5K races near Pomona

Superheroes Triumph! 5K OC is an annual 5K run, walk, and roll at Mason Regional Park in Irvine, California. The event accommodates a wide range of abilities, with a superhero theme reflected in participant perks: every participant receives a cape, a race bib, and a finisher medal. The course is chip timed, fast, and gently rolling, allowing runners a competitive 5K while walkers and rollers navigate a manageable park route. The setup is straightforward: snacks are provided before and after the race, the theme encourages costumes, and the format places first-timers, families, and regular runners on the same course.

The Long Beach Race for Rare is a 5K run and walk held at Granada Launch Ramp on East Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach, California. The morning features a timed 5K run, a 5K walk, a virtual 5K option, and a picnic-only entry for those wishing to support the cause without participating in the course. Local hosts Lynn and Scott Hopkins coordinate the event with the National MPS Society, with proceeds benefiting that group’s efforts for families affected by MPS and ML conditions. The event begins with onsite registration, packet pickup, and pre-race entertainment prior to the 5K. It then proceeds to awards, a raffle, and a beachside picnic with lunch included in registration. The cause is the primary motivation for attendance: rare diseases impact approximately 10% of Americans, fewer than 5% have an FDA-approved treatment, and many children with rare conditions pass away at a young age. This is a community race, not an elite competition, centered on families, local supporters, walkers, runners, and individuals raising awareness for rare disease care and research.

Bubble Run Irvine is a family-friendly foam run at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, California, near Irvine. It follows a relaxed 5K-style format, focusing on participation rather than speed: adults, kids, and people with strollers can run, walk, dance, or play their way across up to 3 miles. Participants typically begin in white T-shirts, allowing the colored foam to create a visual effect by the finish. The course guides participants through Foam Bogs, each containing a different color of 100% safe foam and ample bubbles to coat everyone from head to toe. Staff, known as Bubble-teers, assist in ensuring participants are thoroughly foamed. The event's description likens the experience to moving through Willy Wonka’s factory. Starts are organized in waves, with heats divided into smaller groups, contributing to a day that feels more like a continuous family festival than a standard road race.

The Montebello Heritage 5K/10K is an annual October running event in Montebello, California, offering both 5K and 10K distances. Both races begin at 1301 W. Whittier Boulevard, with the 5K starting at Montebello City Park. The event commences in the morning and is part of the Montebello Heritage Festival. The course follows historic Whittier Boulevard, connecting the race to a central Montebello street. This is a community-focused race, not exclusively for elite runners. The entry fee is the same for both distances, and all participants receive a shirt and medal.

The Boyle Heights 5K Run/Walk is a community race in Los Angeles, starting and finishing at Mariachi Plaza. Participants cover 3.1 miles in the 5K event, which takes place in October with a morning start and late-morning finish. The day includes more than just the main 5K. A Munchkin Run is available for younger children, and a Classic Car Show is part of the gathering, contributing to a neighborhood feel rather than a standard road race. The Mariachi Plaza start and finish locate the race in one of Boyle Heights’ most recognizable public spaces.

Pink on Parade is a breast cancer awareness walk held at Ryan Bonaminio Park in Riverside, California. It is designed for families, teams, survivors, supporters, and those bringing pets, offering a 5K route or a shorter 1.7K Family Fun walk around the park. The 5K route can incorporate Mt. Rubidoux and is structured around the cancer journey. The shorter option makes the day accessible for children and casual walkers. The event honors survivors, remembers those lost to cancer, and directs all proceeds to The Pink Ribbon Place, a local resource center assisting individuals and families impacted by cancer. Beyond the walking paths, the event features a survivor pavilion, vendor expo, kids zone, food and beverages, a pre-walk stretch, team awards for fundraising and spirit, a T-shirt design competition, merchandise, and a classic car show displaying imports and domestics from the 1940s to the 1980s.

Costumes are the first thing you notice at the Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Halloween Half Marathon & 5K: runners show up as skeletons, superheroes, rodeo clowns, and stranger things. The race is a road event in Los Angeles, run in October, with a mostly flat half marathon and a shorter 5K for people who want the Halloween crowd without the full 13.1 miles. The half marathon starts and finishes at L.A. Live, near the arena long associated with the Lakers, and uses two out-and-back sections. One leg heads south toward Exposition Park, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the edge of the USC campus; the other goes north and west through downtown, MacArthur Park, and Koreatown before turning back near the Miracle Mile. Half marathoners get four hours to finish, measured by personal chip time.

Los Muertos 5K starts at 8:00 a.m. on Main Street inside El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument, with Olvera Street as the race-day hub in downtown Los Angeles. It is a 5K run/walk tied to Día de los Muertos, so the morning includes face painting before and after the start, bib pickup in the center plaza, and awards later in the morning. Runners can pick up packets ahead of race day at Angel City Brewery or on race morning at Historic Olvera Street, and there is no bag drop, so valuables need to stay with the runner, in the car, or at home. The course leaves the oldest section of Los Angeles, runs through lower Chinatown, turns onto Alameda Street toward Los Angeles State Historic Park, crosses the Los Angeles River, and turns around at 19th Ave. The return gives runners a downtown skyline view before a slight uphill finish back at Olvera Street. Past results and photos are posted online, which gives the event a visible history beyond the current race. Union Station’s Gateway Center Plaza Garage is the main parking option listed for participants, with another garage on Commercial Street close to Olvera Street.