Riverside 5K
First-timers & families
$45entry
- Chip timing & live tracking
- Finisher medal & tech tee
- Stroller & junior friendly
Sun · October 11, 2026 · Harbor Park, Riverside City
26.2 along the river.Are you in?
One river, four distances, eight thousand runners. Chase a personal best on a flat, fast, USATF-certified course that traces the water from Harbor Park to the boardwalk finish.
Gun goes off in
- Days
- Hrs
- Min
- Sec
Counting down to the October 11, 2026 start.
Limited to 8,000 runners - the 2025 race sold out in 19 days.
8,000
Runners on the line
4
Distances · 5K to Full
+62m
Total elevation · flat & fast
$250k
Raised for charity since 2014
12th
Year on the riverfront
Pick your distance
Four races, one river
Whether it's your first 5K or your fortieth marathon, there's a start corral with your name on it. Every entry includes chip timing, a finisher medal, and a spot at the riverside finish festival.
Harbor 10K
Step up the pace
$60entry
- Chip timing & live tracking
- Finisher medal & tech tee
- Two riverside aid stations
Half Marathon
The signature loop
$95entry
- Chip timing & live tracking
- Finisher medal, tee & hoodie
- Five aid stations & gel zones
- Official pace teams, 1:45-2:30
Full Marathon
The whole 26.2
$130entry
- Boston-qualifier eligible course
- Finisher medal, tee & hoodie
- Nine aid stations & gel zones
- Pace teams from 3:00 to 5:00
The course
Flat, fast and right on the water
From the Harbor Park start, the route hugs the river the whole way - over the Old Mill Bridge, through Boardwalk Village and Riverside Gardens, to a downhill finish on the waterfront. One closed-road loop, fully marshalled, with the river in view from almost every mile.
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Riverside the whole way
The water is in view from 24 of 26 miles - and the breeze off it keeps you cool through the midday stretch.
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Flat & PB-friendly
Just 62 metres of total climb and a downhill finish - last year saw 410 personal bests and 38 Boston qualifiers.
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Nine aid stations
Water, electrolytes and gels roughly every 5K, plus medical sweep, music stages and cheer zones the entire route.
Race day · Sunday, Oct 11
How the morning unfolds
Corrals are seeded by predicted finish time, so you line up with runners at your pace. Here's the full timeline from gear check to the last finisher across the line.
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5:30 AM
Runner village & gear check open
Bag drop, bathrooms, coffee and warm-up zones open at Harbor Park.
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6:30 AM
Start corrals open
Find your colour-coded corral by predicted finish time and ease in.
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7:00 AM
Full Marathon - gun start
The 26.2 sets off first, led out by the official pace teams.
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7:30 AM
Half Marathon start
Our biggest field rolls out across the Old Mill Bridge.
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8:45 AM
Harbor 10K start
Six-point-two along the boardwalk and back to the gardens.
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9:30 AM
Riverside 5K start
Families, juniors and first-timers take the river loop.
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12:00 PM
Finish festival & live music
Local bands, food trucks and the medal stage on the waterfront.
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2:00 PM
Course closes
Roads reopen as the final marathoners cross to the loudest cheers of the day.
From the race director
Built by runners, for runners
"Twelve years ago we shut one riverside road and 600 of us ran it together. Today the Riverside Marathon brings eight thousand runners and the whole city to the water's edge. We obsess over the things that matter on race day - accurate timing, real hydration, a course you can trust, and a finish line that feels like a homecoming."
Marcus Delgado Founder & Race Director
- 2,400Volunteers on course
- 98%Runners who'd return
- 14Local charity partners
Runner stories
Why they keep coming back
Real finishers from the 2025 Riverside Marathon - first-timers, PB chasers and charity heroes alike.
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"The flattest, friendliest 26.2 I've run. I took four minutes off my marathon PB and the riverside crowds carried me the whole back half."
Elena Park -
"My first ever half and I was terrified. The pacers, the aid stations, the boardwalk finish - everything was handled. I've already signed up for next year."
Daniel Whitlock -
"We ran the 10K as a family and raised £1,200 for the river clean-up. Organised, joyful and genuinely for everyone - not just the fast crowd."
Marcus Bell
Good to know
Race-day questions, answered
Everything from packet pickup to parking. Still stuck? Email the team at hello@riversidemarathon.run.
Packet pickup runs at the Riverside Expo (Harbor Park Pavilion) on Friday 2-8 PM and Saturday 9 AM-6 PM. Bring photo ID and your confirmation email - your bib, chip, shirt and goody bag are all in one place. There is no race-morning pickup, so plan ahead or send a friend with a signed authorisation.
Road closures begin at 5 AM, so we strongly recommend transit. The Riverside Line runs early-morning race trains to Harbor Park station, a 4-minute walk from the start. Driving? Pre-book a spot in the Marina or Civic decks - street parking near the course is fully suspended on race day.
Aid stations sit roughly every 5K with water and electrolyte drink, plus energy gels at miles 9, 15 and 20 on the full course. All stations are stocked with cups and have clearly marked toss zones. Bins for personal litter follow each station so the riverbank stays pristine.
Yes - entries are flexible up to four weeks before race day. You can defer to next year once at no charge, transfer your bib to another runner, or switch distances subject to availability. All changes are handled in your runner dashboard; refunds are available under our Race Protect option added at checkout.
Pace teams run the Half (1:45-2:30) and Full (3:00-5:00) in 15-minute bands, each led by an experienced pacer carrying a flag. The marathon course stays fully supported for 6 hours 30 minutes - a 14:50 per-mile pace - with a rolling sweep vehicle behind the final runners.
Entries are open
Claim your spot on the river
Reserve your place for October 11, 2026. Pop in your details and we'll hold your entry, send the runner pack, and help you pick the distance that's right for you.
- Chip timing, finisher medal & tech tee
- Flexible deferrals, transfers and distance switches
- Free entry to the riverside finish festival
Entering a charity team or corporate group? Email teams@riversidemarathon.run or call (512) 555-0162.