Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon

Event overview

The Bird-in-Hand event runs September 11-12, 2026 in Bird In Hand, Pennsylvania (338 North Ronks Road, 17505). The weekend includes multiple events:

• Half Marathon
• 5K
• Kids Fun Run
• Fire Company Challenge (combined 5K and half marathon)
  Additional weekend offerings include a Friday pizza and pasta meal with about 1,200 plates available and separate pasta dinner options for different age groups.

Half marathon registration includes a technical shirt, a Friday evening bonfire and s'mores party, and a Saturday post-race picnic. There is no race-day registration for the half marathon. The 5K permits race-day registration if the event is not sold out; shirts are only guaranteed for pre-registered 5K entrants. The Fire Company Challenge registration covers both races and the included items from each event.

Course and race logistics

The course passes through Lancaster County farmland and an area called the "Valley of No Wires." Course features listed by the organizer include rolling hills, grazing cattle, and horse-drawn buggies. Aid and comfort provisions include 12 water stations (six are located in one-room Amish schoolhouses), sports drink, ice buckets, and sprinklers on hot days. Finishers receive an authentic horseshoe medal; the organizer notes production of 1,800 horseshoes (or 450 horses). All proceeds benefit the Hand-in-Hand Fire Company. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

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