OC Marathon

What OC Marathon does

OC Marathon operates the Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival, an annual multi-distance running event held in Orange County, California. The organization runs a full marathon (26.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles), 5K, and a Kids Run program, with the 2025 event drawing a record 15,000 registrations and the franchise citing over 25,000 runners annually across distances. The course traverses Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and Santa Ana, leveraging oceanfront streets as the core scenic differentiator.

The core product set is a portfolio of race events bracketed by a two-day Lifestyle & Fitness Expo at the OC Fair & Event Center and a Celebrate OC Festival. Supporting services include Charity Partners, Corporate Teams, Pace Groups (via A Snail's Pace), Challenges (Legacy Runners, Combo Crush, Beach Cities Challenge), VIP packages and registration upgrades, training plans, results/photos, and ancillary owned races (OC Fair 5K, Run for a Claus 5K). Technology is minimal and disclosed as "not explicitly disclosed"; registration is centralized through the third-party RunSignUp platform, with a Coros-branded countdown widget on the website.

The business model blends high-volume, low-friction individual race registration revenue with sponsorship monetization. Revenue streams include one-time registration fees across distance tiers, registration upgrades and VIP packages, charity fundraising commissions, corporate team registrations, and a multi-tier sponsor portfolio led by title sponsor Hoag Hospital and including Gatorade, Coros, Kia, 361°, UPS, Yaamava, SnailsPace, Bee Charged Now, Go Army, Happy Dad, TruMoo, and CRR Waste Services. Go-to-market is event-driven: registrations open on a defined cadence (August 1 for 2027), with multi-channel marketing (email newsletter, earned media in Orange County Register and KTLA, organic social, ambassador program). The organization is privately held, founder/operator-led with no disclosed parent or external investors, headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, with a 1-10 headcount lean operation.

Name

OC Marathon

Legal name

OC Marathon

Website

https://ocmarathon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OC Marathon operates the annual Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival in Orange County, CA, hosting marathon, half marathon, 5K, and Kids Run events serving individual runners, corporate teams, and charity partners, with revenue from race registration and a multi-brand sponsorship portfolio led by Hoag Hospital.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Running Event Management

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAIAA

Road Running Events (Marathons, Half Marathons, 10K/5K)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Endurance & Mass Participation Events (Marathons, Triathlons, Cycling Events)

SECONDARYMPAKADAD

Mass Participation Race Organizers (Runs, Triathlons, Cycling)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Event & Tournament Organizers (Tours, Championships, Meets)

Keywords

• Running event management
• Marathon race organization
• Community fitness events
• Recreational race registration
• Charity running programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Race Registration Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from participant registration fees for various race distances including the full marathon, half marathon, 5K, and Kids Run. Additional revenue streams include registration upgrades such as VIP packages, charity fundraising, and corporate team registrations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OC Marathon organizes and hosts the Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival, an annual multi-day race weekend in Orange County, California. The core offering is a portfolio of paid race registrations spanning a 26.2-mile full marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon, 5K run/walk, and a multi-week Kids Run program, supplemented by an expo, festival, VIP upgrades, corporate team entries, charity partner fundraising, and elite athlete support.

Product overview

OC Marathon organizes the Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival, a multi-day running event held annually in Orange County, California. The core product is a portfolio of race distances including the Hoag OC Marathon (26.2 miles), OC Half Marathon (13.1 miles), Hoag OC 5K, and Hoag Kids Run the OC program. Supporting the races are the Lifestyle & Fitness Expo, Celebrate OC Festival, and various challenge programs. The company also offers add-on services including VIP packages, registration upgrades, training plans, pace groups, elite athlete support, charity partnerships, corporate team programs, and results/photo services. Registration for the 2027 event opens August 1st.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hoag OC Marathon The full 26.2-mile marathon event touring through Orange County with iconic coastal views from Newport Beach to Costa Mesa. Open to runners of all abilities and serves as the centerpiece of the Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival weekend.
• OC Half Marathon The 13.1-mile half-marathon event designed as an accessible distance that lets participants enjoy the post-race finish line party. Open to runners and walkers.
• Hoag OC 5K A 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) run or walk event featuring live music and family-friendly entertainment, scheduled the evening before the marathon and half marathon.
• Hoag Kids Run the OC A 10–12 week program for children that promotes an active, healthy lifestyle, culminating in a Final Mile event during race weekend.
• Celebrate OC Festival

