HalfRuns
Sam Costa Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon - presented by Indy Runners and Walkers

Sam Costa Half Marathon and Quarter Marathon - presented by Indy Runners and Walkers

Race Date

Mar 21, 2026

Location

Carmel, IN

Runner Favorite86

The Experience

The Oldest Race in the State of Indiana and the Flagship Race of our club - Indy Runners and Walkers!  Initiated in 1970 by educators and coaches from Carmel High School, and managed by our volunteer led, not-for-profit club since the early 80's, Sam Costa has the legacy, charm, and friendly participant experience you would expect from a race put on by runners for runners.  The Half is a test of early season fitness for those who train all winter. The Quarter provides a distance to build on for those with aspirations for longer events later in the Spring. Either way, the Sam Costa has a place for you! There is a 3-hour time limit for the Costa. This equates to a 13:44 pace for the Half Marathon (27:28 for the Quarter).  Walkers are strongly encouraged to select the Quarter Marathon. The Sam Costa is brought to you by Indy Runners and Walkers, Indiana's largest RRCA-affiliated running and walking club. All net proceeds from the race benefit the Indianapolis running and walking community by providing high school scholarships, the healthy promotion of walking and running as a lifestyle activity and competitive sport, seasonal training programs, community runs/walks, and so much more. Special thanks to our hosts at Northview Church in Carmel, the Costa venue since 2006, for their hospitality and for providing a warm indoor space in their Student Activity Center for pre-race and post-race activities.

Logistics

Race Day

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Start Time

9:00 AM

Giveaway

Short Sleeve race shirt

Start Location

12900 Hazel Dell Parkway, Carmel, IN, 46033

Directions

Course Info

USATF Certified

Course Type

Loop Course

Terrain

road

Difficulty

Ultra-Flat

Elevation Gain

0'

Net Drop/km

-0.19 m

Separation

0.3%

Also Offers

6.554 Miles13.109 Miles

USATF Certified Course

IN22009TDK · Sam Costa Half Marathon

Relatively flat with minimal net elevation change. Loop course — start and finish are close together.

Quality Score

Runner Favorite86
Methodology
Heritage20/20

26 years running

Size12/15

~240 finishers a year

Momentum5/5

growing or steady

Loyalty20/20

37% returning runners

Course & details10/15

USATF certified · 2 timing sources

National draw6/10

runners from 9 states

Front-pack speed5/5

winner 1:09:27

Weather8/10

typical high 53°F

Race Day Weather

5-year historical avg

Start (Low)

35°

Afternoon (High)

53°

Ideal racing weather — cool and comfortable

0.2"

Precipitation

15 mph

Wind

64%

Humidity

Historical Finish Times

How 8,885 finishers actually crossed the line across 26 years.

Most recent

2026

Total finishers

8,885

Median time

1:45:46

Latest turnout

251

States

35

10%
25%
75%
90%
1:05p50 median ≈ 1:503:35

Turnout by year

20172026

'17'18'19'22'23'24'25'26
See full results

Hover the histogram to inspect specific finish times.

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