2026 San Diego Marathon - May 31 Race Completed

Q: When is the 2026 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon is on Sunday, May 31, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 6:15 a.m. PT from Sixth Avenue on the west side of Balboa Park. The Saturday before hosts a 5K, and the half marathon runs alongside the full on Sunday morning, so plan to be near the start corrals well before sunrise.

Q: Is the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego course hard, and how much elevation does it have?

It is rolling, not flat. The USATF-certified course has roughly +813 ft (247 m) of total climbing, with a noticeable early hill and a tougher stretch in the final 10 km around miles 20-24. It is described as 'mostly flat' but most runners feel the rollers, so it is a solid scenic marathon rather than a guaranteed personal-record speedway.

Q: Is the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The course is USATF-certified and Boston-qualifying, so a qualifying time run here counts toward Boston Marathon registration. The rolling profile and warming late-morning temperatures mean it is harder to chase a fast BQ than on a flat, cool-weather course, so build a realistic time cushion into your goal pace. You can sanity-check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

Q: What is the time limit for the marathon?

The full marathon has a 7-hour time limit, an average pace of about 16:00 per mile. There is one mid-course cut-off in 2026 at roughly mile 8.3 (University Ave and Grim Ave): runners who do not reach it in time are rerouted onto the half-marathon finish, so the early miles matter even if you plan to walk-run. Use our pace calculator to plan a buffer against the cut-off.

Q: What makes the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon special?

It is the original Rock 'n' Roll race, founded in 1998, and the model for the whole series. The signature feature is the live entertainment — around 20 stages of bands, DJs, drum lines and performers along the route, plus cheer squads, turning a hard marathon into more of a moving festival. Unlike some Rock 'n' Roll cities that dropped the full distance, San Diego still offers the full 42.195 km marathon.

Q: Where does the marathon start and finish?

The marathon starts at Balboa Park (Sixth Avenue near Quince Street) and runs a point-to-point loop through Hillcrest, North Park and out toward Mission Bay before returning through Balboa Park to a downtown finish near Petco Park. Because it is point-to-point with a downtown finish, the city trolley and Metropolitan Transit System routes are the easiest way to reach the start and get back from the finish.

Q: What should I wear and expect from the weather?

Expect a cool, gray 'May Gray' coastal morning near 57°F / 14°C, often overcast well into mid-morning before any sun appears. Rain is unlikely. Dress for a chilly start but a warmer finish: a throwaway long-sleeve over a singlet, plus sunscreen even under clouds. Hydration and electrolytes still matter once the marine layer burns off in the closing downtown miles.

Race Completed

This marathon has finished. Check back for next year's edition.

Race Information

Race	2026 San Diego Marathon - May 31
City	San Diego
Date	2026-05-31 at 06:15
Field Size	~5,935 runners
Time Limit	7 hours
Cutoff pace	9:57/km
Timezone	America/Los_Angeles
Official Site	The Rock 'n' Roll Running Series (The Ironman Group)

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	16.9°C / 62°F
Humidity	72%
Wind	19.3 km/h
Rain Chance	1%
Typical Conditions	Cool, overcast 'May Gray' San Diego morning — soft marine layer keeps the 6:15 a.m. start runner-friendly

What to Prepare: Late May in San Diego usually means a gray, mild start near 57°F / 14°C under the coastal marine layer, often staying overcast into mid-morning before any sun breaks through. It rarely rains, so the bigger risk is going out under-dressed when it feels cool at the line, then overheating once the gloom burns off near the downtown finish. A throwaway long-sleeve at the start plus a singlet or short sleeve underneath works well; sunscreen still matters even on a cloudy day.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 19.3 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	14.3°C	16.5°C	20.2°C
Dew point	7.8°C	10.5°C	12.2°C

Wet-day chance: 1% Runnability: 76/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	Point-to-point city tour
Elevation Gain	247m
Terrain	Road (rolling city streets, neighborhood climbs, park and downtown pavement)
Profile	The Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon is the original race in the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series, founded in 1998 and still anchored by live bands, DJs and drum lines spread across the course. It is a point-to-point tour of San Diego: the full marathon launches at 6:15 a.m. from Sixth Avenue on the west side of Balboa Park, threads through up to eight neighborhoods from Hillcrest and North Park out toward Mission Bay, then returns through Balboa Park before a festival finish downtown near Petco Park. The profile is rolling rather than pancake-flat — USATF-certified with about +813 ft (247 m) of climbing — including a noticeable early climb and a tougher stretch in the closing miles around mile 20-24, so it is a genuine Boston-qualifying course but not a pure PR speedway. One key detail to plan around: in 2026 there is a single course cut-off at roughly mile 8.3 (University Ave and Grim Ave) to hold the 7-hour limit, so the back of the pack must keep moving early.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2026 San Diego Marathon - May 31

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2026 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon is on Sunday, May 31, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 6:15 a.m. PT from Sixth Avenue on the west side of Balboa Park. The Saturday before hosts a 5K, and the half marathon runs alongside the full on Sunday morning, so plan to be near the start corrals well before sunrise.

Is the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego course hard, and how much elevation does it have?

It is rolling, not flat. The USATF-certified course has roughly +813 ft (247 m) of total climbing, with a noticeable early hill and a tougher stretch in the final 10 km around miles 20-24. It is described as 'mostly flat' but most runners feel the rollers, so it is a solid scenic marathon rather than a guaranteed personal-record speedway.

Is the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The course is USATF-certified and Boston-qualifying, so a qualifying time run here counts toward Boston Marathon registration. The rolling profile and warming late-morning temperatures mean it is harder to chase a fast BQ than on a flat, cool-weather course, so build a realistic time cushion into your goal pace. You can sanity-check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

What is the time limit for the marathon?

The full marathon has a 7-hour time limit, an average pace of about 16:00 per mile. There is one mid-course cut-off in 2026 at roughly mile 8.3 (University Ave and Grim Ave): runners who do not reach it in time are rerouted onto the half-marathon finish, so the early miles matter even if you plan to walk-run. Use our pace calculator to plan a buffer against the cut-off.

What makes the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon special?

It is the original Rock 'n' Roll race, founded in 1998, and the model for the whole series. The signature feature is the live entertainment — around 20 stages of bands, DJs, drum lines and performers along the route, plus cheer squads, turning a hard marathon into more of a moving festival. Unlike some Rock 'n' Roll cities that dropped the full distance, San Diego still offers the full 42.195 km marathon.

Where does the marathon start and finish?

The marathon starts at Balboa Park (Sixth Avenue near Quince Street) and runs a point-to-point loop through Hillcrest, North Park and out toward Mission Bay before returning through Balboa Park to a downtown finish near Petco Park. Because it is point-to-point with a downtown finish, the city trolley and Metropolitan Transit System routes are the easiest way to reach the start and get back from the finish.

What should I wear and expect from the weather?

Expect a cool, gray 'May Gray' coastal morning near 57°F / 14°C, often overcast well into mid-morning before any sun appears. Rain is unlikely. Dress for a chilly start but a warmer finish: a throwaway long-sleeve over a singlet, plus sunscreen even under clouds. Hydration and electrolytes still matter once the marine layer burns off in the closing downtown miles.