Why the Oakland Marathon Is Redefining Running Community

Описание: When we launched the Everyday Athlete Clubhouse Run Club Tour, we knew the first stop had to mean something. Oakland didn’t just make sense on the calendar. It also made sense in the soul.

That’s what led to this conversation with David Monico, Director of Marketing for Run Local that puts on the Oakland Marathon, and Coach Bertrand Newson of Too Legit Fitness. This quickly became one of those sit-back-in-your-chair, nod-along discussions that reminds you why we run.

This wasn’t a talk about logistics or PR soundbites. It was a real conversation about building something that reflects the people it serves. When I registered for the Oakland Marathon, the registration itself stopped me cold and in the best way. Gender options that included non-binary. Clear pathways for physically challenged and disabled athletes. These weren’t boxes to check. They were signals. Signals that said: you belong here.

I pushed David on that intentionality. Why say “a race for everyone” and actually live it? His answer was simple and rare: they listen. They’ve listened to employees who felt unseen, to visually impaired runners asking for access, to families like Karen Prewitt's, advocating for her son Caleb with Down syndrome. And they didn’t just listen, they acted. Quickly. That's really cool.

Coach B grounded it all in Oakland’s heartbeat. This race feels homegrown because it is. Local volunteers. Local vendors. Locally designed medals and shirts. Gospel choirs, DJs, culture on full display. These are not just decorations, but they are truth of Oakland. When I asked Coach B to describe the city in three words, he said rich, captivating, compelling. You feel that energy in every mile.

Yes, we talked hills the hills and fueling plus hydration on the course. BUT, we also talked about Oakland’s incredible food scene.Underneath it all was something deeper: community as a healing force. A race as a gathering place. A starting line where every body is welcome.

March 21–22, 2026 isn’t just another stop. It’s a blueprint for how endurance events should be built.

This discussion is your inside look at why the Oakland Marathon hits different and why it matters.