Bakersfield Marathon
Bakersfield, CA
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 6K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Bakersfield Marathon starts and finishes at the historic Kern County Museum. This event takes participants through Bakersfield’s most scenic and historic neighborhoods. With well-stocked aid stations and a lively post-race festival, this is a race-day experience you won’t want to miss! In addition to providing local runners the chance … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Apr 04):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 84 | 70 | 61 | 59 | 73 |
| L (°F) | 48 | 46 | 45 | 36 | 51 |
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The most UNEXPECTEDLY Beautiful Course!
Don’t let the name “Bakersfield” deter you! You might think it’ll be boring, not pretty, disorganized, and not worth it. Think again! Let’s start with the expo and festival area. … MORE
Don’t let the name “Bakersfield” deter you! You might think it’ll be boring, not pretty, disorganized, and not worth it. Think again!
Let’s start with the expo and festival area. You’re in an open museum. Plan your day to stay there for a while. So much to see and explore.
Race day was very smooth. The course took me by surprise. It was BEAUTIFUL! Very well-supported. The neighborhood come out in their front yards and offer whatever they can. And you finish back at the museum. There’s so much that they offer. Bring a compact shopping bag. And the medal is HUGE!
Fantastic Event! But...
This was a fantastic event and I hate that I have anything negative to say about it, but I have one thing, so I will start with the positive first. … MORE
This was a fantastic event and I hate that I have anything negative to say about it, but I have one thing, so I will start with the positive first.
This is my third time running this event, and the second year in a row. (I also ran it in 2019 when it was held in November.) For the most part this is a top notch event. The medal IS GORGEOUS and just seems to get better every year. You would think running the streets of Bakersfield could be boring, dirty, monotonous etc. but not at all, in fact the course was interesting with some challenging hills. Additionally, there was tons of on-course support from people coming out of their homes to cheer you on. All in all the course was a nice running tour of Bakersfield, the nicer parts anyway :). So much fanfare and fun.
Now, the one negative but unfortunately it’s a biggie. The post-race situation was a nightmare. You are given a food ticket on your bib for a post race breakfast burrito but what an absolute clusterf*** it was to get one. I got in line at 9:40AM, a line that was wrapped around the entire grassy area and then some, and that line didn’t move. I finally got my breakfast burrito at 10:38AM!! I had heard that the taco truck giving out the burritos was also taking people’s orders ($$) for other things like tacos, etc., and somehow that was holding up the line, but 58 minutes??
Sadly, the same thing happened in 2024, with the line for breakfast burritos taking almost an hour, except for a different reason (apparently they ran out of ingredients and had to go get more?) This year I thought, surely that can’t happen again… well I was wrong.
Waiting in line for your post-race meal FOR 58 MINUTES IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. I was starving and tired. I loved the race and had a great performance, but that experience soured my mood enough where I think I am going to skip this one next year.
If they can correct their post-race food situation, I would give this a 5 star race and experience.
Great 10K
I ran in the 10K of this event, which followed the half marathon route. It was a challenging course with an initial uphill and featured great scenery on the Panorama … MORE
I ran in the 10K of this event, which followed the half marathon route. It was a challenging course with an initial uphill and featured great scenery on the Panorama Bluffs. The on-course organization and finish line were great. I did run into some problems getting to the race due to confusion with the road closures. I sent an email about this and was very pleased to get a response from the race director. As a local, I will plan on running this event yearly.
HORRIBLE VOLUME ENVIRONMENT WARNING!!!!!
The music playing at the beginning and end of the race from the start/finish line was so loud it was UNBEARABLE! If whomever was responsible for this event was okay … MORE
The music playing at the beginning and end of the race from the start/finish line was so loud it was UNBEARABLE! If whomever was responsible for this event was okay with the volume set up of the speakers is in charge again do not bother participating in this race. DO NOT subject your family and loved ones to that kind of volume torture, especially if they are elderly or if you have children. After you run 26.2 miles the last thing you want to do is try and compose your thoughts to that kind of rude, horrible, obnoxious, unnecessary volume of music. You could not hear the person next to you. It made the environment extremely intolerable and uninviting for the poor spectators subjected to it waiting for their loved ones and the exhausted participants that could not even relax and figure out what to do around the finish line festival because the music was SO LOUD! It was the whole entire event. The beer garden is a place you should at least be able to gather yourself and chat with other runners but we all got out of there so fast on account of the volume of the blaring music. No one was inclined to eat at the food trucks on account of the ear torture. The videos from my different family members are like 5 ft apart. My mom is yelling encouragement as I finish and you can not even hear her on the video taken 5ft away. There was no where at the entire event to escape it. If you put on this event, epic fail. Fix it. Thanks.
PS. I know your ears are still ringing.
