Catalina Avenue through Riviera Village closes to cars twice in eight days this month. On Saturday, October 24, it carries the Nike After Dark Tour half marathon. On Saturday, October 31, it carries the Village's Halloween Trick or Treat. The two crowds are very different, but they use some of the same blocks. On race night, the South Redondo part of the course is free to stand along. The festival at the harbor finish is ticketed.
A global race, routed past your front door
Nike picked Redondo Beach as the Los Angeles stop on its After Dark Tour. It's a nighttime running series built to celebrate women's participation in the sport. Redondo is one of seven host cities worldwide this year, along with London, Shanghai, Sydney, Mexico City, Manila and Mumbai. The city's staff report expects about 12,000 participants. Seaside Lagoon will be headquarters for packet pickup, concessions and the post-race festival.
Under the license agreement city staff recommended in July, Nike pays a $320,000 license fee for Seaside Lagoon, the event parking lots and the race route. It also reimburses the city for police, fire and public works costs. The agreement adds a free youth soccer clinic for up to 100 kids and 100 complimentary race entries for the city to hand out. In Hermosa Beach, which has a stretch of the course, residents and council members questioned home access and the financial terms. The council approved the race 5-0 after more negotiation, as the Hermosa Review reported in April.
How the course folds back on itself in the Village
The start line is on N. Harbor Drive south of Beryl Street. From there the route heads into South Redondo, and the license agreement that went to Redondo's City Council in July describes it street by street. The southern section is the part that matters most if you live near the Village:
- South on Catalina Avenue to Torrance Boulevard, then west along Torrance Boulevard, Coral Way and George Freeth Way to The Esplanade.
- South on The Esplanade to Paseo de la Playa at the Torrance city line, through a stretch of Torrance, then back into Redondo at Paseo de la Playa.
- On to The Esplanade, Vista del Mar and Camino de la Costa, then east through the alley just north of Palos Verdes Boulevard to Catalina Avenue.
- North on Catalina to Knob Hill Avenue, where runners turn around and head back south on Catalina.
- Back through the same alley to Camino de la Costa, Vista del Mar and The Esplanade. Then Catalina north to Francisca, Herondo Street, Harbor Drive, the Hermosa Strand, and back to the finish through Gateway Parkette.
As written, runners cover the Esplanade, Vista del Mar, Camino de la Costa and the alley by Palos Verdes Boulevard once in each direction. They also run Catalina both ways between the alley and the Knob Hill turnaround. Most streets on the course see runners once. These South Redondo blocks see the field twice, with runners going both directions.
The clock on October 24
Harbor Drive is the exception. Everything else is a single evening.
| What | When | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Event load-in begins | October 17 | City staff report |
| Expo bib pickup in Redondo | Oct 22–23, 1–9 p.m. | Nike FAQ |
| Harbor Drive closed, Hermosa border to Pacific Ave. | 11:59 p.m. Oct 23 to noon Oct 25 | License agreement |
| Race venue opens | 2 p.m. Oct 24 | Nike FAQ |
| Earliest closure for other route streets | 3 p.m. Oct 24 | License agreement |
| Nike's stated start of street impacts | 4 p.m. Oct 24 | Nike FAQ |
| Race start | 5 p.m. Oct 24 | Nike FAQ |
| Race venue closes | 10:30 p.m. Oct 24 | Nike FAQ |
| Full load-out complete | No later than Oct 27 | City staff report |
The agreement requires route streets other than Harbor Drive to reopen on a rolling basis as soon as the last runner passes each section. So your block reopens when the last runner clears it, not at a citywide time. The volunteer sign-up sheet hints at how long each spot will be busy. Shifts at the water station at Avenue D and S. Catalina run 3 to 8:30 p.m. The station at Avenue I and The Esplanade runs 3:30 to 9 p.m., and the one at S. Catalina and Garnet runs until 9:30 p.m. Those are staffing windows, not official reopening times. Still, they suggest South Redondo's streets will be in use well after dark.
Nike offers no race parking at the start or finish. Participant shuttles from El Camino College, the Redondo Beach K-Line station and Harbor Gateway Transit Center have to be reserved ahead. Rideshare drop-offs go to northbound Hermosa Avenue between Lyndon Street and 2nd Street. Nike calls it the closest area outside the road closures. That puts runner drop-off traffic north of the pier on race afternoon, not in the Village.
