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If you’re itching to test your running fitness before springtime arrives, point your compass toward Los Angeles.
While the Boston Marathon gets most of the springtime running headlines, the Los Angeles Marathon can be the centerpiece of mid-March running-focused weekend getaway in Tinseltown or part of a spring break vacation in Southern California.
Taking a trip to a running race is simple math—running + vacation = runcation!—especially when airfares are expected to be lower in 2024. But really it’s about going to a place you’ve always wanted to visit with a fitness goal in mind. According to a recent study, global adventure tourism is expected to quadruple by 2032 as people search for authentic experiences that line up their interests, including road running and trail running.
The Los Angeles Marathon race weekend includes the Big LA 5K on March 16 at Dodger Stadium and the 26.2-mile marathon and 13.1-mile charity half marathon on March 17 that send runners on a tour of the best parts of the city. The event has built a reputation on ideal running weather, a fast course, and a celebration of diversity in its field of runners.
It was inspired by success of the marathons at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and, since its debut in 1986, has brought together all levels of runners—from first-time marathoners to elite international champions—for an epic journey through the City of Angels. With enthusiasm for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics starting to gain momentum, the Los Angeles Marathon is beginning to experience a new surge of excitement.
The marathon course is mostly flat and fast (the men’s winner John Korir ran 2:09:08 in 2022, while women’s winner Delvine Meringor ran 2:25:04) and sends runners through some of the best communities and along some of most notable landmarks of Los Angeles between the start at Dodger Stadium and the finish line on Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
“It’s a great race and a fun, fast course,” says Oregon’s Amanda Phillips, who placed fifth in the women’s race in 2022 in a personal best 2:35:07 to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. “I’ll definitely come back and do this race again.”
Runners enjoy world-class dance and music performances along the course and celebrate one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world while running along Olvera Street (aka “the birthplace of Los Angeles”) and through Elysian Park, El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park, Angelino Heights, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Hollywood, Echo Park, Thai Town, Westwood, Little Armenia and the historic rock-n-roll hotbed of the Sunset Strip.
Along the marathon course, runners will cruise past several sites worth visiting before or after the marathon—including the Walt Disney World Concert Hall, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Dolby Theater and the TCL Chinese Theatre. Plus, you’ll be able to see Griffith Observatory and the famous Hollywood sign in the distance, you’ll run along a portion of historic Route 66 and Rodeo Drive and on your way to the finish line at Century City. (Movie buffs will be able to spot Fox Plaza, aka, the fictional Nakatomi Plaza from the 1988 smash hit “Die Hard” starring Bruce Willis.)
For the Charity Half Marathon, which takes place within the marathon, participants raise funds to support cures for neurological diseases on behalf of the McCourt Foundation or an official nonprofit partner. Half marathon participants start at the official start line at Dodger Stadium, take a detour at Mile 1, merge onto the marathon course near Mile 6, run through Mile 18 and end at the official marathon finish line in Century City. (Plus, because the race is held on March 17, all runners will be treated to a post-race St. Patrick’s Day party in the plaza at Century City.)
Here are seven other destination races that could become the focal point of a runcation this spring and summer.
Carlsbad 5000, April 7, Carlsbad, California
The Carlsbad 5000 has been known as one of the world’s fastest 5K races since its inception in 1986. There have been numerous international and U.S. records set on the course, not to mention thousands of personal records. There’s a new out-and-back course along scenic Pacific Coast Highway in Carlsbad, which not only eliminates the occasional interruptions from trains that have been part of the history of the race (if you know, you know!), but it should be faster with more expansive seaside views. There are nine race divisions this year—including masters and junior races—plus the All Day 5K category in which runners can collectively run a total of 20K by participating in the four 5K races over the course of the the morning.
