The 48th annual event hosted over 4,600 participants
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The 48th annual America’s Finest City Half Marathon & 5K took place in the early hours of Aug. 17, where runners avoided the summer heat with an early start time, and finished up just in time to enjoy the beautiful low 70’s degree day at the Finish Line Festival. Over 4,600 runners from around the nation and the world gathered in Downtown San Diego for the unique opportunity to tour the city on foot, with Steven Martinez, a San Diego resident, crossing the finish line ahead of the crowd.
Steven Martinez, the men’s half marathon champion and first-place finisher, completed the 13.1 miles in 1:05:00, followed by the men’s half marathon second-place finisher, Xavier Smith. Zane Chalker took the third-place spot for the men’s half marathon. The women’s half marathon course was led by Hannah Chau who finished with a time of 1:17:26 Second and third-place finishers for the women’s half marathon were Jori Galles and Tyler Beling. Reese Russel took first-place in the non-binary division with a time of 1:50:07 followed by second and third place finishers Cece Collins and James O’mahony.
The men’s 5K division was led by William Boag, who finished with a time of 17:03, followed by second and third-place finishers, Michael Aish and Victor Marquez. Evie Spengler led the women’s division with a time of 20:12. Brandi Crown and Eleanor Su came in shortly after to claim second and third place in the women’s 5K. J Martinez placed first in the non-binary division, finishing the 3.1 miles in 37:14, with Amanda Dohring and Julie Germain claiming second and third-place in the non-binary 5K.
“The San Diego running community continues to impress me year-after-year,” said Christine Adams, CEO of In Motions Events. “From their continued support of our local events, to continuously representing our community on the podiums, it truly is something special.”
America’s Finest City Half Marathon, the oldest half marathon in San Diego, took participants on a stunning tour of San Diego on foot. Those who took on the 13.1-mile course started at the Cabrillo National Monument, then took a scenic route that weaved its way to Balboa Park. The 5K course showcased Balboa Park on a flat and fast loop, providing an ideal 3.1-mile route for walkers and runners. With its early start time, race day provides participants the unique opportunity to enjoy the sun rising over San Diego, and complete the race during cooler temperatures. Race weekend also featured the Expo/Packet Pickup event where thousands of participants picked up their race packets and friends and family joined along to make inspirational race signs, take part in photo ops and shop exciting runner-focused products and services. Race weekend concludes with the Finish Line Festival in Balboa Park. The Festival included a DJ, vendor booths, refreshments and the Ballast Point beer garden for participants aged 21 and older with proper ID.
America’s Finest City Half Marathon & 5K is a part of In Motion Events’ San Diego Foundation SoCal Triple Crown race series, which also includes the Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K, and the GOVX San Diego Half Marathon & 5K. This trio offers a variety of courses and scenery throughout San Diego, providing athletes with a fun and unique running experience in distinct parts of the city and county. Athletes who participate in each race in the same calendar year, no matter the distance they participate in, will be awarded a San Diego Foundation SoCal Triple Crown medal to celebrate their accomplishment of completing the race series. Runners simply register for all three events separately, no additional registration or fee is required to qualify for the San Diego Foundation SoCal Triple Crown finisher award.
For those interested in taking part in the 2026 SoCal Triple Crown race series, registration is currently open for the first race of the series on Jan. 18, 2026, the Carlsbad Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K.
For more information about In Motion Events, please visit www.inmotionevents.com, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT AMERICA’S FINEST CITY HALF MARATHON & 5K AND IN MOTION EVENTS
America’s Finest City Half Marathon & 5K is a scenic race through downtown San Diego with outstanding course support and entertainment. The race is produced by In Motion Events, a full-service, turnkey event marketing and management firm based in San Marcos. The family-owned and operated business has been working with Southern California-based races and events since 1981. In Motion Events’ mission is to produce the very best running and walking events possible that are a credit to their company, to their sponsors and the community in which they are held. For more information on In Motion Events, visit www.InMotionEvents.com.