 1 Mile Woof WalkLouisville, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5kFamily of Four RegistrationOne Mile Woof WalkVirtual 5k
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Big Bad Wolf 5k + Lil' Piggy Run 1 Mile Youth RunPaducah, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K1 Mile
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Blackacre BarnstormerLouisville, KY Usually held in August · next date not announced8 Miles4 Miles
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Brain Aneurysm Foundation 5K - LouisvilleLouisville, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K
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Brothers' Run 8th Annual 3k Run/Walk EventVersailles, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced1.864 Miles
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Cabernet Canter Cross Country 5K/10KLexington, KY Usually held in August · next date not announced5K10K
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CASA of the Northern Bluegrass Region 5K Superhero Run/WalkBurlington, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K
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CASA SuperHero 5K and WalkMadisonville, KY Usually held in August · next date not announced5K1 Mile
Races in nearby states
Guides from the RaceRove blog
- 8 min read How to Choose the Best Half Marathon for a PR, Racecation or 50-State Challenge The best half marathon depends on what you want from it. How to choose a course for a personal record, a race worth travelling for, or an efficient stop on a 50-state challenge.
- 4 min read Diplo's Run Club 2026-27: Every City, Date and Course Diplo's Run Club is a 5K with a post-race concert. Every US date for 2026-27 (San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix), start times and courses.
- 8 min read How to Choose Your First Marathon A practical checklist for choosing a first marathon based on course, weather, cutoff, travel, field size and support.
- Blog All guides Planning advice for finding, choosing and travelling to races.
Running Races in Kentucky: common questions
- How many races are there in Kentucky?
- RaceRove currently lists 134 upcoming races in Kentucky with a confirmed date, plus 189 annual events whose next date hasn't been announced yet.
- Which Kentucky cities have the most races?
- By upcoming events listed in RaceRove: Louisville (28), Lexington (18), Bowling Green (16), Richmond (6) and Versailles (5).
- When is race season in Kentucky?
- Of the upcoming races listed, the busiest months are November (37), December (18) and October (17).
- What is the biggest race in Kentucky?
- By estimated field size, the largest race listed in Kentucky is the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon & Marathon (Humana), with about 10,000 runners across all of its distances.
Search every race in Kentucky
Filter by month, course profile and field size, save races to a shortlist and compare them side by side in the interactive search.