With the exception of a fairly big hill in the first mile, just about all of the rest of the race is downhill running at the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon, which unfolds between Rancho Penasquitos and Torrey Pines State Beach just a few days before the new year. The race features a net 714-ft. drop between the start and the finish, and much of the race takes runners along the 56 Bike Trail, the walking, running and biking path that parallels State Route 56 nearly all the way to the beach.
(MORE: San Diego Holiday Half Marathon event details)