Lehigh Valley New Year's Chaser: Half Marathon, 10K and 5K

Lehigh Valley New Year's Chaser: Half Marathon, 10K and 5K opens the year on January 1, 2027, on the Ironton Rail Trail in Coplay, Pennsylvania, near Whitehall. The half marathon (13.1 miles) starts at 10:00 a.m., the 5K and a combined 5K/10K entry at 10:15, and the 10K at 11:15. The course is flat and starts and finishes near the Saylor cement kilns. Entry includes a shirt, running socks and a finisher medal, with non-binary registration and awards and a discount for military families.

First-time half marathon finishers receive a plaque and a special medal here, and a flat rail trail is a fair place to earn one: there is no climbing to manage, only pacing. Ten to twelve weeks with one long run a week is enough preparation for 13.1 miles at a steady effort. The late start times are unusual and welcome on January 1 — a 10:00 a.m. gun means you can sleep, eat and still reach the trail in good time.