John Wayne Grit Series Pioneertown, CA
Pioneertown, CA
- Half Marathon, 10K
- Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
The Pioneertown Half Marathon & 10K benefits John Wayne Cancer Foundation, so every step you take helps advance the fight against cancer through pioneering cancer research and programs. Run in honor of family and friends who have been affected by cancer. This rugged course features hills and magnificent views of … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Mar 21):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 101 | 73 | 82 | 54 | 70 |
| L (°F) | 58 | 45 | 48 | 42 | 48 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Gut Check
I definitely bit more off than I could chew, but as always, was happy I did it in the end. This is 10000% a trail run, and will test you … MORE
I definitely bit more off than I could chew, but as always, was happy I did it in the end. This is 10000% a trail run, and will test you tremendously. Having only run on pavement, the terrain and elevation change were challenging. Being at 4500ft ASL and 90°F temperatures made it that much more difficult. For me, it was more of an accomplishment finishing rather than achieving a personal goal of a time. With all that being said, it is a beautiful venue, and I would do it again!
Such a fun series!
A great location- maybe 45 mins from Palm Springs area? Absolutely gorgeous scenery and Pioneertown is 100% old time western. Lots of Joshua Trees. The John Wayne series has high … MORE
A great location- maybe 45 mins from Palm Springs area? Absolutely gorgeous scenery and Pioneertown is 100% old time western. Lots of Joshua Trees. The John Wayne series has high production value and is very well done. This was my first trail “race”- mostly walked with my daughter who hasn’t been able to run recently. Will absolutely do it next year and maybe even try to do their whole series! Incredibly nice crowd- only about 500 runners between both races. If you are a western movie fan…it’s pretty cool because some of John Wayne’s family were there!! A son and nephew at least (maybe more). Finisher’s get a coffee mug, very excellent tshirt that I will actually wear, and a grocery tote bag. The 10k was great to sign up for on a whim and not feel like I needed to really train for it. Mostly easy trail with a couple fairly steep spots but not too worrisome- I am 53, totally clumsy and still going to do it again! Highly recommend! Not sure if the timing matches up like this every year but PBR had a professional bull riding event at the arena in Palm Desert the same weekend so we finished our western day with the bull riding event Sat night after the race. Lots of good memories were made!