Sold-Out Rose Bowl Half Marathon Returns Sunday for 10th Anniversary

One year after wildfires turned the Rose Bowl into an emergency command center and forced the race to April, the Rose Bowl Half Marathon & 5K returns to its traditional January date Sunday for a sold-out 10th anniversary celebration.

More than 10,000 participants are expected to run through Old Town Pasadena and across the Colorado Street Bridge before finishing on the stadium’s 50-yard line, according to The McCourt Foundation, which produces the event. The 5K sold out Nov. 1. The half marathon followed weeks later.

“A sell out of our full event this early is already so special, but to also have it happen for our 10th anniversary is a true testament to the amazing running community that’s supported us this past decade,” said Brian McCourt, president and chairman of the board of The McCourt Foundation.

Road closures throughout Pasadena begin at 6:00 a.m. for the 7:00 a.m. race start. Streets will reopen at an 18-minute-per-mile pace behind the final runners. Areas along the race route are marked as tow-away zones, and any vehicles parked on the course after 1 a.m. Sunday will be towed.

Pasadena Transit Routes 10, 20, 33, 40 and 51s will detour during the race. Most detours will end between 11:30 a.m. and noon, with Route 51s continuing until 12:30 p.m. Metro and Foothill Transit routes through downtown Pasadena will also be affected.

Motorists should use Walnut Street to the north, California Boulevard to the south, Hill Avenue to the east, or the 710 extension to the west.

Free shuttles run from Parson’s Complex at 284 North Pasadena Avenue beginning at 4:00 a.m. Parking there costs $10. Limited free parking at the Rose Bowl is available on a first-come, first-served basis until 6:00 a.m., when all participants must use the shuttle.

The half marathon and 5K start at 7:00 a.m. The Kids Run, open to children ages 3 to 8, begins at 10:45 a.m. Both adult races finish on the 50-yard line inside the stadium.

Spectators can watch for free. Stadium bleacher access in sections 24 through 26 opens at 7 a.m.

Participants will receive a 10th anniversary finisher medal featuring the Rose Bowl’s façade and its signature stemmed rose. The finish festival in the Court of Champions runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon with food, music and one complimentary beer for participants 21 and older.

The McCourt Foundation, a nonprofit that has donated more than $7.2 million to neurological disease research since 1992, produces the event.

The 2025 race had been scheduled for Jan. 19 but was postponed after fires impacting Los Angeles and Pasadena led organizers to reschedule it to April 27. The Rose Bowl served as a staging area for emergency responders during the crisis.

The rescheduled race drew nearly 10,000 participants and raised more than $100,000, including an $11,700 donation to the Pasadena Educational Foundation’s Eaton wildfire relief fund.

The forecast for Sunday calls fair sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s, according to the National Weather Service.