Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon
Carlsbad, CA
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Carlsbad Marathon & Half Marathon is the BEST and most scenic winter race with the BEST swag! Miles and miles of breathtaking ocean views with outstanding course support and entertainment. Turn your Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend into a run-cation! Register now! Entry includes:– Technical fabric long-sleeve shirt … MORE
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Double Down Challenge
I signed up for the Double Down Challenge which was the 5km and Half Marathon, which starts 1hr after the 5km. The 5km was pretty congested, but one of the … MORE
I signed up for the Double Down Challenge which was the 5km and Half Marathon, which starts 1hr after the 5km. The 5km was pretty congested, but one of the benefits of doing the double down is choosing which wave you start in for the half. I chose to start at the back of wave 1 so I didn’t get too cold. It was fabulous as there was no-one around me, but also a bit as the usual adrenaline rush of being with people didn’t happen either.
The course was gently undulating, through the town and then along the coast. The mile markers were really confusing as there was the HM markers, the marathon markers for the first loop and then the second! Crowd support was good – mainly in the town and at the turnaround point.
Well organized event, which is what you always get with In Motion. Would run again.
Rolling coastal views—gorgeous!
Coastal scenery and gentle rolling hills = the Carlsbad Half Marathon! Expo / pick-up: -This year’s expo and packet pickup was hosted at the Holiday Inn Carlsbad, about a mile … MORE
Coastal scenery and gentle rolling hills = the Carlsbad Half Marathon!
Expo / pick-up:
-This year’s expo and packet pickup was hosted at the Holiday Inn Carlsbad, about a mile from the Carlsbad airport. Parking was busy, but since the lot serves two hotels, there were just enough open spots. Walk past the official race pacer car at the entrance, through the inflatable race day arch, and head to the hotel’s main ballroom. There, you can look up your bib number, then grab your race bib and shirt. Official merch like shirts, hoodies, keychains, and hats were on sale, and last year’s shirts were deeply discounted, though men’s sizes were very limited. The outdoor courtyard hosted sponsors and vendors, so you could scoop up last-minute socks, sunglasses, bottles, running belts; enjoy food/drink samples, or pose for photos with the official Carlsbad Half backdrops.
Parking/Pre-race:
-The start line area was at the southwest side of the Shoppes at Carlsbad, near the corner of Marron Road and Monroe St, a little north of Hosp Grove Park. Staging the start/finish at the mall allowed for plenty of parking, but get there early if you want the best spots—the marathon is the earliest race, and the marathon runners claim everything closest to the start/finish. Double rows of fenced-off port-a-potties were adequate, but again, get there early! Mobile Locker offered gear-check for a fee. But if you’re parking at the mall, you might as well stash stuff in your car. The start corrals were spaced along Marron Road and divided by wave numbers and pacers. Don’t get too excited and line up too early, because the marathon’s start corrals are farther back and NOT the same as the Half Marathon’s (or 5k’s) start line. After the marathoners head out, the race officials will pack up the marathon start arch and timing mats, and the half marathon start area moves up on Marron Road.
Course:
-The Carlsbad Half Marathon is an out-and-back course, with Miles 1-2 heading southwest on Jefferson St, away from the mall, through residential areas, past Buena Vista Lagoon, and up over the 5 Freeway. This early portion is crowded, especially the turnaround point where State St and Carlsbad Blvd intersect at Maxton Brown Park, and it turns into a mini out-and-back with runners on both sides of the road. This was my least favorite part of the course because the residential streets are narrow and you’re tightly packed. The race opens up around Mile 3 as you cross Carlsbad Village Drive and beautiful views of Carlsbad State Beach emerge. The sun, the water, the cool sea breeze… it’s so refreshing! Most of this stretch along Carlsbad Boulevard is raised above beach-level, so you get uninterrupted views of the Pacific Ocean. There are some wonderful angles for beach selfies! The hills roll on and on for several miles, but the hills are gently challenging and never overwhelming. Just before Mile 7, you hit the turnaround that takes you on a parallel road back. This means you see the same beaches as before, but further inland and from the opposite direction. The crowd support is strong around the turnaround point, with lots of encouraging signs and unofficial snacks. You then mostly re-trace the first half of the course along Carlsbad Boulevard, with a few tweaks like bypassing the first mini turnaround. When you cross the 5 Freeway again around Mile 12, the course goes downhill, and that momentum carries you towards the finish line at the Shoppes near the corner of Marron and Vista Way.
