Experience a Race Like No Other.
Experience the VIRTUAL Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon.

UPDATE 7/6/20:
Join us for the Joy of Running in Community! That’s what we always say, but this year it will have to be “VIRTUALLY joining us for the Joy of Running in YOUR community”!

The in-person version of the 2020 Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon, and all its ancillary events, have been canceled. But you can still have some fun, support the fire company, get a shirt and that great horseshoe medal by signing up for the 2020 VIRTUAL Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon.

Registration is open until August 29, 2020. At that time, shirts and medals will be ordered. They will be shipped to all participants as soon as they arrive. Our goal it so be able to begin shipping on, or just after, Sept 12, 2020, (the original in-person race date), with the hope to have them all delivered by Oct. 10, 2020.

For those of you who completed the Garden Spot Village Virtual Half Marathon this past spring, (March 2020), your Road Apple Award will be mailed to you along with your BIH shirt and medal. All you need to do is register for the Virtual BIH Half, (and run 13.1 miles, of course). There is nothing extra or special you need to do. We have the participant list from the 2020 Virtual GSV Half and will cross-reference it with the registration roster of the 2020 Virtual BIH Half.

As always, 100% of your registration fee goes directly to the Bird-in-Hand Volunteer Fire Company. And they are EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL for your support!

Being a virtual event, please feel free to run 13.1 miles on any day, and any location, you choose. Sept 12, 2020 remains the “official” race date, but you are not required to run a half marathon distance that particular day.

NOTE: Everyone who had signed up for the 2020 IN-PERSON events will receive a 100% refund of their registration fee. Refunds will be sent via check, and will be mailed as soon as possible. If you want to register for the VIRTUAL race, then you’ll do that separately (we cannot transfer registrations from the in-person to virtual events.)

Be a part of our community. Run Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon.

Why Run BIH Half?

Voted the #3 “Can’t Miss Half Marathons in the Country” by active.com!

Learn more about our course and race day activities.

Take a Piece of Our Community Home

Horses put a lot of miles on their shoes — just as runners do. Our coveted horseshoe medal reflects our course and community.

From Our Runners

This was an absolutely amazing race experience! It has gorgeous scenery running through Amish farmland and truly unique finishers medals plus a free picnic for runners and guests afterwards. The people are so kind and welcoming. If you like to travel to races, this one is definitely a must-do!- Runner from Roswell, GA

I ran this race in 2015 and glad I'm returning this year - fantastic! Your info notes to runners are THE BEST and most humorous of all the other runs - keep it up!!! Great rules, fun weekend, and some of the friendliest locals we've ever met anywhere. Love it!- Pete Peters, Georgetown, TX

Yeah, you can go and it's a challenging race, if that's all you are looking for it to be. But if you open your mind and your heart and just for a few hours (or more than a few, if you're me) let yourself be a part of the community you are running through, it becomes so much more.- Runner from East Longmeadow, MA

Thank you to our event sponsors:

12 Water Stations

We’re always prepared to keep you hydrated and safe. Water, sports drink and rest stations are staged throughout the course staffed by community families including 6 located in authentic Amish one-room schoolhouses. Ice buckets and sprinklers can also be found throughout the course on exceptionally hot race days.

1800 Horseshoes

Or 450 horses, depending on how you look at it. Named among Runner’s World magazine’s Top Ten Race Awards in the USA, each of our horseshoe medals are completely authentic. These medals are designed to reflect our community and our course – hardworking, unique and a step back in time.

0 Wires

Rolling hills, grazing cattle, horse-drawn buggies — it’s hard to say which view is the most celebrated on the BIH course. Many runners are wowed when they enter “The Valley of No Wires”, an area of Lancaster County completely off the grid and experienced by few outside the Plain Community.

1000s of Road Apples

“Drett net nei” Don’t step in it! When running through Lancaster County it’s smart to look down occasionally to avoid stepping in a road apple left behind by horses pulling buggies. Our one-of-a-kind Road Apple Award celebrates runners who finish both the BIH Half and Garden Spot Half Marathons.

1200 Plates of Food

Carb up before the race and join runners and locals alike for a Pizza & Pasta Meal on Friday night from 4pm-8pm. Family and friends are welcome too! Pre-register with race registration and don’t pass up the shoofly pie!

800 Homes Protected

For over 100 years, unpaid volunteers of Hand-in-Hand Fire Company have protected the Bird-in-Hand community. All proceeds from these races and surrounding special events support the fire company. Your participation ensures that help will arrive in the case of an emergency our local businesses and families. And for that we proudly call you our friend.

Experience a Race Like No Other. Experience the VIRTUAL Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon.