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@42kCookie

Tracy, CA Raving since 2015 Half Fanatics https://emmalouise.cubedweb.net/ Active 6 years, 6 months ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):

    Mountain House Running Club

  • Rave race:
  • Race that's calling my name:

    Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon

  • I run because:

    I can.

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Personal Bests (3)

Race Distance Location Date Result
Half Marathon Acampo, CA May 15, 2016 1:36:00
12K Sausalito, CA Jul 10, 2016 55:00
8K San Jose, CA Mar 1, 2015 34:54

Future Races (0)

Race Distance Location Date Paid

Past Races (18)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
Half Marathon San Jose, CA Oct 2, 2016
12K Sausalito, CA Jul 10, 2016 55:00
13.7 Miler Stinson Beach, CA Jun 18, 2016
Half Marathon Acampo, CA May 15, 2016 1:36:00
Half Marathon Fremont, CA May 7, 2016 1:37:00
10K Berkeley, CA Oct 25, 2015
200 Mile Relay San Francisco, CA Oct 23, 2015
Half Marathon Oakland, CA Aug 15, 2015 1:42:00
12K San Francisco, CA May 17, 2015
12K Sausalito, CA Apr 26, 2015
Half Marathon Modesto, CA Mar 29, 2015
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 28, 2015
8K San Jose, CA Mar 1, 2015 34:54
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Jan 24, 2015 1:37:00
15K San Francisco, CA Jan 11, 2015
Half Marathon Tiburon, CA Oct 5, 2014
6 Miler Santa Cruz, CA Jul 27, 2014
Half Marathon Livermore, CA 2014 1:52:00

My Raves

This was my second year running the 12k and found it was a lot more organised than the previous year. The course for the 12k is beautiful as it goes … MORE

This was my second year running the 12k and found it was a lot more organised than the previous year. The course for the 12k is beautiful as it goes over the Golden Gate Bridge and into Aquatic Park, there is a 5k option also available but simply goes around the park.

+ Easy packet Pick up. Pick ups are in various locations around the bay in the 3 days prior or you can get it mailed to you for a $10 fee.
+ Nice tech shirts. These do however come up large and the smallest Women’s they have is a small so it actually more as a sleep shirt. lol
+ Nice medal
+ Beautiful course. On the day were ran the Whales were in the bay!
+ Post race snacks were all pre bagged this year (last year too many random walkers by were just helping themselves) and considered of a couple of Curate bars, Banana, Orange and Water
+ Volunteers fll of energy and encouragement.
+ Ability to earn an extra medal if you complete the 3 race series.

From my perspective this event ran hiccup free and is on I will likely do each year. A few tips if you’re planning to run:

1. Put your correct pace time in when you register. Please.. if you run a 12 minute mile don’t put 8 and then stick to the left hand side of the course holding people up. These waves are designed to help with the smooth flow of runners throughout the course.

2. Take the advise of the numerous emails Represent Running send in the week leading up to race day. In particular shuttles to the 12k start line, the numerous emails do state to get there early. Shuttles started at 6am.. I got there at 6:15am and was on the shuttle immediately and in Sausalito by 6:40am with minimal lines for the restroom I was ready for my wave 1 (7:30am) start by 6:50am.

3. Plan for parking. There is no event parking, this is San Francisco after all so if you are planning to drive try carpool with friends. Some street parking can be found but not if you get there too late.

Personal:

Being part of the Ambassador crew for the Run the Bay series I met up with some of the team for pictures beforehand where one of the Ladies then snuck off to sing the national anthem just before the start (how gutsy is that??). I almost missed my start time because I was also waiting for my running club as to take pictures with those too but as they were all starting in later waves it made it a little difficult.
As for the Run itself it went pretty well. After already Running an average of 15 miles a day for the 9 days previous my feet hated me (think huge quarter sized blister) and I wasn’t expecting to be finished in less than 1:15 yet once we started off my legs just went into autopilot. The first mile or so was a little congested where I was able to briefly chat with other runners until they dropped behind me at the hill leading up to Golden Gate bridge, running over the Bridge is an amazing feeling where I stopped a couple of times to take pictures for my I Run 4 buddy and thought I spotted Whales in the Bay (later confirmed by friends). Miles 3-5 seemed to go by in a happy blur where when I realized where I was I was very aware of how freaking hot I was and that maybe double layers was not such a good idea. The last few miles I paid a little more attention to my surroundings, being around Th City it’s kind of a must and had me notice how great the volunteers were all cheering as I ran past and I spotted the Roli Roti truck pulling into Fort Mason ready for the Farmers Market (darn that delicious Chicken!) The final downhill before the finish line was not fun on my knee’s but then coming across the finish line to cheers and announcement was pretty awesome. Both Hubby and a fellow member of my Running club immediately came to my side for a Finish Line picture while the course behind me was empty. Despite the crazy amount of miles covered in the week before I was amazed to see I finished 7th out 2,800 females!! (Plus an age group win but they don’t give prizes for those). 2 races of the series done. Happy days!!

