America's Finest City Half Marathon
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America's Finest City Half Marathon & 5K
The 49th annual America's Finest City Half Marathon & 5K takes place in San Diego on August 16, 2026. The event offers both in person and virtual options for the half marathon and the 5K.
The half marathon is a point to point course that begins at Cabrillo National Monument and passes through Historic Fort Rosecrans and Point Loma. Runners continue along San Diego Bay, Harbor Island and the Embarcadero, pass the Star of India, move through downtown San Diego, and finish in Balboa Park. The 5K follows a flat route through the heart of Balboa Park.
Distances
- Half Marathon - 13.1 Miles
- 5K - 3.1 Miles
- Virtual Half Marathon - 13.1 Miles
- Virtual 5K - 3.1 Miles
Entry items and event services include a technical fabric short sleeve shirt, a custom finisher medal, a reusable souvenir bag, a one day pass to the Carlsbad Columbia Sportswear Company Employee Store, a finish line food bag, and complimentary beer in the beer garden. The event provides chip timing with live tracking, support stations along the route, a pre race expo, and finish line amenities such as chocolate milk and a DJ.
Team registration is available. Teams with 25 or more members may qualify for a team booth at the Finish Line Festival. Team scoring applies to the half marathon only and requires at least ten members with at least two of each gender; team scores are the average of the top ten chip times that meet those gender requirements.
Time limits apply: the half marathon has a 3.25 hour limit and the 5K has a 1 hour limit. Wheelchair competitors must follow organizer qualification and registration instructions. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
