Runners' Almanac
All marathons

Late May · West Coast · Point-to-Point

Mountains 2 Beach Marathon

Ventura, CA · Sunday, April 18, 2027

Runs from the mountain town of Ojai down to the coast at Ventura, a real net downhill drop that's made this one of Southern California's more popular Boston-qualifying courses.

Ojai to Ventura coast; popular BQ

  • Best for PR
  • Boston Qualifier
  • Scenic
Official site

Opens the race organizer's website

Typical start

61°

Cooler than 5% of U.S. marathons

Modeled historical conditions

Elevation gain

150ft

Flatter than 64% of races

Estimated total climb

Field size

2K

Larger than 71% of races

Estimated field

PR potential

9.2/10

Ahead of 69% of races

Almanac model

Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.

Course profile

150 ft gain · -700 ft net

Net downhill course, point-to-point.

0510152026.2
Schematic profile drawn from total gain, total loss and course category, on a shared vertical scale of 1,600 ft. Not a surveyed GPS trace.

Race-day weather

Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.

6 AM

53°

Start

61°

Midday

68°

ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk

Typical start sits at 61°F, warm for racing.

Typical dew point 39°F, 6% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.

The bottom line

This is a course built to give time back.

Mountains 2 Beach Marathon is a strong choice for a fast time on tired legs, and the route gives back elevation for most of the 26.2 miles. The tradeoff is your quads, which will feel the descent in the closing miles.

Why runners choose this race

A point-to-point course around Ventura, CA, that gives back elevation for most of the race.

The case for it

  • PR attempts
  • Boston qualification
  • Runners who care about scenery

The tradeoffs

  • No notable warnings in the data.

Course and logistics

Course type
Point-to-Point
Surface
Road
Profile
Net downhill
Total gain
150 ft(estimated)
Total loss
850 ft(estimated)
Net elevation
-700 ft(estimated)
Field size
~2,000 runners(estimated)
Crowd support
Pockets of spectators
Entry
Data coming soon
Start / finish
Start and finish in different locations

Race details

Typical timing
Late May
Next confirmed date
Sunday, April 18, 2027
Region
West Coast
Editorial tier
Featured
Data last reviewed
2026-08-26
  • Best for PR
  • Boston Qualifier
  • Scenic
  • Point-to-point
  • Net downhill
  • Destination race

Similar races

Races with a comparable profile.

Early May · West Coast

The Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival

Costa Mesa, CA

Weather
62°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
~2,500 runners
Course
Net downhill
Elevation
450 ft gain · -150 ft net

Event listed as: Full Marathon

PR9Weather8Experience7

Early April · West Coast

Yakima River Canyon Marathon and Half-Marathon

Yakima, WA

Weather
37°Ftypical startModelled estimate
Field size
~600 runners
Course
Net downhill
Elevation
200 ft gain · -600 ft net

Event: Yakima River Canyon Marathon

PR9Weather8Experience7