Hero Half Marathon logo

Hero Half Marathon 2026

Date
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Start time
7:30 AM start (Chicago)
Entry fee
From $35 · goes up to $100 on Oct 1, 2026
Included with entry
Includes a shirt
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Events and entry fees

EventDistanceWhenEntry feeCap
Half MarathonHalf MarathonOct 17, 20267:30 AM$95$100 after Oct 1, 2026–
Half Marathon Firefighter Challenge- For Firefighters Running in Full Gear!Half MarathonOct 17, 20267:30 AM$65–
Quarter Marathon- 10k with some bonus runningOtherOct 17, 20267:35 AM$50$60 after Oct 1, 2026–
Run for Your Hero 5k5KOct 17, 20267:40 AM$35200
Virtual Half MarathonVirtualHalf MarathonOct 17, 20268:00 AM$95$100 after Oct 1, 2026–
Virtual Quarter MarathonVirtualOtherOct 17, 20268:00 AM$55$65 after Oct 1, 2026–

Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.

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The Half Marathon fee goes up to $100 on Oct 1, 2026.

Race day planning

Entry fee schedule

  • Half Marathon: $95 until Oct 1, then $100 until Oct 17.
  • Half Marathon Firefighter Challenge- For Firefighters Running in Full Gear!: $65 until Oct 17.
  • Quarter Marathon- 10k with some bonus running: $50 until Oct 1, then $60 until Oct 17.
  • Run for Your Hero 5k: $35 until Oct 17.

Online registration closes Oct 17, 2026, unless the race fills first.

How the price compares

At $95, entry is about 46 percent above a typical half marathon in Arkansas, which costs $65 right now.

What a typical finish looks like

A typical finisher at a half marathon in Arkansas runs 2:13:53, about 10:13 a mile, based on 31 races with published results. Women typically finish in 2:21:38 and men in 2:02:57.

Light and altitude

Sunrise on race morning is at about 7:23 AM, and the Half Marathon starts at 7:30 AM. The start sits about 1,370 feet above sea level.

Fees exclude processing fees. Comparisons use current entry fees and published results from races nearby.

Start location and course

251 N West Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701

The pin marks the address the race lists, which is usually the start. The organizers have not shared a course map with us yet.

Half Marathon

315
finishers
2:05:27
median (9:34 /mi)
1:16:21
winning time
43% / 57%
women / men
median 2:05:271:19:543:31:19
Finish times, fastest to slowest. Each bar is a slice of the field; the dashed line is the median.

Run for Your Hero 5k

93
finishers
34:47
median (11:12 /mi)
18:50
winning time
55% / 45%
women / men

Quarter Marathon- 10k with some bonus running

74
finishers
1:12:07
median (11:01 /mi)
45:58
winning time
62% / 38%
women / men

Aggregated from official results for Hero Half Marathon. Individual finisher names are not stored here.

How fast do you need to be at Hero Half Marathon?

At the 2025 Half Marathon, the fastest tenth finished in 1:43:36 or better, the top quarter in 1:52:59, and half the field in 2:05:27; the last tenth came in after 2:51:28.

At the 2025 Run for Your Hero 5k, the fastest tenth finished in 25:03 or better, the top quarter in 28:30, and half the field in 34:47; the last tenth came in after 48:59.

At the 2025 Quarter Marathon- 10k with some bonus running, the fastest tenth finished in 53:12 or better, the top quarter in 1:02:56, and half the field in 1:12:07; the last tenth came in after 1:27:07.

Third place by age group, 2025 Half Marathon
AgeWomenMen
Under 201:54:231:47:45
20-291:46:481:21:42
30-391:43:181:24:14
40-491:56:131:39:55
50-592:00:481:45:14
60-69n/a2:10:59

Groups with fewer than five finishers are left out. Awards vary by race; check the race's rules.

What would my time get me?

Where a finish time would have placed in 2025.

Finishers by year

Up 29 percent since 2021.

All events combined, from official results.