Time: 55:47 / 7:26 min mile.

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+ Excellent organization + Beautiful Course + Lot's of hills! Be prepared. + Ample Aid stations filled with water and snacks. + In true Brazen style - Epic medals. oah, … MORE

+ Excellent organization
+ Beautiful Course
+ Lot’s of hills! Be prepared.
+ Ample Aid stations filled with water and snacks.
+ In true Brazen style – Epic medals.

oah, what a great course! Yes, this course is described as ”Sadistic” but I didn’t get the pet name ”Crazy Runner girl” for nothing! This Run did the infamous Dipsea Trail TWICE – Out and then back where your were running head on to others runners on a single trail, it was indeed a true test of my patience as you have no choice but go with the flow and for the most part that means only running as fast as the person in front of you.

Stats:

-4,500ft elevation
– On the event listing stated 13.7 mile course, my Run tracker registered 14.22 (Many other peole I spoke to also got very similar distance between 14.10 and 14.25)
– 441 flights of stairs as measured by my FitBit

This event started wuth various “handicaps” with older and slower tunners leaving first and a new group starting off every 2-4 minutes.

This is not a course you do to get a good finish time, I was prepared for this but what I was not prepared for was how backed up the first 5-6 miles would be. Pretty much all uphill this was my dream part of the course and uphill running being something I excel at but I couldn’t Run the speed I wanted to because I was stuck behind other runners that are not as fast as me.. I was warned before sign up and the pre race email though.
The course was indeed VERY narrow for the most part and making passing people almost impossible in some parts but you got to know the people around you pretty well and the view from the top of the peak was amazing!

The volunteers and aid stations were great! Everyone was very encouraging and each aid station was filled with goodies in true Brazen style – Water, electrolite drink, candies, chips, pretzels, fruit and of course Aid…basically everything you needed.

Post race was one big party and re-feed with all the same food plus Bagels and treat Brazen is well known for – It’s It Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches. This is one thing I actually partook in for the first time of any Brazen event, I totally earned it!

The goodies bags, Tech shirt, medal and transfer are pretty sweet too.

Personal:

So happy to have knocked this off of my bucket list! Yes, I did have quite a spectacular wipeout 5 miles from the finish line where on some downhill steps I tripped, twisted my Ankle and landed on where I then proceeded to slide down another step (must have looked hilarious to the guy behind me) it meaning I had to limp cursing my way to the Finish (I’m no quitter!) But call me insane… I would also love to run this event again!

– Crazy Runner Girl

DIFFICULTY
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PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
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SWAG
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Great event!! Tony and the Fleet Feet crew really did a great event with this event from responding to emails right down to giving me an extra medal for Run … MORE

Great event!! Tony and the Fleet Feet crew really did a great event with this event from responding to emails right down to giving me an extra medal for Run buddy and my Running Club VIP tent access.

+ Nice swag bags with color specific tech shirts for Male / Female
+ Medals for all finishers
+ Awards
+ 2 Wine pours for each finisher
+ VIP tent with unlimited pours and extra snacks.
+ Punctual start
+ Pacers from the Tri Valley Running Club (another I am a member off and almost paced the the event myself)

The run itself was a bit of an odd one for me.. the course was all road which I was totally unprepared for but made it great for a new PR. The first mile I had a few wardrobe malfunctions – My hydration vest was bouncing about so I had to re-adjust it and then my Pandora kept cutting out every 60 seconds so I spent a good 10-12 minutes playing with that trying to fix it. I swear the Runners behind me must have thought I was already on the Wine because I was I all over the place!
Once adjusted thought and found my ”happy pace” all was good and I spent about 6 miles right behind another members of Mountain House Running Club.
The course marshals and volunteers at the Aid Station were great and full of energy encouraging us all as we paced though. I’m not sure if he was a volunteer but right around the 12:75 mile mark there was one guy who really encouraging me as I sped down the home straight.. not going to lie, I was really feeling the many miles of asphalt (trail runner here) and getting pretty tired so his enthusiastic cheers gave me that last little push I needed to get across that Finish Line.

