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Which SoCal race should you sign up for before 2026 ends?

If you already run a few days a week and want a half, the San Diego Holiday Half on December 19 gives you the most time to get ready. With less time, Silver Strand in Coronado on November 8 has four distances from a 5K up to 13.1, and Thrive San Diego follows on November 14. If you were hoping for HYROX, Anaheim (December 3 to 6) is sold out, but San Diego gets its first one May 13 to 16, 2027.

By Thais OneySan Diego, CAPublished September 28, 2026

Two women running away from the camera down a red track, with a palm tree and green hillside ahead under a gray sky

How I’m choosing

I want one more race on my calendar before the year is over, and I haven’t picked it yet. I ran my first half marathon in May and I train six days a week between running and lifting, so the plan was to make this one my first HYROX. Anaheim sold out fast. I’m going to try for a spot at HYROX San Diego in May 2027 instead, which leaves a running race to close out this year. This is me doing the homework out loud, and you’re welcome to use it.

Every race here is in Southern California and links to its official page. I’m not a coach, so the week counts are about how much calendar you have left, not a training plan.

How many weeks until race day?

That number decides most of this. Here’s every race I’m weighing, soonest first: San Diego County, plus the ones worth the drive in Orange County, LA, Riverside and up the coast.

Southern California races before the end of 2026. Prices include fees where the race lists them.
Race	Race day	Distances	Price	Status
Mission Inn Foundation Run Riverside	October 18 3 weeks away	5K · 10K · Half Marathon	From $60.31	Open Registration
RunThrough Long Beach Half, 10K & 5K Long Beach	October 24 4 weeks away	5K · 10K · Half Marathon	From $47	Open Registration
Malibu Moves Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Malibu	October 24 4 weeks away	5K · 10K · Half Marathon	From $109.91	Open Registration
Beer City Half, Orange County Santa Ana	November 7 6 weeks away	5K · 10K · Half Marathon	From $54	Open Registration
Silver Strand Half Marathon, 10 Miler, 12K & 5K Coronado	November 8 6 weeks away	5K · 12K · 10 Mile · Half Marathon	From $63.46	Open Registration
Santa Barbara Half Marathon & 5K Santa Barbara	November 8 6 weeks away	5K · Half Marathon	From $76.65	Open Registration
Kaiser Permanente Thrive San Diego Half Marathon & 5K San Diego	November 14 7 weeks away	5K · Half Marathon · Half Marathon Relay	From $68.84	Open Registration
Dana Point Turkey Trot Dana Point	November 26 8 weeks away	5K · 10K	From $48	Open Registration
O'side Turkey Trot Oceanside	November 26 8 weeks away	5K · Double Dip 5K	From $55.99	Open Registration
Goleta Beach Holiday Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Goleta	December 12 11 weeks away	5K · 10K · Half Marathon	From $43.40	Open Registration
Santa to the Sea Half Marathon Oxnard	December 13 11 weeks away	5K · Quarter Marathon · Half Marathon	From $85.79	Open Registration
San Diego Holiday Half Marathon & 5K San Diego	December 19 12 weeks away	5K · Half Marathon	Check site	Open Registration

Last verified: September 28, 2026

Most of these raise the price in steps as race day gets closer, so the same bib costs more in November than it does today. If a row says sold out, it’s there so you don’t spend a morning looking for a way in.

For races outside SoCal or next year’s calendar, the full list lives in Race Picks, where you can filter by month, distance and price.

What distance fits the time you have left?

Most beginner half marathon plans run about 12 weeks and assume you can already run around 3 miles. Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 is the one a lot of people start with, and it asks for exactly that: 3 miles, three or four times a week, before week one.

Two women running side by side on a red track next to a football field under an overcast sky

So if you’re starting from a couple of easy runs a week, December is your half. If you’ve kept running since a spring race, 5 or 6 weeks to a November half is enough to get used to the distance again. It’s not much time to build one from scratch, though.

That’s where the shorter races come in. A 5K or 10K fits almost any date on this list, and Silver Strand lets you pick a 5K, a 12K, 10 miles or the full half on the same morning.

Need a few more weeks to train?

Then look at January. Mid January is about 16 weeks away, which fits a full 12 week beginner half marathon plan. Two of SoCal’s big halves land on the same Sunday, January 17, and Surf City follows on February 7.

SoCal half marathons in early 2027. Prices include fees where the race lists them.
Race	Race day	Distances	Price	Status
Carlsbad Marathon, Half & 5K Carlsbad	January 17 16 weeks away	5K · Half Marathon · Full Marathon	Check site	Open Registration
Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K Pasadena	January 17 16 weeks away	5K · Half Marathon	From $77.50	Open Registration
Surf City Marathon & Half Huntington Beach	February 7 19 weeks away	5K · Half Marathon · Full Marathon	Check site	2027 Registration Open

Last verified: September 28, 2026

Carlsbad is the coastal one, out and back on the old Highway 101. The Rose Bowl finishes on the field inside the stadium, and it’s billed as a sellout race, so don’t leave it late. Surf City is flat and runs past the Huntington Beach pier.

Is it worth driving for a race?

Staying in San Diego County means sleeping in your own bed and skipping the 5 before sunrise. Silver Strand, Thrive, the Holiday Half and the Turkey Trot in Oceanside all keep you local.