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Flying Pirate Half Marathon, April 19, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
The flat and fast point-to-point Outer Banks Flying Pirate Half Marathon is 13.1 miles of scenic beauty through Nags Head Woods Nature Preserve and the beautiful landscapes of coastal North Carolina. It features a unique pirate and aviation theme that highlights both the 18th and 19th century history of piracy in the area—Captain Kidd, Calico Jack, Black Bellamy and the famous Blackbeard all roamed the waters off the Outer Banks—and a celebration of the world’s first airplane flight in 1903 as the race finishes adjacent to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
Xterra Deadwood Mickelson Trail Marathon, June 2, Deadwood, South Dakota
Set in a preserved late-19th century South Dakota gold rush town, the Xterra Deadwood Trail Races—which includes a trail marathon, half marathon and 5K races for adults and kids—are fast and scenic races held on hard–packed dirt and crushed gravel rail trail courses. (The point-to-point marathon is a USATF-certified course that’s flat and fast enough to be a potential Boston Marathon qualifier.) The longer races send runners from an abandoned mining town, across railroad trestles, through a tunnel, past monolithic rock formations and beside babbling creeks before finishing in the tourist haven of Deadwood. After the race, be sure to visit Tatanka: Story of the Bison, a Native American Interpretive Center that features the third-largest bronze sculpture in the world.
Grand Teton Half Marathon and 5K, May 31-June 1, Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson, Wyoming, is full of summertime sightseeing and tourist opportunities, including Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the National Elk Refuge and the National Museum of Wildlife Art (which has works from Andy Warhol and Georgia O’Keeffe). The Grand Teton Half Marathon race weekend includes a twilight 5K in on Friday night in Wilson, Wyoming, followed by the Saturday morning point-to-point half marathon. The half marathon course begins in Wilson, follows a paved pedestrian trail over Snake River and then onto remote Spring Gulch Road to the finish line with an expansive view of the Grand Tetons. Be sure to visit the Colter Bay Visitor Center at Grand Teton National Park, which features the Indigenous Arts and Cultural Demonstration Program, which showcases artists who share painting, weaving, pottery, beadwork and music traditions of their tribes.
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Anchorage Mayor’s Marathon, June 24, Anchorage, Alaska
Have you always wanted to visit Alaska but never had a reason to go? Sign up for this early summer marathon and use it as a launching off point to visit Denali National Park and Preserve and Chugach State Park, ride the Alaska Railroad, visit glaciers and visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to learn about the native traditions and language of the Dena’ina Athabascan people. Celebrating the Summer Solstice, the Mayor’s Marathon takes racers on a scenic journey on the outskirts of Anchorage along pedestrian pathways and forest trails before finishing in the city. To learn the origin stories of Alaskan people, visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Taos Ski Valley Up and Over 10K, August 3-4, Taos, New Mexico
If New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment, then the Taos Up and Over 10K trail race is an enchanting run that should be on your summer bucket list. This grueling but rewarding race plays out on a 10K loop on the summer slopes of the Tao Ski Valley, starting at an elevation of 9,200 feet at the base of the ski resort village and topping out at 11,819 feet. On the way up, runners are treated to stunning views of 12,481-foot Kachina Peak and 13,167-foot Wheeler Peak, followed by a an exhilarating technical descent through high alpine terrain. If that’s not enough for one weekend, try the next morning’s VerticAL’s VertK, a daunting vertical K race up Taos’ famed long and steep Al’s Run ski trail directly under chairlift 1. If you visit Taos, be sure to spend time at the Taos Pueblo, the only living Native American community designated as both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.
Arrowhead Half Marathon and 5K, August 17, Vail, Colorado
The dog days of summer can be a drag, but they can be easy to avoid if you head to the Rocky Mountains where cooler temps and lush wildflowers abound. The loop course of the Arrowhead Half Marathon is a challenging but scenic tour of the summer slopes of Beaver Creek ski resort with 3,000 feet of total elevation gain, while the point-to-point 5K traverses the lower slopes from the Ritz-Carlton at Bachelor Gulch and to the finish line at Arrowhead.