California fun runs
168 seasonal, themed and one-of-a-kind fun runs in California.
Holiday and seasonal: 49 · Novelty course: 39 · Food and drink: 27 · Mud and obstacle: 13 · Color, glow and night: 10 · Iconic tradition: 10 · Costume and theme: 9 · Animals: 6 · Quirky format: 5
- Color, glow and night Bubble Run Irvine Orange County foam 5K in Oak Canyon Park, the canyon venue EventLab also uses for Muddy Dash and Terrain Race.
- Food and drink Fresno OktoberFest Pumpkin Run An Oktoberfest run where every finisher takes home a pumpkin and a pretzel, with beer for adults and a lederhosen contest.
- Quirky format Lake Tahoe Marathon Weekend (Tahoe Triple, Emerald Bay Half, Super Hero 5K) Three marathons on three days that circle all 72 miles of Lake Tahoe's shoreline across California and Nevada, with a bagpiper-led all-downhill half from Emerald Bay and costume 5Ks.
- Novelty course California Gold Rush Trail Run A trail race inside Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, where the 1848 gold discovery set off the Gold Rush.
- Novelty course John Wayne Grit Series: Lone Pine Half Marathon & 10K A half marathon and 10K on Movie Road through the Alabama Hills, where hundreds of Westerns were filmed.
- Novelty course Palm Springs Tram Road Challenge A 3.7-mile run straight up the road to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, climbing about 2,000 feet.
- Color, glow and night The Color Run San Diego Color-powder 5K hosted at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, a former U.S. Olympic training site.
- Food and drink The Donut Fun Run A donut-themed 5K on the Alameda Point waterfront that ends with a donut-eating contest and the costumed Dancing Donuts.
- Holiday and seasonal Trick or Trot 5K at Cherry Acres Pumpkin Patch A costumed Halloween 5K held at a Bakersfield pumpkin patch, with a Goblin Gallon kids' run.
- Color, glow and night Zombie 5K Glow Walk/Run A Halloween glow run from a brewery in Old Town Orcutt where pets, including cats, can join.
- Holiday and seasonal Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Run Every participant takes home a pumpkin from this coastal-trail race held during the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival.
- Iconic tradition Mission Inn Foundation Run Riverside's signature race since 1977, winding through the parks, landmarks and historic neighborhoods around the Mission Inn to benefit its museum.
- Novelty course SeaWorld Howl-O-Sprint 5K A Halloween 5K through SeaWorld San Diego's grounds, past Howl-O-Scream decorations and spooky characters, before the park opens.
- Quirky format Ragnar Trail SoCal One of Ragnar’s hardest trail relays, on the Los Coyotes Reservation above the Anza-Borrego Desert.
- Food and drink Cork & Dash 5K A winery 5K with wine-tasting stations on the course itself.
- Food and drink Eden Rift Haunted Wine Run 5K A Halloween 5K through the vines at Eden Rift, billed as California's oldest continually producing vineyard.
- Costume and theme Pebble Beach Zombie Run Runners dodge zombies on Pebble Beach's forest fire-defense roads, paired with an emergency-preparedness fair.
- Costume and theme Bakersfield Monster Mash Dash A Halloween 5K on a decorated course where the medal and shirt glow in the dark.
- Holiday and seasonal Día de los Muertos 5K A Día de los Muertos 5K with a community altar, Catrina photo ops, tacos and pan dulce.
- Costume and theme USS Hornet Halloween 5K A twilight Halloween costume 5K that starts and finishes at the pier of the WWII aircraft carrier USS Hornet.
- Animals Howl-o-ween Doggie Dash 5K A Halloween 5K where every runner must bring a leashed dog — no solo humans allowed — around Griffith Park's golf-course loop.
- Holiday and seasonal Los Muertos 5K A Day of the Dead 5K that tours historic Olvera Street, LA's birthplace, and ends in a Día de los Muertos celebration.
- Novelty course Northgate Market 5K Día de los Muertos–themed 5K at Angel Stadium where runners get onto the field and see themselves on the Jumbotron.
