Santa Clarita Marathon
Santa Clarita, United States · November · Independent
Why people love it
- Paved paseos and bike path with no car traffic
- Generous 7-hour cutoff (9:34 per km, 16:00 per mile)
- USATF certified Boston qualifier with an optional 6:00 early start
- Single park for start and finish, with street tacos afterwards
Watch out for
- Two laps shared with half, 10K and 5K runners
- Missing flags and unmarked turns sent runners the wrong way
- Highs up to 31 °C (87 °F) and wind reported in 2025
- Aid ran dry and finish food was thin for some; fee $178
- Few athletes have written about it, so reports vary by year
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLiked3.0
RaceRaves shows 2.8 out of 5 from 4 runners, MarathonGuide 3.0 from 1, Weeviews 5 from 1. Volunteers get praise; signs and supplies draw complaints. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate2.6
Runners went the wrong way in 2023. In 2025 reviewers report a missing turnaround flag, empty aid stations, no finisher medals and no live tracking. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.5
Generous 7-hour cutoff (9:34 per km, 16:00 per mile), flat and off-street. Held back by two laps, heat and a thin support crew. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage3.3
Described as flat with gentle rolls and USATF certified; two laps on a shared path and warm, windy late mornings cost time. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant2.9
RaceRaves scenery is 2.8 out of 5. Paved paths through suburban parks with some river views; one reviewer calls it lovely, another gives scenery 1. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
Narrow path shared with half, 10K and 5K runners, and the marathon is two laps. Missing signs sent runners the wrong way in 2023. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood4.3
All pavement on paseos and the bike path, per two reviewers and the organiser. Smooth and car free. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.9
Entirely off-street, so no auto traffic; the paths are shared public paths rather than closed roads, so some other users are possible. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat3.6
Organiser says predominantly flat with gentle rolling hills; no gain figure is published. Held in the middle of the range. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Two-lap loop starting and finishing at Heritage Park, so net elevation change is zero. USATF certified and a Boston qualifier. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting2.8
In 2023 the start had few toilets and parking was 1.2 km (3/4 mile) away. The optional 6:00 start has only partial aid until 6:30. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups2.5
No live tracking and no finisher medals at one 2025 marathon per a reviewer; no pace groups mentioned. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportSparse1.9
Bike-path course with no crowd sections. Volunteers are friendly but spectators are few. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.3
Cupless water stops were praised, but some stations ran short of water in 2025. Finish tacos ran out for a 2024 runner. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.1
A 2025 reviewer mentions wind; no other wind data found. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.0
November 15 lows of 7 to 14 °C (44 to 58 °F), highs up to 31 °C (87 °F). Cool start, warm finish. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.2
Highs ranged from 17 to 31 °C (62 to 87 °F) across five years; reviewers report heat and wind in 2025. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.4
The two-lap loop returns to Heritage Park, which makes runners easy to see more than once; the paths themselves are not spectator areas. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.5
Valencia sits near 305 m (1,000 ft), well below the 1,500 m (4,900 ft) mark. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.0
Valencia and Santa Clarita have a normal range of chain hotels; MarathonGuide lists a hotel map for the race. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.4
Suburban Los Angeles County hotels; no race-weekend pricing found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving2.8
The park start is in a business and residential area on Newhall Ranch Road; most runners will drive or rideshare from hotels. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.5
Hollywood Burbank Airport is about 45 km (28 mi) away; LAX is about 65 km (40 mi). Driving required. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.4
Single park for start and finish, free parking but 1.2 km (3/4 mile) from the start in 2023; bib pickup details not found. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine3.4
Valencia has shopping and restaurants; post-race street tacos were part of the event. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inOpen entry4.6
Open entry; the race is small and not reported to sell out. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair2.8
Fee of $140 in 2023 and $178 in 2025. A 2025 reviewer calls it overpriced for the finish area; another reports no finisher medal. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Santa Clarita, California, United States
- Typical month
- November
- Latest or next date
- 15 November 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- laps
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved paseos and Santa Clara River bike path, off-street
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Entry fee
- About $178
- Air temperature
- 8–27 °C (46–81 °F)
- Humidity
- Dry
- Altitude
- 305 m (1,000 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Hollywood Burbank (BUR), 45 km (28 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Valencia, Santa Clarita
- Booking
- Hotels in Valencia and Santa Clarita; book early for a weekend with other events.
What racers and reviewers say
- MarathonGuide (Santa Clarita Marathon)Raced 2023 · aggregator · Mixed
One runner rates it 3.0 out of 5 after the 2023 comeback race. Friendly volunteers, a car-free paseo course and cupless water stops worked well. Some turns were unmarked and runners went the wrong way, there were no toilets at the start, and parking was 1.2 km (3/4 mile) away.
“Great Job Since Race was cancelled for 4 years”
- RaceRaves (Santa Clarita Marathon)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Mixed
Four ratings average 2.8 out of 5. Three 2024 and 2025 marathoners praise volunteers and aid but report heat, wind, poor signs, a missing turnaround flag, aid stations running dry, a bare finish area, no finisher medals and a fee of $178 that felt high. A 5K runner in 2025 liked the shaded path and upbeat mood.
- Weeviews (Santa Clarita Marathon)Raced 2023 · aggregator · Positive
A Los Angeles runner gave 5 out of 5 for the 2023 race: all-pavement course with pleasant views, friendly staff, a good shirt and medal, and easy parking.
“It's all pavement, with some beautiful views”
Raced Santa Clarita Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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