San Jose Half Marathon & 8K
San Jose, CA
- Half Marathon, 8K, 1 Miler, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Get ready to run 13.1 miles on a blazing fast USATF Certified course with an electric environment from start-to-finish. The unique start & finish layout from Santana Row will allow you to experience the famous Mariachi Mile on your way to a blazing fast finish! Enjoy being motivated by fellow … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 30):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 72 | 89 | 86 | 70 | 75 |
| L (°F) | 56 | 55 | 58 | 53 | 53 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Flat fast course but mile markers off
Course is about 50% shaded and very flat which made it a fast course despite a high today in the 80s. Aid stations were not were the website listed them … MORE
Course is about 50% shaded and very flat which made it a fast course despite a high today in the 80s. Aid stations were not were the website listed them to be which messed up my fueling a bit since I do gels ahead of aid stations so I can follow with water from the aid station. For example, there was supposed to be an aid station at 2.25 and then not again until 5.5, but the 2.25 wasn’t there and there was one at ~3.25 – which is a preferred spot for me but just not what I was expecting or planned for based on the race website. Also, mile markers were very off throughout the race. For example, my watch said 12.85 when I got to the 13 mile marker, but then watch said 13.35 at the finish – so the mile marker was .5 from the finish instead of .1 from the finish. At the finish line the two guys who finished after me said immediately after finishing “what was with that mile 13 marker – it was so off – was that to rage bait all the half runners??”. Bottom line, be flexible on this run and trust your watch GPS more than the mile markers – and you will have a fast run!
Second Time Reviewing...
I ran and reviewed this race in 2025 and I wrote a bunch of positive stuff. For the most part, the positive stuff bears repeating: This was a local race … MORE
I ran and reviewed this race in 2025 and I wrote a bunch of positive stuff. For the most part, the positive stuff bears repeating:
This was a local race for me, and I thought it was a great course overall through some nice parts of San Jose, basically a fabulous running tour of the city – there were some boring bits as well, but to be expected. It’s almost totally flat, as well, making it a good race for a potential PR. As it’s San Jose in late May, it has potential to be very warm. But, a lot of the course was blessedly shaded so that helped.
The start/finish production was great. Plenty of aid stations with abundant inventory to help with the warm temps. The start and finish at Santana Row was great and made for a fun atmosphere with plenty to see as well as many dining options. On course support was a bit more sparse than I would have thought given it was a “hometown” kind of race.
Now for the negative, which is very different from my 2025 review: The swag WAS TERRIBLE. I guess this organization decided to do a “rebrand” and ended up creating one of the most boring race shirts I was ever to receive (it was so ugly I declined it) and the medal looks like some weird ghetto-diamond with letters that are like half cut off or something? The designer of this mess should be fired and they should go back to the drawing board.
Oh, and like all the other 2026 reviewers have said: the mile markers were off. Miles 1-11 were all 0.20 short so I was expecting a 12.90 mile race. Except when I got to their Mile marker 12 (my mile 11.8 on my watch), it ended up that their Mile 12 was 12.5 miles long, because my final mileage was 13.35!
As for the price, for the 2026 event I thought that the price point was great, not super expensive but not cheap either which is expected given the numerous street closures needed to make this event happen. However, I see that this year their opening price for 2027 is over $120!! That’s an over $30 price jump in a year. For that price, no way am I signing up just to get a hideous shirt and an extremely weird medal. Oh well.
Super flat and fast, mile markers off
First time running this race, 7th half marathon. The production from bib pick up, to race morning parking and post race festivities was very organized. The race itself was nicely … MORE
First time running this race, 7th half marathon. The production from bib pick up, to race morning parking and post race festivities was very organized. The race itself was nicely organized and they did a good job of spreading out waves so runners weren’t getting crowded on the course. The weather was about 55 at the start and 62 when I ended, it was very sunny with very little shade on the course making it a pretty hot race. I was aiming for sub 1:30 and unfortunately ran a 1:31 chip time. I made a conscious effort to try to run the tangents and still ended up with a 13.33 watch finish which was devastating because if I had actually run 13.1 I would have hit my sub 1:30 goal. I’ve run plenty of half’s before and never finished that far over 13.1 before and several other runners who finished at the same time as me also said they had roughly 13.3 on their watches as well. Also something with the 13 mile marker seemed very off because I hit mile 13 with no finish like in sight and then ran for at least another .4 miles before finally reaching the finish line (this is torture when you’re at the end of a race and expecting to be done in .1 mile!). All in all the race was smooth, course was fast, and I didn’t have to weave around anyone, however something seemed off about the actual distance of the course which is unfortunate for those trying to hit a specific time goal.