- Costume and theme ZombieRunner Halloween Halloween-day races on the Coyote Creek Trail where runners compete in costume for prizes, from 5K up to a full marathon.
- Novelty course Golden Gate Half Marathon & 5K A half marathon that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge twice, out and back, with a finish at Ghirardelli Square.
- Holiday and seasonal Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk A Pride-weekend 5K past the mid-century homes of Old Las Palmas, once a Hollywood enclave.
- Animals Run Wild 5K at the OC Zoo A 5K that runs through the OC Zoo — home to rescued black bears, mountain lions and a jaguar — with free zoo entry afterward.
- Color, glow and night Run With Los Muertos 5K & Block Party A Día de los Muertos night 5K through Old Town Coachella, with painted faces, candles and a procession.
- Mud and obstacle SLO CAL Spartan Trifecta Weekend Central Coast Trifecta and Ultra on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, with Spartan trail races the same weekend.
- Food and drink Temecula Half Marathon, 10K & 5K A wine-country race through Temecula Valley vineyards that starts and finishes at Wilson Creek Winery, with a tasting garden and souvenir glass.
- Novelty course Catalina Island Half Marathon & 10K An island half that climbs from Avalon past the Wrigley Mansion into Catalina's interior and descends through the Wrigley Memorial.
- Novelty course Kaweah Lake Bottom Trail Run A trail run across the drained bottom of Lake Kaweah reservoir in the Sierra foothills.
- Holiday and seasonal Apple Hill Half Marathon & 5K An end-of-harvest race through Apple Hill's orchards and fruit ranches where age-group winners take home pies from local farms and bakeries.
- Mud and obstacle Terrain Race Irvine EventLab’s tougher obstacle 5K, with walls, ropes and monkey bars in addition to mud, in Oak Canyon Park.
- Holiday and seasonal Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot Downtown San Jose's Thanksgiving block party, billed as America's largest Thanksgiving Day race, with a start-line costume contest.
- Holiday and seasonal Dana Point Turkey Trot One of the nation's largest turkey trots, run around Dana Point Harbor on Thanksgiving morning with a 10K/5K combo option and a start-line costume contest.
- Novelty course Del Mar Family Mile Fun Run Thanksgiving-morning mile on the Del Mar horse-racing track: start from the actual starting gate, run with jockeys, and finish in the Winners' Circle.
- Holiday and seasonal Father Joe's Villages Run for Hope Thanksgiving Day 5K San Diego's original and longest-running turkey trot starts on Balboa Park's Cabrillo Bridge and finishes in a festival at Plaza de Panama.
- Holiday and seasonal Nitro Turkey Brazen’s Thanksgiving trail trot on the shoreline of Point Pinole, a former dynamite-factory site on San Pablo Bay.
- Holiday and seasonal O'side Turkey Trot A beachside Thanksgiving 5K finishing by the Oceanside Pier on the Strand, with a 'Double Dip' option to run both 5K waves.
- Holiday and seasonal Rose Bowl Turkey Trot A family Thanksgiving 5K on the recreational loop around 'America's Stadium,' with proceeds helping preserve the Rose Bowl.
- Holiday and seasonal Run & Walk Against Hunger Stockton's Thanksgiving run starts at the Stockton Ports' ballpark and is presented by Aaron Judge's ALL RISE Foundation.
- Holiday and seasonal Run for Food Chico's largest annual event: about 5,000 people run Bidwell Park on Thanksgiving morning for the Jesus Center.
- Holiday and seasonal Run to Feed the Hungry Sacramento's Thanksgiving-morning tradition since 1994, which the food bank bills as the largest Thanksgiving Day fun run in the nation.
- Holiday and seasonal San Francisco Turkey Trot Kids race a 100-meter 'Gobbler Chase' against a giant six-foot turkey before the 5-mile Turkey Trail Trot in Golden Gate Park.
- Holiday and seasonal SLO Food Bank Turkey Trot A Thanksgiving trot run on the beach sand from the Pismo Beach Pier.
- Novelty course Turkey Trot at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Thanksgiving walkers and runners do as many laps as they like of the Laguna Seca raceway, including the famous Corkscrew.
