Avenue of the Giants Marathon

The Avenue of the Giants Marathon takes place Sunday, May 3, 2026, within the cathedral-like grandeur of Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California, where runners traverse a double out-and-back course entirely on paved roads beneath 300-foot-tall coast redwoods—the largest remaining old-growth redwood forest on Earth. The full marathon launches at 7:45 AM, with the half marathon and 10K following at 8:30 AM, all races threading through the 32-mile scenic highway that once served as the main route north until Highway 101’s bypass was completed in 1960. Race packet pickup runs Saturday from noon to 4 PM or Sunday morning from 7 AM to 7:40 AM at the staging area, with parking available on the river bar a quarter-mile from the start line. Aid stations stocked with Gatorade, oranges, and bananas appear at regular intervals, and the awards ceremony begins at 11 AM when morning fog typically surrenders to filtered sunlight dappling through ancient canopy.

The Sinkyone people inhabited this landscape for thousands of years before European contact, navigating the South Fork Eel River and harvesting from forests that would later draw nineteenth-century loggers seeking the massive trees for grape stakes and shingles. In 1921, Save the Redwoods League acquired its first grove here—an act its founders likened to preventing someone from “chopping up a grandfather clock for kindling”—and the park has since grown to encompass 53,000 acres, an area nearly twice the size of San Francisco. Seventeen thousand of those acres remain old-growth forest, including the Rockefeller Forest, purchased with matching million-dollar donations from John D. Rockefeller in 1927 and 1929, which today protects the entire Bull Creek watershed. Runners pass near Founder’s Grove, where the Dyerville Giant—once the tallest tree ever measured at 370 feet before it fell in 1991—lies in state, its root system exposed and its estimated 1,600 years of life available for contemplation between mile markers.

The cool, shaded conditions that make this course legendary among distance runners create an atmosphere equally suited to spectators and families spreading blankets along the route. Dogs are welcome to join the festivities in this forest where black-tailed deer, gray foxes, and Steller’s jays move through fern-carpeted understory, and where banana slugs—North America’s largest, reaching eight inches—navigate the damp forest floor in their slow pilgrimage. Couples discover romantic alcoves among the towering trunks, perfect for photographs that capture the scale of human figures against ancient bark, while groups gather at the finish line celebration where the community spirit of Humboldt County reveals itself in shared meals and stories. Pack picnic blankets, folding chairs, layers for the morning chill that burns off by noon, and sunscreen for the riverside celebrations that follow.

The small towns strung along the Avenue—Phillipsville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Weott, Redcrest, and Pepperwood—offer authentic Northern California hospitality: the Avenue Cafe in Miranda serves legendary calzones and pizzas alongside local microbrews on tap, perfect for post-race refueling with alfresco dining on their patio. The Woodrose Cafe in Garberville draws devoted followers for its fresh, organic breakfast fare and made-to-order smoothies, while Il Forno Bakery offers exceptional breakfast sandwiches and pastries—their chocolate cake alone justifies the twenty-mile drive south. For an elevated evening, the Benbow Historic Inn presents fine dining with a Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” wine list, indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the Eel River, and live music on summer evenings. For accommodations that position you perfectly for race morning amid the world’s tallest trees, explore nearby lodging options on Lake.com and start planning your redwood running adventure today.