Sunday, February 4, 2024 • Huntington Beach, CA • Course Map
Formerly known as the Pacific Shoreline Marathon & Half Marathon, the Surf City USA Marathon & Half Marathon takes runners along a flat, fast course that certainly delivers on its name, as it is run mostly along the beaches of Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway, through the towns of Huntington Beach, Sunset Beach and the Bolsa Chica State Beach.
Considered one of the best half-marathon road race events in the country, this USA Track & Field-certified event saw more than 18,000 runners and wheelchair competitors cross the finish line at its 2016 running, which also includes live music as well as the sounds of the waves crashing along the shore throughout the course.
From the starting line along the Pacific Coast Highway near the intersection with Huntington Street, this flat race — runners will experience an elevation change of no more than 100 feet over the course of the race — follows a mostly long, straight out-and-back course along the PCH, with the brief exception of a detour along Seapoint Avenue, through Huntington Beach’s Harriet Weider Regional Park.
Along the way, the race takes runners past the famous Huntington Beach pier, allowing them to enjoy the beauty of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands as they start the turn.
There’s much more than beaches and ocean to see along the course, past participants note. As runners follow the course that skirts the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, a 300-acre nature and wildlife preserve that lies between mile markers 5 and 7 on the course, they’ll be treated to sights such as many migratory birds, including great blue herons, brown pelicans and snowy egrets.
Thanks largely to the size of the fields the race attracts, a wave start is used to send runners off, with waves leaving the starting line every two to three minutes. The first wave of runners will start at about 7:45 AM, and organizers say it make take as long as half an hour to send off all the waves of runners for the half marathon.
Runners should also keep in mind that they’ll have about 5 1/2 hours to finish the race in order for their results to be counted officially and to receive a race finishing medal — you must finish no later than 1:30 PM, organizers note.

The starting line at the Surf City USA Half Marathon. (Photo courtesy RaceForce)
Race Climate & Weather
Nestled along the southern stretch of California’s Pacific Coast Highway, just a few miles south of nearby Long Beach, the town of Huntington Beach generally enjoys weather conditions much like those of the rest of Southern California — mild to moderately warm throughout the year, with lots of sunshine and little variation in temperature from January to December.
In February, temperatures average between 62°F and 77°F, while rainfall amounts average about 0.3 inches for the month. On the day of the race (February 4), the average low is 64°F and the average high is 78°F.
Past Results
- 2022 Results
- 2020 Surf City USA Half Marathon Results
- 2019 Surf City USA Half Marathon Results
- 2018 Surf City USA Half Marathon Results
- 2017 Surf City USA Half Marathon Results
- 2016 Surf City USA Half Marathon Results
- 2015 Surf City USA Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the Surf City USA Half Marathon course map here.
Starting Time
- 6:25 AM – full marathon, wheelchair start
- 6:30 AM – full marathon, runners
- 7:45 AM – half marathon
Fees
- $89 for the half marathon
- $99 for the full marathon
- price may increase as race day approaches
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2024 running of Huntington Beach’s Surf City USA Marathon or Half Marathon race, register online at LetsDoThis.com here.

Official Race Website
motivrunning.com/run-surf-city
Comments
Ever run in the Surf City USA Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments box below.
CAPT Tim Martin, HBPD, has posted that PCH between Seapoint and Warner is closed (today, 31JAN) due to flooding, and expects it to be closed through remaining rainy days. Is the race cancelled?
Your website is down you can’t register for sunday run
Is your web site down? I cant seem to be able to register for this weekends race Huntington Beach. Kindly respond at the earliest convinience. Thank you
Franco Checchini 818.201.5431
Do you know if there will be race day athlete tracking? Can’t find anything on their web cite.. Thanks.. Lori
How much does first place pay?
Will there be a road bike race at the surf city marathon? And if there is where or what is the sure to register? Thanks.
Hi Lyn,
No, there is not a bike race hosted in conjunction with the Surf City Marathon.
Please let us know if you have further questions.
Thank you.
Hi, I’m a paraplegic and would like to know if handcycles can can enter the race along with the wheelchairs. I’m interested in the full marathon. I just competed in the Washington DC marathon. Thanks, John Carmean
Hi John,
I’m sorry to report that handcycles, apparently, cannot enter the Surf City USA Half Marathon. Here’s the info from the race’s official website: “Unfortunately, due to safety concerns hand cycles are not permitted in the race. Please see the information below for further details.”
Here’s the rest of the info:
“* Start the Half Marathon 2 minutes before the runners.
* Racing Wheelchairs and Everyday Wheelchairs are accepted.
* Racing Wheelchairs are defined as customized performance chairs.
* Everyday Wheelchairs are defined as stock manual wheelchairs.
* Due to safety issues at the start and on the course NO hand cycles (hand bikes, hand crank devices or other mechanically gear driven devices) will be permitted in the race.
* Please note that the wheelchair division is only offered in the half marathon.
* Awards will be given to the top three finishers.
* Participants must be able to complete the course in six hours.