I really am not a road Runner but overall this event was great and I will likely do again.. The whole experience was made better by the fact that I was here with an awesome group of supportive people.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
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SCENERY
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SWAG
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Half Marathon Time: 1:37:21 1st in Age group (by 12 minutes!) 3rd overall (Men and Women) Thank you Yelp for the free entry!! This event was kinda big for me … MORE

Half Marathon Time: 1:37:21
1st in Age group (by 12 minutes!)
3rd overall (Men and Women)

Thank you Yelp for the free entry!!
This event was kinda big for me after Surgery 2 weeks before and what an event to be my first real workout after somewhat recovering. I found the event well organized and bib pick up on the morning of the event a huge bonus. There were a few vendors still setting up and offering free samples – Luna Bars, Sanbazon Acai drinks and little samples of Acai Bowls.

The run itself started on time with each distance starting 30 minutes apart. The 18 miler started first followed by the Half Marathon then the 10k then 5k. This meant that everyone was coming across the finish line at roughly the same time.

The course itself was nice – some gravel and some pavement and for the first few miles well marked out but after about mile 6 is saw very few signs for the Half Marathon and was questioning whether or not I was still on the right course and not Running the 18 miler. It probably didn’t help that I was front of the pack of runners and when I got to mile 6 saw volunteers still setting up signs..this is mind I think more signage for future years is s must. I was so glad to see the volunteers at 8.5mi and ask ”Is this the turnaround for the Half”.Thank goodness they knew where I was supposed to be going!

Post Race was a little chaotic with medals and necklaces being given out and a huge line for the fenced off food area. Food was basic – Bagels, Banana’s, Orange and Juice.

Awards were given for overall 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each distance as well as age group awards which took place around 10:15am which was quite some wait after many of the winners finished. For 3rd overall Half I was awarded a plaque and a box of Luna bars with age group win being a hat. Nice awards but kind of wish there were extra medals because it’s all about the bling.

Every finishers also got a medal which was the same for every distance.

Doing this event there is one thing I must stress to other Runners – Please be more courteous to other Runners. There was a part of the course with a turn around and runners to be coming along both directions of the course.. after the turnaround I was keeping as far left as possible but oncoming runners either thought the ”keep left” rules didn’t apply to them or were completely oblivious and were running head on into me. Then some Runners getting made at ME when I shouted to ”please keep left”. Also when someone calls ”On your Left” it means they are coming up behind you and would like to pass (ever seen Captain America?) so please move over. Basic Runner etiquette.

Overall pretty good event and I’ll probably do it again next year.

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+ Easy sign up + Part of ''Run the Bay'' where you get an extra medal for completing all 3 events + Medals and T-Shirts for finishers + Bib mailing … MORE

+ Easy sign up
+ Part of ”Run the Bay” where you get an extra medal for completing all 3 events
+ Medals and T-Shirts for finishers
+ Bib mailing option available

Neutral – Nice enough course, terrain was not the greatest but views were nice.

– Bib was only received the day before the event. Despite $10 fee still have to collect shirts before the race.

– Post Run food was not at all like most Brazen. Maybe because Represent Running was involved? Or down to the fact we went for food a little late but all there was were Lara Bars, Banana’s, Oranges, Chips and a very long wait for It’s It Ice Cream. No Bagels, Donuts, Cake.. or Carbs of any kind like usual.

Running a 10k the day after Ragnar (200 mile relay) I sometimes question my sanity…

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195.9 miles, 30+ hours, 6 people crammed onto one van and very little sleep. We must be freaking crazy! Yeah, I'm pretty darn excited! Sign up for our team was … MORE

195.9 miles, 30+ hours, 6 people crammed onto one van and very little sleep. We must be freaking crazy! Yeah, I’m pretty darn excited!

Sign up for our team was easy (Mountain House Running Club) and we got regular emails. A few changes to the legs were made last minute but we were kept well informed. I can’t wait to run along the beach, over Golden Gate Bridge again and through Napa Valley to finish in Calistoga sometime Saturday (not loving getting up at 3:30am to be in San Francisco to start at 7:30am though. lol)

Pray I don’t get lost while Running solo in the dark please! 🙂 Updates later and throughout the course on my IG (42Kcookie)

OMG, so much freaking fun! Who would have thought? We had a couple of issues with being misinformed in regards to the legs of the race but other than that it ran pretty smoothly.
We were all given information on each of our legs before starting and found most of the distances listed to be incorrect, some were longer, some were shorter and they definitely got the difficulty messed up.
Example: my first leg was supposed to be 5.5 miles (actually 6) and listed as ”hard”, it was the second leg of the race and the one that goes over Golden Gate Bridge. The course was up and down sand covered steps (very slippery!), through a wooded area where you had to physically climb over fallen tree’s and giant rocks then down onto the beach to run on the sand and then back up and across the bridge. I LOVED this! Even ran in the ocean for a bit (by accident mind) but had me thinking ”wtf? if that is listed as ”hard” then what on earth is my final leg listed as”very hard” going to be like?”. Turned out that it was actually EASIER as it was all just road running up and down hill. Maybe they rated it as harder due to the fact that it was 50% longer and dark for part of it (don’t worry, I had a headlamp and NoxGear).