- Holiday and seasonal Turkey Trot Los Angeles A Thanksgiving-morning run through car-free downtown LA past Walt Disney Concert Hall, finishing in Grand Park.
- Holiday and seasonal Visalia Emergency Aid Race Against Hunger Billed as the largest timed Thanksgiving 5K in the Central Valley, with more than 6,000 participants.
- Iconic tradition Quad Dipsea Four crossings of the Dipsea Trail on Thanksgiving Saturday — 28.4 miles, about 9,200 feet of climbing, with 686 stairs in the first three flights alone.
- Holiday and seasonal Quarry Turkey Post-Thanksgiving "burn it off" race around the old gravel-quarry lakes of Fremont.
- Novelty course Death Valley Trail Marathon & Half A rare permitted marathon through Titus Canyon in Death Valley National Park, limited to 200 runners.
- Holiday and seasonal Jingle Bell Run Los Angeles Arthritis Foundation holiday 5K where runners tie jingle bells to their shoes and race in festive costumes.
- Holiday and seasonal Jingle Bell Run Orange County & Inland Empire Arthritis Foundation holiday run staged at Angel Stadium, with jingle bells, costumes and a 10K option.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Runs Griffith Park Hundreds of Santas running through historic Griffith Park, with a Santa suit included for 5K and 10K runners.
- Holiday and seasonal The Krampus Cross Country 5K, 10K, or Naughty Nine Miler A Krampus-themed holiday trail race in the Presidio where runners 'pay penance' to the Alpine Christmas demon.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa's Fun Run A late-afternoon two-mile Santa run that ends with tacos, hot chocolate and pan dulce.
- Novelty course Angel Island Trail Runs (Romancing the Island, Angel Island, Hark the Herald Angels) Racers board a chartered ferry from Tiburon to circle Angel Island on a hilly loop with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the San Francisco skyline.
- Holiday and seasonal Jingle Bell Run for Toys for Tots A holiday run on Fresno's Christmas Tree Lane that ends in a patch of man-made snow.
- Holiday and seasonal Run Rudolph Run A holiday 5K at Lovers Point where both people and dogs compete in a holiday costume contest.
- Holiday and seasonal San Diego Santa Run A "sea of Santas" 5K in Pacific Beach where every runner gets a short-sleeve Sunny Santa Suit and sunglasses.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Claus For A Cause 5K/10K A beach 5K/10K at Bolsa Chica with machine 'snow' and carolers, where runners can pick a full Santa suit as their race swag.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run A nearly 50-year-old coastal holiday race from Santa Monica to Venice Beach where Santa suits, elves and Grinches compete in a costume contest.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Shuffle at Firestone Walker Holiday beer run that starts and ends at Firestone Walker’s Propagator brewery on the LA Westside.
- Holiday and seasonal Jingle Bell Run San Diego Arthritis Foundation holiday 5K where runners tie jingle bells to their shoes and race in festive costumes.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Con Run Santa-costumed runners cover a 5K or 10K that runs through Salinas's Northridge Mall.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Hustle Roseville Holiday race with candy-cane and cookie stations, a tinsel-trimmed medal and a beanie for every finisher.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Skivvies Run A one-mile holiday run/walk through the Castro in underwear and Santa gear, followed by Santa's drag show.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa to the Sea Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon & 5K Point-to-point half marathon that starts at a giant roadside Santa statue, crosses Oxnard's strawberry fields and decorated Candy Cane Lane, and ends at the harbor.
- Holiday and seasonal Silicon Valley Santa Run Afternoon Santa 5K through downtown San Jose that finishes inside the Christmas in the Park holiday display.
- Quirky format Santa Beer Run & Kids Elf Run A Santa-themed beer mile in downtown Exeter: four quarter-mile laps, with a 12-ounce beer at three bars along the way.
- Holiday and seasonal Santa Runs Palm Springs Every runner gets a Santa suit for a desert 5K that ends with milk and cookies.
