South · KY
Running Races in Kentucky
Kentucky currently has 159 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 122 5Ks, 31 10Ks, 11 half marathons and 4 marathons. Many events offer more than one distance, so a race can appear in more than one of those counts.
October (61), November (34) and September (21) are the busiest months on the calendar right now. Another 165 annual races are waiting for next year's date to be announced.
- Upcoming, date confirmed
- 159
- Active listings
- 324
- Cities with races
- 100
Browse Kentucky races by distance
Upcoming races in Kentucky
The next 60 of 159 with a confirmed date, soonest first.
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MuuvWell Hot Rod 24 Hour UltraBowling Green, KY
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Restoration Ministries 5KSomerset, KY
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CDH Family Reunion: Super Hero Fun Run and Memorial WalkNicholasville, KY
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Foothills Festival 5KAlbany, KY
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, KY Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon (miniMarathon) ~10,000 runners
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Louisville Triple CrownLouisville, KY Usually held in March · date not confirmed10K ~6,000 runners
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Bluegrass 10,000Lexington, KY Usually held in July · date not confirmed10K5K1-Mile Fun Run ~4,000 runners
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A Midsummer Night's Run 5KLexington, KY Usually held in August · date not confirmed5KKids races ~3,500 runners
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Urban Bourbon Half Marathon & 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in October · date not confirmedHalf Marathon5K ~3,200 runners
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Bourbon Chase RelayBardstown to Lexington, KY Usually held in October · date not confirmedRelay Marathon ~3,000 runners
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Run the BluegrassLexington, KY Usually held in May · date not confirmedHalf Marathon ~3,000 runners
When races happen in Kentucky
- January
- 3 upcoming races
- February
- 1 upcoming race
- March
- 7 upcoming races
- April
- 6 upcoming races
- May
- 4 upcoming races
- June
- 4 upcoming races
- July
- 1 upcoming race
- September
- 21 upcoming races
- October
- 61 upcoming races
- November
- 34 upcoming races
- December
- 17 upcoming races
Kentucky cities with the most races
- Louisville
- 20 upcoming races
- Lexington
- 17 upcoming races
- Bowling Green
- 17 upcoming races
- Richmond
- 5 upcoming races
- Elizabethtown
- 4 upcoming races
- Versailles
- 4 upcoming races
- Owensboro
- 4 upcoming races
- Somerset
- 4 upcoming races
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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Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon & Marathon (Humana)Louisville, KY Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon (miniMarathon) ~10,000 runners
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Louisville Triple CrownLouisville, KY Usually held in March · date not confirmed10K ~6,000 runners
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Bluegrass 10,000Lexington, KY Usually held in July · date not confirmed10K5K1-Mile Fun Run ~4,000 runners
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A Midsummer Night's Run 5KLexington, KY Usually held in August · date not confirmed5KKids races ~3,500 runners
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Urban Bourbon Half Marathon & 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in October · date not confirmedHalf Marathon5K ~3,200 runners
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Bourbon Chase RelayBardstown to Lexington, KY Usually held in October · date not confirmedRelay Marathon ~3,000 runners
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Run the BluegrassLexington, KY Usually held in May · date not confirmedHalf Marathon ~3,000 runners
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The Iron Horse Half Marathon, 12K & 5KMidway, KY Usually held in October · date not confirmedHalf Marathon12K5K ~1,800 runners
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Med Center Health 10K ClassicBowling Green, KY Usually held in September · date not confirmed10K5K Run/WalkWheelchairChildren's Classic ~1,500 runners
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Thunder Over Louisville / Kentucky Derby Festival 5KLouisville, KY Usually held in April · date not confirmed5K ~1,500 runners
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Louisville Marathon, Half Marathon & 10KLouisville, KY Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon10K ~1,200 runners
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Mercy Health Iron Mom Half-Marathon, Relay & 5KPaducah, KY Usually held in May · date not confirmedHalf Marathon2 & 4 Person Relay5K ~1,000 runners
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Wendell Foster Half Marathon & 5KOwensboro, KY Usually held in March · date not confirmedHalf Marathon5K ~1,000 runners
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Kentucky History Half Marathon, 10K & 5KFrankfort, KY Usually held in September · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K5K1-Mile Fun Run ~600 runners
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Frozen Feet ChallengeLouisville, KY Usually held in January · date not confirmed10K5K ~500 runners
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Hatfield & McCoy Marathon, Half Marathons & 5KSouth Williamson, KY Usually held in June · date not confirmedMarathonBlackberry Mountain HalfRiver Road Half5K +1 more ~500 runners
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Summer Sizzler LouisvilleLouisville, KY Usually held in August · date not confirmed1 Mile5K10K15K ~500 runners
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Bluegrass MarathonLexington, KY Usually held in November · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~400 runners
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Horse Capital Marathon & Half MarathonLexington, KY Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon ~400 runners
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Viking Half Marathon, 10K & 5KBowling Green, KY Usually held in February · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K5K ~400 runners
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Hangover Classic 10 Mile & 5KShelbyville, KY Usually held in January · date not confirmed10 Mile5K ~300 runners
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Lovin' the Hills Trail RunsFairdale, KY Usually held in February · date not confirmed50K15 Mile6 Mile ~300 runners
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Pisgah Farms & Furlongs Half Mare-athonVersailles, KY Usually held in May · date not confirmedHalf Marathon ~250 runners
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Bluegrass UltraLexington, KY Usually held in October · date not confirmedUltra Marathon ~150 runners
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P.A.C.E. Marathon & Half MarathonSmiths Grove, KY Usually held in May · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon5K (Puppy Pace) ~110 runners
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Viking 5K, 10K & Half Marathon (Bowling Green)Bowling Green, KY Usually held in February · date not confirmedHalf Marathon10K5K ~100 runners
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#FeedTheKids 3KLexington, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced1.86 Miles250 Yards
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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 Miles
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Aphasia in Motion 5K & Fun RunLexington, KY Usually held in September · next date not announced5K1 Miles
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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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Blackacre BarnstormerLouisville, KY Usually held in August · next date not announced8 Miles4 Miles
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.
- 7 min read How to Find a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon Near You A practical way to find running races near you: pick a distance, decide how far you'll travel, read the listing properly and confirm the details before you register.
- 9 min read How to Run a Race in All 50 States How to plan a 50-state running challenge: set your own rules, group states into trips, build a calendar around the seasons, budget for it and keep track of every finish.
- 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 159 upcoming races in Kentucky with a confirmed date, plus 165 annual events whose next date hasn't been announced yet.
- Which Kentucky cities have the most races?
- By upcoming events listed in RaceRove: Louisville (20), Lexington (17), Bowling Green (17), Richmond (5) and Elizabethtown (4).
- When is race season in Kentucky?
- Of the upcoming races listed, the busiest months are October (61), November (34) and September (21).
- 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.