Volunteers were good, exchanges went faurly smoothly and everyone was in high spirits. You would never actually think that 34hrs spent running or in a van with no flushing toilets, running water or even sleep would be so much fun.
The big exchanges (every 6) had massage, first aid and a couple had snacks and vendors selling Running merchandise. The Finish Line was much the same with the addition of the Beer tent, it would have been nice to have a few more vendors though. One thing I would also like to see in future years is the Ragnar gear they sell at the event to be customized. All of the gear was just standard and I would have loved to have got one of the zip jackets with ”Ragnar Napa 2015” instead of the standard ”Ragnar”.

Personal:

Running with part of my Running Club was a great experience, very supportive! My 1st leg went without any hicups but a big downhill on my 2nd leg had me injure my Knee somehow, I got a stabbing pain just under my Kneecap which shot up my thigh every so often when my foot hit the ground so I was KT taped up ti the nines (by a lovely team mate) for my last leg and those first 20-25 minutes hurt like hell but with a slower pace and once warmed up all was fine. I actually woke up the following morning not hurting at all! The importance of Stretching and Foam Rolling y’all!

TIPS:

– Get a good team together.It helps if you all know each other.
– Plan who is the strongest Runners and give then the longer / harder legs
– Train
– You WILL need water changes of clothes, wet wipes, light up vests, tail lights and some basic first aid kit.
– Plan your refuel (scope out restaurants along the way before you leave) and take snacks.
– Don’t take it too seriously.
– Have fun.

DIFFICULTY
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+ Easy packet pick up. + Part of the Golden State Series where if you Run all 3 Half Marathon's you get an extra medal. = Medals heavy duty and … MORE

+ Easy packet pick up.
+ Part of the Golden State Series where if you Run all 3 Half Marathon’s you get an extra medal.
= Medals heavy duty and pretty sweet tbh
+ Post run refreshments from Whole Foods and Muscle Milk (Almond Butter Sandwiches!! Didn’t like that they added Blueberries too though.. that was weird).
+ Teach T-Shirt and cool medal..
+ 5k option available

– Distances for both 5k and Half Marathon were off. They were 0.3 – 0.4mi longer than they should have been.
– No official results at the finish line

Personal:

After having been part of the pacing team for the San Francisco Half and running Livermore Half the day before Modesto Half there was no way I was going to miss this one and not get the extra medal. As I’m trying to take it easy with a still slightly less than stellar Knee I was aiming for a finish time of 2hrs. Actually? 1:42 including the additional distance, it started pretty well but seems my comfortable running pace is between 7min and 8 min mile regardless of the terrain and I did notice that at the 3.5mi mark I was actually averaging a 6:03 min mile and had to slow myself.
The course was ok, by no means exciting but well… it’s Oakland. (Ha!) I did take in a lot of what was around me though and spotted many restaurants I had in my Yelp bookmarks, never a Yelp ”off” switch.

I’m trying to cut back the Running but I may still do this race again next year.

DIFFICULTY
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Let's just call Bay to Breakers what is really is shall we? That is a freaking huge moving street party through San Francisco. This is not a race, hell it's … MORE

Let’s just call Bay to Breakers what is really is shall we? That is a freaking huge moving street party through San Francisco.

This is not a race, hell it’s barely even a run. If you are a serious runner then register as Elite, otherwise this is one to do for fun.

Sign Up:

Easy and relatively cheap if you get in early. I paid the lowest price of $39 which includes finishers medal and Shirt.

Packet Pick Up:

If you’re not willing to pay the extortionate amount of $20 to just have your bib (not your T Shirt) mailed to you then you’ll pick up Fort Mason either the Friday or Saturday before the event at the Expo. The Expo had a lot going on with lot’s of vendors and samples. Pick up was easy, all I needed to do was show my confirmation email with the bib number and D and I was on my way. The t shirt pick up just wanted the strip from the bottom of my bib and I got a choice of 2 colors for the shirt.

