10K on the Bay
Hayward, CA
- 10K, 5K, 1 Miler
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Lace up for a race with a view! Presented by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, the 10K on the Bay returns this September – and you won’t want to miss it. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just out for some family fun, there’s a course for everyone: … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 27):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 72 | 89 | 75 | 69 | 71 |
| L (°F) | 59 | 57 | 56 | 58 | 59 |
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Really nice local charity race
Judging from the 2014-2015 reviews they've definitely stepped up their game. I ran the 5k (they also have a 10k). No problems with parking - there's a short walk to … MORE
Judging from the 2014-2015 reviews they’ve definitely stepped up their game. I ran the 5k (they also have a 10k). No problems with parking – there’s a short walk to the start area or you can take a shuttle. No problem with bib and t-shirt pickup. The race had about 200 people for each race so everything’s the day of the race.
The course is basically a raised berm through the marsh – think fire trail. Extremely flat but not paved – basically packed earth with some gravel. The start/finish banner was plenty tall, no problems there. But after reading the prior review I checked my photos and you can see the poles have maybe a 3′ extension added to them. How funny. Chip timing built into the bib.
The food at the end included hot food this year – they got some local company to donate pot stickers and they also had a ton of fresh fruit and other odds and ends.
The t-shirt this year was attractive. Some people wore last year’s and it was pretty ugly. There’s no “finisher” medal if you’re into that.
Flat, Pretty, PR country
The Hayward 10k on the Bay (and 5k) is so scenic you may stop running just to admire the wetlands. It's a flat trail, mostly soft pack with some asphalt … MORE
The Hayward 10k on the Bay (and 5k) is so scenic you may stop running just to admire the wetlands. It’s a flat trail, mostly soft pack with some asphalt fire roads. Easy on the knees, easy on the lungs. The out and back allows you to cheer fellow runners on and you can see the finish from really far away (whether that’s good or bad, IDK!).
The shirts are cool too!
Small local race that benefits charity
I ran the 5K that's held the same morning as the 10K on the Bay. Both benefit the Hayward Shoreline/Nature Interpretive Area (aka the marsh along the coast of Hayward). … MORE
I ran the 5K that’s held the same morning as the 10K on the Bay. Both benefit the Hayward Shoreline/Nature Interpretive Area (aka the marsh along the coast of Hayward). The 5K is smaller than the 10K (the main event), and starts about 15 minutes earlier. Both run along the extensive Bay Trail system by Eden Landing. I wouldn’t say this is a particularly fast course, even though it’s very flat, mostly because of the gravel and potential headwind. It’s also distressing to be able to see the finish line from so far away (like a mile or so?) and think you’re almost done, when you’ve got a ways to go.
Production isn’t awesome, as it’s a small charity race. The 5K start banner was so low that tall people had to duck under it. The cotton t-shirts were not attractive — I would’ve readily given that up and donated an extra $5 to the charity. I was impressed, however, by the donated fruits from local farms (or was it a supermarket?). Ripe, local peaches and plums — so good!
I think it’s a perfectly well-run for a small, local charity race. Just don’t expect too many bells and whistles.
Pleasant 10K yields bird shirt
1) Run is along East Bay Salt Marsh- but not too smelly 2) The nearby industry is a power plant 3) The operation is informal 4) Fresh-from-the-orchard peaches at the … MORE
1) Run is along East Bay Salt Marsh- but not too smelly
2) The nearby industry is a power plant
3) The operation is informal
4) Fresh-from-the-orchard peaches at the finish!
5) I’ll be back if possible