Biegi Marathon w pobliżu Woodside

The Santa Cruz Marathon is a coastal race series held in Santa Cruz, California. Its routes wind along the beach, bluffs, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Participants begin near the historic boardwalk, proceed through seaside streets towards Capitola Village, and then return to Santa Cruz for a finish adjacent to the sand. The half marathon follows a southbound out-and-back course through coastal neighborhoods and Capitola. Marathon participants continue further, incorporating the rugged trails and ocean vistas of Wilder Ranch State Park. The race offers marked courses, hydration stations, on-route support, medals, and refreshments at the finish line.

The Crystal Springs Trail Run begins at Huddart Park in Woodside, California, leading runners into the wooded paths surrounding King’s Mountain and Bear Gulch. This winter trail race offers distances from a 5-mile run to an ultramarathon, including a half marathon, 22 miles, a marathon, and a 50K. A free 50-yard dash is also available for children aged 6 and under. Established in 2006, the event does not offer prize money, fostering a community atmosphere rather than a professional competition. The course is predominantly unpaved, with approximately 95% of the route on dirt trails, featuring a total elevation gain of 4,810 feet. Participants will traverse redwood forests and areas dense with ferns. The organizers emphasize trail etiquette, requesting runners announce passes, remain on marked paths to avoid poison oak, and refrain from using headphones on single-track sections, road crossings, aid stations, and near the finish line. Bibs indicate each runner's chosen distance, and participants can change their race distance via email or during check-in.

The Montara Mountain Trail Run is a February trail-running series held in San Pedro Valley Park, Pacifica, California. The main races begin in the morning, offering runners a selection of distances: 10K, half marathon, 20.7 miles, marathon, and 50K. A free 50-yard dash is available for children aged six and under, alongside a free Coastal Testing event that starts before the main races. The course ascends Montara Mountain, an area noted by the race organizers as the sole undisturbed coastal mountain habitat along over 100 miles of coastline. Participants will run past huckleberry, honeysuckle, lilac, chinquapin, and manzanita groves, with views of the Pacific Coast appearing as they climb. The event likely attracts a diverse field because of the range of distances from a short trail race to an ultramarathon, and the kids' dash encourages families to attend before the longer races commence.

The Oakland Marathon takes place over a weekend in March in Oakland, California. It offers a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, and a Kids Fun Run. Kaiser Permanente presents the full marathon. The event is designed for a broad spectrum of runners, not exclusively marathon specialists. The expo, kids run, and race festival also attract spectators and families who are not participating. The marathon course is a single loop passing through Oakland landmarks and crosses the Bay Bridge. The finish line is at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, a location also noted as a good vantage point for the final stretch. The full marathon is known among runners for its scenic and challenging terrain. The event collaborates with Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, with race entries, donations, and fundraising benefiting local youth.

The Redwood (Spring) Trail Run is a spring trail-running event held at Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, with races taking place within Redwood Regional Park. Participants can select from a short sprint or 5-mile run up to a half marathon, 30K, marathon, and 50K, accommodating children, novice trail runners, and those seeking a long run on trails. The course follows the park’s East Ridge and West Ridge trails, descending into sections of tall redwoods via the Stream and Bridle trails. The children's 50-yard dash is complimentary for ages six and under, youth 5-mile divisions offer reduced entry fees, and the primary adult distances commence in the morning. Distances are measured using a Rolatape surveyor’s wheel, a detail important for trail courses where GPS accuracy can be affected by tree cover and terrain.

The Horseshoe Lake Trail Run is a 13.0-mile trail half marathon situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It begins and concludes at the Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve parking lot, located on the west side of Skyline Boulevard. The event takes place on a Sunday, with check-in commencing at 8 am and the race starting at 9 am in the horse trailer lot. The race's informal names offer insight into its character: “There’s always one more hill half marathon” and “Steve Patt’s birthday half marathon.” The course navigates both single-track trails and fireroads, passing through shaded woodlands, open hillsides, and featuring rolling ascents totaling 2,535 feet of elevation gain. Participants will travel northwest along the Bay Area Ridge Trail towards Rapley Ranch Road, descend from the ridge in the direction of the Pacific, ascend once more, and conclude with a clockwise circuit around Cathedral Hill. Proceeds from the entry fee support The Hatuey Project, an organization that supplies medicine to Cuban children battling cancer, with the race director matching each entry-fee donation.

The SPASM Lake Chabot Trail Run begins at the marina in Lake Chabot Regional Park, Castro Valley, California. Runners follow dirt paths around the reservoir and adjacent hills. This is primarily an unpaved trail race, with distances from short runs to the half marathon, marathon, 30K, and 50K. Some editions also include a 2-mile sprint or 8K. The event, established in 2010, caters to those preferring a trail run over a road race. The course encircles Lake Chabot Reservoir, constructed to supply water for the East Bay. Thus, the run takes place around a functional piece of local history, not a venue solely for racing. Approximately 95% of the running occurs on unpaved trails. Organizers use a Rolatape surveyor's wheel for distance measurements. The event accommodates novice trail runners, experienced long-distance participants, and families, offering a free 50-yard kids' dash for children aged six and under.