Surf, sun, run! Mild winter weather accompanied by miles of wide, sandy California beaches, as far as the eyes can see. 10 miles, to be exact – the longest stretch of uninterrupted beachfront anywhere on the West Coast – and home of the ideal winter marathon. HB’s long stretch of …
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Surf, sun, run! Mild winter weather accompanied by miles of wide, sandy California beaches, as far as the eyes can see. 10 miles, to be exact – the longest stretch of uninterrupted beachfront anywhere on the West Coast – and home of the ideal winter marathon.
HB’s long stretch of coastline is perfect for your Southern California “run-beach” vacation. These California beaches are some of HB’s greatest attributes, and it shows in the clean and safe reputations of both the sand and water.
Find out more information about all of our beautiful Southern California beaches and get a head start in planning your next marathon adventure around the perfect California beach vacation.
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Surf City is great as a half marathon
I've run both the full and half marathons at Surf City. The full has huge out and backs that proved to be very tough for me. The half marathon is … MORE
I’ve run both the full and half marathons at Surf City. The full has huge out and backs that proved to be very tough for me. The half marathon is a great course, mostly flat with great production and views. I’ll be back for the half vs the full next year.
Fast, flat fun on Highway One
The Surf City Half is a good time by the beach! It’s flat, fast, and features nice (though somewhat repetitive) views of the beach. Expo / pickup: -The race expo … MORE
The Surf City Half is a good time by the beach! It’s flat, fast, and features nice (though somewhat repetitive) views of the beach.
Expo / pickup:
-The race expo and packet pick-up was set up outdoors at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington St. There were large, individual tents for bib pickup, shirt pickup, and merch sales. If you fancy the shirts from last year’s race, those are on sale at a discounted price. Smaller tents housed the sponsors and exhibitors. If you’re a Longboard Legacy Runner, the Legacy tent is located among the sponsor tents, not with the regular shirt pickup tent—it’s easy to miss. As you exit the expo, you’ll be greeted with photo ops including a surfboard/wave display, as well as rows of VW surf vans on display!
Parking/Pre-race:
-The start line is near the southern corner of Huntington St and PCH, so your closest parking options are public beach lots up and down PCH, or private parking garages at higher rates, including the Pacific City Mall or the Huntington Beach Pier. This year, the race also organized free shuttles from the Civic Center and Edison High School. The start-line and expo area had plenty of port-a-potties, and the local beach restrooms were also available (though less clean, I’ve heard!). The start corral was clearly divided by pace groups, but the front corral gates seemed to close pretty quickly, forcing late arrivers to start navigating from the back. One thing to keep in mind: the Marathon runners start over an hour before the Half, and the 5k runners start 45 minutes before the Half. There were many returning 5k participants crowding the area outside the corral, so it added to a slightly chaotic energy to proceedings.
Course:
-The Surf City Half Marathon is an out-and-back course, with the majority on the Pacific Coast Highway. Miles 1-3 go north on PCH, with hotels, restaurants, shops, and houses on your right, and Huntington Beach, including the Pier, on your left. Crowd support is strong in this stretch! Before Mile 3, you turn right onto Seapoint Street to head inland through residential neighborhoods, up the highest inclines of the course (my Strava noted a ~4% incline for about tenth of a mile). This portion was also the narrowest of the race since you’re going from a wide-open highway to smaller streets, and at the same time sharing the route with the full-marathoners. You make a loop near Overlook Park and the Bluffs residential area, head back down Seapoint Street, and return to PCH just ahead of Mile 6. Miles 6-8 are a flat stretch with Bolsa Chica State Beach on your left, and Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve on your right. It’s a neat experience to run with 2 different bodies of water on either side of you. The water stations and turnaround at Mile 8 are the start of your long trek back. Miles 8-11 can be the toughest because the sun is starting to emerge, but this year’s cloud cover provided some great relief. The second steepest “hill” kicks in at Mile 10.5, right when your legs are getting heavy. Miles 11-13 are the home stretch—familiar beach sights and the return of the crowd’s cheers give you a boost right when you need it. It’s a flat, straight shot all the way to the finish line, a great ending to the race!