Good for PRing, OK for excitement
This was home turf for me living downtown SJ so I've run most of the route many times before. They chose a very good course overall through nice parts of … MORE
This was home turf for me living downtown SJ so I’ve run most of the route many times before. They chose a very good course overall through nice parts of San Jose. It’s almost totally flat except for highway underpasses/overpasses, with the biggest “hill” being maybe a 50 ft gain on Coleman. It could be a little more scenic/iconic SJ if they went straight through the Rose Garden without that weird loop and hit more of downtown proper – I guess they were trying to avoid a more major street closure but going down Santa Clara would have been much better than the Coleman section. Overall this was a good race to go for a PR because of the flatness and overall predictability.
The start/finish production was great. The way they took over Santana Row was awesome – great place to gather before and after the race. There were a lot of people cheering at the finish line which was cool, but supporters along the route were a lot sparser than most other more major races, so that was a little tough. I would have thought the corner of Santa Clara and Market should have been set up with a better spectator area and music since you passed it 3 times but nope. They had some live music along the way but it seemed a little randomly placed and didn’t serve as real hubs for supporters. So in terms of the fun excitement factor this race didn’t quite stack up.
Run around San Jose
I last ran this race a few years ago and it was just as good as before. The packet pick-up and start/finish were well organized. The course is mostly flat … MORE
I last ran this race a few years ago and it was just as good as before. The packet pick-up and start/finish were well organized. The course is mostly flat and takes you through most of the neighborhoods around downtown San Jose.
Fun Vibe and Atmosphere!
This was a local race for me, and I thought it was a good course overall through some nice parts of San Jose - there were some boring bits as … MORE
This was a local race for me, and I thought it was a good course overall through some nice parts of San Jose – there were some boring bits as well, but to be expected. It’s almost totally flat, as well, making it a good race for a potential PR. As it’s San Jose in June, it has potential to be very warm but we got lucky with a small dip in temperatures from the day before. Also, a lot of the course was blessedly shaded so that helped.
The start/finish production was great. Plenty of aid stations with abundant inventory to help with the warm temps. The start and finish at Santana Row was a great idea and made for a fun atmosphere with plenty to see as well as many dining options. On course support was a bit more sparse than I would have thought given it was a “hometown” kind of race. There was some live music on course, but also sparse. So although the non race participant vibe was lacking, I felt like the runners made up for it, everyone seemed to be having a great time and enjoying the experience!
The swag was great with a nice shirt and very creative and fun medal. I thought that the price point was great, not super expensive but not cheap either which is expected given the nice shirt and medal as well as the numerous street closures needed to make this event happen. I am looking forward to participating again – I really have no complaints!
Can’t wait to run this race again!
I decided to run this 8K while I visited my sister in San Jose. I’m coming back next year! From bib pick up all the way through, this was a … MORE
I decided to run this 8K while I visited my sister in San Jose. I’m coming back next year! From bib pick up all the way through, this was a great race! Bib pick up is at Santana Row, which is a fun street for shopping in San Jose. Lots of restaurants. This is actually where the race ends as well. There was plenty of free parking and it was easy to find. Race morning went incredibly smoothly. The race starts at the SAP Center. There was a charge for parking, but it was only six dollars. The start is just a five minute walk from the parking lot down to the street level. This was a bigger race than I was expecting, so it felt more like a half marathon. We started at 8:30, pretty much on the dot, but they did have to let us go in waves to accommodate how many people there were! The course was wonderful. We ran through beautiful neighborhoods, with lots of families sitting on their front porches or in their driveways cheering us on. Pretty flat the entire way. Course support was plentiful, and traffic control was fantastic. This is a point to point race, so we ended up at Santana Row after a last mile lined with mariachi bands – it is called the Mariachi Mile! Decent after race snacks, but nothing super special. Lots of restaurants and places to catch a meal afterward at Santana Row if the freebies aren’t sufficient. Buses back to the start line ran about every 10 minutes. I really enjoyed this race and can’t wait to try the half marathon next year!
A Very Well Organized Charity Run
Event & Course Description: My course description from 2016 is pretty good. The name, “408K” refers to the original area code for San Jose, “408”, and to the 8K distance. … MORE
Event & Course Description: My course description from 2016 is pretty good. The name, “408K” refers to the original area code for San Jose, “408”, and to the 8K distance. The section of the course that wends through the Rose Garden neighborhood is pretty pleasant, mostly pre-WW2 homes I think. There is a 180-degree hairpin turn during the 4th mile, something many runners find irritating. The final mile is called the “Mariachi Mile”, and there were six mariachi bands spaced through the mile (which otherwise is not very scenic).