Scenery/Weather/Support:
-Cloudy, overcast weather has seemed to be the norm for the Carlsbad Half in January, though the clouds didn’t take away from the lovely scenery. Miles 3-10 run along the coast, and the elevated road makes for fantastic views. There were water stations every mile, with electrolytes at alternating stations, and gels around the Mile 5 station, so hydration was sufficient and the volunteers were great. Crowd support was excellent. Local bands, DJs, run groups, and local businesses all gave runners a boost of energy throughout the course. Because runners’ names are printed in all-caps on your bibs, random supporters can easily cheer you on by name. Yay! Race day temperatures started around 45 degrees F in at the start line, and pushed into the early-50s when I arrived at the finish line. If that sounds cold, be sure to pack some warmups!
Post-race:
-The finish-line goodies were conveniently packaged in brown paper bags—I appreciate this because (1) health/safety concerns, (2) it’s easier to grab one bag instead of stopping at multiple stations, and (3) there have been many post-races where I’m exhausted, and trying to juggle bottled water and snacks in two hands or stuffing them in my pockets. This year’s bagged refreshments included: cans of Open Water, Hollandia Dairy chocolate milk, a Perfect Bar chocolate chip protein bar, a banana, Partners Olive Oil & Sea Salt crackers, Welch’s fruit snacks, and Gu Stroopwaffel. The post-race festival outside the Shoppes featured live bands, a beer festival, massages, food trucks, and tents for sponsors, merch sales, and race results. Lines were long for the three photo op backdrops: the Half Marathon, the Double Down Challenge, and the Triple Crown.
Swag:
-The Carlsbad Half Marathon always serves up good swag. The circular metal finisher medal featured an image of a golden glittery sun with orange/silver sun rays, above blue ocean waves. Flip the medal around for the Carlsbad Half Marathon logo, date, and info etched in silver, all looped with a blue striped ribbon. If you do the 5k earlier that morning, you also score the Double Down Challenge medal, a metal rectangle with varied blue/green palm trees and an orange “16.2” circle that swivels near the bottom to declare the total number of miles you ran in one morning.
My biggest down-vote for the swag this year was the official half marathon race shirt—a navy blue long-sleeve tech shirt with “Carlsbad January 2025” in white cursive text across the chest. It looks a little too plain and generic, almost like a tourist shirt—“Carlsbad”… what? Carlsbad zoo? Carlsbad family reunion? If you want to brag about running the Carlsbad Half Marathon, no one would know from looking at the front of the shirt. You’d have to turn the shirt around to see the orange/blue official race logo that matches the medal. The bonus swag was a grayish quarter-zip long-sleeve shirt, with “Surf Sun Run” printed vertically down the front, and with thumb-holes in the sleeves.
Bottom-line:
– The Carlsbad Half Marathon is hands-down my favorite half-marathon race in Southern California. The gorgeous coastal views, strong production/support, great energy, and neat swag make it a great start to the new year!
Nice Race
Beautiful course! It was a tough one, lots of rolling hills that just kept coming. The half was full of fans. Lots of water stops and plenty of bathrooms. I … MORE
Beautiful course! It was a tough one, lots of rolling hills that just kept coming. The half was full of fans. Lots of water stops and plenty of bathrooms. I would highly recommend for California and definitely stay in Carlsbad…so fun!
Must Like Ocean Views
Chilly morning, Parked in the mall parking lot, walked to start, started in waves, course was well marked. The route took us through the cute town of Carlsbad, and then … MORE
Chilly morning, Parked in the mall parking lot, walked to start, started in waves, course was well marked. The route took us through the cute town of Carlsbad, and then it all changed at about mile 3. That’s around the time when the ocean came into view. From there you just have to grin and bear the ocean views for miles and miles. Try to ignore the scenic beaches. Avert your eyes so you don’t notice the surfers. Do not stop to take pictures like I did. If you do not like ocean views, this is NOT the race for you.