*NOTE* The security are very serious about the closing time of the expo. I arrived at 6:40pm on the Friday and upon leaving at 7:03 (expo closed at 7pm) they were not letting anybody in to get their bib even if they didn’t want to browse the expo so if you’re not going to make it before the cut off don’t even bother rushing there to try, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Day of:

Mildly organized chaos. With tens of thousands of people flooding to the start line is was understandable. The start line Corrals were nothing short of a mess. Checks were being made that you were in the right Corral which is one thing but honestly, I think only about 5% of people put their right pace in anyway so it really made no difference, especially when you consider the amount of non registered people that join the course later on.

I was initially in Corral A for my averaging a 7 minute mile pace but moved back in order to do it with a friend. Sadly she left her bib at my house and didn’t think she would get into the corral but managed to slip through anyway.

The course was indeed fun, lot’s of crazy costumes and a few things I really wish I could unsee (official nude count = 11. This was fairly low as I started early on. Later Corrals had numbers in the 30’s). Lot’s of random people joined in the festivities, there were water stations which was a plus and of course restrooms but were not for Runners only but the entire general public.

Hayes Hill Challenge:
The addition of this sounded promising. Basically the fastest Male and Female up that section of the course won $2,500 and I was prepared to take part as if there’s one thing I excel at it’s Running uphill at speed. Sadly the organization left a lot to be desired as you had to run among everybody else and zig zag your way through drunk people to the top of the hill. It’s because of this I didn’t even bother trying to get a good time. If this is going to be a regular thing they really need to fence a section off.

Post Run:

This wasn’t even organized chaos but just plain chaos. The food section consisted of Chips, Clif Bars, Water, Sambazon, Nuts and Coconut Water. People were literally going crazy shoving, pushing and grabbing everything they possibly could and filling bags and boxes with it. No Banana’s were available. Boo.

The medal pick up was not being checked either which worked out in my friends advantage as she didn’t have her bib but the volunteers were literally just giving medals out to anybody. I’m sure there were hundreds of people crossing the finish line that hadn’t registered and ended up walking away with a free medal.

Sure, this was a fun event but I get impression that Zappos really are just trying to make as much money as possible with the silly rules. If a bag was over a certain size it had to be the clear pre approved one they were selling at the expo. Bull***t. People had backpacks and all kinds of bags on the course and there’s absolutely no way they can monitor the tens of thousands of people like the emails said they would.
I had a fun time and may considering doing it in future years as it’s a nice change from my serious running events but I don’t even think i’ll need to register if this year was anything to go by.

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Picket pick up: A real pain in the a$$ actually. You could have your bib mailed to you for a fee of $10! For a stamp and an envelope.. no … MORE

Picket pick up:

A real pain in the a$$ actually. You could have your bib mailed to you for a fee of $10! For a stamp and an envelope.. no thanx!

The pick up location were in Campbell 4-8pm on the Friday before and Saturday afternoon in SF. Having it in Campbell worked best for me but the time was just silly – right during rush hour! Meaning that a journey that would normally be 70 minutes was over 2hrs. The 408k bib pick up was from 2pm so why couldn’t they do that again?

The pick up ran smoothly but no verification was made with checking emails. I gave them my bib number and they asked the name on iit but didn’t ask to see the email confirmation. Then I gave them my friends bib number who I was picking up for and didn’t even check the name. I could have reeled off a load of numbers and walked away with other peoples paid entry. They need more checks in future so that this doesn’t happen.

Day of:

My Girlfriend and I got to SF by 6:25am and shuttles started at 6:30 we were the first ones at the bus pick up (school buses) so we were at the start line in Sausalido by 7:05.
The driver was great and got us there safely but I would advise that the event organizers give the drivers maps or at least give them clear instructions as I don’t think that was the case and the driver had to ask a volunteer exactly where the start line was.

The starting area had a few restrooms and the Fed Ex trucks where you could check in your bag and they transport it to the finish line in San Francisco.
The starting line a little further down from the ”staging area” so keep this in mind. My Girlfriend and I were where we saw the ”wave 1” signs thinking that was the tail end of the start and everybody else there was just really laid back about the run ahead but turned out it was just check point. Cue us to hurry the 200+ meters further down to the actual line.
This event, unlike the 408k DID enforce the wave system and volunteers were checking as you went though.

The course:

My second time running the Golden Gate Bridge (first one in the SF Half as a Pacer) and I loved it! We were blessed with a clear day and had some beautiful views of the bay and plenty of options for pictures. There are some hills but (imo) nothing at all taxing, if you haven’t done any hill running then they can prove to be problematic.
Aid stations were plentiful with both Water and Sports drinks.

Post Run:

Every finisher get a medal that doubles up as a fridge magnet which is cool, it cannot be removed from the lanyard like the 408k badge though and everybody also gets a tech tee. Post runs snacks were available and simple – a Banana, Fig bar and some fruit snacks with bottles of Water.

