West Virginia fun runs
26 seasonal, themed and one-of-a-kind fun runs in West Virginia.
Novelty course: 5 · Food and drink: 5 · Costume and theme: 5 · Color, glow and night: 4 · Holiday and seasonal: 2 · Mud and obstacle: 2 · Iconic tradition: 1 · Quirky format: 1 · Animals: 1
- Novelty course Freedom's Run A race that leaves West Virginia for the C&O Canal towpath and Antietam National Battlefield, crossing Burnside Bridge.
- Food and drink Apple Butter Festival Trail 5K A first-year trail 5K at Cacapon Resort State Park that kicks off Berkeley Springs' 51st Apple Butter Festival.
- Novelty course Bridge Day 5K RUN On Bridge Day, the one day a year the New River Gorge Bridge is open to pedestrians, runners race a 5K across it.
- Color, glow and night Kanawha Trace Darkness Falls Night Trail Run A haunted night trail run by headlamp at a scout camp, ending at a bonfire.
- Costume and theme Morgantown Halloween Half Marathon A Halloween-morning half marathon on the Morgantown rail trail, with costumes encouraged and Halloween yard signs for mile markers.
- Costume and theme Philip Barbour Zombie Run A Halloween trail 5K where runners try to keep their flag belts away from zombies.
- Holiday and seasonal Pipestem Pumpkin Run A Halloween-day race in Pipestem Resort State Park, marking its 50th anniversary in 2026, with a costume contest and a lodge night among the prizes.
- Color, glow and night Oglebay Twinkle Trot 5K A night 5K through Oglebay's Winter Festival of Lights, starting at the Good Zoo; runners are encouraged to wear lights.
- Holiday and seasonal Drumstick Dash A Thanksgiving riverfront 5K where the first 10 costumed finishers and runners who find hidden turkey hats win pumpkin pies.
- Costume and theme Run Santa Run 5K & Reindeer Ramble A December 5K through the WVU campus in Santa hats, with a fleece blanket in the packet.
- Costume and theme Ugly Sweater Fun Run/Walk An evening fun run made of laps through a park's Winter Wonderland lights (five laps is a 5K), with Ugly Sweater and Deck the Stroller contests.
- Iconic tradition Greenbrier Half Marathon, 10K & 5K A race on the grounds of The Greenbrier, the historic resort, where registration includes a champagne brunch.
- Novelty course Hatfield McCoy Marathon A marathon past Hatfield–McCoy feud sites that crosses the Kentucky–West Virginia line several times, so runners may count it for either state.
- Mud and obstacle West Virginia Spartan Trifecta Weekend Trifecta weekend on the 10,000-acre Summit Bechtel Reserve, the Boy Scouts’ national high-adventure base.
- Novelty course Beckley Half Marathon & 5K A half marathon and 5K that start and finish at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine.
- Food and drink Clarksburg Pepperoni Roll 5K A Clarksburg 5K themed around West Virginia's pepperoni roll, with pepperoni rolls for sale and a Mini Pepperoni Roll kids' run.
- Color, glow and night Color Dash for Hope A local color 5K that climbs to the Concho Overlook of the New River Gorge, followed by a burrito buffet and free camping.
- Food and drink Cupcake Chase 5K A 5K where runners decorate a cupcake along the route, and a Most Cupcake Spirit award goes to the best effort.
- Novelty course Dingess Tunnel & Trail 5K A 5K through the 1892 Dingess Tunnel, a former Norfolk & Western rail tunnel nearly a mile long.
- Mud and obstacle Gritty Chix Mud Run A women-only mud run at ACE Adventure Resort above the New River Gorge.
- Costume and theme Kilted 5K Runners in kilts get a discount at this 5K, part of the West Virginia Celtic Festival & Highland Games on West Virginia Day.
- Food and drink Possum Trot 5K A possum-named 5K held during the West Virginia Roadkill Cook-Off in Marlinton.
- Quirky format Ragnar Trail Appalachians Overnight trail relay through fern forests at Big Bear Lake — cancelled in 2026.
- Animals Snowshoe Ruff Race A ski-resort 5K run with dogs, with agility checkpoints and a Pup Cup eating challenge.
- Food and drink West Virginia Beer Mile A BYOB beer mile on a grass loop next to a small airport's Fly-In Cafe, with a $5 entry and a designated driver required.
- Color, glow and night West Virginia Trail Fest A dark-skies trail festival whose Dark Skies 100K starts at midnight, with sister races named Full Moon, Stargazer and Twilight.