Run by the Sea
About this race
Run by the Sea returns to lovely Wilder Ranch State Park on Sunday, October 4th! This unique Half Marathon, 12K run, and 4K run/walk meanders along the gorgeous coastal bluffs of California's Central Coast in Santa Cruz and consists mostly of flat, packed dirt trails. Participants will enjoy scenic coastal views while passing along the bluffs and Wilder Ranch park trails. Get ready to take in the natural beauty of the Monterey Bay, the serene flats of Wilder Ranch's meadows, and maybe even catch a glimpse of some dolphins - no other race is quite like it!
Now in its 10th year, Run by the Sea is organized by the Santa Cruz Track Club and benefits the track club's youth program, Bike Santa Cruz County, and Santa Cruz Mountain Trail Stewards.
Race Headquarters and Parking
4K Route
12K Route Half Marathon RoutePick your distance
Running
Run by the Sea 4k
Run by the Sea 12k
Typical race-day weather
Based on 4 years of historical conditions on this event's race dates in Santa Cruz.
Course
Route map and elevation profile
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.
Reviews
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🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Santa Cruz
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Santa Cruz 5K Races 3 races
- 10K Run Events in Santa Cruz 3 races
- Santa Cruz Running Calendar 2026 10 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, 14 Santa Cruz events
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