Morgan and Bains win Santa Barbara 5K; sixth edition draws event-record 7,500+ registrations; more than $250,000 raised for local organizations since 2021
Santa Barbara, Calif. (November 8, 2026) – Under a picture-postcard sky and unseasonably warm temperatures, runners took to the American Riviera for the sixth Santa Barbara Half Marathon presented by HOKA and the Santa Barbara 5K on Sunday, November 8, running miles along the Pacific on Cabrillo Blvd. before finishing on State Street and into the Funk Zone Finish Line Festival.
Garrett Reynolds, 29, of Ventura, Calif., won the Half Marathon in 1:08:19, holding off Jacob Hernandez (1:08:21) by two seconds, with Bryan Guijarro third in 1:09:37. Emily Jackson, 25, of Santa Barbara, was the top woman in 1:21:18, ahead of Melissa Tenkate (1:22:11) and Jalen Burns (1:22:24). Marin Mitchell won the non-binary division in 1:57:08.
The Santa Barbara 5K was won by Joshua Morgan, 19, of Tenino, Wash., in 16:14, and Baneet Bains, 25, of Santa Barbara, who was the top woman in 18:39. Christopher Schuster won the non-binary division in 28:30.
The morning closed with hundreds of kids at the HOKA Kids Fun Run presented by White & Grube Orthodontics. Every finisher, from the Kids Fun Run to the Half Marathon, received this year’s California poppy medal designed by Solange Aguilar, inaugural recipient of the Santa Barbara Half Art Prize with the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB).
“Thank you to our runners, volunteers, City agencies and the entire Santa Barbara community for making this event such a special day on the local calendar,” said David Monico, Event Director. “Together we welcomed runners from 47 states and 19 countries, including our largest contingent of local runners to date, with more than 3,500 registrants from Santa Barbara County alone. This community showed the world what Santa Barbara is all about.”
Race weekend kicked off Friday with the Palm Park Festival presented by the Santa Barbara Independent, followed by Saturday’s HOKA Shakeout Run and HOKA Yoga at the Park. On race morning, Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse started the Half Marathon after UCSB’s a cappella group Vocal Motion sang the national anthem. Friends and family packed the HOKA Fly Zone on Cabrillo Blvd. and the UCSB Gaucho Pep Band powered the Mile 11 Fly Zone on State Street, before runners celebrated with drink tabs, live music from Outside Voices and participant specials at the Funk Zone Finish Line Festival. The celebration even included at least one known wedding proposal.
The event is made possible by presenting partner HOKA and official partners Google Quantum AI, Ergomotion, Intake Breathing, Oak Financial Group – Raymond James, Zenni Optical, White & Grube Orthodontics, Voli Wellness, GU Energy Labs, PLEZi and Open Water, along with nearly 50 official, community and civic partners.
Since the event’s inception in 2021, Run Local® and Santa Barbara Half participants have raised more than $250,000 for the Santa Barbara Running Association’s youth programs and other local organizations, including this year’s event.
Event Fast Facts
- Sixth edition
- Central Coast’s largest running event, with an event-record 7,500+ registrations
- Global reach: runners came from an event-record 47 states and 19 countries
- Field breakdown: 52% women, 47% men and 1% non-binary+/did not disclose
- Youngest entrant, 6 months (Kids Fun Run); oldest Half Marathon entrant, 83
- Volunteer & staff crew of more than 400 strong
- Two dozen blind runners and their guides from Blind Fitness & Eyeshine
- The Half Marathon is a Southern California USA Track & Field Grand Prix event and an SBRA Grand Prix event
- The 5K is an SBRA Junior Grand Prix event
Early bird registration is now open for the 2027 Santa Barbara Half Marathon presented by HOKA & 5K on Sunday, November 7, 2027. Full results and registration are available at santabarbarahalf.com. Follow @santabarbarahalf & @runlocalevents on social media.
About Run Local® – Founded in 2012, Run Local’s mission is to inspire movement in your community™. The organization 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 celebrates the local running community, artists, and the unique diversity of each region. For more information, visit runlocalevents.com and join us on social @runlocalevents.