Founders Half Marathon
Where the 2026 race is now
- RegistrationLimited entry when last checked August 14, 2026Check registration
- Race daySunday, December 13, 2026
- ResultsPosted here as soon as the timer has them
- Race day
- Dec 13, 2026 Sunday
- Distance
- 13.1 mi Half marathon
- Entry
- Limited? As of August 14
- Boston qualifier
- n/a
- Live tracking
- Not yet Shown here race week
- Latest results
- None yet After race day
Quick facts
- Ten dollar entry, among the cheapest timed half marathons in the country.
- Flat out and back on packed crushed stone rather than pavement.
- Two water stops near Lock 10 and Lock 6, each passed twice.
- Small winter field of roughly a couple hundred finishers, organized by DC Road Runners.
Course
The route is a straight out and back on the C&O Canal towpath, starting from the Carderock area parking above the Potomac River. The surface is packed crushed stone rather than asphalt, so the course is flat without being fast, and December can leave it soft in spots or frozen hard. Two water stops sit near Lock 10 and Lock 6, and runners pass each of them twice.
Race-day weather
December mornings in the Potomac gorge run cold, often in the 20s or 30s at the start, and the towpath sits low and shaded enough that it warms slowly. Layers you can shed after the turnaround tend to work better than one heavy top.
About the Founders Half Marathon
DC Road Runners has put on a December half marathon along the C&O Canal towpath for years, first as the Gar Williams Half Marathon and now under a name that honors all of the club's founders. Entry runs ten dollars, which makes it about the cheapest timed 13.1 in the country, and the field stays small enough that the towpath never feels crowded. Club members and non members enter the same race.
Past Founders Half Marathon dates and results
| Year | Date | Status | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, December 13, 2026 | Upcoming | — |
Founders Half Marathon FAQ
When is the Founders Half Marathon?
The 2026 Founders Half Marathon is on Sunday, December 13, 2026.
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