Palo Alto’s Moonlight Run & Walk returns to the Baylands on Friday, Sept. 25, with a 10K, a 5K and an untimed 5K walk. The half marathon will not be offered this year because construction affects its route, and organizers say the distance is expected to return in 2027, according to Palo Alto Online.
What runners should expect
The 10K course uses the Embarcadero and Baylands trails and has been updated for 2026, while the remaining 5K run and 5K walk preserve shorter options for participants. Check-in, registration and event activities are based at the Baylands Athletic Center at the end of Geng Road; the official event page provides the current registration and race information, including virtual participation.
The construction timing overlaps with a documented access restriction in the same broader area: Santa Clara Valley Water says a portion of Adobe Creek Loop Trail is closed from Sept. 1 through Oct. 30 for work on the Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project. The available records establish that closure and the race-related route change, but do not specify whether every affected section of the Moonlight Run course is part of the Adobe Creek project.
A recurring access issue, but not one continuous project
Baylands trail disruptions have occurred before, although the documented examples involve different locations, agencies and construction schedules. In 2021, Palo Alto Online reported that Valley Water planned to replace a tide-gate structure near the airport and Baylands Nature Preserve, temporarily closing the Adobe Creek Loop during a flood-protection project.
Separately, The Almanac reported in 2018 that portions of the Bay Trail near the Friendship Bridge reopened after construction tied to flood-protection work on lower San Francisquito Creek. That history shows why trail access can affect Baylands events, but it is not evidence that closures are becoming more frequent or that those earlier projects caused this year’s cancellation.
Fundraising remains part of the event’s role
The Moonlight Run is also connected to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, which supports local nonprofits. The fund’s operating model is documented on its official page: participating local foundations match individual donations, and all funds raised are distributed to nonprofit organizations serving families and children. That broader charitable structure provides context for the event, but the available records do not establish how much this year’s race will raise.
