San Diego Holiday Half Marathon
December 20, 2025
La Jolla
Road
1,000-10,000
Downhill
Urban
High: 66°
/ Low: 49°
Overview
Give yourself the best holiday gift ever this year by completing the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon just days before Christmas — come to beautiful San Diego for the beautiful weather and stay for a PR-worthy course.
With the exception of a fairly big hill in the first mile, just about all of the rest of the race is downhill running at this race, which unfolds between Rancho Penasquitos and Torrey Pines State Beach just a couple of days before the new year.
And with a net drop in elevation of 714 feet and a point-to-point course that leads to the Pacific Ocean, this race is sure to sell out quickly.
Course Description
Runners will begin in Rancho Penasquitos after riding a shuttle bus to the start. The course heads south on Carmel Mountain Road. There is a small hill around mile 1.5 and the rest of the course is mostly downhill. Racers will travel 9 miles down the 56 Bike Path where they will gently descend towards the Carmel Valley area.
The last four miles are mostly flat along Carmel Valley Road. There are a few gentle rollers that runners will encounter, but nothing to encumber them from reaching Torrey Pines State Park quickly. Once reaching the State Park area, runners will make a kick to the finish line located on the beach.
The last few miles are probably the race’s flattest stretch — with one last brief hill just after the mile 12 marker.
