VENTURA, Calif. — Garmin will bring its marathon series to Ventura on August 22, 2027, adding a West Coast stop with four race distances and a downtown finish-line festival. Registration is open, the company announced on October 14.
The event will include a marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K. Garmin describes the full marathon as a Boston Marathon qualifier and the half marathon as USATF-certified, giving competitive runners options alongside shorter races for participants who do not want to take on the longer distances.
Ventura becomes the fourth location in the Garmin Marathon Series. The expansion moves the fitness technology company’s race operation into a coastal California setting, with runners beginning and ending in the city’s downtown rather than at a separate outlying venue.
In its announcement, Garmin said the courses would take in views of the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains, along with downtown’s historic architecture and local businesses. The company presented the combination of coastline, hills and an established running community as the reason for choosing Ventura.
“Ventura’s natural beauty, vibrant running culture and welcoming community make it an ideal addition as we expand to the West Coast,” said Susan Lyman, Garmin’s vice president of consumer sales and marketing.
The programme extends beyond the races. A two-day expo will feature Garmin products, national brand partners and local vendors. Planned activities include a selfie station and an area for making spectator signs, with limited-edition race gear also available.
After the race, a downtown finish-line festival will offer local food and entertainment. Both the expo and the finish-line festival will be open to the public, allowing residents and spectators to attend without entering a race.
That distinction makes the weekend more than a closed competition for registered runners. Families and spectators will have public activities before and after race day, while downtown businesses sit within the area where participants will gather at the start and finish.
“Ventura is proud to welcome runners, families, and spectators to our community for this exciting event,” Mayor Jeannette Sánchez-Palacios said in the announcement. She cited the city’s coastline and historic downtown as part of the setting for the event.
A local organising committee has been formed to coordinate preparations. Garmin said its members include Visit Ventura, the City of Ventura, Ventura Police Department, Ventura Fire Department, Downtown Ventura, Ventura Chamber and California State Parks, among others.
The involvement of police, fire and parks officials puts public agencies alongside tourism and business organisations in the planning process. Garmin said the committee’s work is intended to support participants, volunteers and residents.
Visit Ventura president and chief executive Marlyss Auster described the preparations as a collaboration among local partners and businesses. Her comments focused on welcoming runners and their families while bringing community organisations into the work of delivering the race.
Garmin wholly owns and produces the marathon series. Its role therefore goes beyond lending its name to the Ventura event: the company operates the series as part of its involvement in road running.
The company said registration is also open for its Tucson races in November 2026 and Durham races in May 2027. Ventura’s August date places the new California event later in that schedule.
For runners considering the new stop, the confirmed details are the August 22 race date, the four distances and downtown start and finish. Garmin directs prospective entrants to its series website for registration and further event information.
