Where does the race start and finish?

All races start and finish at Almaden Lake Park. Beer City is located on the south west part of the park, off Winfield Blvd. 5949 Winfield Blvd, San Jose, CA 95120 (directions)

What kind of schwag is there?

Each finisher receives The Key Beer City medal (which doubles as a bottle opener). Hold it close! All finishers also receive a custom Beer City Half shirt and a special Beer City tasting glass made from recycled plastic. Yay sustainability!

What are the courses, cuttoff times, etc.

All the races take place on the paved trails around and near Lake Almaden. These are the Guadalupe River Trail, Los Alamitos Creek Trail, Calero Creek Trail and, of course the path around Lake Almaden. You can find all of this under Courses. 

Is there packet pickup? When is it? Where is it? Can I pickup race day?

There will be packet pickup on Friday, May 30 at from 4-6pm, location TBD. You can pick up for friends. No problem.

On race day, there is bib pickup starting just after 7am at Almaden Lake Park.

Will there be beer? What else will be at the finish?

There will be beer tastes of Lagunitas for racers over 21 years of age, non-alcoholic beer, and other drinks like bubbly water and soda pop. There will also be post-race treats. Runners can purchase Lazy Friend so friends can join them with a beer at the end of the run. Post-run beer tasting lasts until 12pm.

Family and friends are also welcome to come at no charge if they don't want to drink beer or try any of the snacks. This is a family-friendly event. 

Are there cutoffs?

Kinda. We don't like cutting people off. You've earned your race. That said, the Half Marathon only has a cutoff at 3:30 minutes. This is not a hard cutoff. Everyone on the course gets a finish. If a runner is significantly behind a 3:30 pace they'll be encouraged to return to the Start.

Where do I park?

There is on-street parking on Winfield Blvd. There is also paid parking on Winfield Blvd and at the lot off Almaden Expressway, which is a short walk away.

What's Race The Rex about?

Shout out to our friends at Mendocino Running Festival, this is an insanely great take on the Beer Mile. Like a beer mile you drink 4 beers over 1 mile of running. With Race The Rex, you have to stay ahead of the T-Rex who may run slower that you do -- but definitely drinks faster. Don't get caught by the Rex or you are OUT of the race.

What''s the Beer City Shindig?

Join us at Clandestine Brewing (980 S 1st St ste b, San Jose, CA 95110) in the afternoon from 1pm - 5pm. There will be special taproom activities just for Beer City weekend and we will have music and games. Your ticket covers your first beer.

What's your refund policy?

We have an expansive and generous deferral and transfer policy. You can read all about it here.