Scenery/Weather/Support:
-The Surf City Half’s greatest strength is the views of the beach. On the other hand, the particular view of the beach doesn’t vary much. It’s the same type of beach, from basically the same elevation, with only the intensity of the sun increasing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very pretty view of the beach, but the monotony adds a grind to the second half of the race. And when you can’t look at the beach it’s because you’re staring at parking lots filled trucks and RVs blocking your view of the beach. Hydration stations serving water and electrolytes were adequate, the Chargel gels at Mile 8 were refreshing, and the volunteers were awesome. Crowd support and bands/DJs in the 1-2 miles near the start/finish line was great, but it is relatively quiet for the rest of the race, especially when coming back. Temperatures at the start line began in the mid-50s. It was a cloudy day, perfect for running, and temperatures were just about to hit 60 degrees when I finished.
Post-race:
-Finish-line goodies included your finisher medal, Aquafina water, Snyder’s Mini Pretzels, a Dole Fruit cup, an Over Easy Oatmeal Raisin breakfast bar, a banana, and TruMoo chocolate milk. The post-race festival by the beach is ideal for pictures, drinking, and celebrating, in whatever order you prefer. The beer garden was sponsored by Michelob Ultra.
Swag:
-Running at Surf City is a celebration of Huntington Beach’s surf culture. The finisher medal features graphics of a VW surf van, palm trees, the pier, and the Surf City logo on a horizontal orange surf board. The surf board medal is looped in an orange ribbon, but the best part is that the medal is mounted on a small stand, so you can hang the medal or display it upright anywhere! I liked this year’s official race shirt as well—a navy blue, long-sleeve tech shirt with a surf van, surf board, and palm trees at the center, and the left sleeve colored in a bright orange. Very nice! I wasn’t as thrilled with the Longboard Legacy shirt. The shirt design on the website looks great—a light blue, long-sleeve shirt, with a yellow sunset behind blue/orange surfboards and palm trees. Unfortunately, that’s the BACK of the shirt. The front just has the simplest white text across the chest, with no colors or interesting graphics. Wish there was a little more color or energy in the front!
Bottom-line:
-The Surf City Half Marathon is fun and well-organized. You get a fast and flat course, and the beach views are always a good time.
Getting back at it with an amazing event
After 5 years of no formal racing activity, I decided this was going to be the year. Been racing in orange county at community walks, park hiking, run activities on … MORE
After 5 years of no formal racing activity, I decided this was going to be the year. Been racing in orange county at community walks, park hiking, run activities on my own but felt I needed to do a challenge to my mind and body. This was an amazing race to do this with a beautiful scenery, great sense of community, event producers, great running spirit and while I was disappointed of not meeting my personal record from 5 years ago it infuse my desire to prepare myself more and be ready for the next one. I’ll definitely will work very hard to not let another 5 years passed by. Love the swag, the post race events and having fun. I’ll definitely be repeating this race for next year. Thank you Surf City committee.
Legacy Runner
I love this course and race venue. Of the last 12 years, I only missed 2 years. I loved that they have the Legacy participants the best early bird registration … MORE
I love this course and race venue. Of the last 12 years, I only missed 2 years. I loved that they have the Legacy participants the best early bird registration prices. This year they switched companies and the overall registration with processing fees come out about $20 more. Therefore I hesitate to register for next year. I wish they would honor Legacy runners by giving them a locked in rate for their loyalty to the race venue.
Definitely would recommend
There is so much to see and enjoy before and after the race. The vibe is so chill. The course is pretty flat. There is one hill but it's not … MORE
There is so much to see and enjoy before and after the race. The vibe is so chill. The course is pretty flat. There is one hill but it’s not bad. The scenery is lovely the weather Is usually great. We had overcast all morning which made for a cool run. There is music, bands and DJs along the course and plenty of spectators. In my opinion there is plenty of porta potties and water stations.
