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.
Page 10 - California Half Marathon Calendar
December 20, 2026
100-500 runners
Costa Mesa, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
December 20, 2026
1-100 runners
San Diego, California
- 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
December 20, 2026
100-500 runners
Riverside, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
December 20, 2026
100-500 runners
Camarillo, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
December 26, 2026
1-100 runners
Santa Monica, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
December 31, 2026
500-1000 runners
Castro Valley, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail & Road
December 31, 2026
100-500 runners
Long Beach, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
January 1, 2027
100-500 runners
Castro Valley, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
January 9, 2027
100-500 runners
Riverside, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
January 9, 2027
100-500 runners
Long Beach, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
January 9, 2027
1-100 runners
Escondido, California
- Half Marathon, Trail
January 9, 2027
100-500 runners
San Diego, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
January 10, 2027
1-100 runners
Long Beach, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
January 17, 2027
100-500 runners
Woodside, California
- Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
January 17, 2027
1-100 runners
Carlsbad, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
January 17, 2027
1,000-10,000 runners
Pasadena, California
- Half Marathon, Road
January 24, 2027
100-500 runners
Escondido, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
February 6, 2027
100-500 runners
Sausalito, California
- Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
February 6, 2027
1-100 runners
Long Beach, California
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
February 7, 2027
100-500 runners
Huntington Beach, California
- 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
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 2026?
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?