- Holiday and seasonal Brazen New Year's Eve & New Year's Day Races Run a half on New Year's Eve and another on New Year's Day at Lake Chabot and your 'marathon' takes two years, earning a New Year Mega Medal.
- Animals Carmel-by-the-Sea 5K Dogs get their own registration, bandana and finish-line treat on a course from downtown Carmel past the Mission to the beach.
- Food and drink SKECHERS Hot Chocolate Run San Francisco Ghirardelli-presented chocolate run through Golden Gate Park and along the Great Highway, past the park’s bison paddock.
- Novelty course Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K Finish on the 50-yard line inside the Rose Bowl after a tour past the Colorado Street Bridge, Old Pasadena and Caltech.
- Mud and obstacle SoCal Spartan Trifecta Weekend Spartan's national season opener, a full Trifecta (Sprint, Super, Beast) in one weekend on the shores of Lake Perris.
- Food and drink SKECHERS Hot Chocolate Run San Diego Downtown San Diego chocolate run staged from the Petco Park tailgate lots, ending in a fondue-and-cocoa party.
- Novelty course ONT's 5K at the Runway Run three laps of the Ontario International Airport airfield alongside an active runway, starting from the National Guard hangar.
- Iconic tradition Surf City Marathon Huntington Beach's Super Bowl Sunday race along PCH and the pier, known for surfboard-shaped medals and a Saturday beach mile.
- Costume and theme The Kook Run Super Bowl Sunday costume race down Coast Highway 101 past the much-pranked 'Cardiff Kook' surfer statue, with a kook-themed costume division.
- Novelty course Dodger Stadium Spartan Stadion A 5K obstacle course that runs through the stands, concourses and tunnels of Dodger Stadium.
- Novelty course Boardwalk Fun Run A 5K through the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park, with free arcade time and discounted ride wristbands for finishers.
- Mud and obstacle Muddy Dash Irvine Orange County mud run in Oak Canyon Park’s canyon setting off Santiago Canyon Road.
- Novelty course Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Fun Run A 5K and 1K that route runners through the historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park.
- Food and drink Artesa Wine Run 5K A two-lap 5K through the vineyard at Artesa Winery that ends at the 'Finish Wine' with a pour of wine.
- Food and drink Livermore Valley Half Marathon & 5K A half marathon from downtown Livermore through the valley's vineyards and under the historic Olivina Arch, finishing at a wine-and-beer festival.
- Food and drink Beer City Half San Diego (with Beat the Beast Beer Mile) Mission Bay race-and-beer-festival whose 'Beat the Beast' beer mile eliminates you if a costumed Beer City Beast catches you.
- Novelty course Catalina Island Marathon, 10K & 5K California's oldest trail marathon crosses Catalina Island from Two Harbors to Avalon after a 5am boat ride to the start.
- Mud and obstacle Muddy Dash Lake Elsinore Beginner-friendly mud run staged at Lake Elsinore Diamond, the minor-league ballpark.
- Holiday and seasonal San Diego Leprechaun Run Pacific Beach turns green for a St. Patrick's run that finishes under a rainbow arch with a pot-o'-gold medal and a drink at a beach bar.
- Holiday and seasonal Shamrock'n Weekend (Half Marathon, 10K, 5K & Leprechaun Dash) Sacramento's St. Patrick's weekend 'sea of green' crosses the Tower Bridge and finishes on the field at Sutter Health Park.
- Holiday and seasonal Fresno St. Patrick's Day Run A St. Patrick's run with a costume contest and a Green Spirit award for the most all-in outfit.
- Mud and obstacle Los Angeles Tough Mudder Tough Mudder's only West Coast stop, with team-based mud obstacles and an 8-hour Infinity lap challenge.
- Color, glow and night Bubble Run San Diego Non-competitive 5K through four bogs of colored foam at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.
- Mud and obstacle San Jose Spartan Trifecta Weekend Bay Area Trifecta weekend (including a 50K Ultra) staged around a 2,900-acre reservoir in the Central Valley foothills.
- Iconic tradition Carlsbad 5000 Billed as the 'World's Fastest 5K,' a seaside Coast Highway course where 16 world records have been set, with age-group waves for everyone.
