San Diego Pride 5K Run & Walk 2026

About San Diego Pride 5K Run & Walk 2026

The San Diego Pride 5K Run and Walk 2026 kicks off the biggest morning of Pride weekend on Saturday, July 18, at 8 a.m., sending runners and walkers down the parade route through Hillcrest before the floats line up. Organized by Front Runners and Walkers San Diego, the race starts and finishes near University Avenue and Richmond Street and draws around 1,700 participants every year, from competitive runners to costumed walkers pushing strollers. The course is a flat, fast out-and-back, heading west on University Avenue, south on 6th Avenue into Balboa Park, then a turnaround back to Hillcrest, so you cover the same ground the parade will take a couple of hours later. Every registrant gets a tech race shirt and a finisher's medal, and the event raises roughly $40,000 for charity each year, making it one of the feel-good traditions of San Diego Pride. Registration opens in spring 2026 at pride5k.run and tends to sell out, so sign up early rather than counting on race-day entry. Get to Hillcrest by transit if you can, because the MTS Rapid 215 bus runs from downtown and avoids the road closures that lock down the neighborhood from the early morning. Arrive with time to grab your bib, stretch, and soak up the pre-parade energy as the streets fill. Finish your 5K, grab a coffee on University Avenue, then claim a curb spot for the 10 a.m. parade. It is the most active, joyful way to start San Diego Pride Saturday.