Oakland Running Festival Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Sunday, March 17, 2024 • Oakland, CA • Course Map

Though running events have been commonplace in nearby San Francisco for years, Oakland hosted its first marathon in more than two decades with the inaugural running of the Oakland Running Festival in 2010, at a race that now features the 26.2-mile marathon, a 13.1-mile half marathon, 10K and 5K.

Now set for its 13th annual running, the race takes runners along some of the city’s most notable sights through a combination of downtown areas and residential neighborhoods, and nearly all the way around the waters of Lake Merritt just east of downtown, past the campus of Laney College and through Lake Merritt Channel Park. Those running the half marathon share the same starting line as those running the full marathon, in Snow Park, just a few feet from Lake Merritt.

From there, those running the half follow an out-and-back loop course that follows a roughly clockwise direction around the city, first clockwise around Lake Merritt, then south and west through Chinatown and the old Oakland Historic District. The course then heads west on a loop around West Oakland before heading north up Broadway.

While the rest of the half marathon is relatively flat, the middle section of the course heading north along Broadway features a slow and steady uphill climb of about 100 feet over the course of two miles. Runners will run all the way to Oakland Technical Senior High School north of the city center, where the course makes a loop around the high school.

Full marathoners will turn west and cross the Bay Bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco, but half marathoners will turn around and head back to the city center, this time coasting downhill on the same stretch of Broadway they just ran up.

After that, it’s just a few more turns through the center of Oakland before returning to the finish line at Snow Park.

Runners start the Oakland Running Festival in 2010. (Photo by Ella Baker Center/flickr)

Race Weather & Climate

Located just across the Bay Bridge, over the San Francisco Bay a few miles east from downtown San Francisco, Oakland typically experiences mild to moderately cool weather in the early spring, and more wet weather in spring than in the summer, when conditions here are at their driest.

On race day (March 17), the average low is 49°F and the average high is 64°F — while rainfall amounts average just over 3.56 inches for the month.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Oakland Running Festival Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

7:00 AM – full marathon, 10K
7:30 AM – 5K
9:30 AM – half marathon

Fees

$85 – $130 for the half marathon
$110 – $170 for the full marathon
$60 – $85 for the 10K
$40 – $65 for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in any of the race distances at the 2024 running of the Oakland Running Festival, register online at RaceRoster.com here.

Official Race Website

www.oaklandmarathon.com

Comments

Ever run in the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon at the Oakland Running Festival? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: March, California

1 comment… add one

Jenna Payne August 9, 2017, 4:30 pm

Hi there,

I’ve participated in your event in the past and I’m interested in getting involved to make it even better. I am an Event Planner for Girls Inc. of Alameda County, and I think I can help you really create a more memorable event next year. Who can I speak to about getting involved?
Thanks for letting me know.

Best,
Jenna Payne
510-693-0208

Reply