- Novelty course Fight For Air Climb Los Angeles (Wilshire Grand Center) Climb 73 stories to the roof of the Wilshire Grand Center, the tallest building west of the Mississippi, alongside firefighters in full turnout gear.
- Quirky format Ragnar Road SoCal Overnight team relay up the Southern California coast from San Diego to a beach finish in Huntington Beach.
- Mud and obstacle San Diego Spartan Event Weekend Spartan Sprint and Super laid out across the berms and hills of Pala Fox Raceway, a motocross park in north San Diego County.
- Novelty course Sea Otter Classic Trail Run A trail run through Fort Ord that finishes on the Laguna Seca raceway during the Sea Otter cycling festival.
- Iconic tradition Big Sur International Marathon A point-to-point run up closed Highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel, with a tuxedoed pianist playing a grand piano at Bixby Bridge near halfway.
- Food and drink Tacos N' Beer 5K A 5K around Legg Lake with mariachis on course and two tacos, a beer, a mechanical bull and piñatas at the Baja-style finish fiesta.
- Food and drink Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon A half marathon through Santa Ynez Valley vineyards that finishes in Danish-style Solvang with a wine festival.
- Food and drink The Wine Half Marathon, Napa Edition A Marathon du Médoc–style half that runs through eight Napa estates, from Quintessa to a wine village finish in Yountville.
- Mud and obstacle Big Bear Spartan Trifecta Weekend High-altitude Spartan Trifecta in the San Bernardino Mountains resort town of Big Bear Lake.
- Mud and obstacle Monterey Spartan Event Weekend Spartan course through the oak woods and golden hills of Toro Park, six miles from downtown Salinas.
- Animals Barks & Brews 5K A Memorial Day 5K where dogs run with their people for dog-category awards, followed by a beer garden.
- Holiday and seasonal Footloose Freedom Mile A downhill mile on Old Mammoth Road that runs just ahead of Mammoth Lakes' Fourth of July parade.
- Holiday and seasonal Kenwood Footrace California's oldest 10K, run through Sonoma Valley vineyards on the Fourth of July just ahead of Kenwood's hometown parade.
- Holiday and seasonal Mt. Shasta 4th of July Walk/Run A Fourth of July run below Mount Shasta where performers line the route — a 'virtual parade in reverse' for walkers and runners.
- Novelty course Brian Waterbury Memorial Rock to Pier Run A six-mile race run entirely on beach sand from Morro Rock to the Cayucos Pier.
- Food and drink Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon & Rosé 5K Point-to-point half from a Carneros winery in Napa to Sonoma Plaza, finishing in a wine festival.
- Food and drink Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon & Rosé 5K A point-to-point half marathon from a Napa winery through vineyards to Sonoma Plaza, where a finish-line wine festival awaits.
- Mud and obstacle NorCal Spartan Event Weekend Sacramento-area Spartan on open ranchland with cold river crossings at Mahon Ranch.
- Mud and obstacle Temecula Spartan Event Weekend Spartan Sprint and Super on a raceway beside Southern California’s largest natural freshwater lake.
- Novelty course Angel Stadium Spartan Stadion A 20-obstacle 5K through the seats and field-level spaces of Angel Stadium.
- Novelty course Avenue of the Giants Marathon A closed-road race beneath 300-foot old-growth redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, where tall trees can knock out GPS watches.
- Costume and theme Bay to Breakers A 12K cross-town costume party from the bay to the Pacific, run since 1912, with costumed 'centipede' teams tethered together.
- Food and drink Beer City Half Alameda Starts on Alameda Point's 'Radium Runway' and loops past Alameda's waterfront breweries, with a beer mile chased by the Beer City Beast and a beer trolley afterward.
- Food and drink Beer City Half Bishop Ranch The series' 'Race of Champions,' where a beer-mile runner who gets caught by the costumed Beast is eliminated.
- Food and drink Beer City Half Long Beach (with Beat the Beast Beer Mile) A Long Beach waterfront race and craft-beer festival with a four-beer 'Beat the Beast' mile where getting caught by the Beast ends your race.
