Spring half marathons in Europe: dates, weather and courses

Spring is the busiest half marathon season in Europe. From early March to the end of May there is a big-city half almost every weekend, mornings are usually cool, and 21.1 km fits neatly into a winter of training, on its own or as a tune-up for a spring marathon. We list 124 European road half marathons in this window. These are the biggest, with the figures that matter most when choosing one.

Half marathons with at least 3,000 finishers or in a big city. “Climb” is the total elevation gain of the course. “Usual start temp.” is the average temperature at the start time over the last 10 years on race day. Races are listed in season order; those that have already run this season show next year’s date. Dates marked “est.” follow the race’s usual slot and are not yet confirmed.

Month by month

March: cold starts, fast times

Early-season halves often start in low single digits, which is close to ideal once you are running, if not while you wait in the start pen. Bring a throwaway layer. You’ll also have trained through the darkest weeks of winter, so allow for a missed week or two.

April: the peak

April has the most races and some of the biggest. Conditions are usually good across the continent, though a warm spell can push temperatures up quickly, especially in the south. A half in early April also sits well as a tune-up four to six weeks before a late-April or May marathon.

May: warmer, so go north

By May, the south is warming up and starts get warmer everywhere. Scandinavia, the Baltics, the Netherlands and the UK stay pleasant longer, and an early start helps anywhere.

For a personal best: flat and cool

These big spring halves have 50 m of climbing or less and usually start at 10°C or below: the conditions where most runners go fastest.

Flat and cool is only part of the story, though: turns, narrow streets and crowded starts cost time too. For a ranking built on how fast people actually run each race, see the fastest half marathons in Europe, and for flat courses worldwide, the flattest half marathons.

Entry: most are open, a few need a lottery

Nearly all of these races are first come, first served, though the popular ones sell out months ahead, so enter as soon as you have decided. A few fill by lottery or have limited entry: Paris Half Marathon, Prague Half Marathon and London Landmarks Half Marathon. Their windows open months before race day; marathon lotteries explained covers how ballots work.

Entry fees for these races are around $55 (the median of the ones we have prices for, converted to US dollars), so a spring half is one of the cheaper ways to race abroad. Some countries, France and Italy among them, ask runners without a national athletics licence for a health certificate or an online health check, so read the entry rules before you book flights.

Make it a weekend away

Most big halves start in the city centre and finish within walking distance of it, so a spring half is an easy race to travel for: fly in on Friday or Saturday, race on Sunday morning and have the afternoon to look around. Race pages show flights and the time difference from your home airport, and hotels near the start. Our race trip guide has a booking timeline.

Quick answers

When is half marathon season in Europe?

There are two: spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). April and October are the busiest months. Summer races exist, but most are small and warm.

What is the biggest spring half marathon in Europe?

By finishers, Paris Half Marathon (about 47,500) and Goteborgsvarvet (about 40,000).

Is a spring half a good warm-up for a marathon?

Yes. A half four to six weeks before your marathon is a good test of pace and kit, and leaves time to recover. Pair one from this list with a race from spring marathons in Europe.

Compare races side by side, or filter by month, climb and temperature in the race finder.