California · Marathon
Marathons in California
California currently has 32 upcoming marathons with a confirmed date listed in RaceRove. San Diego, Los Angeles, Big Sur and Huntington Beach have the largest concentration of events.
October (7), December (6) and May (5) are the busiest months on the calendar right now. Another 18 annual marathons are waiting for next year's date to be announced.
- Upcoming, date confirmed
- 32
- Active listings
- 50
- Cities with races
- 42
More ways to browse California
Upcoming marathons in California
All 32 with a confirmed date, soonest first.
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Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5 MileBig Sur, CA5 Mile - Adult5 Mile - YouthHalf Marathon - AdultHalf Marathon - Youth +2 more
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Sonoma Fall ClassicHealdsburg, CA100 Mile Sufferfest100 Mile Relay50 Mile RelayLake Sonoma 50 Mile +2 more
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Napa Fall Wine Country Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, & 5KCalistoga, CA10K - Adult10K - Youth5K - Adult5K - Youth +4 more
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Santa To The Sea 1/2 Marathon, 1/4 Marathon & 5KOxnard, CAMarathonHalf Marathon5K6.55 Miles +1 more
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Born to Run Ultra MarathonsLos Olivos, CAMarathonDay Pass One DayDay Pass Two DayDay Pass Four Day +2 more
Dates come from each race's own listing. Always confirm on the organiser's site before you book travel.
Largest marathon events in California
By estimated field size across all distances at the event.
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Los Angeles MarathonLos Angeles, CA Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~27,000 runners
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Hoag OC Marathon Running FestivalCosta Mesa, CA Usually held in May · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5KCombos ~25,000 runners
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San Francisco MarathonSan Francisco, CA Usually held in July · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~20,000 runners
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Surf City MarathonHuntington Beach, CA Usually held in February · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~20,000 runners
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2XU Long Beach MarathonLong Beach, CA Usually held in October · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5KBike Tour +1 more ~10,000 runners
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California International MarathonSacramento, CA Usually held in December · date not confirmedMarathon ~10,000 runners
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Rock 'n' Roll San DiegoSan Diego, CA Usually held in May · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~9,000 runners
When marathons happen in California
- January
- 2 upcoming races
- February
- 2 upcoming races
- March
- 2 upcoming races
- April
- 2 upcoming races
- May
- 5 upcoming races
- September
- 2 upcoming races
- October
- 7 upcoming races
- November
- 4 upcoming races
- December
- 6 upcoming races
California cities with the most marathons
- San Diego
- 2 upcoming races
- Los Angeles
- 1 upcoming race
- Big Sur
- 1 upcoming race
- Huntington Beach
- 1 upcoming race
- Pollock Pines
- 1 upcoming race
- Ventura
- 1 upcoming race
- Arcata
- 1 upcoming race
- Avalon
- 1 upcoming race
Annual events awaiting their next date
These marathons are held every year, but the next date isn't in the listing yet. The month shown is when each is usually held.
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Los Angeles MarathonLos Angeles, CA Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf ~27,000 runners
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Hoag OC Marathon Running FestivalCosta Mesa, CA Usually held in May · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5KCombos ~25,000 runners
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San Francisco MarathonSan Francisco, CA Usually held in July · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~20,000 runners
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Surf City MarathonHuntington Beach, CA Usually held in February · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~20,000 runners
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2XU Long Beach MarathonLong Beach, CA Usually held in October · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5KBike Tour +1 more ~10,000 runners
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California International MarathonSacramento, CA Usually held in December · date not confirmedMarathon ~10,000 runners
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Rock 'n' Roll San DiegoSan Diego, CA Usually held in May · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~9,000 runners
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Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon & 5KCarlsbad, CA Usually held in January · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon5KDouble Down Challenge (5K + Half) ~7,000 runners
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Napa Valley MarathonNapa, CA Usually held in March · date not confirmedMarathonHalf5K ~6,000 runners
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Big Sur International MarathonBig Sur, CA Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathon ~4,500 runners
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Santa Rosa MarathonSanta Rosa, CA Usually held in August · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon10K5K ~4,000 runners
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Mountains 2 Beach MarathonVentura, CA Usually held in April · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon ~2,500 runners
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Headlands Endurance RunsSausalito, CA Usually held in August · date not confirmedMarathon50K50 Mile100 Mile ~700 runners
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Operation Jack Marathon, Half Marathon & 5KManhattan Beach, CA Usually held in December · date not confirmedMarathonHalf Marathon5K10K ~600 runners
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Point Mariah Trail MarathonTruckee, CA Usually held in August · next date not announcedMarathonPartner Marathon5-Person Team
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Trail Run at Sly Park - SummerPollock Pines, CA Usually held in August · next date not announced50KMarathon17 Mile1/2 Marathon +3 more
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Windfall Full Moon Trail RunAlpine, CA Usually held in August · next date not announcedMarathonWindfall Full Moon Trail Run 30KWindfall Full Moon Trail Run 15KWindfall Full Moon Trail Run 1
Marathons in nearby states
Guides from the RaceRove blog
- 7 min read How to Find a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon or Marathon Near You A practical way to find running races near you: pick a distance, decide how far you'll travel, read the listing properly and confirm the details before you register.
- 9 min read How to Run a Race in All 50 States How to plan a 50-state running challenge: set your own rules, group states into trips, build a calendar around the seasons, budget for it and keep track of every finish.
- 8 min read How to Choose the Best Half Marathon for a PR, Racecation or 50-State Challenge The best half marathon depends on what you want from it. How to choose a course for a personal record, a race worth travelling for, or an efficient stop on a 50-state challenge.
- Blog All guides Planning advice for finding, choosing and travelling to races.
Marathons in California: common questions
- How many marathons are there in California?
- RaceRove currently lists 32 upcoming marathons in California with a confirmed date, plus 18 annual events whose next date hasn't been announced yet.
- How long is a marathon?
- A marathon is 26.2 miles (42.2 kilometres).
- Which California cities have the most marathons?
- By upcoming events listed in RaceRove: San Diego (2), Los Angeles (1), Big Sur (1), Huntington Beach (1) and Pollock Pines (1).
- When is marathon season in California?
- Of the upcoming marathons listed, the busiest months are October (7), December (6) and May (5).
- What is the biggest marathon in California?
- By estimated field size, the largest event with a marathon listed in California is the Los Angeles Marathon, with about 27,000 runners across all of its distances.
Search every marathon in California
Filter by month, course profile and field size, save races to a shortlist and compare them side by side in the interactive search.