2026 Joshua Tree Half Marathon
The Joshua Tree Half Marathon is a one-of-a-kind NIGHT RACE that takes you through the desert and under the stars with colorful lights leading you to the finish! This has quickly become a favorite of thousands to cap off their racing season.
Where and when
Location: Joshua Tree, CA, USA
Start times: Half Marathon: 6:00 PM
Event summary
Here are the distances available for 2026 Joshua Tree Half Marathon:
- Half Marathon - 13.1mi
Route information
The Joshua Tree Half Marathon is a one-of-a-kind NIGHT RACE that takes you through the desert and under the stars with colorful lights leading you to the finish!
Factors: Nighttime, rolling course with loose sand and rocks
Training: We recommend training on soft earth trails with downhill portions and uneven ground. Train smarter for your next Vacation Races adventure with Runna—your personalized training partner built to help you arrive at the start line confident, prepared, and ready to run strong through iconic landscapes. Claim your trail here: https://web.runna.com/welcome?redirectUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.runna.com%2Fredeem%3Fcode%3DVACATIONRUNNA
Time Limit: This course has a 4-hour time limit, which equals about 18.5 minutes per mile. Walkers are welcome and should keep this pace in mind to finish on time.
Location Note: To be clear, this race doesn't take place inside the National Park. It's difficult to get permission to conduct private business activities on national land, and rightly so. Having said that, this is about as close to the park as it gets.
What's included
- Finisher medal
- Event t-shirt
- Aid stations
- Timing
How to get there
Flying
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT » Palm Springs International (PSP) is the closest airport to the race location. It's only an hour away from Joshua Tree, and most airlines fly here!
ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT » A little further out is Ontario International Airport (ONT). It's about an 1 hour and 45 minutes away, but has most airlines available. This is a smaller airport, and tickets can get expensive, so book early!
LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT » It will be easy to find a flight to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from most places; however, it will be at least a 2-hour and 45-minute drive. If you get caught in LA traffic, the drive could be closer to 5 hours. Plan accordingly!
Getting to the Start
Plug in the following parking & shuttle location to meet us for race day: 7000 Split Rock Ave, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Parking Lot: RESET Hotel (Joshua Tree, CA)
Expo & Bib Pickup Location Joshua Tree
Parking & Runner Drop-off Location: RESET Hotel (7000 Split Rock Ave, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277) We will have plenty of parking to accommodate all of our runners. All cars should be parked no later than 4:30 pm. Runners will park in the designated parking areas. Please get there early to avoid any rush and to give yourself time to get ready for the race.
Drop-off If you are dropping a runner off, please follow the drop-off signs. Please drop your runner off no later than 4:30 pm. If you intend to stay and wait for your runner, you should park with the rest of the event traffic.
Hotels and Accommodation
Find some of the best hotel rates close to the startline with Hotel Planner.Find your room
Event day logistics
**2025 Timings below. We expect 2026 timings to be very similar**
The race starts at 6:00 pm (PST) sharp! Please plan to arrive by 4:30 pm.
Due to the timeline of the day, if you arrive at the expo after 3:30 pm, please plan to stay until your start time. We'll have hot chocolate and coffee to keep you going!
Friday (Expo & Race Day)
- 12:00 PM - Race expo & bib pickup at the RESET Hotel
- 4:30 PM - All cars should be parked for the 6 pm start time & the start line prize raffle begins!
- 5:00 PM - Race expo closes & last call for bib pickup!
- 5:30 PM - Pacers line up
- 5:40-6:20 PM - Access to the parking lot will close to allow the race to begin
- 5:45 PM - Runners line up & gear check last call
- 5:55 PM - National anthem
- 6:00 PM - RACE STARTS!
Waves will start every few minutes
8:45 PM - Awards ceremony
Due to the nature of this course, a headlight is required for all runners! We will have some for sale at the expo, but you should plan ahead and bring your own.