Texas running, verified. Race calendar · Store directory · Gear guides
Affiliate disclosureLast updated Oct 11, 2026. Races from RunSignup, refreshed every morning; routes and clubs checked September 30, 2026.
Running in Houston means flat, humid miles on the bayou trails and park loops: Buffalo Bayou Park, Memorial Park, Hermann Park and Terry Hershey Park, plus a club scene led by the Houston Striders and HARRA. 248 upcoming races are on our Houston and Gulf Coast calendar, including 4 races in the Run Houston! Race Series and the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half in January. The most comfortable running weather is roughly October through April; in summer, run early in the morning.
Four well-known public routes. Lengths, surfaces and rules are as published by the park or conservancy that manages each one; follow the source link for maps, parking and closures.
Downtown / Montrose
A 160-acre park just west of downtown. The ten-foot-wide concrete Sandy Reed Memorial Trail runs the length of the park on both sides of the bayou, and the five-foot-wide asphalt Kinder Footpath is for walkers and joggers only. Street parking and several lots, including City Lot H on Memorial Drive, are nearby.
Memorial Park
An approximately 3-mile loop with mile markers about every quarter mile, benches and water fountains. It is pedestrian-only (no bikes) and wheelchair accessible. The Conservancy’s Running Trails Center is at 7575 North Picnic Lane.
Museum District / Medical Center
A two-mile path on a renovated former carriage road, with a decomposed granite surface and concrete curbs, much of it shaded by live oaks. Mile markers run along the route.
West Houston (Energy Corridor)
A 496-acre park at 15200 Memorial Drive with 11.05 miles of trail alongside roughly 6 miles of Buffalo Bayou. Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except a few holidays.
Looking at other cities? See the statewide guide to places to run in Texas.
Schedules change, so confirm the day and time with the club or store before you go.
A running club “running Houston since 1985.” Its weekly schedule lists Tuesday and Thursday track sessions, a Thursday hills run, Westside runs and a Saturday long run. Run details and the member group are for Striders members, who join through RunSignup.
Source: club websiteAn all-volunteer nonprofit founded in 1979 that works as an umbrella for local run clubs. It has roughly 1,000 members of every age and ability and is an affiliate of the Road Runners Club of America.
Source: club websitegroup runs
group runs; training programs
training programs; group runs
training programs
training programs; run clubs
training programs; run clubs
training programs; group run clubs
group runs
group runs
training programs
training programs; run clubs
The Run Houston! Race Series, presented by Houston Methodist, is a set of 5K, 10K and half marathon races at different venues around the Houston area. 4 series races are on our calendar now; each one is registered separately on RunSignup. See the Run Houston! Race Series dates, fees and challenges.
The biggest Houston race weekend is January's Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon, on Sunday, January 17, 2027. It sold out in August 2026, so read our guide to alternatives if you missed it.
| Date | Race | City | Distances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2026 | Haunted 5K, 10K & 13.1M at Cypress, TX (43) | Cypress | 5K, 10K, Half |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Spooky Sprint- Houston | Houston | 5K, 10K, Half |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Walt Cunningham Angels' Race for Space 5k/10k and Family Fun Run presented by the Ray Schlaff Family | Houston | 5K, 10K |
| Oct 25, 2026 | UTHealth Houston Half Marathon & 10K | Houston | 10K, Half |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Daily News Press Run - Galveston | Galveston | 5K, 10K |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Halloween Trick or Trot Run 5K/10K/13.1 HOUSTON | Houston | 5K, 10K, Half |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Medal Madness 5K, 10K, & 13.1M at Deer Park, TX (44) | Deer Park | 5K, 10K, Half |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Medal Madness 5K, 10K, & 13.1M at Katy, TX (44) | Katy | 5K, 10K, Half |
| Oct 31, 2026 | Monster Mash | Houston | 5K, 10K |
| Oct 31, 2026 | PB&J Fuel Run 5K/10K/13.1 HOUSTON | Houston | 5K, 10K, Half |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 2026 Xracers 10K Ride and Run Day Of The Dead | Baytown | 5K, 10K, Ultra, Trail |
| Nov 1, 2026 | Harvest Marathon Relay | Houston | Marathon |
The next 12 Run Houston! series, 10K, half marathon and marathon races on the Houston and Gulf Coast RunSignup calendar, which also lists hundreds of 5Ks. See the full Houston and Gulf Coast race calendar.
October through April is prime time. Houston is flat and humid, and the cooler months are when most runners schedule goal races and long runs. Summer is for easy base miles.
Run at the coolest time of day. The National Weather Service advises moving strenuous activity to the coolest part of the day. In Houston summer that means sunrise. Watch the heat index, not just the temperature.
Drink before you're thirsty, and slow down. On hot, humid days run by effort instead of the watch, shorten the run or split it up, and carry fluids or plan a route past water fountains. The Seymour Lieberman Trail lists water fountains along its loop.
Dress for sun. Wear lightweight, loose, light-colored clothing, a hat or visor and sunscreen. A local Houston running store can help with apparel and hydration gear.
Know the warning signs. Heavy sweating, weakness and cool, clammy skin point to heat exhaustion: stop, get somewhere cool and sip water. Call 911 for confusion or slurred speech, which can be signs of heat stroke.
More on training through it: zone 2 and slow running in Texas heat.
Heat-safety guidance summarized from the National Weather Service heat safety guide and its heat illness guide. This is general information, not medical advice.
Races currently listed on RunSignup. Months further out fill in as organizers post dates.
Buffalo Bayou Park (concrete Sandy Reed Memorial Trail and a joggers-only asphalt footpath), the roughly 3-mile Seymour Lieberman Trail in Memorial Park, the 2-mile Marvin Taylor Trail in Hermann Park, and the 11.05 miles of trail at Terry Hershey Park. Lengths and surfaces are as published by each park's managing organization.
The Run Houston! Race Series, presented by Houston Methodist, is a set of 5K, 10K and half marathon races at venues around the Houston area through the year, with series challenges for people who finish several races. 4 series races are on our calendar now. See the full schedule on our Houston race series page.
Yes. The Houston Striders have run Houston since 1985 and hold weekly track, hills and long runs for members. The Houston Area Road Runners Association (HARRA), founded in 1979, is an umbrella for local run clubs. 11 Houston-area running stores in our directory also list group runs, run clubs or training programs.
The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon are Sunday, January 17, 2027. General registration sold out in August 2026; see our Houston half marathon guide for charity entries and race-day details.
Roughly October through April, when it is cooler. Houston is flat and humid, so summer runs work best at sunrise. November 2026 is the busiest month on our current Houston calendar with 57 races.
Run at the coolest time of day, drink before you feel thirsty, slow down and run by effort instead of pace, and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing. Stop and cool down for heavy sweating, weakness or clammy skin, and call 911 for confusion or slurred speech, which can be signs of heat stroke.
The best Texas races on Nov. 7–8, 2026: Corpus Christi’s Harbor Half over the new Harbor Bridge, El Paso’s Transmountain Half, the Cypress Half, the Mustang Marathon in Marble Falls and more, with fees and deadlines.
The best Texas races on Oct. 17–18, 2026: the Galveston Ultra Trail beach 50K, the Home For Freedom Marathon in Wichita Falls, Inks Lake trail marathon, Midland’s Energy City Half and the revived Huntsville Half, with fees and deadlines.
Every Veterans Day run and ruck march in Texas for 2026, from Denton’s free-for-veterans half to Temple’s 6-mile food-drive ruck, with dates, fees, military discounts and where the money goes.