Beautiful course, well organized,
Lots of friendly volunteers, beautiful course but challenging, great swag, lots of port a pots, well organized, cool after party plenty of parking MORE
Lots of friendly volunteers, beautiful course but challenging, great swag, lots of port a pots, well organized, cool after party plenty of parking
First Marathon race in the US
It is a nice race. The swag was great. The scenery is beautiful ... most of the time by the ocean... a really nice race to do in Cali. I … MORE
It is a nice race. The swag was great. The scenery is beautiful … most of the time by the ocean… a really nice race to do in Cali. I came with my running club and had a blast. There is a Beer Garden at the end of the race so don’t forget your ID. Some ups a downs (small hills) along the course but nothing undoable. Loveddddddddd it.If you can stay in Carlsbad that would be best.
Views for miles
Great race! We had excellent weather although chilly before the start. By mile 2-3 you start to warm up and don’t need all the layers. This is “hilly” but they … MORE
Great race! We had excellent weather although chilly before the start. By mile 2-3 you start to warm up and don’t need all the layers. This is “hilly” but they are gentle hills. Doable with not a ton of hill training. First race in a while running without my own water supply & I was fine. Fuel aid stations also looked plentiful, they handed out Triberry gels. Spectators throughout the residential areas had bananas & orange slices as well.
Expo was alright, handful of vendors some that make sense (Goodr) some that don’t (gutter guy). Bought some official race merch and felt that the prices were fair.
Only piece of advice is don’t stand to close to start line when waiting for your wave, my official time and watch time had a 3 minute difference which I think happened while waiting right at the start- lesson learned.
The Normal Excellence
My first marathon was at Carlsbad in 2006 and I periodically run it again because it's one of the best around. The pre-dawn start can be a little chilly, but … MORE
My first marathon was at Carlsbad in 2006 and I periodically run it again because it’s one of the best around. The pre-dawn start can be a little chilly, but you soon warm up as you pass the Buena Vista Lagoon, cross over Interstate 5, and head to the coast as the sun comes up. Most of the route is next to the beaches where the ocean provides a calming background soundtrack for me. Some feel the route is hilly, but the hills are small and gentle. I call it gently rolling coastal terrain with plenty of flat stretches in between. Take advantage of the downhills with a faster cadence and you can get a great finish time. I got a BQ here once. Spectator support in the residential areas is plentiful with some really good unofficial aid stations, music, great signs, and lots of energetic cheering.
The swag is excellent with a quarter-zip pullover in addition to the long-sleeve race shirt. Lots of parking at the mall where the start and finish are. Pre-race communication was the sensible amount to avoid overload but still give you everything you need to know in a timely manner.
A fun detail that has nothing to do with race management but reflects the spirit of the area is the “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree that you pass about six miles in.
Beautiful course!!
Rolling hills the whole way. A little tough but very manageable. Had a great time with my boy cruising up and down up and down. Ocean views most of the … MORE
Rolling hills the whole way. A little tough but very manageable. Had a great time with my boy cruising up and down up and down. Ocean views most of the way!!
Beautiful, fun race. The hills killed me
The course was awesome even with the hills. Wide open and clean. Great swag. Great spectators. The weather was perfect. Plenty of water stops and port-o-lets. MORE
The course was awesome even with the hills. Wide open and clean. Great swag. Great spectators. The weather was perfect. Plenty of water stops and port-o-lets.
Beautiful
Awesome freaking race. Beautiful weather but not a fast course. Rolling hills all the out and back. Kicked my butt but i would definitely recommend this race. MORE
Awesome freaking race. Beautiful weather but not a fast course. Rolling hills all the out and back. Kicked my butt but i would definitely recommend this race.
Those Hills Will Kill
Running the full, I wasn't prepared as I wish I was for the hills. They are incessant. Again and again... and again when you do the second loop. It is … MORE
Running the full, I wasn’t prepared as I wish I was for the hills. They are incessant. Again and again… and again when you do the second loop. It is a beautiful course. Right on the ocean for almost the whole thing.
I DNF’d due to a hip injury that flared up at mile 22.
Expo was okay. Nothing to write home about.
Beautiful city, great crowds for the “city” section in Carlsbad.
Wow what a beautiful coastline
Do the half - with the full you repeat much of the same course multiple times. Super beach town race - amazing coastline and great swag. Beware the hills are … MORE
Do the half – with the full you repeat much of the same course multiple times. Super beach town race – amazing coastline and great swag. Beware the hills are bigger than you expect, this is not a flat course!
