Fort Bragg Whale Run and Walk
About this race
The 38th Annual Whale Run & Walk for 2026!
Fort Bragg, Ca is a small, picturesque city on the Pacific Ocean, nestled between sandy beaches and the redwood forest. We are the home of the world famous Glass Beach! Every year there is a huge Whale Festival on the 3rd weekend of March, and Saturday morning the Whale Run kicks it off! After the Whale Run there are events all over town, including a craft fair; guided whale viewing; clam chowder, beer and wine tasting, entertainment, and music everywhere. See the www.whalerun.org for more information and interesting facts about whales.
The local Soroptimist clubs have been holding this race for 38 years, with up to 800 runners participating on a beautiful day on the Mendocino Coast. The ocean and trails are as magnificent as ever and we know you will love the views and all the festivities in town on race day. All runners, walkers, and spectators will enjoy breathtaking whitewater ocean views (including whales) along this year’s new course starting at the Noyo Headlands Park (Cypress Street) on the Coastal Trail in Fort Bragg, CA
Here are the events you can sign up for:
- 5k-- runners will run north and turn around at or near Compass Rose.
- 5k-- "Fun" Walkers will follow the 5k runner's route.
- 10k-- runners dash north past Glass Beach then cross the beautiful Pudding Creek Trestle to the 10K turn around (10K map).
- 1/2 Marathon--same route as 10k but the turnaround is at MacKerricher State Park.
- Kiddie run -- 400 meter run in 3 age groups (U5, U7, and U10)
There are multiple race age divisions. Note: under 16 run/walkers may enter any race division for a discounted rate at signup.
DOGS: We love dogs, but the insurance won't let us add them mixed with runners. You are welcome to walk your dog on the trails before and after the race (on leash). There's a dog park by the swim center on Lincoln and Maple, and there's a dog beach at the end of north harbor drive.
FAQ's: Click Here to go to the race website and find answers to commonly asked questions about the race.
Pick your distance
Running
Half Marathon Run
10K Run
5K Run
5K Fun Walk
Typical race-day weather
Based on 3 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Fort Bragg, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 7:27 PM local time (PDT) in Fort Bragg on March 20, 2027 — 12h 08m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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Results — Fort Bragg Whale Run and Walk
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Fort Bragg
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Fort Bragg 5K Races 3 races
- 10K Run Events in Fort Bragg 3 races
- Fort Bragg Half Marathons 3 races
- Fort Bragg Running Calendar 2026 3 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 3 Fort Bragg events
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