Towering mountains, green hillsides and valleys, and the waves crashing along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean are just some of the scenery runners will see at this race between Oak View and Ventura, just as spring is transitioning to summer here in Southern California.
While the 26.2-mile full marathon will follow the course quite literally according to the race’s name — runners will start the full in the Ojai Valley, which lies roughly 17 miles north of Ventura, and make their way southward through the mountains along Highway 33 to the finish line near the ocean — those running the half will start at roughly the half-way point of the full marathon.
First built in 1872 as a pier for steamships that once transported passengers in and out of Pierpont Bay, the Ventura Pier today is a mecca for fishermen and women, tourists and locals out for a walk or a run or just to soak up the sun.