Nice views
Pros: Lots of pacers for the half and full, nice swag (long sleeve & 1/4 zip), beautiful ocean views, plenty of race parking Cons: Only a 6 hour cut off MORE
Pros: Lots of pacers for the half and full, nice swag (long sleeve & 1/4 zip), beautiful ocean views, plenty of race parking
Cons: Only a 6 hour cut off
Carlsbad is a good race for PR
Carlsbad is a good production with good vibes and overall, it's a fun course with minimal hills and all on pavement. Plenty of water stations, mile markers and pacers to … MORE
Carlsbad is a good production with good vibes and overall, it’s a fun course with minimal hills and all on pavement. Plenty of water stations, mile markers and pacers to help pace you. It was a cloudy day but the energy, music and vendors were rockin’!
It was a beautiful hilly course!!
This race was organized so well! I loved that they had lanes for 1/2 marathoners & full marathoners it made it so much easier when you were together. The aid … MORE
This race was organized so well! I loved that they had lanes for 1/2 marathoners & full marathoners it made it so much easier when you were together. The aid stations were awesome. I loved white cups for water printed cups for Gatorade. Awesome race swag. The course was hilly but beautiful!
Rolling hills, coastal scenes!
The Carlsbad Half Marathon is a fun way to start your running year—beautiful, coastal, hilly, and a total blast! Expo / pick-up: -The Holiday Inn Carlsbad, located just over a … MORE
The Carlsbad Half Marathon is a fun way to start your running year—beautiful, coastal, hilly, and a total blast!
Expo / pick-up:
-The Holiday Inn Carlsbad, located just over a mile from the airport, served as the official race hotel and the staging ground of the expo and packet pick-up. The parking lot was busy, but there were plenty of spots available. Shirt and packet pick-up was convenient in the hotel’s main ballroom, where you could also check out official race gear. Some of last year’s shirts were on sale at a discount, though men’s sizes were limited to XL variants. The hotel’s outdoor courtyard hosted sponsor exhibits, where you could pick up last-minute sunglasses, and socks, or enjoy samples from Yakult, or pose for photos with official Carlsbad Half backdrops.
Parking/Pre-race:
-The start area was at the southwest side of the Shoppes at Carlsbad, along the corner of Marron Road and Monroe St, just north of Hosp Grove Park. Plentiful parking is one of the nice things about staging the race’s start/finish a mall. There were also multiple rows of fenced-off port-a-potties—I never waited in line for more than 5 minutes. Gear-check was available for a fee via Mobile Locker, but because the start line is so close to the parking lot, I think it’s easier to just access stuff from your car if you’re driving. The start corrals were spaced out along Marron Road and divided by wave numbers and pacing groups. If you get there very early, be aware that the marathon’s start corrals are further back, and once the marathoners head out, the race officials will pack up the marathon start arch and timing mats, and the half marathon start area moves up on Marron Road.
Course:
-The Carlsbad Half Marathon is an out-and-back course, with Miles 1-2 heading southwest away from the mall, through residential areas, past Buena Vista Lagoon, and up over the 5 Freeway. This early portion feels the most crowded, especially the turnaround point where State St and Carlsbad Blvd intersect at Maxton Brown Park. This was my least favorite part of the course because the residential streets are narrow and you’re tightly clustered with other runners. The race opens after Mile 3 as you cross Carlsbad Village Drive and finally get nice views of Carlsbad State Beach. The sun (hiding behind clouds this year), the water, the salty sea breeze… it’s a fantastic feeling. Most of this stretch along Carlsbad Boulevard is elevated above beach-level, so you get clear views of the Pacific Ocean. There are some perfect angles for beach selfies! The hills go rolling for several miles, but they’re more interesting rather than intimidating. Just before Mile 7, you hit a turnaround that takes you on a parallel road back, so you see the same beaches as before, though further inland from the opposite direction. The crowd support is strong around the turnaround point, with lots of funny and encouraging signs! You roughly re-trace the first half of the course along Carlsbad Boulevard, with a few tweaks including skipping the early turnaround. When you cross the 5 Freeway again, the course goes downhill, and that momentum carries you towards the roaring finish line at the Shoppes parking lot near the corner of Marron and Vista Way.
