Sun, Sep 20, 2026

Lemon Run

Goleta, CA

Registration openAnnual since at least 2018

10K5K1K

Entry is $30 now and rises to $35 after Jul 31, 2026, so registering before then saves $5.

About the Lemon Run

The race takes place at Goleta Beach Park, right on the coast, and the routes spread out from there along the beach and surrounding area. There are several distance options, from a short family-friendly run up to a longer competitive race, so the start area tends to draw a wide mix of people. The setting does most of the work.

Parking at the beach fills up and the lot closes before the longer race wraps up, so arriving early or carpooling is worth thinking about. There is also overflow parking at a nearby office campus, and a bike valet is available if you ride in. Packet pickup the morning of is at the park, with an earlier option the day before at a local sportswear showroom on Hollister Avenue.

Free race emails

Get the Weekly RunSesh

In for this one or still deciding, keep race season near Goleta 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.

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.

5K · 2025 results

258finishers

17:20winner

33:35median

1:11:39cutoff

Top 3: Petros Kousis (17:20) · RICKY LOPEZ (20:17) · Jadyn Peterson (20:13)

10K · 2025 results

103finishers

36:41winner

55:21median

2:06:41cutoff

Top 3: R. Fitzgibbons (36:41) · Mengyang Gu (39:13) · Freddy Randall (39:36)

The Lemon Run 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 5K 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.

Distances & Start Times

10K9/20/2026 08:00$30

5K9/20/2026 09:30$30

1K9/20/2026 10:30$10

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 Goleta — 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 Lemon Run

Will I finish last at the Lemon Run?

Almost certainly not. Half the 5K field finished slower than 33:35, and the last recorded finisher came in around 1:11:39, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Lemon Run a good first 5K?

A field of 258 is big enough that you will have company at your pace without feeling lost in a crowd. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 5K, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Lemon Run?

The 5K winner ran 17:20 while the median finisher took 33:35. That spread points to a broad, mostly recreational field rather than a race dominated by club runners.