The Running Fence Run: A Run of Freedom
On September 12, 2026, runners return to the stunning Sonoma County hills to celebrate two milestone anniversaries:
- The 50th anniversary of Christo & Jeanne-Claude's Running Fence art installation — September 10-24, 1976
- The 2,516th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon — September 12, 490 BC
The Connection Between Art and Running
In September 1976, artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude stretched a 24.5-mile ribbon of white fabric across the hills of Sonoma and Marin counties — for just two weeks. That distance echoes the original marathon: the ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to announce a stunning military victory, one that saved the cradle of democracy. That run inspired the marathon we race today. Christo fled communist Bulgaria in 1957, seeking freedom in the West. He called the Running Fence "a scream of freedom" — art that answered to no one, funded entirely by the artists themselves, rippling in the open California wind.
Featured in Runner's World magazine (Nov. 1976), a few runners ran the length of the fence, including Christo's fabric supplier, Bob Urie, a marathoner who helped organize the 1976 New York City Marathon. Running is freedom! Like a long run, freedom takes endurance, courage, and the willingness to go the distance. Choose your challenge — 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or full 26.2 — and run through the same beautiful landscape where the Running Fence once stood.
Race Packet Distribution
Sports Basement - Santa Rosa
Saturday, September 5, 10am-2pm & Friday, September 11, 4PM – 7 PM
20% discount for Basementeers, valid for both days of Running Fence Run Packet Pickup.