Hero Half Marathon Half Marathon year by year

From 2021 to 2025, the field went from 322 to 315 finishers, and the median time dropped from 2:09:27 to 2:05:27.

YearFinishersMedianFastest tenthWinner
2025315 (-1%)2:05:27under 1:43:361:16:21
2024318 (-8%)2:13:53under 1:42:451:04:52
2023346 (+6%)2:14:04under 1:41:011:14:32
2022327 (+2%)2:17:14under 1:43:071:14:52
20213222:09:27under 1:40:581:11:49

From each year's official results for the Half Marathon; virtual options are left out.

How fast is it?

Faster than most Arkansas half marathons

The fastest quarter of the 2025 half marathon field finished under 1:52:59, against 2:00:42 in a typical Arkansas half marathon, so times here run 6 percent faster.

  • 5K: Faster than most Arkansas 5Ks. The fastest quarter of the 2025 5K field finished under 28:30, against 29:23 in a typical Arkansas 5K, so times here run 3 percent faster.

Compares the fastest quarter of each field, so walkers and first-timers do not skew it. It reflects the course and the field together: a flat course, cool weather, or a competitive crowd all make times faster.

Typical race-day weather

Around October 17 the day usually runs from 55°F at dawn to 75°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 15% of days. Cold snaps dip to 44°F and hot years reach 82°F.

Based on 75 days within a week of the date over the last 5 years, from historical weather for the start area. Not a forecast.

From the race's page

What the organizers of Hero Half Marathon cover on their registration page, in brief.

Schedule and packet pickup

Race Day Information

Packet Pick Up. Friday, October 16th 3pm-7pm at Rise Physical Therapy (2668 E Citizens Dr #5, Fayetteville, AR 72703). Saturday, October 17th 6:45am-7:15am at the race start- packet pick up WILL CLOSE at 7:15am. Course. Race Start/Finish…

Full details on the race's RunSignup page

Race details

Where
251 N West Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701Map
Course
Road
Start elevation
About 1,370 feet
Included with entry
Long-sleeve Race Tee (Gender Neutral Sizing); Long-sleeve Race Tech Tee (Gender Neutral Sizing)
Distances
5K, Half Marathon, Other
Editions
2026 (Oct 17, 2026), 2025 (Nov 8, 2025), 2024 (Oct 12, 2024), 2023 (Jul 1, 2023), 2022 (Jul 2, 2022), 2021 (Jul 17, 2021)

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Plan your race

Quick answers

When is Hero Half Marathon?
Saturday, October 17, 2026, starting at 7:30 AM.
How much does it cost?
Entry starts at $35 before processing fees, and rises to $100 on Oct 1, 2026.
When does registration close?
Online registration closes Oct 17, 2026, unless the race fills first.
Is the entry fee high for Arkansas?
At $95, entry is about 46 percent above a typical half marathon in Arkansas, which costs $65 right now.
Do runners get a shirt or medal?
Entry includes a shirt, according to the race's registration page. Check it for sizes and whether kids' races get the same.
What distances can I run?
5K, Half Marathon, Other.
How big is it, and how fast?
In 2025, 315 runners finished the Half Marathon; the median finish was 2:05:27 and the winner ran 1:16:21.
Is it a fast course?
The fastest quarter of the 2025 half marathon field finished under 1:52:59, against 2:00:42 in a typical Arkansas half marathon, so times here run 6 percent faster.
Where does it start?
251 N West Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701.

From the organizers

The Hero Half Marathon is a fundraising race and community event hosted by The Spark Foundation in partnership with Fayetteville Firefighters’ IAFF – Local 2866. Race proceeds benefit organizations that meet important community needs, increase fitness opportunities for the community, and make Fayetteville and Arkansas a great place to live, work, and play.

The Spark Foundation is all about encouraging our community to get active and stay active. We will award age group awards for the Top 3 male and female finishers in each age division for both the half marathon and quarter marathon.

Read the full description on RunSignup