Organization & Production: Run Local (formerly called Represent Running) has been organizing the 408K for several years. Run Local organizes races to benefit various charities, and the 408K was begun, even before Run Local became the organizer, as a benefit for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
There were 3 starting waves, divided according to runners’ estimated pace (part of registration). The course was well laid out and marshaled by volunteers and San Jose PD. The two aid stations were water-only, well staffed, and positioned in miles 3 and 4. There was a large-ish refreshments and recovery area, but I didn’t explore it. A decent goodie bag was given finishing runners in the finishing chute, just after receiving finisher’s medals. All in all, the 408K is a well organized medium-large running event
Bib: The bib has a white background, with the bib number and runner’s name in the center and bottom. These are color-coded for the starting wave. At the top left is the Amazon.com “smile” logo, and at the top right the 408K logo. Toward the bottom corners are light silhouettes representing the San Jose Sharks hockey team and the San Jose State Spartans
T-Shirt: The race T-shirt is teal blue (San Jose Sharks) tech type, with sponsors’ logos and date on the back. The front has custom artwork that includes “San Jose”, the San Jose State Spartans’ and Sharks’ mascots/logos, and at the bottom, the race logo. It’s a very nice race Tee!
Finisher’s Medal: The medallion is basically the same as the T-shirt artwork. The ribbon is white, with the race logo and “2020” along it. My description doesn’t do it justice!
My Results & Opinion of the Race: I had two “objects” in doing the 408K this year. It was a, “Can I still do this?” for me, and my daughter did the race “with” me (she finished half an hour ahead of me). She lives in China, so it was a special part of her visit home. I was very happy with my finish time. The 408K is a very well organized event and I will consider doing it again next year.
My Hometown
I live in Antioch but grew up in San Jose and this race course runs right by my house there. Can walk to the start line. For those without a … MORE
I live in Antioch but grew up in San Jose and this race course runs right by my house there. Can walk to the start line. For those without a connection to the area it might be basic, but for me I get to run through these streets I grew up on.
I always enjoy this hometown race
This race is a fun San Jose tradition. This year I thought they should have had an aid station sooner - it wasn't until about mile 3. I wasn't prepared … MORE
This race is a fun San Jose tradition. This year I thought they should have had an aid station sooner – it wasn’t until about mile 3. I wasn’t prepared for that and had expected one at 1.5 miles. The second aid station was really close to the first one so they could have been planned a little better…..and I should have checked where the aid stations were before the race :-). Otherwise it was a good time like it always is – good energy, fun design on the shirt, nice medal. The race ends at Santana Row and you need to bus (provided), uber/lyft, or run back to the start. Weather cooperated this year and rain didn’t come until race was finished! And yay I got a new course PR!
It is a fun 8K
This is a fun race. If you are not use to do anything longer than a 5k then this would be a good start to try to go a little … MORE
This is a fun race. If you are not use to do anything longer than a 5k then this would be a good start to try to go a little longer. the Race is a point to point race that starts down town San Jose and finishes at Santana Row. they have 2 themed miles during the run, Memorial Mile and Mariachi Mile. During the Memorial Mile they have invited local veterans and active military to participate in cheering on the runners. with the Mariachi Mile (the last mile) they have different bands come to play some mariachi music as you run to the finish. There is a big finishing party at Santana Row where you can get discounts on the food and merch. this is also the first in the “Run the Bay” series.
Great San Jose Tradition
This is a fun race starting at the SAP Center downtown, winding through the Rose Garden (ish) area and finishing at Santana Row. The race is well organized and supports … MORE
This is a fun race starting at the SAP Center downtown, winding through the Rose Garden (ish) area and finishing at Santana Row. The race is well organized and supports the Pat Tillman foundation which is the biggest reason I participate.
I Love this Race.
The 408K Run to the Row has a really fun vibe. It is family friendly, with the wonderful "Mariachi Mile" at the end, and the "Memorial Mile" honoring veterans in … MORE
The 408K Run to the Row has a really fun vibe. It is family friendly, with the wonderful “Mariachi Mile” at the end, and the “Memorial Mile” honoring veterans in person. It is also a fast course, and a perfect step up from a 5k.
I was nursing an injury, and supporting a friend taking photographs, so this was my slowest year.
Swag Area was disappointing
The course is very nice. Love the music on the last mile. As a walker however, like most races, those that finish in the last 1/4 of the participants who … MORE
The course is very nice. Love the music on the last mile.
