Zion Half Marathon
Saturday, February 27, 2027 · 7:00 AM–12:00 PM
Virgin to Springdale, along SR-9
Uphill, Along the River, Into the Park's Front Door
The Zion Half is a point-to-point road race that starts on Kolob Terrace Road in the small town of Virgin and runs east to finish in Springdale, in front of Cable Mountain Lodge at the south entrance of Zion National Park. Almost immediately after the start, runners turn onto a partially closed SR-9 and follow the Virgin River upstream for the rest of the distance.
There are essentially two turns in the whole race — one at the beginning and one at the end. Everything between is the highway or the paved path running parallel to it, tracking the river as the canyon narrows and the walls get higher. As a course to look at, there is very little in the state that competes with it.
It Goes Up the Whole Way
This is the thing to understand before entering. The course climbs steadily from Virgin to Springdale, because that is the direction the river runs. There is no rolling profile and no downhill stretch to recover on — it is a gradual, continuous rise for thirteen miles.
Runners chasing a personal best should look elsewhere. Runners who want a course they will remember should not. The compensation for the gradient is the scenery, which improves the entire way as the canyon closes in, and the towns of Rockville and Grafton along the route.
Open to More People Than Most Half Marathons
The race is open to walkers as well as runners, the route stays accessible to strollers and wheelchairs, and there is a four-hour limit.
That combination makes it viable for people who would not enter a typical half marathon, which is unusual for a race with this much elevation gain.
Logistics Are the Hard Part
Being point-to-point, this race is a transport problem before it is a running one. You finish thirteen miles from where you started, in a town with limited parking and a road that partially closes for the event.
Springdale lodging for race weekend books up early and is expensive, and late February is not a quiet time in the corridor. Hurricane and La Verkin sit directly on the route and are the obvious fallback. Sort out where you are sleeping and how you are getting to the start before you enter, not after.
Who It Suits
Runners who care more about where they ran than how fast, walkers wanting a serious but achievable target, and anyone already planning a Zion trip who can build it around a race. If you are making a weekend of it, where to stay near Zion covers the lodging problem this weekend makes acute, and Zion in winter covers what the park is like at the time of year you will be there.
Frequently asked questions
Is it point-to-point or a loop?
Point-to-point, and that is the main thing to plan around. You end thirteen miles from your car, in a small town with limited parking, so work out transport in both directions before you enter.
Is the course hilly?
It is uphill essentially the whole way. The route follows the Virgin River upstream from Virgin to Springdale, so it climbs steadily for thirteen miles with no meaningful descent to recover on. This is not a course for a personal best.
Is there a time limit?
Four hours, which is generous for thirteen uphill miles and deliberately so — the field includes a lot of walkers and people covering the distance for the first time. Nobody is being swept off the course at a runner's pace.
What is on the course along the way?
Around six stops spread from roughly the third mile onward, carrying water, hydration mix, gels, toilets and basic first aid. That is generous coverage for a road half, and it reflects a field that includes a lot of walkers.
Does the road close?
SR-9 is partially closed for the race, which is what makes running it possible. That also means the drive between Virgin and Springdale is disrupted on race morning, so anyone spectating or supporting should plan around the closure rather than assuming they can drive the course.
Where should I base myself for race weekend?
Anywhere but the finish town, ideally. Rooms at the far end book out early and price accordingly for race weekend. Hurricane and La Verkin sit directly on the route and are the practical choice; St. George works too at about forty miles.