Alicia Dingsdale's Staging Area

For an inaugural race, this was pretty good.
Positives: The organizers seem nice and well-intentioned. The shirts are really nice: long-sleeve tech shirts with a design that isn’t obnoxious, and the option to buy an additional zip-up shirt in one of several colors. Communication about race details was, in general, good. Parking was also good: There is free street parking in Long Beach on weekends so it was easy to park at a meter and walk to the start without paying $$$. Scenery: seagulls, beaches, waves, nautical theme – nice! And after the race we got a box of Godiva chocolate and a packet of hot chocolate to take home.
Areas for improvement: Basics: It would help to have more restrooms available to runners. Course: There were a lot of U-turns and corners, which isn’t optimal (I messed up my back going around a sharp turn, and the corners slow runners down). The out-and-backs result in the potential for running into oncoming cyclists and runners. At the end, there was water (good) but the only recovery food was bananas (not optimal) and they were green, so no one was grabbing them. The runners ended up going into downtown Long Beach to eat (thankfully there are lots of food options there!)
I’m sure that the organizers will figure these things out and change some things around for next year’s race.

One note – most people who aren’t from Long Beach don’t know where the Grand Prix start line is, so it’s a good idea to give a general

Pre-race: There’s no parking at the start, so you have to take a bus to get there. Buses departed from either downtown Temecula or Ponte Winery in Temecula. There was plenty of parking at downtown Temecula where I parked. However, there was no signage indicating the location where the bus would pick passengers up. A few other runners were wandering around the area hoping that a bus would show up somewhere and we’d all run to catch it. Also, the buses didn’t follow the schedule indicated in race instructions. We debated calling Uber to get us to the race start, until a shuttle van showed up. Other pre-race issues: The bag drop was organized and went off without a hitch. The shirts are a soft blend (not tech shirts) with a very simple, plain design. Some people like them, some don’t. The women’s cut is flattering; I learned to ask for a size small because the medium (from another DR race) fit like a tent!
Course: First 3 miles are downhill, 4th is rolling/flat, and 5-9.5 are an unrelenting uphill at 2.5-3% grade. Final 3 miles are rolling. The entire course is exposed, so make sure to put on sunscreen and bring sunglasses. There were plenty of water/gel stations. The wind was blowing against us (from the north) during the uphill portion, and it was quite warm (80s), making this a challenging race in terms of weather. Note that the last mile or so is on dirt and the final .25 mile or so is on soft dirt. This is not a PR course so plan accordingly.
Post-race: As is the case in this race series, there wasn’t any protein+carb recovery food at the finish, so make sure to bring your own. None of the usual bananas, fruit, bagels either. Food entailed bags of popcorn, some snack mix etc. But there was plenty of water and electrolyte drink at the end and a very helpful med tent where I got much-needed ice (to counter my overheating). Make especially sure to bring some filling food/drink if you plan to enjoy the wine at the post-race party! You don’t want to drink alcohol on an empty stomach after racing hard. Ick.
This race didn’t have as many wineries providing tastings at the end as at the race in Oregon, but there were a few good wineries there. There also was a Lagunitas table with beer. The virtual race packet (sent to us online) provided a voucher for a free Lagunitas jar/glass, but when I went to pick it up, the volunteers didn’t know what it was. Then they told me that I was supposed to go up to the Lagunitas brewery (in Petaluma … 500+ miles away) to get it! I think someone messed that one up.
Finally, the race could benefit with clearer signage indicating where to pick up buses to return to the parking locations. They had no signs at all…I had to ask a volunteer. It was lucky that I decided to leave early (I had to check out of my hotel by noon) because there weren’t a lot of people sitting on the bus waiting for a ride, so instead of following a fixed schedule, the drivers waited to leave until more riders showed up. If I had assumed the drivers were following the schedule on the instructions, I probably wouldn’t have made it back to my hotel in time to check out. Moral of the story: Always assume that things will not quite go according to plan!
Oh, and finally, the race medal. Again, this is one of those “love it or hate it” things. It’s all a matter of taste. The medal has a bottle opener, wine stopper and corkscrew all integrated into the medal. I wasn’t really a fan of the art used on the Temecula medal… it was a little weird for me. But I know that others probably liked it. It definitely was unique!

This is a race for runners by runners. There are seeded corrals (which doesn’t entirely keep walkers from starting in front of runners, but it helps!) It has a great expo and good in-race support and post-race food/festivities. I’ve gotten my PR here twice during years when the temperature was cool. (It can be cold and rainy or hot and sunny, or blowing wind… you just never know.) Always a great shirt, terrific medals. I do this race every year I possibly can.