If you’re thinking about doing this event I say go for it as the views are worth it!

Bring on the 510k and the extra medal!!!

DIFFICULTY
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I signed up really early for this event and was excited at all of the goodies I was going to get, the arm sleeves in particular. Sadly on the day … MORE

I signed up really early for this event and was excited at all of the goodies I was going to get, the arm sleeves in particular. Sadly on the day of pick up they had ran out of the sleeves which was really irritating as I was one of the first few hundred to sign up and was hoping to wear them on the day. We were told they would be mailed to us, 16 days later I’m still waiting.

Packet pick up ran smoothly with different color shirts for each distance and nice little expo. Race day also ran smoothly, starting on time and with some great volunteers along the course. What I really wasn’t a fan of was the course itself. I ran the Half after Running Livermore Half the day before and after about mile 2 there was NO signage for the Half itself until the split at around mile 8. I spent those 6 miles thinking I was going to end up Running the Full. The course was also incredibly boring, there was not really anything to look at and the majority was just long boring roads that stretched for miles ahead.

Post race had lot’s going on with food and drinks galore (Sports water, Chocolate Milk, Coffee, Fruit, Chips, Candy ect) I didn’t find the Bagels that were advertised though which was a shame.

Overall a nice enough event, won’t be in a hurry to do it again though.

DIFFICULTY
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The course is great, very scenic with a few rolling hills but nothing too strenuous. The Volunteers were full of energy and I liked that there was the option to … MORE

The course is great, very scenic with a few rolling hills but nothing too strenuous. The Volunteers were full of energy and I liked that there was the option to have Wine tasting afterwards. Probably not wise to be drinking Alcohol after Running 13+ miles but it’s always nice to have the option to celebrate, right?

The race started with no hiccups but the post race was complete chaos. There were way too many people crammed into one small space. The packet pickup also had me slightly irritated as the wristband for Wine tasted had to be put on me there and then meaning I had to walk around with it for almost a whole day before the actual event.

It’s only in it’s second year so there is always room for improvement but definitely a great course for locals.

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Registration: Super easy. I got the $39 opening special. Email updates get a little tedious after a while and I ended up getting 2 or 3 of the same thing … MORE

Registration:

Super easy. I got the $39 opening special. Email updates get a little tedious after a while and I ended up getting 2 or 3 of the same thing in the 2 weeks before the event.

Packet Pick up:

I really wish they had day of pick up as I live over an hours drive away and had to make the trek to San Jose twice in one weekend. That said it was really easy to get my packet, you just needed to know your bib number and they check it against your name. The TShirts are pretty cool and something I will actually wear.

Course:

Nice and flat. Nice addition to have the different ”miles” (Veteran / Mariachi). The mile markers were not completely accurate though (yup.. the serious Runner in me notices these things). Mile 2 was actually 1.1mi and mile 3 was just 0.9mi.

The event started right on time as planned and without any hitches however I do think that some kind of enforcement of the waves has to be done. Upon coming to the start line there was no one checking bibs. I was put in wave 1 for my sub 8 min mile pace and standing at the start with about a dozen people deep in front of me I noticed a lot of the people around me were wearing bibs marked waves 2, 3 and even 4. Once we started it was also made clear that some people placed in wave 1 really should not have been there. I had to zig zag around people that were not going the correct pace for the wave. Had I been out to PR I would have been really pissed off.

Post Race:

I didn’t experience the ”hearding” that people had mentioned in previous years but I guess that could have been down to the fact I was one of the first 90 people to finish. There was some walk to the end to get our bibs but nothing major.

The post race food was really lame and looking at the pictures from previous years I was expecting to get more than what I did – a bottle of Water, Apple and some Fruit chews. NO BANANA! Really? That gives me the sads. It’s common knowledge that Runners eat Banana’s. The occasional Orange slice, yes. Apples No. Unless they’re in some form of Pastry (Mmmm, Carbs).

The medal is also pretty cool, it can be removed from the lanyard and used as a bottle opener and overall I am glad I can now mark this event off of my Running Bucket List but I doubt I will do it again. Way too far to come for what it is.

Additional:

This event is 1 or 3 of the ”Run the Bay” series challenge where if you complete all 3 events you get an additional medal.Other 2 events are the Across The Bay (12k or 5k) in San Francisco and Let’s Go 510 in Berkeley.

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As with any Brazen event this was a great course to run. Beautiful views of the bay, a few hills, mainly trail and with lot's of aid stations along the … MORE

As with any Brazen event this was a great course to run. Beautiful views of the bay, a few hills, mainly trail and with lot’s of aid stations along the way.

