10 Spring Half Marathons Worth Racing in 2027 (Beyond the Usual Big Names)

Spring is the half marathon’s best season. After a winter of base building, March to May is when fitness comes good, temperatures sit in the ideal 8-15°C range, and the calendar fills with city races across Europe and North America. It’s also when thousands of runners use a half as the key tune-up for a spring marathon — or as the A-race itself.

These are ten spring half marathons worth targeting in 2027. They’re listed in calendar order rather than ranked, because the right race depends on where it sits in your season. (Looking for the obvious big names — Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, the NYC Half? They’re in our best half marathons of 2027 roundup. This list goes further.)

A note on dates: confirmed 2027 dates are given where organisers have published them. Where they haven’t, the usual window is given and marked as expected. Always check the official site before booking travel.

1. Paris Half Marathon — France

Date: Sunday 7 March 2027
Entry: Lottery, €79

The Semi de Paris is one of the biggest half marathons in Europe and, for 2027, one of the most changed. A new organiser has replaced the old first-come, first-served scramble with a lottery, and the course will now change every year to showcase different parts of the city — the 2027 route is due to be revealed early in the year.

Act now: the 2027 lottery closes on 30 September 2026, with results on 1 October. Selected runners then have just 72 hours to pay. If Paris is on your list, this is the most time-sensitive entry in this article.

One French rule to know: to race in France you need either a medical certificate with the specific required wording or a completed PPS (Parcours Prévention Santé). Sort it out well before race week.

Best for: An early-March city half and a weekend in Paris.

2. Bath Half — UK

Date: Sunday 14 March 2027

A two-lap course through one of England’s most beautiful cities, with Georgian architecture and big, loud crowds all the way round. Bath has been a fixture of the British spring calendar for decades and has the atmosphere of a race the whole city turns out for.

It’s not the fastest course on this list — the laps and a few gentle drags see to that — but it’s reliably quick for a UK half, and mid-March timing makes it a perfect tune-up for an April marathon.

Best for: UK runners targeting London, Manchester or another April marathon.

3. Stramilano — Italy

Date: Sunday 21 March 2027, 08:30

Milan’s half marathon starts and finishes at Piazza Castello, in front of the Sforza Castle, and runs a loop out along the city’s old bastions and grand boulevards — past Porta Venezia, Porta Nuova and Piazza della Repubblica — before turning and heading back into the centre. It holds a World Athletics Road Race Label and is one of Italy’s gold-rated half marathons.

The course is flat and late March in Milan is usually cool, which makes Stramilano a quietly good PB option that most runners outside Italy overlook. It’s also one of the easiest destination races on this list: Milan is a short, cheap flight from most of Europe.

Best for: A flat, well-organised spring half with an Italian city break attached.

4. Madrid Half Marathon — Spain

Date: Sunday 4 April 2027
Entry: Open now, tiered pricing up to €95 (plus a €4 day licence for non-federated runners)

The Movistar Madrid Medio Maratón is one of Spain’s biggest road races and a proper city celebration. Know what you’re signing up for, though: Madrid sits around 650 metres above sea level and the course is rolling rather than flat, so this is a race for atmosphere and a strong effort rather than a lifetime best.

The pricing rewards early commitment — the fee rises in tiers through to race month — so if Madrid is in your plans, entering sooner is cheaper.

Best for: Runners who want a lively spring city race and don’t need a pancake-flat course.

5. Warsaw Half Marathon — Poland

Date: Sunday 4 April 2027

Warsaw usually runs in late March, but in 2027 Palm Sunday and Easter fall on the last two Sundays of the month, so the 21st edition moves to the first Sunday in April. It’s one of the biggest half marathons in Central Europe, with a flat course through the rebuilt Old Town and along the Vistula.

Warsaw is also excellent value: travel, hotels and food cost a fraction of what they do in Paris or Madrid, and the city is an easy short-haul flight from most of Europe.

Clash watch: Warsaw and Madrid fall on the same Sunday. Warsaw for speed, Madrid for atmosphere.

Best for: A big, fast spring half at a lower cost than the Western European options.

6. Nice Half Marathon — France

Date: Sunday 18 April 2027

The Semi-Marathon International de Nice runs along the Promenade des Anglais beside the Mediterranean — flat, fast and very scenic. By mid-April the Côte d’Azur is warming up, so this is a race where an early start and good hydration matter more than at the March events.

It’s also a perfect excuse for a long weekend on the Riviera. The same French medical certificate or PPS rule applies as for Paris.

Best for: A flat seaside half with spring sunshine included.

7. Istanbul Half Marathon — Türkiye

Date: Sunday 25 April 2027

The Türkiye İş Bankası Istanbul Half runs through the historic heart of one of the world’s great cities, and it has developed a reputation for fast elite racing to match. For amateurs it offers something no other race on this list can: a spring half in a city that straddles two continents.

Late April is a good time to be in Istanbul — warm but not hot — and the city is easily reached from almost anywhere in Europe and the Middle East.

