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5k Runs in California

5k (or 3.1mile) running events are hugely popular and easily accessible, especially with the wide variety that California has on offer. Fun runs are a great way of getting kids, friends, family, or even the dog involved with running. These races often require fancy dress or getting covered in bubbles, colors, or mud! They also sometimes have a charitable focus, so they are great opportunities for fundraising and community-building whilst keeping fit. Many larger running festivals often offer a 5k distance event, so that runners of all abilities can get involved. For example, at the Surf City Marathon and Half Marathon, which attracts over 20,000 participants each year, there is a 5k option on the same day. However, our personal favorite 5k event in California is the Carlsbad 5000, which is a super fast, record-breaking course. It has a big atmosphere, and always treats racers to a well-earned craft beer at the finish line.

32 events found
Drumstick Dash
Booked 206 times this week

Thursday, 23 Nov 2023

Drumstick Dash

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k, 10k

Ticket$10 – $40
Booking perksFlat road
Heart
Sloth Run - San Diego

Saturday, 7 Oct 2023

Sloth Run - San Diego

Location

San Diego, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $39
Booking perks
Heart
Sloth Run - Sacremento

Saturday, 7 Oct 2023

Sloth Run - Sacremento

Location

Sacramento, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $39
Booking perks
Heart
Sloth Run - Las Vegas

Saturday, 7 Oct 2023

Sloth Run - Las Vegas

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $39
Booking perks
Heart
Sloth Run - San Francisco

Saturday, 7 Oct 2023

Sloth Run - San Francisco

Location

San Francisco, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $39
Booking perks
Heart
Sloth Run - LA

Saturday, 7 Oct 2023

Sloth Run - LA

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $39
Booking perks
Heart
SPACEROCK Trail Race

Saturday, 21 Oct 2023

SPACEROCK Trail Race

Location

Agua Dulce, California

Running

half marathon, 5k, 10k

Star5

(2 reviews)

Ticket$80 – $165
Booking perksGreat atmosphereTrail
Heart
Scarecrow 2.0 2 Mile and 10k Race
Booked 1 time this week

Sunday, 22 Oct 2023

Scarecrow 2.0 2 Mile and 10k Race

Location

Exeter, California

Running

5k

Ticket$32 – $55
Booking perks
Heart
LA Cancer Challenge

Sunday, 22 Oct 2023

LA Cancer Challenge

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k

Star4.5

(4 reviews)

Ticket$25 – $45
Booking perksGreat atmosphereFlat road
Heart
Run SAN DIEGO

Saturday, 4 Nov 2023

Run SAN DIEGO

Location

San Diego, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$39 – $45
Booking perks
Heart
Run Sacramento 'Big Tomato'

Saturday, 4 Nov 2023

Run Sacramento 'Big Tomato'

Location

Sacramento, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$39 – $45
Booking perks
Heart
Run LAS VEGAS "City of Lights"

Saturday, 4 Nov 2023

Run LAS VEGAS "City of Lights"

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$39 – $45
Booking perks
Heart
Run SF "Golden Gate City"

Saturday, 4 Nov 2023

Run SF "Golden Gate City"

Location

San Francisco, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$39 – $45
Booking perks
Heart
Run LA "City of Angels"
Booked 4 times this week

Saturday, 4 Nov 2023

Run LA "City of Angels"

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$39 – $45
Booking perks
Heart
Run Off the Turkey Trot - Los Angeles

Saturday, 25 Nov 2023

Run Off the Turkey Trot - Los Angeles

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$37 – $45
Booking perks
Heart
Run Against Breast Cancer - San Diego

Saturday, 2 Dec 2023

Run Against Breast Cancer - San Diego

Location

San Diego, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $40
Booking perks
Heart
Run Against Breast Cancer - Sacramento

Saturday, 2 Dec 2023

Run Against Breast Cancer - Sacramento

Location

Sacramento, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $40
Booking perks
Heart
Run Against Breast Cancer - San Francisco
Booked 1 time this week

Saturday, 2 Dec 2023

Run Against Breast Cancer - San Francisco

Location

San Francisco, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $39
Booking perks
Heart
Run Against Breast Cancer - Los Angeles
Booked 1 time this week

Saturday, 2 Dec 2023

Run Against Breast Cancer - Los Angeles

Location

Santa Monica, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35
Booking perks
Heart
Christmas Jingle All the Way Run - LA

Saturday, 23 Dec 2023

Christmas Jingle All the Way Run - LA

Location

Santa Monica, California

Running

5k, 10k, half marathon

Ticket$35 – $42
Booking perks
Heart
Silver Moon Race - Paso Robles

Saturday, 24 Feb 2024

Silver Moon Race - Paso Robles

Location

Paso Robles, California

Running

10k, 5k

Ticket$80 – $200
Booking perksTrail
Heart
Autism Shero Run

Saturday, 11 May 2024

Autism Shero Run

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k, 10k

Star5

(1 reviews)

Ticket$10 – $65
Booking perksGreat atmosphereTrail
Heart
Sugar Daddy Half Marathon, 10k & 5k

Saturday, 15 Jun 2024

Sugar Daddy Half Marathon, 10k & 5k

Location

Santa Clarita, California

Running

half marathon, 5k, 10k

Star5

(6 reviews)

Ticket$35 – $95
Booking perksGreat atmosphereFlat road
Heart
Hidden World 5k & 10k

Saturday, 26 Oct 2024

Hidden World 5k & 10k

Location

Los Angeles, California

Running

5k, 10k

Star4.5

(1 reviews)

Ticket$5 – $59.50
Booking perksGreat atmosphereRoad
Heart
Showing 1 - 24 of 48 events

About 5k events in the United States

5ks are the most accessible of the regular race distances and are very popular as a result. You'll find a mixed bag of competitors, from newbies to running veterans all competing in the same events. There are loads of 5k events throughout Cali, large and small, at all times of the year so it's never a bad time to book onto your first (or fifteenth) event.

What are the best 5k events?

People run these events for all sorts of reasons, from fitness goals to charity fundraising, but one constant is the amount of friendly faces and fancy dress you'll see - these are the events to have fun at. If you love the big atmosphere, the largest running festivals often host a series of shorter races. The California International Marathon is a great example as they host a popular 5k race on the same day as the marathon.

What is the average time to run a 5k?

Finishing times will vary depending on fitness levels, motivation and training. The real speedsters can run 5k in under 14 minutes. but, for the rest of us, it can take anything from 30 minutes to an hour. Half an hour is considered a very good time, especially for someone new to running. You'd have to run at a pace of 9.5 minutes per mile for the whole race to achieve this.

After you've completed a few 5k events, you might even feel like trying your hand at 10k, check out our race calendar to see if there's something for you.

How long should I train for a 5k?

You might be tempted to enter a 5k without training. If you want to do anything other than walk it, we would advise that you take on our 6 weeks to 5k training plan. Training will not only allow you to unlock your running potential and set a strong PR but it will also minimise the risk of injury. It's definitely worth building up to an event.

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