Every year, we rank our favorite and most scenic California half marathons. This year, we rated San Diego Beach & Bay, the OC Half Marathon, Santa Rosa Half Marathon, and the Surf City Marathon amongst our favorites.
California Half Marathons in October
This is the calendar of all the California half marathons in October. On these race calendars, not only will you be able to search the basics of cities and dates, but you’ll also be able to find October California half marathons by difficulty, scenery, race size, and attributes like whether it’s pet-friendly, stroller-friendly, or has a great finisher party.
If you can’t find the half marathon you’re looking for in California in October, it’s possible the race has not updated their date to the current year or has switched months. If you know a race belongs on this calendar or have any edits you’d like to suggest for an existing race in California in October, you can email us [email protected].
Filter California Half Marathons
Race Size
Difficulty
Scenery
Type
Perfect For
Distances
Filter California Half Marathons
Race Size
Difficulty
Scenery
Type
Perfect For
Distances
Featured Race
August 17, 2025
500-1000 runners
Anchorage, Alaska
- Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
Featured Race
August 24, 2025
1,000-10,000 runners
Santa Rosa, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
Featured Race
October 4, 2025
500-1000 runners
Colorado Springs, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
Featured Race
July 20, 2025
500-1000 runners
San Francisco, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Road
October 4, 2025
1-100 runners
Auburn, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 4, 2025
1-100 runners
Brisbane, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 4, 2025
1,000-10,000 runners
San Diego, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Road
October 4, 2025
500-1000 runners
Colorado Springs, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
October 5, 2025
1-100 runners
Redding, California
- 10K, Half Marathon, Trail
October 5, 2025
100-500 runners
Bakersfield, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 5, 2025
100-500 runners
Long Beach, California
- Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
October 5, 2025
100-500 runners
Modesto, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Road
October 5, 2025
100-500 runners
Napa, California
- Half Marathon, Road
October 5, 2025
1,000-10,000 runners
San Jose, California
- 10K, Half Marathon, Road
October 11, 2025
1-100 runners
Long Beach, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 11, 2025
1-100 runners
Susanville, California
- 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
October 11, 2025
1-100 runners
San Jose, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
October 11, 2025
1-100 runners
San Leandro, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
October 12, 2025
1-100 runners
Simi Valley, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
October 12, 2025
100-500 runners
Weott, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Road
October 12, 2025
100-500 runners
Petaluma, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
October 18, 2025
1-100 runners
Walnut Creek, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 18, 2025
1-100 runners
Coloma, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 18, 2025
100-500 runners
Agua Dulce, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
Running in California
FAQ
What are the most popular California half marathons?
The three most popular California half marathons are the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon with over 10,000 runners, the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon with over 6,800 runners, and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon with over 6,300 runners.
What’s the best half marathons in California for beginners in 2025?
There’s a ton of competition for the best California half marathons for beginners. But, we most frequently recommend the OC Marathon & Half Marathon, the Napa Valley Half Marathon, the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon and the Surf City Half Marathon as well produced races with beautiful courses and big crowds. If you’re willing to travel, here’s our full list of best half marathons for beginners.
Which California cities have half marathons?
You can run California half-marathon events in Agua Dulce, Alameda, Angel Island State Park, Arcata, Auburn, Avalon, Bakersfield, Bass Lake, Berkeley, Big Bear Lake, Brentwood, Brisbane, Camarillo, Carlsbad, Castro Valley, Clayton, Cloverdale, Coloma, Coronado, Costa Mesa, Death Valley, Del Mar, El Dorado Hills, El Sobrante, Escondido, Eureka, Felton, Folsom, Fontana, Fort Bragg, Fountain Valley, Fremont, Fresno, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, Huntington Beach, Inglewood, Irvine, Joshua Tree, La Jolla, Laguna Hills, Lone Pine, Long Beach, Malibu, Mendocino, Mill Valley, Modesto, Monterey, Morgan Hill, Napa, Nipton, Oakland, Oxnard, Pacifica, Pasadena, Paso Robles, Perris, Petaluma, Pinole, Placerville, Pollock Pines, Redding, Riverside, Roseville, Sacramento, Salinas, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, San Mateo, San Ramon, Santa Barbara, Santa Clarita, Santa Cruz, Santa Monica, Santa Rosa, Santa Venetia, Santa Ynez, Saratoga, Simi Valley, South Lake Tahoe, Stinson Beach, Susanville, Sutter, Tahoe City, Truckee, Vallejo, Ventura, Ventura County, Walnut Creek, Weott, Windsor, & Woodside.
What are the best California half marathons?
