Bridge and Dam Half Marathon

The half marathon is the longest of three distances that share a start line above Bagnell Dam, and it is the one that pulls runners in from outside the lake area. FundRuns and the Lake of the Ozarks Runners put the race on, hold the field small enough that entries can close early, and send proceeds to Wonderland Camp, the Lake of the Ozarks Shrine Club, and Lake Area Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Everything starts at the Bagnell Dam Scenic Overlook and drops for most of the first mile on Union Electric Road before turning onto Bagnell Dam Boulevard. The half marathon then works out along Highway 242 and Highway MM, threads the Las Campanas, Muirfield, and Grand Cypress subdivision streets with two turnarounds, and retraces the whole route to a finish across from the Bagnell Dam historical marker. The free speed at the start has to be paid back on the way home, and the closing miles climb.

Mid April at the lake usually starts in the 40s or low 50s and warms fast once the sun clears the bluffs. Wind off the water on the open dam and highway sections tends to matter more than heat, though a warm year can make the second half feel long.