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The 13th Annual She.Is.Beautiful Santa Barbara 5k and 10k is a female focused race coming to Santa Barbara on Saturday, September 6th, 2025 at scenic Chase Palm Park and along East Cabrillo Boulevard. The event celebrates strength, resilience, and empowerment, inviting participants of all fitness levels to run, walk, jog or even stroller-push along the stunning oceanfront course lined with funny and inspirational quotes. 3,000 participants are expected to attend.
The event weekend features a pre-race celebration on Friday September 5th (including a dog race, kid’s race and yoga provided by Power of Your Om), the signature 5K and 10K race on Saturday September 6th and a trail experience on Sunday, September 7 at Elling’s Park. Every event is tailored to all levels. The community partner of the race is Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara
Race registration includes:
- Custom She.Is.Beautiful race shirt
- Themed goodie bag
- Complimentary race photos
- Redemption of items from local businesses with race bib: free scoop of McConnell’s Ice Cream, Free Cup of Dune Coffee, Free Frosè from Lucky Penny, 2 for 1 pints at Topa Topa and Free services at Restore Wellness
Packet pick-up and race-week events:
- Wednesday, Sept 3 (Locals’ Night) at REI Santa Barbara (4:30–7:00 p.m.), featuring bib/shirt pickup and beer & wine tasting supporting Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara
- Friday, Sept 5 at Chase Palm Park field (12:00–6:00 p.m.), including vendors, kids’ & dog races, face painting, and complimentary yoga presented by Power of Your Om
- Race morning, Sept 6: Race starts at 8:30 am. Pre-race programming includes Land Blessing by Mia Lopez (former president of Coastal Band of the Chumash) and warm up with Jenny Schatzle. Race course maps HERE. Expo + glam station opens early. The festival is free and open to the public from 7am-11am.
- Trail Challenge Sept 7: Elings Park Santa Barbara 9am.
Community & fundraising partner:
She.Is.Beautiful has partnered with Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara for over a decade. The nonprofit works to empower girls to be strong, smart, and bold through STEM, mentorship, cooking, and art programs. Participants can support by joining fundraising teams or corporate groups, with fundraising tiers clearly tied to program impact (e.g., $115 provides one girl with a week of after-school programming).
What’s new & why it matters:
- The second biggest race in Santa Barbara and one of the only competitive stroller division races in the country
- Scenic, inclusive, and feel-good experience featuring positive motivational signage, prize categories for top female finishers, stroller divisions, kids’ races, and local wellness activities.
Race Background:
Fifteen years ago, sisters Melissa McConville and Sara Tanza, both proud UCSB alumni, dreamed up an event that was about more than just running. Growing up in Santa Cruz, they launched the first She.Is.Beautiful race in their hometown, but it wasn’t long before the event found a second home in Santa Barbara. During their college years and beyond, the sisters had immersed themselves in the local running community, and bringing the race here felt like a natural extension of that love.
From the start, their belief was that beauty is a feeling, a feeling that comes alive when you move your body, test your limits, and discover your own strength. Over the years, thousands of women have crossed the She.Is.Beautiful finish line, many of them for the very first time. Again and again, participants share how this race was the beginning of something bigger: the moment they realized they were capable of more than they imagined, both in fitness and in life.
HERE is some more background information.
