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.
[race_calendar_title]
October 3, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122519"]
- 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 11, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="123044"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
December 24, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122912"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
December 5, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122974"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
February 21, 2027
1,000-10,000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="123092"]
- Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
February 20, 2027
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122696"]
- 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
February 27, 2027
100-500 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122951"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
October 24, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="157676"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
May 15, 2027
1,000-10,000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122613"]
- 5k, Half Marathon, Road
April 10, 2027
1,000-10,000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="153539"]
- Road, Trail
April 17, 2027
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122751"]
- Half Marathon, Marathon, Trail
April 17, 2027
500-1000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="123096"]
- 5k, Half Marathon, Marathon, Road
May 2, 2027
500-1000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="153594"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail & Road
May 8, 2027
1,000-10,000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="123028"]
- Half Marathon, Road
May 9, 2027
100-500 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="123020"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Trail
May 2, 2027
1,000-10,000 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="122877"]
- Half Marathon, Trail
September 26, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="157619"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
September 26, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="157616"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
September 12, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="157603"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
September 12, 2026
1-100 runners
[get_race_listing_state_city post_id="157593"]
- 10K, 5k, Half Marathon, Road
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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?
