About the SOCAL River Marathon - 26.2 - 13.1 - 10K - 5K
The Santa Ana River Trail runs from inland desert terrain all the way to the coast, and this race uses a long stretch of it. The path is paved and mostly straight, with a gentle downhill grade the whole way that you barely notice until your legs feel fresher than expected late in the race. The only real bumps come when the trail dips under roads and freeways.
The full and half marathons start at different inland points, with buses leaving from the finish area at Huntington Beach State Park to get runners to their starts. Shorter distances go out and back from the same park. Packet pickup runs the evening before at a running store in Costa Mesa; same-day pickup at the finish area carries an added fee.
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Distances & Start Times
3.1 Miles2/27/2027 11:15$40
6.2 Miles2/27/2027 11:00$45
13.1 Miles2/27/2027 09:30$85
26.2 Miles2/27/2027 08:00$100
Virtual SOCAL Race (Any Distance)2/27/2027 08:00$40
Pacer Full Marathon invite only2/27/2027 08:00$1000
Pacer Half Marathon invite only2/27/2027 09:30$1000
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