California Classic Half Marathon

The California Classic Half Marathon is the flagship race of a spring running weekend held each April in Fresno, California, alongside a companion 10K and the Rock and Run 5K. The out-and-back course starts and finishes at Chukchansi Park, home of the Fresno Grizzlies, and the Half Marathon and 10K wind through downtown Fresno past City Hall, the federal courthouse, and the historic Water Tower before entering the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, where runners pass Sea Lion Cove, African Adventure, and the Kingdom of Asia exhibits. The 5K skips the zoo but keeps the same start-and-finish festival atmosphere, with live bands stationed at every mile of the course. Every finisher receives a medal and a gender-specific technical shirt, and the post-race party includes a hot breakfast, free finish-line photos, and a 21-and-over beer garden. Now in its second decade, the race is a stop on the Classic Runner of the Year Series, with the Half Marathon counting as a 20-point event, and organizers post cash awards for the top overall and pace-group finishers. The 2027 edition returns on Saturday, April 24, with a 7:00 AM start and a four-hour course time limit. This is a separate event from Fresno's Two Cities Marathon, which runs in the fall.