I hadn’t ran this course before and seeing other reviews mention the hills I was quite excited at some hill running but then looking at the course map the hills really are not all that big, at least for someone like myself who is an incline Runner. That said they were enjoyable and should you not be experienced at these sorts of inclines then yes, they will slow you.
The Half Marathon course took you around the same loop twice, good in a way because this let’s you know exactly what you’re in for the second time around so that you’re prepared. The start of the trail took you though the marshes on paved track which then gave way to gravel, rocks and sand so my advice is make sure you have the correct shoes. Road shoes will not fare well here!

As I said, the course was very scenic and the volunteers at the aid stations were great with having Water and GU gels ready while also guiding runners in the right direction. As with any other Brazen event this also had a 5k and 10k option too which at one point had us all running together in both directions of the trail, please please please adhere to the ”Runners code” – stick to the right and be courteous to those who wish to pass.

There were many photographers all along the course which are not by some expensive company that will then charge you ridiculous amounts per image after the event, Photo’s are FREE!! I lost count of how many photographers I saw but there were at least 5 in various stages around the course.

Post race also has lot’s going on – A huge spread of food with everything from Potato chips and Cookies to Pie, Bagels, Fruit and even It’s It! Ice Cream sandwiches. Medals are given to every finisher and additional medals for those who place in their age group (yelp.com/biz_photos/coyo…) Engraving of medals can be done in site for a $10 fee.

The parking situation was a bit of a bummer. I didn’t know until after I signed up that there was no parking at the park itself. Brazen provide shuttles from the local University a couple of miles away. They had 8 shuttles and as my Husband comes with me I didn’t know if they would let him on the shuttle too seeing as he wasn’t running. With that in mind we decided to take out bicycles along and Cycle into the event and back. This worked out very well for us in the end as after the run the lines to get back were huge! Something to keep in mind for future years.

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I wanted to do this event last year but had to rethink due to a severe Knee injury so I was really looking forward to the fact that it was … MORE

I wanted to do this event last year but had to rethink due to a severe Knee injury so I was really looking forward to the fact that it was returning this year I signed up almost as soon as registration opened which then prompted friends too also.

Distance:
– 5k (3.1 miles)
– 15k (9.3 miles)

Expo:
The Expo was better located from those who do not live in The City, still a long way for me to come from The Valley yet still much more easily accessible.
The parking situation on the Saturday before was crazy! There didn’t appear to be enough spaces but then just driving around the parking lot turned out that actually there was, it was just that people were too lazy and wanted to park right near the entrance so that they didn’t have to walk too far. Uuurmm.. you’re picking up a packet for a distance Run people. Lol.

The expo was packed with so many people and a few vendors but not much in the way of Chocolate, I only saw one table giving out Chocolate dipped Marshmallows and was disappointed I didn’t get my little Chocolate they had the previous year.
The pick up itself was easy yet my Corral was not printed properly do I had to manually color it on with a pen.

Swag:
I love the cool Hoody which came in really useful on the cold San Francisco morning of the Run. I requested an XS yet it still felt a little on the large side though. I also bagged myself a Hat as one of my Running Club was an Ambassador and gave me a code to use. The Hat was big too (Boo)

Course:
Somewhat scenic though the Golden Gate Park and along the bay, the little Waterfall not even a mile into the course was killer though, I heard that water from far off and made me need the rest room for the next 4 miles. Darn it!
Most of the course was flat with a few hills mainly towards the end. I seem to excel at hill Running so they were a breeze for me but if you’re unprepared these hills will slow you.

Post Run:
Lot’s of picture opportunities and as this was a Chocolate Run we got a Bowl of Chocolate Goodies = Hot Chocolate, liquid dipping Chocolate and a few bits to dip (Banana, Marshmallow, Krispy Treat, Pretzels and a Wafer) . I skipped the Wafer and Pretzels but did end up scooping out about 70% of the melted Chocolate with my finger before feeling really sick. I know a lot of Runners (myself included) swear by Chocolate Milk after a Run for recovery but this was something else. Great concept but not a good idea to even try consume that much Chocolate at 9:30am.
I would have liked some more savory food options and only as we were about to leave I noticed a couple of food trucks that were not advertised as being there – Sam’s Chowdermobile, an Indian food truck and a stall selling Baked goods and Coffee. The location however left a lot to be desired, hidden behind the row of tree’s where the portable restrooms were. The smell coming from that area left a lot to be desired so even if I had seen the trucks sooner I doubt I would have got anything from there.