Awesome first time race w beautiful View
This course was absolutely breathtaking- running through the beaches on the perfect cloudy day then the last hour or so the sun coming through as you finish your race- amazing! … MORE
This course was absolutely breathtaking- running through the beaches on the perfect cloudy day then the last hour or so the sun coming through as you finish your race- amazing! The course was never too difficult and I had such a great first marathon! The course is mostly flat with one bigger hill before mile 10 and I found a pacer group to run with. I had the best time and you can tell by my big smile in the picture below
I a want to sign up for the same one 😎
Fast course along the beach
This was my sixth time running the half-marathon. It is a well-run race over a flat course with very few turns. The shirt and medals have always been nice. There's … MORE
This was my sixth time running the half-marathon. It is a well-run race over a flat course with very few turns. The shirt and medals have always been nice. There’s beer and music at the finish festival (although this year there was a DJ instead of a live band as in previous years).
Absolutely love this race
This is an easy fast course with some incredible view of the ocean. There are plenty of water stations along the course with great volunteers cheering you along. Oh and … MORE
This is an easy fast course with some incredible view of the ocean. There are plenty of water stations along the course with great volunteers cheering you along. Oh and let talk about the swag, best medals and shirts. Never a disappointment.
Flawless Logistics, Perfect Views
This was my first race 4 weeks postpartum and it was so much fun. Logistically, postpartum running is tricky, with a short window in between breastfeeding and taking care of … MORE
This was my first race 4 weeks postpartum and it was so much fun. Logistically, postpartum running is tricky, with a short window in between breastfeeding and taking care of an infant, I appreciated the ease of parking, the on time start, gorgeous course, and kind community that made this event exactly what my new runner mama heart needed. I was able to pump in the car, make it to the start line, and enjoy the gorgeous course running with such a supportive crowd along the way. This is my new favorite race and I look forward to coming back!
Fast course with perfect weather
I had the privilege of calling Huntington Beach home for 3 years. Now, after 3 years of having moved, I am glad to have participated in the Half Marathon. It … MORE
I had the privilege of calling Huntington Beach home for 3 years. Now, after 3 years of having moved, I am glad to have participated in the Half Marathon. It was very well organized with plenty of aid stations and bathrooms along the way. Everything from the registration to the beer garden was excellent. The course itself was mostly a straight line which allowed for a fast time but did get monotonous at times. The only complaint I have is that the beach bathrooms were very dirty. This had nothing to do with the marathon as they are city bathrooms but just wanted to make other runners aware that they are better off using the portable toilets.
Perfect way to spend the weekend
Beautiful scenery, beautiful weather and a well organized event Never fails!!! The shuttle bus pick up service they offer is amazing! They do everything on time the medal is beautiful, … MORE
Beautiful scenery, beautiful weather and a well organized event
Never fails!!! The shuttle bus pick up service they offer is amazing! They do everything on time the medal is beautiful,
Excellent way to spend the first weekend of February
Energy for 2023 was OFF THE HOOK! ☀️
If you’re into SUNSHINE, meaning vibes, people, and epic views, THIS is a MUST DO! 🙌🏼☀️🤘🏼The start was unbelievable, due to the sea of runners! Seeing our flag up ahead … MORE
If you’re into SUNSHINE, meaning vibes, people, and epic views, THIS is a MUST DO! 🙌🏼☀️🤘🏼The start was unbelievable, due to the sea of runners! Seeing our flag up ahead at the starting line always gets me, and finishing up with the breathtaking surf along side is just amazing. Thank you, once again, for a GREAT RACE! SEE YOU NEXT YEAR! ☀️
One and done
First off, I’ve only done one race before, which was the Gorge Half Marathon, and I am a very slow runner. After running Surf City, I realize that they spoiled … MORE
First off, I’ve only done one race before, which was the Gorge Half Marathon, and I am a very slow runner. After running Surf City, I realize that they spoiled me at the Gorge, and ruined other races for me forever.
The good news about Surf City is that the track is fairly flat and the last section (around mile 16-26ish) is on the beach. They also seem to have a good relationship with the city; it was clean and seemed organized. Other highlights included a pretty medal. If you are average or fast, and you don’t care about snacks, you will probably enjoy this race and get a great PR.
