3 walking events in Kern County, California

Register by March 13th - To guarantee your preferred shirt size we recommend you register early by 2/28!

Kernville Elementary PTC presents our annual St. Patrick's Day Fun Run/5k. A FUN and challenging run in the southern Sierra Nevada town of Kernville, CA. The annual out and back 5K through the town of Kernville will take place on Saturday March 14th, 2026 at 8:30am. Our staging area, pack pick-up and race start will be at Kernville Elementary School. This is intended to be a FUN RUN, all ages and levels welcome. Walkers are welcome too!

Our kids 1K Walk/Run (ages 8 and younger) takes place in the school's backyard and starts promptly at 8:30am. Kids will collect gold coins along their route and trade them in for a treat! A full weekend can be made of your time in Kernville. Come and enjoy the beauty of the Kern River and surrounding mountains.

Packet pick-up will begin at 7:30am. 1K Fun Run/Walk will begin promptly at 8:30 and 5K Run at 9am

FREE Childcare provided on site from 8:30-10:30am to registered 5K runners

Light refreshments and snacks will be provided at the finish line. Medals and prizes will be given to 1st, 2nd, 3rd place for each age category.

Come out and Run for Wellness on a beautiful Saturday at Hart Park. Run, walk, or crawl, everyone is welcome. Choose between 5k or the 1 mile. This event is open to the public but has special pricing for Kern High School District Staff and immediate family. (Please sign up by 4/6 to be guaranteed a t-shirt!) Medals will be awarded to the top 3 in each age group per gender for the 5k. We look forward to seeing you and your family for this fun event! Enjoy music and vendors, as well as post-race drinks and snacks. Packet pick-up will not be available prior to the event. Please plan to pick up your packet on race day from 7:00am - 8:15am in Section 2 of Hart Park, near the east entrance. We look forward to seeing you!

The Summer Grand Prix is a thrilling four-race competition for runners of all levels. Held at the scenic Panorama Vista Preserve in Bakersfield, this series offers a challenging yet rewarding summer of racing.

NEW FOR 2026

1. We are adding divisions! (Youth, High School and Adult)

2. Only two waves.

3. Prizes for top three in each division. (M/F)

4. Scoring only the best of three races.

We believe these changes will give more opportunity for runners to compete and win, allows participants to miss a race and improves the overall experience of the series.

Four Open 5k Races

Participate in four exciting 5k races throughout the summer, each held at the picturesque Panorama Vista Preserve.

Walkers are welcomed and encouraged to participate.

Points System

Top three finishers (M/F) in each division (not wave) will earn points.

1st place • 9pts

2nd place • 8pts

3rd place • 7pts

4th place • 6pts

5th place • 5pts

6th place • 4pts

7th place • 3pts

8th place • 2pts

9th place • 1pts

Race Waves

Select from one of the three waves you want to race

Wave 1 • 6:15am

Wave 2 • 7:00am

**time will expire after 45 minutes of each race

Grand Prix Champions

The runners with the most points in each division accumulated across the series will be crowned the overall champion of the Summer Grand Prix.

Top Finisher Winners

This year we are breaking up our winners into three divisions Youth, High School and Adult each with top three winners per division both female and male athletes.

Donations

Part of the proceeds and donations will go to the Panorama Vista Preserve to help them continue to maintain and improve the scenic venue for all to share and enjoy.

Parking

Parking is limited so carpooling is encouraged. Overflow parking along the street.