Orange County is the easy drive: Dana Point is about an hour up the 5 and Santa Ana about an hour and a half. Long Beach and Riverside are closer to two hours, and Malibu is more like two and a half. Oxnard, Goleta and Santa Barbara are three to four hours away, which makes them a weekend, and Goleta and Santa to the Sea fall on the same one.

RunThrough Long Beach, Beer City OC, Thrive San Diego, Goleta and the Holiday Half are all Saturday races, so Sunday stays free to recover.

Can you still race HYROX this year?

This was my first choice. A HYROX race is eight 1 km runs with a workout station after each one: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. Everyone does the same eight in the same order, which is what makes it a race and not just a hard workout.

Two women laughing while sitting on a loaded push sled on a turf lane in a gym with red and black walls — The sled push is the second of the eight HYROX stations

Not in SoCal. HYROX Anaheim runs December 3 to 6 at the Anaheim Convention Center, and it’s sold out. As of September 28, 2026, every Open singles and Doubles ticket in the HYROX ticket shop was marked unavailable, on every day. The event page has a notification list if you want to hear about any tickets that come back.

The better news is closer to home. HYROX San Diego is May 13 to 16, 2027 at the San Diego Convention Center, the first HYROX the city has hosted. Tickets weren’t on sale yet as of September 28, 2026, and the event page says sales start soon. That’s where I’m aiming my first one, so if Anaheim was your plan too, set a reminder.

If you lift more than you run, HYROX plays to what you already have, and the running comes in 1 km pieces. If what you want is the distance itself, go with the half. And if you’re curious but nervous, Doubles has you run every kilometer together with a partner and split the stations however you like.

The other US dates are in the HYROX fall 2026 schedule, and if you’re fitting runs around lifting, here’s how to run and lift in the same week.

Which race fits the weeks you actually have?

Pick from the week you usually have, not the one you’re hoping November gives you.

You already run a few days a week and want a half

Sign up for the San Diego Holiday Half on December 19. It’s the latest half on this list, so it gives you the most weeks, and the course drops 711 feet from start to finish.

You’ve kept running since a spring race

Silver Strand on November 8 or Thrive San Diego on November 14. Both are flat and right by the water. Silver Strand also has a 10 miler and a 12K, if the full 13.1 feels like a stretch this soon.

You want a race on the calendar this month

RunThrough Long Beach on October 24, 5K or 10K. It’s the soonest race here with room, and neither distance needs a long build.

You live in LA or Orange County

Malibu Moves the weekend of October 24 or Beer City OC on November 7. Malibu is the scenic one, the whole course on the Pacific Coast Highway. Beer City is the fun one, with a beer festival after the finish.

You’d rather make a weekend of it

Goleta on December 12 or Santa to the Sea in Oxnard on December 13. Both are flat, and Santa Barbara is right there for the rest of the weekend.

You lift more than you run

HYROX San Diego, May 13 to 16, 2027. It’s not this year, but it’s in town and you get months to get ready. Look at Doubles if it’s your first one, so you learn the stations with someone next to you.

You just want a race with your friends

The O’side Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. A 5K before dinner, no build needed, and the Double Dip if someone in the group wants the extra medal. In Orange County, Dana Point’s has a 10K too, and a combo entry if you want both.

I’ll post which one I pick on Instagram.

Frequently asked questions

Which half marathons in Southern California are still open for 2026?

When the table was last checked (September 28, 2026), registration was open for the Mission Inn Run on October 18, RunThrough Long Beach on October 24, Malibu Moves on October 24, Beer City OC on November 7, Silver Strand on November 8, Santa Barbara on November 8, Thrive San Diego on November 14, Goleta on December 12, Santa to the Sea on December 13 and the Holiday Half on December 19. The table on this page updates as races sell out or pass.

How many weeks do you need to train for a half marathon?

Most beginner plans take about 12 weeks and assume you can already run about 3 miles, three or four times a week. If you've kept running since a spring race, 5 or 6 weeks can be enough to get comfortable with the distance again. I'm not a coach, so treat that as a starting point and not a rule.

Which Southern California half marathons are in January 2027?

Carlsbad and the Rose Bowl Half in Pasadena, both on January 17, 2027. Surf City in Huntington Beach follows on February 7. Any of them gives you more weeks to train than a race left in 2026.

Is HYROX harder than a half marathon?

They're hard in different ways. HYROX is 8 km of running in 1 km pieces with a workout station after each one, so you keep running on legs that just pushed a sled or did lunges. A half is 21.1 km of steady running. Which one feels harder usually depends on whether your gap is strength or distance.

Is HYROX Anaheim 2026 sold out?

Yes, for athletes. As of September 28, 2026, every Open singles and Doubles ticket in the HYROX ticket shop was marked unavailable, on every day. The event page on hyrox.com has a notification list in case more are released.

Is there a HYROX in San Diego?

Yes. HYROX San Diego is May 13 to 16, 2027 at the San Diego Convention Center, the first one the city has hosted. Tickets weren't on sale yet as of September 28, 2026, and the official event page says sales start soon.

Sources

Race dates, distances and prices come from each race’s own site or its registration page. The HYROX details come from hyrox.com and its ticket shop.

About the author

Thais Oney

Thais Oney is the founder of Suor Society. Originally from Brazil and based in San Diego, she holds an MBA in Digital Marketing and Communications and writes about hybrid running culture for people who don’t train for a living.

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No race paid to be on this list, and there are no affiliate links.

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