- Food and drink Beer City Half Sacramento Its 'Beat the Beast' beer mile has runners down four beers in a mile while a costumed Beer City Beast chases them; get caught and you're out.
- Color, glow and night Blacklight Run Pomona Night glow-rave 5K at the Pomona Fairplex, the same day as the morning Bubble Run.
- Novelty course Broken Arrow Skyrace At Palisades Tahoe the Ascent climbs 2,840 feet in 3.6 miles up a ski mountain, finishing on the 'Stairway to Heaven' ladder to 9,000-foot Washeshu Peak.
- Color, glow and night Bubble Run Pomona Morning foam 5K at the Pomona Fairplex, paired the same day with an evening Blacklight Run.
- Novelty course California Classic Half Marathon, 10K & 5K The half marathon and 10K run through Fresno Chaffee Zoo's Sea Lion Cove and African Adventure before finishing at the downtown ballpark.
- Food and drink CASS Wine Run 5K A vineyard 5K at CASS Winery that ends with wine in a souvenir glass.
- Novelty course Castle to Coast An 8.2-mile point-to-point along Highway 1 from the beach below Hearst Castle to Cambria.
- Costume and theme Clovis Rodeo 5K Kicks off Clovis Rodeo week with a finisher medal that is a working belt buckle.
- Food and drink Corona del Mar Scenic 5K & Fun Walk A 45-year-old ocean-bluff 5K whose signature is a free 'restaurant row' where local eateries feed participants after the race.
- Holiday and seasonal Crown City Classic (Coronado Fourth of July Run) Coronado's official Independence Day run, a 50-plus-year tradition that opens a holiday of parades, a Navy parachute demo and fireworks.
- Color, glow and night Davis Moonlight Run A Saturday-night summer race on Davis greenbelts whose 26.2-meter 'Beer Dash' lets beer-garden fans claim their fastest 26.2 ever.
- Novelty course Fight For Air Climb – San Francisco An evening 'Glow Climb' up 52 stories (1,173 steps) of 555 California Street, billed as the nation's only glow stair climb.
- Iconic tradition Foggy Bottom Milk Run A dairy-country road race through the Victorian Village of Ferndale and the surrounding Eel River Valley pastures, run since 1978.
- Novelty course Fresno Urban Run A downtown course that climbs ballpark stairs, six-story parking garages and 220 steps up Fresno's Grand Tower.
- Novelty course Holcomb Valley Trail Run / Big Bear Peaks & Pines A 30-year Big Bear mountain trail tradition, now a three-day stage race that opens at the ski resort and benefits the local search-and-rescue team.
- Quirky format Kinetic Grand Championship A three-day, roughly 50-mile 'all-terrain art triathlon' where costumed teams pedal and push handmade sculptures over dunes, across Humboldt Bay and the Eel River.
- Costume and theme Kingsburg Dala Horse Trot A 10K and two-miler named for the Swedish Dala horse, run during Kingsburg's Swedish Festival.
- Novelty course Lions Turtle Bay Run The half marathon starts by crossing Santiago Calatrava's glass-decked Sundial Bridge and crosses three Sacramento River bridges in all.
- Novelty course Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Sunset Run Evening 5K and 10K circling Dodger Stadium with a cool-down lap on the warning track, a run-exclusive bobblehead, and yoga on the outfield.
- Novelty course Mammoth Trailfest A mountain running weekend with a vertical climb to a summit doughnut party and a night 10K lit with glow sticks and Christmas lights.
- Iconic tradition Manhattan Beach 10K A nearly 50-year South Bay institution whose course runs straight through Sand Dune Park and finishes on the Strand beside the pier.
- Iconic tradition Mount Wilson Trail Race First run in 1908, one of California's oldest trail races climbs the historic Mount Wilson Trail from Sierra Madre's town square.
- Novelty course Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top Labor Day race up a ski mountain that finishes on Mt. Baldy's 10,064-ft summit, with the ski lift as the way down.
