Running Fence Run - Celebrating Christo & Jeanne-Claude's "Running Fence" temporary art project - a 24.5-mile fabric fence in Sonoma & Marin Counties installed in September 1976

The Running Fence Run is a unique marathon race along the rolling hills and public roads adjacent to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s famous Running Fence temporary art installation, a 18 foot high 24.5 mile long fabric fence that confounded the world in 1976. Tracing much of the art installation’s route from the Pacific Ocean to the Cotati Hub, the Running Fence Marathon features milestone markers- obelisks wrapped in the Christo-style. 

The inaugural year of the Running Fence Run in 2025 will have a 5K and 10K race with fun runs on Patriot Day Weekend, Saturday September 13th.  This is the 49th anniversary of the Running Fence and 24th anniversary of the 9/11. A small memorial ceremony will be held Thursday 9/11/2025 in the Cotati Plaza.

2026 Patriot Day Weekend marks the 2,514th anniversary of the original race that delivered the news of the victory at Marathon. On Sept 12, 490 BC Pheidippides rallied the fledgling democracy of Athens to resist an impending Persian naval attack. It is the 50th anniversary of Christo's Running Fence, a powerful symbol of artistic freedom and democratic debate that put the landscapes of Sonoma and Marin counties on the map.  

The Running Fence Run commemorates these momentous events during a single historic weekend! Join us for a marathon (26.2 miles) or a 10K on a scenic course that winds through the rolling hills once adorned by Christo's iconic art installation.

On Friday, September 11th, 2026 we will honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks with a special memorial ceremony. Join us in paying our respects and remembering those who were lost.

On Saturday, September 12th, 2026 we'll celebrate with a marathon, 5K, and 10K race. Choose your distance and challenge yourself while supporting great causes.