Best for: Runners who want a race that doubles as a genuinely different city break.

8. Toronto Marathon Half — Canada

Date: Sunday 2 May 2027

Canada’s biggest city hosts one of North America’s best early-May halves, run alongside the Toronto Marathon. Early May in Toronto is cool and usually settled, the course is fast, and the timing works well for runners who want a spring goal race after the worst of the Canadian winter has passed.

For runners elsewhere in North America, it’s an easy destination race; for Canadians, it’s the natural spring target before the busy late-May weekend.

Best for: A fast early-May half in North America.

9. Brooklyn Half — USA

Date: Mid-May 2027 (expected — the 2026 race was held on Saturday 16 May; NYRR has not yet confirmed 2027)
Entry: Drawing, time qualifiers, charity and travel packages

One of the biggest half marathons in the United States, the RBC Brooklyn Half runs from the tree-lined roads of Prospect Park down to a finish on the Coney Island boardwalk — then there’s the beach party. It’s the rare big-city half that ends at the seaside.

Timing note: for the 2026 race, the non-guaranteed drawing ran in early January. Expect a similar window for 2027, and set a reminder now.

Best for: A late-spring New York half with a finish line you’ll remember.

10. Göteborgsvarvet — Sweden

Date: Saturday 22 May 2027
Entry: Sold out — waiting list and charity places only

Göteborgsvarvet is one of the largest half marathons in the world and a national institution in Sweden. The course runs through Gothenburg across its bridges and harbour, with bands and crowds the whole way round. The 2027 field is 48% women, one of the most balanced of any major race.

The catch: 2027 is already sold out. Entries went within days of opening at the 2026 race — the earliest sell-out in the event’s history. Your options are the official waiting list, where registered runners can transfer places, or a charity entry.

Best for: A late-spring half with an extraordinary atmosphere — if you can get a place.

Honourable Mentions

• Roma-Ostia Half (Italy) — Sunday 28 February 2027. Technically late winter, but one of Europe’s fastest point-to-point halves, running from Rome down to the sea at Ostia.
• Reading Half (UK) — Sunday 21 March 2027. A fast, popular UK half with a stadium finish, three weeks before most April marathons. Same day as Stramilano.
• Hackney Half (UK) — Sunday 16 May 2027. East London’s big, loud, party-atmosphere half.

Using a Spring Half as a Marathon Tune-Up

Many runners on these start lines aren’t racing for a half PB at all — they’re using the half to check fitness before a spring marathon. Done well, it’s the most valuable race of the build. A few principles:

• Race it four to six weeks before the marathon. Close enough to reflect your marathon fitness, far enough out to recover fully. For an April marathon, that points to Paris, Bath or Stramilano.
• Race it properly. A half run at “tempo effort” tells you very little. Race it, and use the result to set a realistic marathon target.
• Use the result honestly. A common rule of thumb is that marathon pace sits around 5-8% slower per kilometre than half marathon race pace for well-trained runners, and more for those with less marathon experience. If your half says your marathon goal is too ambitious, listen.
• Don’t taper hard for it. Two or three easy days beforehand is enough. The marathon is the goal.
• Plan the week after. A few easy days, then back into the marathon build. Don’t let a good half become an excuse to skip the final long runs.

Training Through Winter for a Spring Half

A spring half means a winter build, which brings its own challenges:

• Start the block in December or January. A 10-12 week build from early January lands you nicely for a late-March or early-April race.
• Protect the key sessions. Cold, dark mornings make easy runs negotiable. Make the threshold session and the long run non-negotiable.
• Use the treadmill without guilt. On ice or in the dark, a treadmill threshold session is better than a skipped one or a sketchy one.
• Race something in February. A 10K or a small local half gives you a fitness check and race practice before the goal race.
• Plan for the weather jump. Training at 0°C and racing at 15°C in April — especially in Nice or Istanbul — can catch you out. Practise race-day hydration on your warmer training days.

Entry Windows to Watch

Several of these races now run lotteries or sell out months in advance. The entry window, not the race date, is often the real deadline:

• Paris — lottery closes 30 September 2026
• Madrid — open now; price rises in tiers toward race day
• Brooklyn Half — drawing expected in January 2027
• Göteborgsvarvet — already sold out; waiting list and charity only

The Bottom Line

For a spring PB, look at Stramilano, Warsaw and Nice — flat courses, cool conditions, and far less hype than the headline races. For atmosphere, it’s Bath, Madrid, Brooklyn and Göteborgsvarvet. For a marathon tune-up, pick a race four to six weeks before your goal; Paris, Bath and Stramilano all fit an April marathon well.

Whatever you choose, watch the entry windows. Paris closes this week, Brooklyn’s drawing comes in January, and Göteborgsvarvet has already gone. Choose your spring half now, get your entry sorted, and you’ll start your winter build with a date in the calendar and a reason to get out the door.

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