- Mud and obstacle Muddy Dash San Diego North County San Diego mud run on Indian Hill Ranch in Valley Center.
- Novelty course Navy Bay Bridge Run/Walk The one morning a year 10,000 people can cross the Coronado Bay Bridge on foot, from downtown San Diego to Coronado's Tidelands Park.
- Novelty course Old Zoo Half Marathon Starts and finishes at Griffith Park's abandoned Old LA Zoo, with a different animal on the finisher medal each year.
- Holiday and seasonal Palisades Will Rogers Fourth of July 5K/10K Run A nearly 50-year July 4 tradition whose 10K climbs switchbacks through Will Rogers State Park, back home in 2026 after the Palisades Fire.
- Animals Puppies & Beer 5K - Venice Beach Run the Venice Beach boardwalk with your dog in a dedicated runner-with-dog division, then grab tacos and a beer at Windward Plaza.
- Animals Sacramento SPCA Doggy Dash Billed as Northern California's largest 2K/5K dog walk, it takes over William Land Park, followed by the 'Bark in the Park' festival.
- Food and drink San Diego Donut Dash Home of the 'Donut Mile' — four quarter-mile laps, one glazed donut to start each lap — plus a free bar of 1,000+ donuts from local bakeries.
- Novelty course Santa Anita Derby Day 5K Run through the LA Arboretum gardens and cross the finish on Santa Anita's racing surface, then stay for Derby Day horse racing on your bib.
- Food and drink Santa Rosa Marathon The course runs through DeLoach Vineyards' barrel room, and half and full marathon finishers take home a bottle of DeLoach wine.
- Food and drink Strawberry Jam 1K/5K Fun Run A strawberry-themed fun run that kicks off the Watsonville Strawberry Festival, with costumes encouraged.
- Holiday and seasonal Surf City Run 5K (Huntington Beach 4th of July) Run Huntington Beach's July 4th parade route down Main Street and PCH past the pier hours before the 120-plus-year-old parade steps off.
- Food and drink Taco The Town 5K & 10K A Stockton 5K and 10K where finishers get free tacos and local Five Window beer.
- Novelty course Taxiway 5K An afternoon 5K looping Cable Airport's taxiways past parked aircraft, starting and finishing at Mt. Baldy Brewery.
- Food and drink Templeton Recreation 5K Beer Run A brewery 5K that winds through Paso Robles' Tin City cluster of wineries and breweries.
- Color, glow and night The Color Run Los Angeles Relaunch of “the happiest 5K” after a hiatus, with color zones every kilometer around the LA Galaxy stadium.
- Iconic tradition The Dipsea Race America's oldest trail race uses age- and gender-based head starts, so the first runner up the 688 Mill Valley stairs and over Mount Tam to Stinson Beach is rarely the fastest.
- Food and drink The Great Donut Run 5K A non-competitive 5K with a mid-course 'Donut Hole Zone,' a donut at the finish, and awards for best costume and most entertaining eater.
- Novelty course Trinidad to Clam Beach Run Runners ford the Little River at low tide with a safety rope and Coast Guard swimmers, then finish two miles down Clam Beach at a bonfire with chili.
- Costume and theme Urban Cow Half Marathon & 5K A cow-themed Sacramento half marathon with a 'Party Pasture' finish, a 'Double Udder' 5K-plus-half combo and a time limit of 'until the cows come home'.
- Holiday and seasonal Vintage Festival 5K Fun Run & Vintage Vines 1 Miler The harvest-season fun run of Sonoma's Vintage Festival, now with a wine-country costume contest.
- Iconic tradition Wharf to Wharf Race A six-mile coastal run between the Santa Cruz and Capitola wharves, lined with bands, that sells out its 16,000 spots.
- Color, glow and night Windfall Full Moon Trail Run A night trail race under the August full moon on private ranch singletrack only open during the event, with glowing aid stations and on-site camping.
- Novelty course YMCA Stair Climb for Los Angeles (U.S. Bank Tower) Race up 75 floors and 1,664 steps of the U.S. Bank Tower to the roof, with firefighters and police climbing in full uniform.