McKinney Historic Half

The inaugural McKinney Historic Half, brought to one of America's fastest-growing cities by the Dallas White Rock Marathon.

McKinney, Texas is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States. On March 28, 2026, it hosted the biggest half marathon weekend the city has had. The McKinney Historic Half is produced by the Dallas White Rock Marathon, the same nonprofit behind the BMW Dallas Marathon, and benefits Scottish Rite for Children, the pediatric orthopedic hospital serving North Texas families. The 2026 event's Jr. Race Director was Zion, a teenage Scottish Rite patient who underwent surgery and months of rehabilitation before returning to competitive running. "It was a joy taking care of Zion," said Dr. Philip L. Wilson, the pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Scottish Rite who treated him. "His motivation and effort throughout recovery inspired our entire surgical and therapy team." Zion stood at the start line of a race that exists, in part, because of kids like him. ESW handled full event operations for the inaugural running, building the production from the ground up for McKinney's newest race weekend.

The McKinney Historic Half is produced by the Dallas White Rock Marathon organization, a nonprofit with a long track record in Dallas-area running events, and represents its expansion into McKinney, TX. The inaugural edition launched March 28, 2026, offering a half marathon (13.1 miles), 5K, and Kid's 100-Meter Dash. The race started and finished at TUPPS Brewery, just across from McKinney City Hall, where both the 5K and half marathon concluded into a post-race celebration. The event is presented by BMW and benefits Scottish Rite for Children. ESW managed full event operations, building the production infrastructure from scratch for a brand new race weekend in McKinney.

The Dallas White Rock Marathon organization has produced the BMW Dallas Marathon and related race events in the Dallas metro for decades. The McKinney Historic Half represents the organization's first move outside of Dallas proper, a recognition that McKinney's growth and demographics made it a strong market for a community road race. McKinney is consistently ranked among the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., with a residential base that has expanded significantly over the past decade. The inaugural 2026 event drew coverage from The Rockwall Times and North Texas e-News, and the debut was strong enough that Dallas White Rock Marathon opened registration for a second annual edition, set for April 3, 2027, within months of the first race. The event's Jr. Race Director anchored the human story of a race connected directly to its beneficiary: a McKinney-area teen who returned to competitive running after surgery and rehabilitation at Scottish Rite for Children.

Full operations for the inaugural running of the McKinney Historic Half.

Launching a new race in McKinney means building without a reference point: no established course infrastructure, no local vendor relationships from prior years, no participant flow patterns to draw from. ESW managed full event operations for the McKinney Historic Half's inaugural edition, from course build through the start and finish at TUPPS Brewery, participant management across three race distances, coordination with city and public safety agencies, and the Kid's 100-Meter Dash.