2024 San Jose Half Marathon & 8K Announces Special Olympics Northern California as Official Charitable Beneficiary

December 7, 2023

Event returns on Sunday, June 2 with a reimagined experience that includes a start/finish at Santana Row and the world-famous Mariachi Mile

SAN JOSE, Calif. – (December 7, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The San Jose Half Marathon & 8K to be held on Sunday, June 2, 2024 and produced by Bay Area based event organizers, Run Local^® has announced Special Olympics Northern California (SONC) as its Official Charitable Beneficiary. Founded in 2012 as the 408K, the reimagined San Jose Half & 8K will start and finish at San Jose’s Santana Row, taking participants through a unique journey of downtown San Jose, including experiences such as the famous Mariachi Mile, with a dozen local musicians motivating participants to the finish line.

Through its partnership with SONC the San Jose Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) and 8K (5 Miles) will continue to evolve Run Local’s mission to inspire movement in your community™, providing accessible opportunities for anyone to participate. In addition, it will seek to elevate the stories of the local running community, including those of SONC’s more than 27,000 participants, 15,000+ volunteers, and 5,500 coaches. San Jose Half Marathon & 8K participants are encouraged through their registration to donate to SONC and to get involved as a part of their individual journey to the finish line on June 2.

“SONC is an incredible organization that inspires all of us at Run Local to ensure everyone has a fun and safe environment to achieve their athletic goals,” commented Run Local founder and San Jose native, J.T. Service. “Through this partnership we want our running community to be a part of transforming the lives of many, while providing deeper meaning to every one of our participant’s health journey.”

“The San Jose Half & 8K provides Special Olympics Northern California with a great opportunity to further the awareness of our mission of uniting people with and without intellectual disabilities and creating a more connected community through the power of sports,” said David Solo, President and CEO of Special Olympics Northern California. “We look forward to cheering for everyone on June 2 and sharing the inspiring spirit of Special Olympics with the greater Bay Area running community.”

For more event information, including registration visit run408k.com or follow the event on Instagram @sanjosehalf.

About Run Local

Founded in 2012, Run Local’s mission is to inspire movement in your community™. It has produced events in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California, including the Oakland Running Festival (March), the San Jose 408K & Half Marathon (late Spring) and the Santa Barbara Half presented by HOKA & SB Independent 5K (November). Each of its events celebrate the local running community, artists and the unique diversity of each region. For more information, visit runlocalevents.com and also join us on social @runlocalevents.

About Special Olympics Northern California (SONC)

SONC is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities through inclusive sports, education, leadership, and health programs. The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization offers free year-round training and competition programs for more than 27,000 participants. On school campuses, SONC impacts more than 100,000 school-aged students by promoting inclusion through the Unified Champion Schools Program. SONC is also committed to improving the overall health and well-being of individuals with intellectual disabilities through health programs and leadership training.

More information may be found by visiting www.sonc.org and on Facebook/Twitter/TikTok @SONorCal and Instagram @SpecialOlympicsNCA.