I did the first 5k of this course with a friend and the last 10k solo, definitely more fun with friends if you all keep the same pace. I would definitely do it again as the swag alone is worth it

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''Embrace the Bay''. Beautiful views of the Bay Area as we Run 13.1 miles. I had a good time Running this as a pacer with my girlfriend for her first … MORE

”Embrace the Bay”. Beautiful views of the Bay Area as we Run 13.1 miles.

I had a good time Running this as a pacer with my girlfriend for her first Half Marathon (for her Birthday!) and diverted away from my usual going it solo, it’s much more fun with friends.

Let’s break this event down:

+ Easy sign up
+ Nice bunch of Volunteers
+ Tech TShirt for all finishers+ Beautiful views
+Really nice lady pacing the 2:45 who we chatted with after the event and gave me information on the company she paces for so I can do some in future. Yay!

– Charged $10 just to get mailed the bib as ”no race day packet pick up” but then TShirts must be collected day of? Lame.
– ”Virtual goody bag”. Never received anything.
– Post Run food was poor. Dried out plain Bagels, Red Vines, Orange Slices and Banana’s (at least there was one good thing!) I didn’t see the HINT water they were supposed to either.
– Same medal for 5k and Half Marathon runners. I think if you’re Running 10 miles more you deserve a different medal especially when you pay more to enter too.
– Supposed to get free photo’s but were charging $25 for ONE!

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Since I ran my first official race last February (Niles Half Marathon) I've become very aware of other local races and this event peeked my interested when fellow members of … MORE

Since I ran my first official race last February (Niles Half Marathon) I’ve become very aware of other local races and this event peeked my interested when fellow members of my Running Club told me they had heard good things about both the race and the course. Better yet, it excited me a little as friend and fellow Yelper Tram lives in Santa Cruz and this would be the perfect opportunity to Run together again and hang out.

Sign up for me was very easy, I entered my average pace, personal details, paid and then a few weeks before the event I received my bib in the mail. Tram didn’t have quite the same good luck although got charged never received her bib! Luckily she has a great boyfriend and when I found out the local Fleet Feet had a limited number of bibs sold back by Runners who could no longer attend he went and picked one up for her just so that we could run together.

Race day comes and Santa Cruz gets crazy busy!! 16,000 people attend this event every year and is sold out in no time. Corals are given based on your average pace which is supposed to alleviate road blocks but people clearly do not understand this as people that should have been in coral 3 or 4 were in 1 and 2 and vice versa. Once given your coral you can move back but not forward and being placed in Coral 1 I moved back to run with Tram as her Coral had already been set by the person who originally had the bib.

The course is beautiful, yes but really not the sort of event serious Runners like myself should attend unless registered as an Elite Runner or are right at the front of Coral 1. walkers were all over the place and people zigzagging left right and center throughout the entire 6 miles, it was mildly organized chaos.
The course was littered with numerous bands and spectators cheering or on hand with hosepipes spraying people with water, not something I appreciated but some people seemed to enjoy it.

Post race festivities were on the Capitola beach, I didn’t see much festiveness going on as we just picked up or goodie bags before heading out. The bags were pretty cool – Drawstring bag containing a T-Shirt, Bottled Water, Prickly Passion Lemonade, Power Bar Wafers, Trail Mix, a Fruit Chew Bar and a Chapstick. NO Banana’s! Which kind of sucks. That’s one of my favorite parts of a Run.

Not a Race I would do again unless I’m registered as Elite.

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Distance: Half Marathon + Easy sign up. + On the day packet pick up. + Low registration fees. + Medals for all finishers. + Beautiful course. + Multiple distances available. … MORE

Distance: Half Marathon

+ Easy sign up.
+ On the day packet pick up.
+ Low registration fees.
+ Medals for all finishers.
+ Beautiful course.
+ Multiple distances available.

– Not enough signage for the course.
– No 1st, 2nd and 3rd in age group awards. (Not that I was Running for that but would have been nice).
– Post Race refreshments kind of ”eh”. Dry Bagels, Apples and Oranges slices with Granola bars. NO BANANA!! 🙁

I signed up for this last minute to pace with a friend that was Running for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and really glad I did as the course was beautiful and a nice one to round off the season.
I wasn’t Running for time but to prove to myself I can show restraint and not have to PR or place in my age group every time I run. Funny that even restraining myself from Running flat out ”balls to the wall” I still placed first in my age group and 3rd overall. Yahoo! This old shortie still has it.

A great run that is fairly small in size, all of the volunteers were really nice and encouraging, especially the Ladies at around the 12 mile mark. A race I would consider doing again next year.

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