Running in Malibu: The Coastline, the Routes, and the Malibu Half Marathon
There is one road through Malibu, and it runs along the ocean for twenty one miles. That single fact shapes every run you will ever do here. You are never far from the water, you are rarely on flat ground for long, and the light coming off the Pacific at seven in the morning is the reason people drive out from the Valley to run a route they could have run at home.
This is a guide to running in Malibu: where to go, what the terrain actually does under your feet, and what happens on the one weekend a year when part of Pacific Coast Highway belongs to runners.
What makes running in Malibu different
Most coastal running is a view with a road attached. Malibu is the opposite. The topography does real work.
The Santa Monica Mountains come down to the water here, so the coastline is not a flat shelf. It rolls. Canyons cut into the range at intervals, each one dropping to a beach, and the road rises and falls between them. A run along PCH is a series of gentle climbs and descents rather than a straight line, which means your pace will not be steady even when your effort is.
The other difference is the marine layer. Morning fog sits on the coast through much of the year and burns off between nine and eleven. Runners who start early get cool, damp, still air. Runners who start late get direct sun with very little shade, because the coastal side of the road has almost no tree cover. Locals run early for that reason, not for the sunrise.
Twenty one miles of coastline, one road that runs the length of it, and one race a year that closes part of it.
Where to run in Malibu
Zuma Beach. The widest beach in Malibu and the easiest place to run on sand. Firm sand near the waterline at low tide, deep and punishing higher up. Roughly two miles end to end, with parking lots the whole length so you can start anywhere. This is where Malibu Moves starts and finishes.
Point Dume. Short, steep, and worth it. The headland climbs above the beach and the view from the top runs the length of the coast in both directions. More of a hike than a run at the top, but the approach along Westward Beach Road is runnable and quiet.
Malibu Bluffs Park. A loop above the ocean with grass underfoot, restrooms, and no traffic. The most family friendly option in Malibu and a good place to run intervals without dodging cars.
Solstice Canyon. Inland and shaded, which makes it the answer when the coast is too exposed. A creek trail with a gentle grade, plus steeper options branching off. This is where to run in Malibu when the sun is high.
Pacific Coast Highway. The classic Malibu run and the most complicated one. The shoulder varies from generous to nonexistent, and traffic moves fast. Plenty of people run it, but pick your stretch, run against traffic, and go early. The safe version of this run happens once a year, which brings us to the race.
Is there a half marathon in Malibu?
Yes. Malibu Moves is the only race held in Malibu, by contract with the city, and it includes a Half Marathon on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
It starts and finishes at Zuma Beach and runs out and back along Pacific Coast Highway toward Nicolas Canyon. The course is USATF measured, professionally chip-timed, and carries a four-hour + time limit, which works out to roughly a twenty-minute mile. Pace groups run the course. The race is open to participants aged twelve and up.
This is the run described above, with the road managed, water on course, and no cars to think about.
What is the Malibu half marathon course like?
Flat at the start, rolling through the middle, and gently downhill at the end.
The numbers: the course begins at twenty seven feet above sea level, peaks at one hundred seventy two feet, and has three hundred forty five feet of total elevation gain across the 13.1 miles. That is a modest climb spread over a long distance, which is why the course reads as fast rather than hard.
The shape matters more than the total. The opening miles are close to flat, so it is easy to go out quicker than you planned. The rolling section arrives in the middle, when you have already committed to a pace. The final stretch descends gradually toward Zuma, which means the last mile reward anyone who held something back.
It is a legitimate course for a personal best and a forgiving one for a first half marathon. Those are not usually the same thing.
What else happens that weekend
Malibu Moves runs across two days, and Sunday's races are only half of it.
Saturday, October 24 is the expo and the Kids Zone at Zuma Beach, followed by the 1-Mile Zuma Dash at 3:00 PM and the 1K Kids Run at 2:00 PM for children aged four to ten. Both are chip timed. The Kids Run is non competitive and every finisher gets a medal.
Sunday, October 25 brings the Half Marathon at 8:00 AM, then the 10K and 5K at 8:30 AM. The finish line festival runs until 1:00 PM with food, music, wellness and a community celebration on the sand.
Every distance gets hydration stations, restrooms, basic first aid, participant swag and the same finish line.
Which distance should you run?
Half Marathon, 13.1 miles. USATF measured, chip timed, pace groups, four hour limit. Ages twelve and up. For runners using the race as a benchmark or taking on the distance for the first time on a course that will not punish them for it.
10K, 6.2 miles. USATF measured and chip timed. Ages seven and up. The bridge distance, and the one most people underestimate.
5K, 3.1 miles. USATF measured and chip timed. Ages seven and up. Run it or walk it, at any pace.
1-Mile Zuma Dash. Saturday afternoon, chip timed, ages four and up. Fast if you want it to be, social if you do not.
1K Kids Run. Saturday, ages four to ten, flat, non competitive, medal for everyone.
You can also pair the Saturday Dash with any Sunday race through the Coastal Quest Challenge and finish the weekend with three medals.
Running for something other than a time
Malibu Moves has reinvested more than $110,000 in the community across its first two years, entirely locally, through the Move Together Association and five partners: the Malibu Moves Community Impact Fund, the Malibu Education Foundation, the Emily Shane Foundation, Girls on the Run of Los Angeles County, and the Sarah Shulze Foundation.
There is a charity entry that costs nothing at registration. You commit to raising $500 by October 16 and you run with full VIP access. For a lot of participants that turns out to be the reason the race stays with them longer than the finish time does.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Malibu Half Marathon? Sunday, October 25, 2026, starting at 8:00 AM at Zuma Beach in Malibu, California.
Is the Malibu Moves Half Marathon course certified? The course is USATF measured and professionally chip timed.
How hilly is the Malibu Half Marathon? The course starts at 27 feet of elevation, peaks at 172 feet, and totals 345 feet of gain over 13.1 miles. Flat opening, rolling middle, gradual descent to the finish.
What is the time limit? Four hours +, roughly a twenty-minute mile for the half marathon. Pace groups run the course.
Where does the race start and finish? Zuma Beach, 30000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California 90265. The Half Marathon runs out and back along PCH toward Nicolas Canyon.
How old do you have to be? Twelve and up for the Half Marathon, seven and up for the 10K and 5K, four and up for the 1-Mile Zuma Dash, and four to ten for the 1K Kids Run.
Is there a race in Malibu other than this one? Malibu Moves is the only race held in Malibu, by contract with the city.
Where is the best place to run in Malibu if you are visiting? Zuma Beach for sand and space, Malibu Bluffs Park for a traffic free loop, and Solstice Canyon for shade when the coast is exposed.
Race weekend
Malibu Moves returns to Zuma Beach on October 24 and 25, 2026, with the Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 1-Mile Zuma Dash and 1K Kids Run.
