Best Partner Race
GoRE-TEx TransRockies Run
Aug. 14-19, Buena Vista to Beaver Creek, Colorado
Affectionately known as "summer camp for adults," this six-day, 120-mile stage race sends two-person teams on a scenic odyssey through Colorado's high country. (There's also a three-day, 58-mile version for solo runners.) The terrain is rugged at times, but the scenery is always breathtaking, and hearty meals, camping tents, hot showers, camaraderie, and massages await at the end of every stage.
transrockies.com
More: How to Find a Running Partner
Best Family Races
Jay Peak Trail Running Festival
Sept. 1-2, Jay, Vermont
This weekend of trail racing at Jay Peak Ski Resort has something for the whole family: short and fast 5K races, more grueling 25K and 50K mountain routes, and even a 2.62-mile race for kids.
jaypeaktrailrun.com
Most Unique Race
Harvest StompedeSept. 8, Suttons Bay, Michigan
Run on a matrix of vineyard rows and trails in the rolling hills of the Leelanau Peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan, the seven-mile race and 5K run/walk event are followed by a self-guided wine tour and dining experience that features area wines paired with locally sourced culinary delights.
lpwines.com/harvest
Best Sasquatch Run
Sasquatch Preservation Trail Run
Sept. 15, Mt. Wolf, Pennsylvania
Don't believe in Sasquatch? You might have a different opinion after you run this 5K race on a heavily wooded 8,000-acre preserved farm and woodlands.
farmtrust.org
Best Lakeshore Scenery
Emerald Bay Trail Run
Sept. 16, South Lake Tahoe, California
This scenic 7.5-mile point-to-point race wraps majestic Emerald Bay, a pristine glacier-carved bay that extends off the south shoreline of Lake Tahoe, offering up spectacular panoramic mountain views across two states.
bigblueadventure.com
Best Fall Color Tour
Golden Leaf Half Marathon
Sept. 22, Snowmass Village to Aspen, Colorado
There's no better way to take in the golden glow of autumnal aspen than by running 13.1 miles from Snowmass Village to Aspen along the singletrack Government Trail. Aside from a rugged first mile straight up a ski slope, the course generally rolls downhill for 10 miles before meandering into Aspen on a flat trail where a railroad entered the town 100 years ago. If the sea of yellow doesn't inspire you, the post-race raffle, one of the best in the country, certainly will.
goldenleafrace.com