15th Oakland Marathon Ready to Celebrate Running & Community

March 14, 2024

Weekend of events kicks off on Friday, March 15 with the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Expo at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts; Saturday, March 16 showcases Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente to support 1,000 local youth; Sunday, March 17 features the Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K on new courses

OAKLAND, Calif. – (March 14, 2024) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Organized by Run Local^®, planning for the 15th Oakland Marathon commenced as soon as the last finisher of the 2023 event crossed the line. Welcoming 8,000 entrants, a 20% increase in participation over 2023, participants from more than 40 states and 15 countries will enjoy a redesigned experience from start-to-finish. The energized weekend of events kicks off on Friday, March 15 when the doors open to the public Kaiser Permanente Thrive Expo at the historic Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, with funds raised to provide support and resources for Oakland students in partnership with Stephen and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.

With events for everyone, the running will begin on Saturday, March 16 with the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente, circling Henry J. Kaiser for the Arts, in a high-five inducing criterium-style event. The festivities kick off at 11:00am and will welcome 1,000 kids to the start line, a doubling of participation from 2023, with Eat. Learn. Play. once again providing free registrations to Oakland Unified School District youth. Kids up to 12-years-old will have the opportunity to run a quarter-mile, half-mile or mile course and complimentary activities will also be held throughout the morning and afternoon for the public to enjoy.

“Eat. Learn. Play. is proud to continue our strategic partnership with the Oakland Marathon to support local students, acting as the official benefiting charity of the 2024 event,” said Chris Helfrich, CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. “Marathon weekend in Oakland is buzzing with excitement, and working with the Run Local and Oakland Marathon event organizers allows our foundation to celebrate the spirit of Oakland and encourage kids and families to put their running shoes on and get active. It is truly inspiring to see civic pride as our community comes together throughout the various activities and races to celebrate all participants. We are grateful for all the Oakland Marathon runners, supporters, donors and volunteers because they are helping us work towards our goals of transforming the school experience for a generation of Oakland students. This year’s event promises to be amazing, and our teams are excited to continue to grow the Oakland Marathon into a truly world class event.”

On Sunday, March 17, the Marathon (26.2 miles), Half Marathon (13.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles) and the 5K (3.1 miles) will all start & finish on Lake Merritt Boulevard in front of the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. The Marathon and Half Marathon begin at 7:00am on redesigned courses highlighting a variety of downtown neighborhoods with marathoners enjoying a new one-loop course, featuring the iconic Bay Bridge, before celebrating at the Kaiser Permanente Finish Line. The 10K will go off at 8:30am and the 5K at 9:00am.

“We can’t wait to present our 15th edition, celebrating the run and community from our new home at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, to the new race courses and the 1,000-plus dedicated staff, volunteers and entertainers providing incredible supportive energy for each and every one of the participants throughout Oakland,” commented Run Local Founder J.T. Service. “This truly is a community event that anyone can enjoy from toddlers to runners and walkers as well as the friends, family and local businesses supporting this annual event front start-to-finish.”

In addition, Under Armour is excited to bring the fourth iteration of the Under Armour Flow Elite team to this year’s Oakland Marathon on March 17th. To celebrate some of the Bay Area’s top talent, Under Armour has selected 50 elite level local runners to compete in the Marathon and Half Marathon. The red carpet will be rolled out for the Flow Elite team with a professional athlete experience on race day. All athletes will be racing in top of the line UA apparel and footwear, including the new UA Velociti Elite 2 Running Shoes, worn by UA professional runner Sharon Lokedi to win the New York City Marathon in 2022, and podium finish in 2023. In addition to outfitting the athletes, the top three finishers from the Flow Elite team in the Men’s, Women’s and Non-Binary categories of the marathon and half marathon will receive prize money from the brand.