Pleasantly Surprised
When I think Bakersfield I think barren oil fields and big city problems like homeless encampments and trash in the streets. This was NOT the reality of this course. This … MORE
When I think Bakersfield I think barren oil fields and big city problems like homeless encampments and trash in the streets. This was NOT the reality of this course. This course takes runners through rich architectural history; Beautiful old neighborhoods with giant 100 year old trees. Thanks to the weather this year the Kern River was full and wide rushing by your side on the bike path. The museum was the perfect place to start and finish the race. The course was a very agreeable balance of uphill, downhill and flat ground. Most of all, the sheer numbers of wonderful people who made this event possible is astounding. The police presents, the road closures so expertly done by public works, the metals, the bibs, the emails, the announcer, the supporters, the list goes on and on. Do this run next year. You won’t regret it!
Not the race I expected
Overall the race was good, the volunteers for the most part were helpful, and the expo was fun. The finish line had a physical therapist at the end who helped … MORE
Overall the race was good, the volunteers for the most part were helpful, and the expo was fun. The finish line had a physical therapist at the end who helped me stretch and loosen any sore muscles. The race organizer messed up my time and race entry and it took a while to finally get my results posted online. I placed 4th in my age division. There were a number of hills along the course and running this race required mental strength and strong self-motivation as there was very little music and support from the crowds along the way
Exceeded my expectations
If you think Bakersfield sounds boring, think again. The course runs through a variety of different neighborhoods and sections of the city while offering a few surprises along the way. … MORE
If you think Bakersfield sounds boring, think again. The course runs through a variety of different neighborhoods and sections of the city while offering a few surprises along the way. The start and finish are at the Cal State Bakersfield campus with plenty of free parking. Going through different sections of the downtown area, even the seedy part with its dive bars seems strangely scenic when it’s quiet and deserted in the early morning hours. My favorite part was running through the grounds of the Kern County Museum. If you enjoy learning about local history, go here after the race. Many people envision Bakersfield as being flat, but there’s a hill you’ll climb in the second half of the marathon that will challenge you a bit. The half marathon is totally flat, but the marathon’s climb to Bakersfield College lasts for 3 miles. It’s gradual, so nothing too difficult, but you need to be ready for it. Once you run through the campus, you’re rewarded with a great view of the the valley and a huge oil field. From there, the last 10 miles are downhill on a paved trail that follows the Kern River. Spectator support in the residential areas was great. Even the police doing traffic control cheered for the runners and were very friendly. In addition to the usual shirt and medal, runners got a very nice hat suitable for running. Although the race has been cancelled for 2020 because of the annoying little virus issue, 2021 should be a great time to go.
A South Valley tradition
“How many of you that sit and judge me ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?” - Buck Owens About as far west from Nashville as one can get, masses of … MORE
“How many of you that sit and judge me ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?” – Buck Owens
About as far west from Nashville as one can get, masses of runners congregate on the coast of Bakersfield for its annual November marathon giving me the opportunity to run the streets of Bakersfield and reflect upon the Bakersfield Sound.
This race in the southern San Joaquin Valley is becoming a November tradition. I’ve run Bakersfield in each of the four years of its existence. The half marathon is flat, but the hills of the full marathon can make this a difficult course. My overall impression of Bakersfield is positive. The wonderful and energetic volunteers certainly add to its charm and I recommend this marathon to anyone in, or visiting, California.
In sum:
• Very well-organized event from packet pick-up, immediate online results, the well-stocked aid stations along the course.
• Nicely organized expo and lots of merchandise.
• Very cool weather in November.
• Flat course and Boston qualifier.
• Attractive finisher’s medal, personalized bibs, post-race breakfast burritos, bags of pistachio nuts, halos, free beer at the beer garden, live post-race entertainment, hot-fudge sundaes, long-sleeve event tech shirt.
• Super friendly volunteer support.
• Great spectator support.
• Great traffic control and course monitors.
• Easy and ample parking race morning.
• Race-day packet pick-up.
• An all-around great experience!
Read my race recap at: https://blazingapath.blogspot.com/2019/12/bakersfield-half-marathon.html
Awesome race & community support
Great mostly flat fast race with the best community support of any race I've done! First 8 miles in on the roads but last 5 is on bike trail along … MORE
Great mostly flat fast race with the best community support of any race I’ve done!
First 8 miles in on the roads but last 5 is on bike trail along river bed, plenty to look at and lots of water stations and random cheer stations. Worthy of doing!
Inaugural, 1 hr late start, warm.
I was very excited to pace this race as the 3:08 pacer and did my job by finishing in 3:07:29. Race had a 7am start time and at 7 they … MORE
I was very excited to pace this race as the 3:08 pacer and did my job by finishing in 3:07:29. Race had a 7am start time and at 7 they told us there would be a 5 min delay, then 20 min delay then 30 min delay. They eventually told us they didn’t know what time the race would start so we all went to use the toilet or just sat and waited. Race eventually started over an hour late, hot day, around half way in the race there was about 3 miles of going uphill, but what goes up, must come down. Course was nice with a lot os spectators and I think we could have used some more toilets and aid stations along course as well as more volunteers at crucial intersections. Saw a group of runners go the wrong way during the race. This was the Inaugural race so I think it will only get better.