Running Fence Run
A celebration of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's 1976 art installation of a 18 foot 24.5 mile fabric curtain. The original distance of the marathon, the Running Fence was installed on private ranches and was highly controversial at the time. This 26.2 course on public roads highlights the landscape of the temporary art installation.
Celebrate Democracy and Art in an Epic Race honoring the 2,514th anniversary of the original marathon race and the 50th anniversary of the Running Fence Project on Patriot Day Weekend in 2026.
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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.
Patriot Day Weekend marks the 2,514th anniversary of the epic race to deliver the news of victory at the Battlefield of Marathon by Athens, the cradle of democracy. The Athenian citizens then sprinted to the city walls deterring an enemy naval attack until the army returned.
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It is also 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.