All participants from the Marathon to the 5K will receive an Under Armour shirt and finisher’s medal designed by local artists Mahader and Yonas Tesfai representing the Tesfai brothers’ vision of art as a unifying force, blending athletic celebration with a salute to the diverse cultures of Oakland. In addition, local artist Michael Wertz will be live screen printing an exclusive event poster at the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Expo. On race day participants will further experience the community with on course local entertainment from Piedmont High School, Oakland Tech High School, Berkeley High School, Oakland Taiko, DJ Sumabat. Cheer stations will also motivate everyone to the finish line, including one led by local sports fan group, the Oakland 68s. Finally, the Ronald McDonald House Celebration Village will feature live performances from Kevin Allen and Manny Draper from Grand National XL as well as DJ Enzo.

The Oakland Marathon is also welcoming the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) 20th Summit and Hall of Fame Celebration, its first time on the West Coast, honoring running legends Joseph Gray and Lisa Davis.

EVENT SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Kaiser Permanente Thrive Expo & Participant Packet Pick Up

Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts – 10 10th Street, Oakland, CA

• Friday, March 15: 1:00pm – 7:00pm
• Saturday, March 16: 9:00am – 5:00pm
• More Info: oaklandmarathon.com/expo/

Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run presented by Kaiser Permanente

Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts – 10 10th Street, Oakland, CA

• Saturday, March 16: 11:00am
• More Info: oaklandmarathon.com/races/kids-fun-run/

National Black Marathoners Association 20th Anniversary Summit & Hall of Fame

Laney College’s Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center Concert Hall

• March 16: 2:00pm – 4:30pm
• Inducting Joseph Gray and Shalisa “Lisa” Davis
• More Info: oaklandmarathon.com/nbma/

Race Day – Sunday, March 17

Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts @ Blvd Lake Merritt

• Marathon (26.2 miles) – 7:00am
• Half Marathon (13.1 miles) – 7:00am
• 10K (6.2 miles) – 8:30am
• 5K (3.1 miles) – 9:00am

FAST FACTS

• 15th Edition, first full year produced by local event producers, Run Local®
• Oakland’s largest participatory endurance event
• 1,000 Kids expected in the Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run. Thanks to Eat. Learn. Play. all OUSD students were invited to participate for free
• 8,000+ registered runners expected across event distances
• 1,000+ volunteers and staff
• 200 participating with local youth club, Running for a Better Oakland
• 66 person strong Marathon & Half Marathon Pace Team powered by On Pace and Lake Merritt Joggers & Striders
• Produced Locally, Enjoyed Globally.
  • 90%+ travel from within 100 miles of Oakland
  • 40 states and territories as well as 16 countries represented
  • 25 students from the Porto Business School (Portugal) x UC Berkeley Haas School of Business participating.
  • 85 Running for a Better Oakland participants in the 5K
• 50% Female, 48% Male, 2% Non-Binary+ / Prefer not to disclose
• Youngest / Oldest
  • Youngest – 1 year 8 months (Eat. Learn. Play. Kids Fun Run)
  • Oldest – 90 years 2 months (Half Marathon)
• 10 entertainment zones, including the Start & Finish at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts
• 13 Aid Stations, including the Start & Finish at Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts

Follow @oaklandmarathon and @runlocalevents on social media to stay informed for additional community events throughout the week. Participants are encouraged to share their journey with #OaklandRunningFestival and #RunLocal.

To learn more and to register, visit: oaklandmarathon.com

About Run Local^®

Founded in 2012, Run Local’s mission is to inspire movement in your community^™. It has produced events in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California, including the Oakland Marathon (March), San Jose Half & 8K (June) and the Santa Barbara Half presented by HOKA & 5K (November). Each of its events celebrate the local running community, artists and the unique diversity of each region. For more information, visit runlocalevents.com and also join us on social @runlocalevents.

About Eat. Learn. Play.

Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation is an organization dedicated to unleashing the potential of every child, paving the way for amazing kids and opening doors to bright futures. Founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. launched with a focus on improving the lives of kids and families in Oakland, the Bay Area and across the country. Rooted in three of the most vital pillars for a healthy childhood—nutrition, education and physical activity—Eat. Learn. Play. is working to ensure that every child in Oakland has access to the nutritious food they need to be healthy and thrive; resources to learn and love to read; and safe places and equitable opportunities to play.

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