That said, I would not run it a second time as a slow runner or a first timer:
– the plodding up the PCH is excruciating. The scenery in that stretch is about as interesting as a fingernail.
– Whoever decided it would be a great idea to stick the hordes of half marathoners with fresh legs with the slower half of the marathoners has a sick, twisted sense of humor. I felt like simba in a stampede of wildebeests and was really thrown off and surprised. I went from having a nice quiet experience with people at a similar pace to me to being run down by a bunch of people with fresh legs, all while going down the most boring stretch.
– where were the snacks?!? Is it normal to have no water or snacks available for runners the morning of, or at the aid stations? Did the Gorge spoil me or is this the deal at most marathons? Not even a water bottle until you finish running 26.2 miles? The only tents that had it were clubs, which felt very exclusive. I asked a staff member and he pointed me to a third party food truck. I flew out here to do this race, it was my first race, and it felt weird that it was less supportive than the Columbia Gorge, a much smaller race.
If you are an average runner, none of this would probably bother you, but for a slow newbie it detracted a bit from the experience.
Epic Half Marathon For First Timers
Beautiful run down PCH. Super impressed by everything this race had to offer for my first Half Marathon. From online registration, to pre-info emails, to port-a-potties at the event, to … MORE
Beautiful run down PCH. Super impressed by everything this race had to offer for my first Half Marathon. From online registration, to pre-info emails, to port-a-potties at the event, to refreshments during the run, snacks after, medical tents available, etc. It was a great experience for my first of hopefully many more to come. I’m hooked!
Most Beautiful, peaceful, friendly route
From the beginning you can tell how well organized this race is. Running through PCH, to the park, bike path, it was just gorgeous. I never got tired of the … MORE
From the beginning you can tell how well organized this race is. Running through PCH, to the park, bike path, it was just gorgeous. I never got tired of the views. There’s only one hill (mile 9)- rest is nice and flat. Lots of water stations and restrooms!!!
Fun fast race
Surf city is consistently a fun time. Beer and music at the end. Flat scenic course with minimum turns. I have run it several times and will continue as long … MORE
Surf city is consistently a fun time. Beer and music at the end. Flat scenic course with minimum turns. I have run it several times and will continue as long as my legs hold out.
Surf city marathon is a great start
i'm a big fan of the surf city marathon because it is an excellent way to start the year. Most years this event falls on superbowl which is an awesome … MORE
i’m a big fan of the surf city marathon because it is an excellent way to start the year. Most years this event falls on superbowl which is an awesome way to start the day before gorging ourselves on superbowl treats
The surf city marathon is basically three out and backs, the second two out and backs are draining mentally because you can see exactly how far you have to go to finish. buttttttt you have the roaring surf and coastal breeze pushing you along, plus the satisfaction of finishing the first marathon of the year
Most scenic beach Run ever!
This was my first ever race, and I have to say the ambience was everything! Great support system! It was absolutely gorgeous scenery. Their were 2 small gradual hills, but … MORE
This was my first ever race, and I have to say the ambience was everything! Great support system! It was absolutely gorgeous scenery. Their were 2 small gradual hills, but I has having such a good time I didn’t even feel them. Event was super organized, and the medal is awesome! This is definitely a race I plan to do next year! This was an amazing experience I would recommend to every one in beautiful sunny California! ☀️ 🌊🏃🏽♀️
It was great
I had a great time, course map was easy to follow. No complains and I can’t wait to do it again. At the finish plenty of water and snacks to … MORE
I had a great time, course map was easy to follow. No complains and I can’t wait to do it again. At the finish plenty of water and snacks to rehydrate. During the run plenty of medical aide and water station’s available
Amazing, well organized event great swag
No complaints here, easy course and great organization!! Plus the swag was well worth it!! I would suggest free day of bib pick up or offer other locations for pick … MORE
No complaints here, easy course and great organization!! Plus the swag was well worth it!!
I would suggest free day of bib pick up or offer other locations for pick up for people that live faraway,