Judgment Day Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Run/Walk
- Date
- October 4, 2026
- Distance
- Half Marathon · 10K Run/Walk · 5K Run/Walk & more
From the Organizer
THE LAST RACE IN OUR SERIES, JUDGMENT DAY...ONE OF THE BEST COURSES IN THE VALLEY!
HALF MARATHON DESCRIPTION:
A VERY SCENIC COURSE. IT STARTS & FINISHES AT THE HISTORIC SAM LYNN BALLPARK. YOU WILL RUN OUT THE BACK GATE TO THE PAVED KERN RIVER PAVED TRAIL (EAST) INTO THE PANORAMA VISTA PRESERVE (DIRT TRAILS) FOR A 3.5 MILE LOOP, AND THEN BACK ONTO THE KERN RIVER PAVED TRAIL TO CHINA GRADE ROAD. RUNNERS WILL TURN RIGHT ONTO THE ALFRED HARRELL HWY/CHINA GRADE LOOP (CLOSED ROAD) - YES THAT'S A CHALLENGING 1 MILE CLIMB UP TO THE PANORAMA BLUFFS, BUT EVERYONE LOVES IT, AND JUDGMENT DAY WOULDN'T BE THE SAME WITHOUT IT! ONCE AT THE TOP, YOU WILL CONTINUE THROUGH PANORAMA PARK ALONG THE BLUFFS WITH AWESOME VISTA VIEWS, BEFORE SWEEPING BACK DOWN (CLOSED MANOR STREET EXIT) TO THE PAVED RUNNING TRAIL ALONG THE KERN RIVER, AND FINISHING BACK INSIDE THE BALLPARK.
10K COURSE DESCRIPTION:
OUR 10K WAS INTRODUCED IN 2025, AND IT DID NOT DISSAPPOINT!
YOU WILL START WITH THE HALF MARATHON RUNNERS, STARTING INSIDE THE HISTORIC SAM LYNN BALLPARK, AND RUNNING OUT THE BACK GATE TO THE PAVED KERN RIVER PAVED TRAIL (EAST). AT MILE 2.8, THERE WILL BE "SPLIT" WHERE THE HALF MARATHON GOES LEFT, AND THE 10K COURSE GOES RIGHT, AND UP THE 0.40 MILE DIRT TRAIL, ABOUT 190' ELEVATION GAIN (STRAVA CALLS IT BLUFF HILL). ONCE AT THE TOP, YOU WILL JOIN THE PANAROMA PAVED TRAIL, AND CONTINUE THROUGH PANORAMA PARK ALONG THE BLUFFS WITH AWESOME VISTA VIEWS, BEFORE SWEEPING BACK DOWN (CLOSED MANOR STREET EXIT) TO THE PAVED RUNNING TRAIL ALONG THE KERN RIVER, AND FINISHING BACK INSIDE THE BALLPARK.
THESE COURSES HAVE EVERYTHING! START/FINISH INSIDE THE BALLPARK ON GRASS, PAVED TRAILS, DIRT TRAILS, PAVED (CLOSED) ROADS, AN UPHILL, A DOWNHILL, AND LOTS OF FUN!!
5K COURSE DESCRIPTION:
START & FINISH FROM INSIDE SAM LYNN BALLPARK, IT'S AN OUT & BACK, ALL ON THE KERN RIVER (PAVED) TRAIL. IT IS FAST & FLAT!!
HALF MARATHON & 10K START TIME: 7:30AM
5K START TIME: 7:40AM
Aid Stations at Miles: 1.4, 3.6, 6.1, 7.1, 9.1, 10, and 11.6.
Porta Potties at Miles: 1.5, 3.6, 6.1, 7.1, 10, and 11.5
WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT STAND OUT?
- Plenty of Aid Stations, and they are FUN and go ALL OUT FOR YOU!!
- Interactive Race Day Experience with RaceJoy
- Live Results Texted to Phone
- FREE Hot Breakfast, Made Fresh
- FREE La Rosa's Fruit Bars
- FREE Race Photos
- Post Race Michelob Ultra Beer Garden
- Water, Electrolit, and GU, on the Course
- DJ Music on the Course & Finish Venue
- Top Age Group Awards
- Overall Male & Female Awards
- Women's Race Tank Tops
- Men's Race Short-Sleeve Shirt
- Awesome Finisher Medals
Distances & Pricing
Race Location
About This Sport
From Endurance Grid's Founder
Endurance Grid is here to help you understand the sport, decide if it's the right fit, and learn how to prepare. For course distances, logistics, and race-day specifics, always defer to the race organizer's event page.
The half marathon is the distance where you find out what you're actually made of. Long enough to demand real preparation. Short enough that it doesn't consume your life to train for it. Most people who run their first half describe it as the race that changed their relationship with what they're capable of. Once you cross this finish line, the bar moves. That's not a warning — that's the point.
Race day energy varies by event size, but the finish line feeling is the same regardless. Big races keep the noise going the whole way. Smaller races give you stretches where it's just you and the miles — and that solitude becomes its own kind of fuel.
The half marathon rewards people who show up for the boring training miles.
How long to train: 10–14 weeks. If you're already running consistently, 10 weeks of structured buildup is enough. If you're building from a casual base, give yourself 14.
Running
From 5K to marathon, running races are the most accessible entry point into endurance sport. There's a distance for every fitness level and a community at every start line.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is the Judgment Day Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Run/Walk?
- Judgment Day Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Run/Walk is a running event held in Bakersfield, CA. Learn more about the different endurance sports here.
- When and where is the Judgment Day Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Run/Walk?
- Sunday, October 4, 2026 in Bakersfield, CA at Sam Lynn BallPark, Bakersfield, CA. Check the official event page for exact start times and wave schedules.
- How do I register for the Judgment Day Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Run/Walk?
- Registration is handled through their official registration page. Confirm pricing, distances available, and sign up there.
Judgment Day Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Run/Walk
Oct 4, 2026