Thrive's Half Goes Round Mission Bay on November 14, and There's a Wish Walk Behind It

Overview

The Kaiser Permanente Thrive Half Marathon & 5K runs Saturday, November 14, at Vacation Isle Park in Mission Bay. It's the tenth year, and the official charity is Make-A-Wish San Diego.

The course is the selling point: "a scenic 13.1-mile loop course around Mission Bay," flat, with bay views most of the way. If you want a half marathon where the terrain isn't the challenge, this is the one in San Diego.

Here's the deadline, and it's the only urgent thing on this page.

Prices rise after 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, November 8.

Ten days. Register before then and you save between five and eleven dollars depending on the distance.

And here's the thing that makes this race different from the other San Diego halfs.

There's a Wish Walk, and it starts five minutes after the 5K.

So this isn't only a race. It's a race with a walk attached for people supporting Make-A-Wish — which means you can enter a household at three different levels on the same morning: someone runs the half, someone does the 5K, and someone walks.

What It Costs

All prices include the processing fee. The struck-through figure is what it becomes after November 8:

| | Now | After Nov 8 |

|---|---|---|

| Half Marathon | $148.34 | $158.94 |

| Half Marathon Relay (two people) | $181.20 | $191.80 |

| 5K Walk/Run | $74.14 | $79.44 |

| Virtual Half or 5K | $74.14 | — |

| Charity entry | $0 + a $250 fundraising commitment | — |

The relay at $181.20 split two ways is $90.60 each — cheaper than a solo half entry and you only run 6.5 miles. If you've never done a half and you have a friend in the same position, that's the smart entry point.

Entry fees are non-refundable. Transferring to another person costs $15.

The Charity Side

Make-A-Wish San Diego is the official charity, and the event anticipates a minimum donation of $10,000 plus participant fundraising.

You can buy in at a level that suits you:

• $10 — a special charity bib
• $50 — bib plus post-race breakfast
• $100 — bib, breakfast and a star charm
• $1,000 raised — a Make-A-Wish jacket, a star charm per $100 raised, breakfast and bib
• $2,500 raised — all of the above, plus two nights' lodging near Mission Bay for race weekend and a complimentary entry to give away

Or just donate $10 or more on top of your entry and you get the charity bib.

The Course

Half Marathon — 13.1 miles

• A loop around Mission Bay. Flat and fast
• Seven water stations · gear check
• Starts on Ingraham Street, finishes at Ski Beach
• Cutoff: if you haven't reached Mile 9 by 9:45 a.m., you're detoured onto a shortcut to Mile 11 — shortening your course by about two miles. So the cutoff doesn't pull you off the road, it just trims it, which is a humane way to do it

Half Marathon Relay — 13.1 miles, two people

• Roughly 6.5 miles each, with the handoff at Telecote Shores

5K Walk/Run — 3.1 miles

• A scenic loop along Crown Point
• Two water stations · gear check
• Strollers are allowed — but only on the 5K, and stroller pushers must start in the furthest-back wave

That stroller rule is worth highlighting: most San Diego races either ban strollers outright or don't say. This one allows them, on the 5K, with a sensible condition.

Race Morning

• 5:30 a.m. — packet pickup opens
• 6:50 a.m. — pre-race warm-up
• 7:00 a.m. — Half Marathon and Relay start (see the note below)
• 7:15 a.m. — 5K start
• 7:20 a.m. — Wish Walk start
• 7:45 a.m. — live music and the Thrive Expo open
• 9:15 a.m. — overall and Masters awards · 9:30 a.m. — charity presentation
• 11:30 a.m. — event concludes

Age-group awards are collected between 9 and 11 a.m. at the expo awards table.

One caution on the half marathon start time. Three places on the organisers' own site say 7:00 a.m. — the homepage, the race-weekend schedule and the registration page. Their dedicated half marathon page says 7:15 a.m. Assume 7:00 and be there early, and if you want certainty, email contact@easydaysports.com or call 619-996-9002 before race day.

Packet Pickup and Parking

Two options:

• Thursday, November 12, 12–6 p.m. — Road Runner Sports, 5553 Copley Drive, San Diego, CA 92111
• Race morning, 5:30–7:30 a.m. — at Vacation Isle Park

Complimentary shuttles run between the Crown Point Shores lots and Ski Beach from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Use them — Mission Bay parking on a race morning is the usual problem and the shuttle solves it.

What You Get

• An official Thrive tech tee — long sleeve for the half, short sleeve for the 5K
• Race bib and a distance-specific finisher medal
• Chip timing, live finish results and rankings
• Overall and age-group awards, with prizes for winners
• Access to the Thrive Expo

How to Go

• When: Saturday, November 14, 2026. Half and Relay 7:00 a.m., 5K 7:15, Wish Walk 7:20
• Where: Vacation Isle Park, 1600 Vacation Road, San Diego, CA 92109 — Mission Bay
• Entry: Half $148.34 · Relay $181.20 · 5K $74.14 · Virtual $74.14 · Charity $0 + $250 fundraising
• Prices rise after 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 8
• Packet pickup: Thu Nov 12, 12–6 p.m., Road Runner Sports on Copley Drive
• Benefits Make-A-Wish San Diego

Good to Know

• Register before November 8. It's the same race for less.
• Split the relay. $90.60 each and 6.5 miles apiece beats a solo half on both counts.
• The 5K takes strollers. Back wave, but it's allowed — rare and useful.
• Confirm the half's start time. Their site says both 7:00 and 7:15.
• Take the shuttle from Crown Point Shores. It runs 6 to 11.
• Collect your packet Thursday if you can — the race-morning window is two hours before a 7 a.m. start.
• The cutoff shortens your course rather than ending your race, which is a kind way to run it.
• Donate $10 and you get the charity bib.

Why It's Worth It

A flat thirteen miles around Mission Bay in mid-November, with the bay on one side for most of it, is about the most pleasant half marathon this city can offer.

But the reason this one has lasted ten years is the Wish Walk going off at 7:20 — a race where the person who can't run the 13.1 still has somewhere to be that morning, for the same cause. Not many events are built that way.

Register before the eighth, split the relay if you're new to the distance, and take the shuttle.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Thrive Half Marathon? Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Vacation Isle Park in Mission Bay. The Half and Relay start at 7:00 a.m., the 5K at 7:15 and the Wish Walk at 7:20.

How much does it cost? $148.34 for the half marathon, $181.20 for the two-person relay, $74.14 for the 5K and the same for the virtual option, all including fees. A charity entry is free registration with a $250 fundraising commitment.

When do prices go up? After 11:59 p.m. PST on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

How hard is the course? The half is described as a flat, fast 13.1-mile loop around Mission Bay. The 5K is a loop along Crown Point.

Is there a cutoff? Yes — runners who haven't reached Mile 9 by 9:45 a.m. are detoured onto a shortcut to Mile 11, shortening the course by around two miles rather than being removed from the race.

Can I push a stroller? Yes, on the 5K only, and stroller pushers must start in the furthest-back wave.

How does the relay work? Two people split the 13.1 miles at roughly 6.5 each, with the handoff at Telecote Shores.

Where's packet pickup? Thursday, November 12, 12–6 p.m. at Road Runner Sports, 5553 Copley Drive, or on race morning from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m.

Is there parking? Complimentary shuttles run between the Crown Point Shores lots and Ski Beach from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Who does it benefit? Make-A-Wish San Diego.