Date and start
Sunday, October 3.
6:30 AM
The listed early start is worth planning around. Give yourself time for the drive, parking, gear check, and a calm walk to the start rather than turning the first mile into a rush.
Long Beach half marathon
Long Beach
Half Marathon.
A 13.1-mile October goal with oceanfront miles, a downtown start, and enough time to make the build feel like your own.
See 2027 race details
A clear fall goal
Run the coast, then make the weekend yours.
The Long Beach Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, October 3, 2027, as part of the 2XU Long Beach Marathon weekend. The organizer describes a 13.1-mile route that starts near Shoreline Village, passes the Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific, follows the coast, and finishes back in the heart of Long Beach.
That setting gives a half marathon real atmosphere, but the useful reason to choose it is simpler: October can leave room for a patient training block. You do not need a perfect plan or a dramatic leap in mileage. You need enough weeks to make regular running feel ordinary, build a longer outing gradually, and arrive with energy left for the race itself.
Prepared Runner points you to the current organizer information when you are ready to enter. Use this guide to decide whether the date and experience fit, then use the official race page for registration, course information, entry policies, packet pickup, and final race-weekend instructions.
2027 at a glance
One coastal 13.1, with the details that shape the day.
These details reflect the organizer’s current 2027 listing. Race schedules, prices, policies, and course information can change, so confirm the official page before entering or making travel plans.
Course setting
City energy, ocean beside you.
Long Beach waterfront
The organizer describes a route through Shoreline Village and nearby landmarks, with long stretches of coastal running. Read the current course information before you make pacing or spectator plans.
Race-weekend fit
Make room for your people.
5K and marathon weekend
A shared weekend can make a finish line more memorable. The organizer currently lists other distances across the weekend, so friends or family may be able to choose a goal that suits them too.
See official registration ↗Before you register
Choose the race, then make the plan.
A fall half marathon gives you something useful: time to build through normal life instead of forcing every week to be a breakthrough.
- Count backward with honesty.Look at the weeks between now and race day, then start from the running you can do comfortably today. A good goal makes room for busy workweeks, travel, recovery, and the occasional run that simply does not happen.
- Decide what you want from the day.Maybe you want a first 13.1, a reliable return to racing, a scenic long run with a bib, or a shared weekend. Naming that reason helps you choose a pace and training load that support it.
- Check the logistics early.Read the organizer’s current information on start location, parking, packet pickup, gear check, course access, and participant policies. These small details often decide whether race morning feels settled or scrambled.
- Let another distance be a real option.The right season for a 5K is still a season of running. If the half marathon no longer fits, a shorter event can keep the weekend enjoyable while leaving you eager for the next goal.
Build toward October
Make the training feel like part of your life.
Let easy running do its quiet work
Most of your miles should be comfortable enough to keep a short conversation going. Easy days are not empty miles. They are how your legs, confidence, and routine get ready to hold more time on your feet. A consistent easy pace also teaches you the difference between normal effort and the kind of fatigue that asks for rest.
Grow the long run without chasing a number
Add time gradually, repeat a distance that felt manageable, and pay attention to how you recover. A training block works better when it responds to your real energy and schedule than when it tries to win every Saturday. If a week gets messy, protect the habit with a shorter run and return to the longer work when it fits again.
Explore training resources →Practice race-morning choices in advance
Use longer outings to test socks, shoes, breakfast, layers, water, and the carrying setup you expect to use. Familiar gear makes a long day less complicated, especially when an early alarm is already asking enough. Keep the experiment small: change one thing, notice how it feels, then keep what genuinely helps.
Read the shoe guide →Keep the finish line in perspective
A half marathon is a meaningful distance, and it does not need to become a measure of your worth as a runner. Walk when you need to, take in the course, and give the finish the kind of attention you gave the training.
Race weekend, calmly handled
Confirm what matters now.
Do not let an old event post make the final call. Before registering, visit the organizer’s current page to check entry options, participant policies, course notes, packet-pickup hours, parking, start time, and any transfer or cancellation rules.
In the final week, revisit those details and make a simple arrival plan. Lay out your gear, save any needed information, decide where you will meet people afterward, and leave yourself room to be a little early. Race weekends feel more generous when the practical work is already done.
Looking for another goal?
Keep your next start line local.
Find Southern California calendars, featured events, and a practical race guide for whichever distance fits this season.
Explore race calendarsFrequently asked questions
Long Beach Half Marathon FAQ.
When is the 2027 Long Beach Half Marathon?
The 2027 Long Beach Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, October 3. The organizer currently lists a 6:30 AM start. Confirm the current schedule, start-area details, and any changes directly with the organizer before making travel plans.
Where does the Long Beach Half Marathon start and finish?
The organizer currently lists the start at the intersection of Shoreline Drive and Shoreline Village Drive, with the finish at Shoreline Drive and Linden Avenue. Packet pickup, parking, road closures, and exact arrival instructions should always come from the current event information.
Is the Long Beach Half Marathon a good first half marathon?
It can be a welcoming first 13.1 when the October date gives you enough time to build from your current routine. The course is marketed as flat and coastal, but the better question is whether the distance, training time, travel plan, and early start fit your season.
Are there other distances during Long Beach Marathon weekend?
The organizer currently lists a 5K alongside the half marathon and full marathon across the October 2 and 3 weekend. Check the organizer’s current event list if you are planning a shared weekend with runners choosing different distances.
Your next start line
Make the miles
mean something.
Choose a race that fits your season, build patiently, and check in with the organizer before race week.
See official registrationExplore more SoCal races →