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Hoag HospitalflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHoag is the title sponsor of the Hoag OC Marathon Running Festival. Hoag is dedicated to fostering a healthier community and has been title sponsor for multiple years. The 22nd annual event is scheduled for May 2-3, 2026 under this partnership.
• YaamavacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial partner of the OC Marathon listed among 2026 partners.
• SnailsPacecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner providing pace groups for runners; A Snail's Pace program offers pace groups for various finishing times.
• 361°coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAthletic apparel sponsor listed among 2026 partners.
• KiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomotive sponsor among 2026 partners.
• Bee Charged NowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerElectric vehicle charging sponsor among 2026 partners.
• CoroscoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial GPS watch partner; Countdown to Race Day featured on website using Coros technology.
• Go ArmyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMilitary recruitment partnership among 2026 sponsors.
• Happy DadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage sponsor listed among 2026 partners.
• GatoradecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sports drink sponsor providing hydration for runners.
• RunnaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraining app partner with promotional offer for OC Marathon registrants.
• UPSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShipping and logistics sponsor among 2026 partners.
• TruMoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDairy beverage sponsor among 2026 partners.
• CRR Waste ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaste services sponsor among 2026 partners.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bank of America Chicago Marathon: The Chicago Marathon is one of the World Marathon Majors and a benchmark mass-participation road race with comprehensive distance offerings and a global sponsor ecosystem, providing an upper-bound reference for OC Marathon's category economics and sponsorship pricing power.
• Boston Athletic Association (Boston Marathon): The BAA operates the Boston Marathon and a series of road races including the BAA 5K and Half Marathon. It serves as a reference point for legacy road marathon brands and long-running event IP.
• New York Road Runners (TCS New York City Marathon): NYRR operates the NYC Marathon and a year-round mass participation running portfolio with multi-distance offerings. As a broader incumbent, it offers a scaled analogue to OC Marathon's event-driven runner engagement model.

Regional players

• Marine Corps Marathon: The Marine Corps Marathon is a major US mass participation road marathon run annually in the Washington DC metro area. It is comparable in event scope and operational model to OC Marathon, though it serves a different regional runner base.

Direct peers

• Big Sur Marathon: Big Sur International Marathon is a California-based road marathon differentiated by its scenic coastal course, comparable in many respects to OC Marathon's Newport Beach-to-Costa Mesa scenic positioning. Both target destination and recreational runners seeking a premium setting.
• Carslbad 5000: The Carlsbad 5000 is a Southern California road running event with multiple distance tiers and a strong elite-athlete component, comparable in scope and regional focus to the OC Marathon's distance portfolio and competitive positioning.
• Long Beach Marathon: The Long Beach Marathon is another Southern California coastal road race offering marathon, half marathon, and 5K distances, directly competing for the same regional runner pool with a similarly scenic coastal course.
• San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon: The Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon is a Southern California mass participation marathon series with comparable distance tiers (full, half, 5K) and a music- and festival-driven experience that mirrors OC Marathon's entertainment-focused positioning.
• LA Marathon: The LA Marathon is a large-scale Southern California mass participation road marathon and direct geographic competitor to the OC Marathon, drawing from the same Southern California runner base with similar multi-distance offerings and a comparable festival-style event experience.

Emerging players

• REVEL Race Series: REVEL Race Series organizes downhill marathon and half marathon events across multiple US cities, comparable in its multi-city mass participation road race model to OC Marathon's coastal race weekend offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ocmarathon
• Facebookfacebook.com/ocmarathon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OC Marathon