As a walker however, like most races, those that finish in the last 1/4 of the participants who pay the same amount as those that finish in the first 3/4 of the participants, are treated to very little treats at the end, if any. This race was no different than others. Hoping some day 1. early finishers learn to only take their share of free items and not load up their goodie bag with all the give aways or 2. race organizers really limit what each person can take until all finishers have their share of the food and drink.
Will always be returning for this run
This is such a fun run! The scenery is awesome and makes the 5 miles breeze by!!! And I love that it ends at Santana Row!! The buses taking us … MORE
This is such a fun run! The scenery is awesome and makes the 5 miles breeze by!!! And I love that it ends at Santana Row!! The buses taking us back to our cars is awesome, not all races do that for you. I love how awesome the race Bling is!
good
that this race was a great one.....i bag and like the free fibies All are well taking care off.... bus are there for us..... love the medal.. thanks MORE
that this race was a great one…..i bag and like the free fibies
All are well taking care off…. bus are there for us….. love the medal.. thanks
Very Well Done City Street Race
Course Description: The 408K is named for the phone area code of San Jose, and the 8K distance of the race. Unlike other races run in central San Jose, the … MORE
Course Description:
The 408K is named for the phone area code of San Jose, and the 8K distance of the race. Unlike other races run in central San Jose, the 408K is a point-to-point course rather than an out-and-back or a loop. Runners start near – and run past – the HP Pavilion, home to the San Jose Sharks hockey team, and finish at Santana Row, a shopping and living complex. The course runs through a small business district, briefly, through some of San Jose’s nice older neighborhoods, and along two sides of San Jose’s Municipal Rose Garden, past an older middle school, around the back and side of a mall, and into Santana Row. Of the several races run in central San Jose, the 408K’s course is probably the nicest.
Organization & Production:
This was the 5th running of the 408K, and my fourth time doing it (I skipped the 2015 edition). Both the 2013 and 2014 editions had some organizational oopses that made those race experiences less than they might have been for me. This year was done well, from registering through leaving Santana Row.
Online information was fairly complete (I never found mention of a finish area T-shirt pick-up, which was available) and registration was easy. Pre-race email communications were helpful. I paid to have the bib mailed to me, and it arrived more than a week pre-race; this is a nice option for those who live farther from San Jose, or who don’t want to go to Santana Row on the Friday evening or Saturday before the race.
The parking at the HP Pavilion was $5. Everyone likes free, but $5 is not out of line for the entry/parking fee for the venues of many trail races I’ve done (many are $6). The Mountain View to Winchester line of VTA Light Rail has a couple of stops within easy walking distance of the HP Pavilion, so I got on at the Winchester station, and after finishing I walked the ~2.7 miles back to my car (I could have taken Light Rail back, but wanted the extra exercise).
There were ample portacans convenient to the start area. Runners were corralled into 4 waves by expected finish time, with an extra initial wave of wheelchair racers. Aid stations were simple, water being what I remember, though sports drink may have been offered. The course was well marshaled by San Jose PD and volunteers; one would have had to try to go off course. There were encouraging residents here and there along the course, and along the final “Mariachi Mile” there were several bands.
The finish area was well laid out. The finish arch was well down the Santana Row entry drive, and the people giving out water and medals were well separated from the arch and from each other (congestion was an unpleasant issue – to me – in the 2014 408K). The finishers’ lane continued and curved farther back, with stations for goodie bags and bananas, and then into the finishers’ area. There were a number of sponsors’ booths in the area, and a clearly visible and identified, well organized, pair of tables for T-shirt pick-up (this was another sore spot for me in the 2014 408K). For those who parked at the HP Pavilion there were shuttle buses to take runners back to the HP Pavilion. While I didn’t use this shuttle, a coworker who did the 408K did use the shuttle and told me that everything went well.
Receiving my finish time in almost real time by email was a nice touch. All in all, everything was tightly organized and well done!
Swag & Goodies:
Goodies: I’ve already mentioned the goodies, to the extent there were some. They had bottles of water (not chilled, which was OK on a cool March morning) and cut up bananas. And there were some packaged snacks in the goodie bag – a fruit & nuts bar, some packaged nuts, some fruit gummies, and some corn thins. I don’t like bananas, so the fresh goodies were quite underwhelming to me. Getting a grocery store and/or a bakery to supply more fruit and some bagels and/or pastries would be a relatively easy (and common) improvement. On the other hand, the snacks in the goodies bag were more than I’m used to, so …
Bib: The bib has the race name in isometric block characters, with the faces made to look like streets. In the middle of the “0” a shark fin is ripping through the number. Above is the logo of the race and the date. Across the lower part of the block characters is the bib number, with the racer’s name below the number. The bib numbers were color-coded to indicate the runner’s wave, and “Wave (#)” is in the top right corner.