Scenery/Weather/Support:
-The cloudy, overcast weather couldn’t hamper the lovely scenery. Miles 3-10 run along the coast, and the elevated road makes for comforting views. There were water stations every mile, with electrolytes at alternating stations, so hydration was sufficient and the volunteers were awesome. Crowd support was also excellent. Local bands, DJs, run groups, and local businesses all lent an encouraging energy throughout the day. Because runners’ names are printed in all-caps on your bibs, random supporters could easily cheer you on by name. It’s a nice touch! It was a chilly California winter day, with temperatures in the low-50s at the start line, and pushing into the upper-50s when I arrived at the finish line.
Post-race:
-Continuing a trend over the last few years, finish-line goodies were conveniently packaged in brown paper bags—I appreciate this because (1) health concerns, (2) it’s easier to grab one bag instead of stopping at multiple stations, and (3) there have been many post-races where I’m stumbling, exhausted, and trying to juggle water and snacks in two hands or stuffing them in my pockets. The bagged refreshments included: a banana, an aluminum bottle water, Hollandia chocolate milk, Partners sea salt crackers, and a JamBar. The post-race festival outside the Shoppes featured live music, a beer festival, massages, food trucks, and tents for sponsors, merch sales, and race results. Lines will be long for the three photo op backdrops: the Half Marathon, the Double Down Challenge, and the Triple Crown.
Swag:
-The Carlsbad Half Marathon always has good swag. The metal square of a finisher medal featured an image of Carlsbad cliffsides and palm trees overseeing the ocean, with a pier (Oceanside?) in the background amidst blue and pastel orange skies. Flip the medal around for the Carlsbad Half Marathon logo, date, and info etched in silver, all looped with a blue/orange ribbon. If you do the 5k earlier that morning, you also score the Double Down Challenge medal, a metal square with dark turquoise palm trees and light blue skies. A “16.2” circle swivels near the center to proclaim the total number of miles you ran in one morning. The back of the Double Down medal is a negative of the front: light blue palm trees amidst a turquoise sky.
The official half marathon race shirt was a white, long-sleeve tech shirt with the same Carlsbad cliffside image front and center. My favorite piece of kit was the blue-turquoise quarter-zip long-sleeve shirt, with thumb-holes in the sleeves, though I do wish the “Carlsbad” on the front wasn’t just a dark turquoise. It needs more contrast to pop off the shirt. This quarter-zip was so popular that I saw so many people running in it instead of the official white shirt!
Bottom-line:
– The Carlsbad Half Marathon remains my favorite half-marathon in Southern California. Its elevated coastal views, strong production/support, and great energy make it a great way to kick off the new year!
I had a cold but also a blast
I really loved this course, a little hilly at times but can't beat the beachside views! Shout out to all the volunteers, there was an abundance of aid stations and … MORE
I really loved this course, a little hilly at times but can’t beat the beachside views! Shout out to all the volunteers, there was an abundance of aid stations and that helped a ton. There was great energy post races with the beer garden, doggos, and tunes/ Everyone was jubilant and having a great time.
The medal was a piece of art and it’s one of my favorites if not my favorite.
Lived up to being beautiful race
I loved the swag - great long sleeve shirt with a nice design and not 30 sponsors on the back: you also got a light weigh jacket and a race … MORE
I loved the swag – great long sleeve shirt with a nice design and not 30 sponsors on the back: you also got a light weigh jacket and a race bag to carry it; the medal matched the design on the shirt and when you finished the race, your snacks were in a easy to carry lunch bag. They two different craft beers to choose and plenty of chairs to collapse into . The entertainment on the course was funny – green guy got me motivated; the folks who lived on the playing upbeat music, some one even had bananas- not a runner or he would have cut them into quarters. Best signs life is short except when you run and then it goes on a long time. The other was about you have a call regarding your car extended warranty. I liked the humor and it made me run faster. Plenty of room to run without having to run in and around people . It is a race I would do again
Fun Race
Beautiful course, some rolling hills but nothing that will truly knock you on your butt. Great crowds, and lot's of fun entertainment to view on the side of the course. … MORE
Beautiful course, some rolling hills but nothing that will truly knock you on your butt. Great crowds, and lot’s of fun entertainment to view on the side of the course. Big, easy parking area, highly recommend.