Sat, Aug 8, 2026

Bear Creek

Orinda, CA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018

13.32 Miles6.3 Miles5K

Entry is $73 now and rises to $78 after Aug 8, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, and the spread of finish times is wide, so this is a mostly recreational race rather than one for club runners.

3.1 Miles · 2025 results

115finishers

20:15winner

40:13median

1:32:55cutoff

Top 3: Jhovany Mendoza (20:15) · Romain Nguyen (23:19) · Matthew Abatangle (23:40)

6.3 Miles · 2025 results

108finishers

47:10winner

1:21:22median

2:20:42cutoff

Top 3: Dustin Needham (47:10) · David Brickner (47:22) · Miguel Mendoza (47:26)

13.32 Miles · 2025 results

93finishers

1:52:55winner

2:47:23median

4:30:02cutoff

Top 3: Woody Szydlik (1:52:55) · Clinton Keller (1:59:35) · Marcus Madrid (1:59:52)

13.1 Miles · 2025 results

14finishers

3:29:31winner

4:04:22median

6:29:00cutoff

Top 3: Sean Pickett (3:29:31) · Jerwin Magbalot (3:37:11) · Alex Stroup (3:39:06)

The Bear Creek has been held every year since at least 2018. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 3.1 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Orinda on your radar: a Monday look ahead and a Thursday rundown of the weekend's races.

Two helpful emails per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Distances & Start Times

13.32 Miles8/8/2026 07:30$100

6.3 Miles8/8/2026 07:30$82

3.1 Miles8/8/2026 07:30$73

Remote Runner8/8/2026 07:30$50

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

Traveling for this race? The map shows hotels and rentals in and around Orinda — pan or zoom to compare what's nearby.

The map is provided by Stay22. If you book through it, RunSesh may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never affects the races we list.

Common Questions About the Bear Creek

Will I finish last at the Bear Creek?

Almost certainly not. Half the 3.1 Miles field finished slower than 40:13, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:32:55, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Bear Creek a good first 3.1 Miles?

It is a small race (115 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 3.1 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Bear Creek?

The 3.1 Miles winner ran 20:15 while the median finisher took 40:13. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.