T-Shirt: The race T-shirt is a gray Under Armour Heat Gear tech shirt. The front has the same graphic as the bib, except in color. The road on the “40” is black, with orange center stripe on the “4”. The “8K” road is teal blue with white center striping. The shark fin is black, outlined in orange.
The back has “5th Annual” over the race name/logo. Below the logo is the charity benefited by the race, the Pat Tillman Foundation, the race date, and the logos of the race sponsors.
Finisher’s Medal: The medal can be hung from the ribbon, or it has a base so it can stand like a trophy. At the top are name/logo of the race. The lower 2/3 is a street with a shark fin sticking out of it. Visually it’s much more impressive than my description, though it doesn’t have the race date.
My Results & Opinion of the Race:
I’m reasonably happy with my finish time. It wasn’t close to the PR I was hoping for, but my pace was faster than 15-minute miles, and I probably did as much actual running as I have in any previous race. That latter is one of the goals toward which I’m working this year.
I’d love to see the 408K (Represent Running is the organizer) work out a sponsorship arrangement that would result in more and more varied fresh foods in the finish area. That said, everything the organizer tried to do was done very well, without glitches or rough spots. And the bling – the race T-shirt, finisher’s medal, and bib – are excellent! Would I consider doing the 408K again? Definitely. The less than well done experiences in 2013 and 2014 have been fixed, and Represent Running seems to have put together a formula that works well and yields an excellent race experience.
Very well organized. Fun!
Very well organized from bib pick up to parking at SAP to running and finishing and bus back to start. Aid stations on course. Nice finisher medal. I enjoyed it. MORE
Very well organized from bib pick up to parking at SAP to running and finishing and bus back to start. Aid stations on course. Nice finisher medal. I enjoyed it.
The mariachi lift you along the course
Very flat course. Fun post race area with lots of booths and good restaurants for a early lunch. The mariachi bands were my favorite part, very memorable. I did this … MORE
Very flat course. Fun post race area with lots of booths and good restaurants for a early lunch. The mariachi bands were my favorite part, very memorable. I did this race as part of the I Run the Bay series. The medal cute with a shark (because hockey) wearing a sombrero dressed like a mariachi musician. If you’re up for a funny length race this one was pretty well orchestrated near I could tell. A little goodie bag at the end with some snacks.
Tedious Road Running.
Registration: Super easy. I got the $39 opening special. Email updates get a little tedious after a while and I ended up getting 2 or 3 of the same thing … MORE
Registration:
Super easy. I got the $39 opening special. Email updates get a little tedious after a while and I ended up getting 2 or 3 of the same thing in the 2 weeks before the event.
Packet Pick up:
I really wish they had day of pick up as I live over an hours drive away and had to make the trek to San Jose twice in one weekend. That said it was really easy to get my packet, you just needed to know your bib number and they check it against your name. The TShirts are pretty cool and something I will actually wear.
Course:
Nice and flat. Nice addition to have the different ”miles” (Veteran / Mariachi). The mile markers were not completely accurate though (yup.. the serious Runner in me notices these things). Mile 2 was actually 1.1mi and mile 3 was just 0.9mi.
The event started right on time as planned and without any hitches however I do think that some kind of enforcement of the waves has to be done. Upon coming to the start line there was no one checking bibs. I was put in wave 1 for my sub 8 min mile pace and standing at the start with about a dozen people deep in front of me I noticed a lot of the people around me were wearing bibs marked waves 2, 3 and even 4. Once we started it was also made clear that some people placed in wave 1 really should not have been there. I had to zig zag around people that were not going the correct pace for the wave. Had I been out to PR I would have been really pissed off.
Post Race:
I didn’t experience the ”hearding” that people had mentioned in previous years but I guess that could have been down to the fact I was one of the first 90 people to finish. There was some walk to the end to get our bibs but nothing major.
The post race food was really lame and looking at the pictures from previous years I was expecting to get more than what I did – a bottle of Water, Apple and some Fruit chews. NO BANANA! Really? That gives me the sads. It’s common knowledge that Runners eat Banana’s. The occasional Orange slice, yes. Apples No. Unless they’re in some form of Pastry (Mmmm, Carbs).
The medal is also pretty cool, it can be removed from the lanyard and used as a bottle opener and overall I am glad I can now mark this event off of my Running Bucket List but I doubt I will do it again. Way too far to come for what it is.
Additional:
This event is 1 or 3 of the ”Run the Bay” series challenge where if you complete all 3 events you get an additional medal.Other 2 events are the Across The Bay (12k or 5k) in San Francisco and Let’s Go 510 in Berkeley.