VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - Authorities are urging residents of Ojai and Ventura to plan for significant travel delays this weekend as the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon returns.
The event, a popular Boston Marathon qualifier, will trigger a series of rolling closures and detours across both cities starting Saturday and concluding Sunday afternoon.
What we know:
The full marathon kicks off in downtown Ojai, featuring a 6-mile loop through the East Ojai area before runners head south toward the coast.
The following roads will be closed intermittently throughout race day:
Ojai
Hwy 150 (Ojai Ave) in Downtown Ojai
- Closure-From Ventura St through Carne Rd closed in both directions.3:00 am till 6:30 am
- Westbound detour through Ojai (coming down Denison):Right on Reeves, Left on McAndrew, Left on Thacher, Left on Carne, Right on Fordyce, to Left on Fordyce to Right on Grand Ave to Left on Signal St, to Right on Aliso, to Left on Ventura St which turns into Creek Rd
- Eastbound Detour through Ojai: Take Creek Rd from Hwy 33 to Ventura St, Left on Topa Topa, Right on Blanche, up to Summer St and turn right, Left on Signal St, Right on Grand Ave. to Left on Fordyce Rd, to Right on Fordyce Rd, to Left on Carne, to Right on Thacher, to Right on McAndrews, Right on Reeves, to Left on Hwy 150 (Ojai Ave)
East Grand Ave Area
- Closure- Eastbound Grand from Fordyce to Carne closed from 3am to 8am
- Closure- East and West bound Grand from Carne to McNell closed from 3am to 8am
- Detour Eastbound Grand– Left on Fordyce, to Right on Fordyce Rd, to Left on Carne, to Right on Thacher, to Right on McAndrews, Right on Reeves, to Left on Hwy 150 (Ojai Ave)
- Detour Westbound Grand– From McAndrew, Right on McNell, Left on Thacher, Left on Carne, Right on Fordyce, to Left on Fordyce to Right Grand Ave…Continue with Westbound detour through Ojai if needed.
Westbound Hwy 150 (Ojai Ave)
- Closure- From Carne rd. to Hwy 33 @ Vons3:00 am till 8:15 am
- Detour- Westbound Detour through Ojai is listed above
Eastbound El Roblar Ave (West bound lane is open)
- Closure- From Rice Rd to Hwy 333:00 am till 8:30 am
- For Access, come from Hwy 33 West on El Roblar
Northbound Rice Rd (Southbound lane is open)
- Closure- Northbound Rice Rd. from Baldwin to El Roblar3:00 am till 9:00 am
- For access, come from the North side and head South on Rice Rd.
Baldwin Rd and Rice Rd
- This intersection is not closed but will be crowded with runners crossing from 7:10 am to 9:30 am. Highly recommended to take other routes during this time to avoid excessive delays.
Southbound Burnham Rd (Northbound lane is open)
- Closure- From Baldwin to Santa Ana Rd3:00 am till 10:30 am
- For access Enter Burnham from the southside at Santa Ana
- For Residents trying to leave Head Northbound on Burnham exit Left or Right onto Baldwin.
Santa Ana Blvd
- Closure-Monte Via to Santa Ana Rd.
- Both directions from 3:00 AM till 6:20-30 AM
Santa Ana Rd (Southbound only)
- Southbound Santa Ana Rd from Burnham to Casitas Vista Rd. 3:00 AM till 11:00 AM
Casitas Vista Rd (Southbound only)
- Closure-South bound will be closed from Santa Ana Rd to Ventura Ave 3:00 AM till 11:30 AM
Ventura area
N. Ventura Ave (Southbound only)
- Closure- Casitas Vista Rd to North Crooked Palm3:00 AM till 11:30 AM
- South bound Ventura Ave from N. Crooked Palm to Main St in Ventura will remain open all day
- Northbound Ventura Ave will remain open all day.
- Detours are abundant.
Bike Path in Ventura Area
- Bike Path (technically not closed but will be too crowded to ride safely). Highly recommended to take other routes on race day or proceed with extreme caution!!!!
- From Shell Rd to Rex St 6:30 am- 12:00 pm
Downtown Ventura
Main St
- Closure- Main St will be closed at Ventura Ave, Palm St, Oak St, California St, Chestnut St.
- Detours around Main St use Poli, Santa Clara or Thompson.
Southbound Chestnut St
- Closure- Main St to Santa Clara 3:00 am till 12:00 pm
- Northbound side will remain open for business employees only.
Southbound Ash St
- From Main St to Front St3:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Detours are abundant
East Bound Front St
- From Ash St to Thompson Blvd.3:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Parking for the Wharf and other businesses is on West bound Front St and side streets.
- Detours are abundant and police will be in place for traffic control.
Harbor Blvd
- From 101 on ramp just South of California St to Sanjon Rd3:00 am till 12:00 pm
- State Beach Parking by the Ventura Pier will be closed and not accessible until after 12:00 pm.
Omer Reins Bike Path (State Beach in Ventura)
- From Sanjon Rd till almost San Pedro Rd, the Omer Reins Bike Path will be used for the event. Technically not closed, but other routes are strongly encouraged.
- Pedestrian and cyclist detours around event will be in place.
What we don't know:
While event organizers have provided "mostly approximate" end times for road reopenings, the exact moment traffic returns to normal depends on the pace of the final participants and the speed of the breakdown crews.
Timeline:
- 2:00 am: Initial closures begin north of the Hwy 33/150 "Y" intersection.
- 3:00 am – 6:30 am: Heavy closures in Downtown Ojai (Hwy 150/Grand Ave).
- 6:00 am – 8:00 am: Peak runner traffic in downtown Ojai.
- 7:10 am – 9:30 am: Heavy runner crossing at the intersection of Baldwin Rd and Rice Rd.
- 11:30 am: Expected reopening of Southbound Ventura Ave and Casitas Vista Rd.
- 12:00 pm: Reopening of Main St, Harbor Blvd, and downtown Ventura corridors.
What you can do:
- For Ojai Westbound travel: Use the detour via Reeves, McAndrew, and Signal St to bypass the Hwy 150 closure.
- For Ventura Downtown access: Use Poli, Santa Clara, or Thompson as alternatives to Main Street.
- For Beach access: Avoid the Ventura Pier and State Beach parking until after 12:00 pm on Sunday.
- Consult the Map: Residents can view a Google Overlaid Map via the event’s official website to see specific closure boundaries.
For more information, tap or click here.
The Source: This report is based on official traffic advisories and road closure schedules provided by the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon & Half event organizers.