Ridgefield Road Fest Half Marathon

One of the longest-running road races in Connecticut, built around the Boys and Girls Club of Ridgefield and still drawing roughly 400 half marathon finishers a year. A 7-miler and a 5K run the same morning, so the club campus fills up early. The half is the anchor and the reason the race keeps a following among New York and Connecticut runners looking for a fall tune-up.

The half starts on East Ridge Road and covers southern Ridgefield in two loops, with a few gradual climbs and long rolling stretches rather than one big hill. The last mile drops hard into downtown Ridgefield before turning back to the club, which makes a negative split realistic if you leave something in the legs.

Mid-October in western Connecticut typically starts near 45 degrees and climbs into the 50s or 60s. The 7:15 start keeps most of the race in cool air, and shaded stretches through the south end hold that chill longer than the open road sections.