Where the free seats are
At the finish, anyone can watch runners come in from the east side of North Harbor Drive. The post-race festival is ticketed, and spectator access will be confirmed closer to the event. Nike promises "numerous cheer stations and activation zones" along the course but hasn't published where they are. The only labeled Cheer Zone on the volunteer sheet is at the venue, 161 N. Harbor Drive.
The water stations give South Redondo spectators fixed points to aim for:
- The Esplanade and Avenue A, near 900 Esplanade
- Paseo de la Playa and Via Riviera, near 401 Paseo de la Playa
- The Esplanade and Paseo de la Playa, near 1801 Esplanade
- Avenue D and S. Catalina, near 1200 S. Catalina
- Avenue I and The Esplanade, near 1700 Esplanade
Redondo Union High School has recruited volunteers for Water Station 3 on the Esplanade and told them they can cheer on the RUHS girls' cross-country runners in the race.
For a table instead of a curb, the 1700 and 1800 blocks of S. Catalina sit between the Knob Hill turnaround and the alley by Palos Verdes Boulevard. As the route reads, runners pass this stretch going both ways. Martha's opened its second location this summer at 1810 S. Catalina in the old Gabi James space. The Hermosa breakfast spot has been around since 1984, and the new location adds dinner, which the original doesn't serve. According to the South Bay Club's August write-up, breakfast and lunch run 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner 5 to 9 p.m., so the dinner window overlaps the race.
A few doors away, Riviera House at 1708 S. Catalina describes an indoor-outdoor space with a pet-friendly patio. The Rockefeller is at 1707 S. Catalina and H.T. Grill is at 1701. The Riviera Village directory tags both with patio seating. Green Temple, at 1700 S. Catalina #103, won notice for its garden dining in Easy Reader's 2026 Best of the Beach. No Village merchant has announced race-night specials or watch parties so far. Call ahead before you plan around one.
October 31 takes over the same blocks in daylight
A week later, Catalina closes again for a different crowd. The Riviera Village Halloween Trick or Treat runs 3 to 8 p.m. Catalina is closed from Avenue I to S. Elena Street, and shops hand out candy outdoors until 6 p.m. or until supplies run out. This year the street closure was extended to 8 p.m., so the dinner hour stays car-free. The Riviera Village Association calls the event a South Bay tradition that draws thousands of children each year.
On race night, parking options are limited to what Nike offers participants. For Halloween, the association names three:
- The triangle lot between Avenida del Norte and S. Elena Street
- Plaza Riviera, 1611 S. Catalina at the corner of Avenue I, cashless paid parking where Apple Pay or Google Pay processes fastest
- Mira Mar Park, a paid lot at 201 Paseo de la Playa, about two blocks away
The Halloween closure is shorter and stays inside the Village core. The race closure follows the course and lifts section by section. Both land on the same stretch of Catalina between Avenue I and the 1800 block, both happen on Saturday evenings, and both run past dark.
What's still unsettled before the 24th
Redondo hasn't published a street-by-street closure timetable or an access map for homes inside the South Redondo loop. The city's page on the race still calls planning "early stages" and says updates will follow. An August 31 council newsletter said the same. Nike's outreach plan in the agreement calls for a direct mailer to residents and businesses inside the closure area 30 days before the race, plus reminders during race week. No public record confirms the mailer has gone out yet.
For questions about your street, the city points residents to Nike's community contact. That's the Nike After Dark Tour Los Angeles page, [email protected], or (310) 765-9016. The agreement also requires an access plan for businesses west of Harbor Drive, which could include intermittent road openings or shuttles.
The next Catalina closure is already scheduled. The Riviera Village Holiday Stroll is Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. Catalina will be closed from Avenue I to S. Elena, and Avenue I between Catalina and S. Elena. Plans include late shop hours, a Maker's Market, Santa and the Grinch.
If you live inside the race loop and want to talk through how a weekend like the 24th affects showings, an open house, or a move-out date near Riviera Village, Colin Aita can help you work around the closures. Contact Colin for a private, no-pressure consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
