Santa To The Sea 1/2 Marathon, 1/4 Marathon & 5K
About this race
Santa to the Sea is a nonprofit event born out of a desire to give back to the community. What started in 2003 as a toy drive to celebrate the relocation of the world’s largest Santa Claus from Carpinteria to Oxnard, has grown into a robust running event, toy drive, and community fundraiser. Santa to the Sea includes a half marathon, a Quarter Marathon plus a 5K run and 1K kids fun run. The Santa to the Sea Scholarship Fund partners with Gene Haas and Oxnard College Foundation to award $500 scholarships to local high school students and adults continuing their education at Oxnard College.
Santa to the Sea offers families not only a weekend of fun, but also an opportunity to give back to those in need, just in time for the holiday season. The nonprofit event helps collect toys for underprivileged children throughout Ventura County while raising scholarship money for students at Oxnard College.
The Half Marathon gets underway at the giant Santa located along the Interstate Highway 101 (2801 Ventura Boulevard) and continues through the strawberry fields of Oxnard before heading to historic downtown Oxnard (where the Quarter Marathon starts) and ending at Marine Emporium Landing (where the 5k and kids 1k start and finish) in picturesque Channel Islands Harbor. There, visitors can enjoy the Finish Line Festival filled with a full day of activities including kids play area, a Santa’s Village, costume contests, food booths and live entertainment.
The Santa to the Sea Half Marathon, Quarter Marathon and 5k, is based in the coastal community of Oxnard, CA., and just 40 minutes north of Los Angeles. Combine your athletic pursuits with a seaside weekend getaway during the annual Santa to the Sea Half Marathon, 1/4 marathon, 5K run and 1k kids fun run taking place the second Sunday every December.
Pick your distance
Running
Half Marathon
This flat and fast race starts at 7:30 am. Our Half Marathon is great for veteran runners, as well as first-timers, and has for many, become one of their favorites. Along the course you will be encouraged and supported by local spectators, volunteers, and cheer-squads. You’ll also be motivated musically by the many bands we have lined up along the race.
Quarter Marathon
Ready for something longer but not quite ready for a half marathon? Well, the 1/4 Marathon or 6.55 miles is for you. The 1/4 Marathon will start at our half way point in the beautiful Downtown District in Oxnard at Plaza Park. Replacing our Relay event, you now get to run with your friends and family at this festive race. Run the second half or our lighting fast route and celebrate at the same finish as your longer distance colleagues.
5K
The Santa to the Sea 5K, is a flat and fast course. Many runners have established their personal record here, and continue to return. The 5K is also a great race for beginners. We see more first-timers every year, many of whom return to run the Half Marathon, or the 1/4 Marathon, in following years. Additionally, it’s a perfect race for families of all ages to run together and celebrate a great accomplishment.
Kids 1K
Our supervised, non-competitive 1K Kid’s Fun Run starts near the Santa to the Sea Finish Line, in the EXPO area. With volunteers cheering along the way, the children will follow a paved and safe route, ending with a final sprint in the official finisher’s chute, and under the Santa to the Sea arch.
Typical race-day weather
Based on 10 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Oxnard, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 6:53 AM and sets at 4:47 PM local time (PST) in Oxnard on December 12, 2026 — 9h 54m 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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Other races near Oxnard
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Santa to the Sea Half Marathon Expo
Ventura Turkey Trot
Patagonia Salmon Run 5K
Lake Casitas Short Course Championships (Middle School Racer Sign Ups Only)
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Oxnard
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Oxnard 5K Races 7 races
- Oxnard Running Calendar 2026 9 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, 9 Oxnard events
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