A flat, fast Coronado race with the ocean on one side and the bay on the other — Silver Strand returns November 8.
There's exactly one race course in the country where you can look right and see the Pacific Ocean, look left and see San Diego Bay — and this is it. The Silver Strand Veterans Day Half Marathon returns on Sunday, November 8, running the closed Silver Strand highway between Coronado and Imperial Beach. With a half marathon, 10-miler, 12K, and a Veterans Day 5K, there's a distance for every runner, walker, and challenged athlete — and a beach party waiting at the finish. It's flat, fast, scenic, and genuinely one of the most fun race days San Diego puts on.
The course is the headline. You run a completely closed, flat, fast stretch of the Silver Strand, with the ocean on your right and the bay on your left for nearly every mile — near-zero elevation change and cool November air off the water. That makes it a genuinely great pick for a first half marathon or a personal-record attempt, and a beautiful one for walkers and challenged athletes too (there are Duo Racer divisions across the distances).
But this race leans hard into the fun, and that's what sets it apart:
The Veterans Day-weekend timing gives the morning real meaning, and the event backs it up — organized by KOZ Events and benefiting the Life Sports Foundation, Team Hoyt, and the Islander Sports Foundation. The discounted registration for military, veterans, police, fire, and first responders is a fitting tribute given the date and the Coronado setting.
It's one of the best running events on the San Diego fall calendar — fast course, gorgeous views, and a finish line that turns into a party. For more around the county, browse our full event calendar. And if a morning on the Strand has you dreaming about island life, our Coronado neighborhood guide is a great place to start.