Chris Mauger's Staging Area

Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon is one of my favorite races, for several reasons. I’m a big fan of the RnR series in general, and the overall atmosphere for the weekend was top-notch. My wife ran the 5K on Saturday and I ran the half on Sunday. Boston Marathon champions Meb Keflezighi and Des Linden were on hand both days, making appearances at the expo and the 5K, and serving as pacers for the half marathon. As far as the half marathon goes, it’s not a difficult course at all, with only a few short uphills, but long stretches of downhill (including most of the last four miles). The course includes a stretch through business and main roads, parts that go through quiet residential neighborhoods, a segment through the park, and finishes up in downtown. My only beef is with this year’s decision by the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon folks to make every race’s medal and shirt the same design . . . the medal is ok, but in my opinion the shirt is terrible. However, the merch on sale at the expo is really nice. Which might be the whole plan, now that I think about it. Anyway, Rock ‘n’ Roll SD is a great race, particularly for out-of-towners. One of the best!

Let’s get it out of the way, although the race website clearly says “mostly flat,” this is at best an embellishment of the truth. While it’s certainly not a brutal course, there are two very steep (but short) hills that you have to go up and down during the out and back portions of the race. The stretch along the coast is mostly rolling hills — nothing too dramatic, but not exactly “mostly flat” either. That being said, this is a very nice course, with exceptional swag — a high quality, well designed shirt, awesome medal, and a coffee mug. Parking is tricky, so give yourself plenty of time before the start to get yourself situated. All-in-all, a very worthwhile race, and heck, March in So Cal is always beautiful.

The Surf City Half Marathon is a great way to create a calorie deficit on Super Bowl Sunday, and one of Southern California’s premier running events. It’s part of the Beach Cities Challenge Series (along with Long Beach and OC), and is all about the surfer attitude. The registration process and communication leading up to the race are spot-on and engaging. The expo is held in a large tent on the beach, and while not huge, has a good selection and variety of vendors and a decent amount of race merchandise. Parking for the expo and on race day is free, but be aware that you may end up with quite a walk from your car to the expo and start/finish line. The course is pretty flat, with only one minor hill at mile 4. Definitely a race where you can go for a PR. Course support during the race is fine, lots of water and sports drink available and also good crowd support especially the last two miles or so heading back down Pacific Coast Highway. Aside from miles 3-6, it’s all an out and back along the coast — so wind can be an issue. It wasn’t this year, thankfully, but also something to train for. Overall, Surf City is a top-notch event and a fine choice for a “destination race” for those looking to visit SoCal.

I’ve run Long Beach four years in a row, and it never fails to be a great event. RunRacing is a top-notch race organization, and they make sure to cover all bases. The expo always has a lot of big-name vendors and products and a large selection of Long Beach Marathon merchandise. The course itself hits all the local attractions including the Queen Mary, beachfront, and downtown area. Of the three Beach Cities Challenge races (LB, OC, and Surf City), this one is the best all-around — though they’re all great events. The Long Beach course is very friendly, only two hills of any consequence, both are small bridges/overpasses. Nothing to fret about. Fantastic fall race, and always a PR opportunity.

One of the Beach Cities Challenge trilogy of races, the OC Marathon/Half Marathon is a great event in all aspects. As with all of the BCC races, the signup process, pre-race communication, and social media information is all top-of-the-line. As with most races, the earlier you get on board, the cheaper it will be. The expo is held at the OC Fairgrounds, parking is $10 and it’s good for both days. It’s a point to point course for both the marathon and the half, so plan accordingly. The race starts at Fashion Island (mall) and winds through beachfront homes that are spectacular. The first few miles are pretty fast. The course in general is friendly, the only challenge is around mile 10 with a short uphill stretch. Nothing to lose sleep over. The course also goes through a nature preserve, and then another typical OC neighborhood. The finish is at the fairgrounds, where the post-race food and events are terrific. Usually an 80s cover band if that’s your thing. The swag is fairly standard, nice shirt and decent medal. All in all, a very nice SoCal race. One footnote . . . the half marathon course is beautiful. The back half of the marathon course, however, has a definite “now let’s add on 13. 1 more miles” feel to it. It winds through a mall parking lot, a high school campus, and along a riverbed. Of the three BCC races, the Long Beach marathon course is by far the best. Of the half courses, though, OC is right up there.

Opinions always seem to vary when it comes to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series, but I am a huge fan. Some are better than others, of course, but I’ve never been disappointed with any of them. And so far, Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans is the best I’ve participated in. We traveled from Southern California for a four-day race weekend, and enjoyed the Big Easy on a number of levels. The race expo was par for the RnR course, meaning there were a ton of vendors and an overall fun experience. We stayed at a hotel near the start line, so getting to the race was only a matter of a three-block walk. The course itself is pancake flat, and starts with an out and back in a mostly residential area with a ton of crowd support — including folks handing out Mardi Gras beads to the runners. A very nice touch. Runners then tour the French Quarter for a couple miles, and finally end up in a nice, shady park. The medal and shirt were up to the RnR standards, with beads replacing the traditional ribbon. One area where I think RnR could step it up is in the design of the race shirts. Quality is good, but the artwork tends to be so-so. After the race, we were shuttled back to the starting area without any problem.

Bottom line, this is a fantastic event in a great city. You won’t be disappointed.

Carlsbad is a deceptively challenging course, with only one significant hill to deal with (very early in the race) but lots of rolling hills along the coast. Rarely is it completely flat, and this takes a toll over 13.1 miles. The expo is nothing fancy but it gets the job done, the Carlsbad shirt and medal are always among the best, and this year they added a 1/4 zip jacket to the swag package. As far as logistics, it couldn’t be more convenient. Free parking at a mall, which is right at the start/finish line. Carlsbad Village is a wonderful area, so this makes a nice weekend getaway and “race-cation.”

You’re running the Las Vegas Strip at night, so the race experience can’t be more unique. It’s a packed race, with a party atmosphere, and as a big fan of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series, this will go down as one of my favorite races. It’s a flat course, so once you get through the first mile or two of elbow-to-elbow jostling, you can get a fast time. There’s one sketchy area of the course around mile 8 or so, but then you’re right back on the strip. I’d call this a “must-do” for all runners.