Record 10,000 runners take Pacific Coast Highway for 70th Surf City 10
The 70th running of America's oldest 10-miler drew more than 10,000 entrants Sept. 20, up more than 50 percent over last year.
A record 10,000 runners took over Pacific Coast Highway on Sunday morning for the 70th running of Surf City 10, the oldest 10-mile race in the United States. The turnout marked a more than 50 percent increase over 2025 and set a participation record for an event that began in 1957 as the Huntington Beach Distance Derby.
America's oldest 10-miler started at 6:30 a.m. on Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, sending runners north along a fast, flat, USATF-certified oceanfront course before returning to the finish near the Pier. The 10K followed at 7:15 a.m. and the 5K at 8 a.m., with all three Sunday distances starting and finishing in front of Pier Plaza.
Rosie Edwards, 38, a native of England who lives in Arizona, won the women's 10-mile race in 58 minutes and 10 seconds, then sprinted to a scheduled 8 a.m. car so she could catch a 9:30 flight home. Her hurry had a deadline: her son Leo's first birthday. "I've got to get back to give him a cuddle, then we're taking him to Maine on a little vacation," Edwards said.
Katie Alvarenga of Northridge won the women's 10K in 37:04, more than a minute ahead of runner-up Renee Funston. It was the 29-year-old's first-ever race victory. "It's the place to be," said Alvarenga. "There's the palm trees, everyone is cheering. There's the fresh breeze of the ocean. Whenever you're hurting, you just know the water's right there, how good it sounds. Roll with it like the waves."
Gabriel Ferreyra, 28, of Perris won the men's 10K for the second consecutive year, this time in 33:45.
The weekend also included Saturday's Beach Mile and a two-day expo with packet pickup from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Huntington Beach Pier Plaza. Competitors filled all four lanes of Pacific Coast Highway, and residents and motorists were urged to plan ahead for Sunday closures.
Race director Julie Coleman marked the milestone by looking back at seven decades of the event. "For 70 years, runners have been coming to Huntington Beach to challenge themselves, chase fast times and experience one of the most scenic courses in the United States," Coleman said. "There is something special about reaching this historic milestone and seeing more athletes than ever before line up on Pacific Coast Highway."
From the pier, ocean and palm trees as a backdrop to the cool, calm running weather, the anniversary weekend delivered the picture-perfect morning organizers had hoped for, and a record field to match.
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