Chris Hunt's Staging Area

I targeted this marathon for the scenery and advertised fast course and it delivered. My fiance and I made an extended weekend LA trip out of this race, as it’s only about an hour and half away. Love that it’s over Memorial Day weekend. The organizers were friendly and prompt with communication, and the athlete packet sent the a week or so prior was comprehensive, explaining everything in detail. You really have no excuse to be unprepared for this race. That said, it sells out quickly and if you register later, you’ll be stuck with the 4am shuttle. That means you’re getting up at 2:30 so you can get breakfast in. But I mean you made it this far through hard training so deal with it. The race is well worth it. Downtown Ojai is a great place to get some stretches and strides in. Just be quick with the portapotties as those lines get pretty long, as usual with these events. The first 20 miles are beautiful. Mountains, trees, I mean it really is impressive. While downhill, there are some uphill sections to be aware of, specifically the first few miles – they’re not bad at all but just don’t go out too fast. Try to keep your MP, even when the steep drops make you want to run 20 sec under. I got greedy and paid for it in the last couple miles – there’s an uphill in downtown Ventura that sucks the life out of you. Know it’s there and save for it. We lucked out with temps remaining below 60* – in fact, I had to throw on a sweater after cooling down. The BQ gong is a nice touch, and honestly, something in the back of your mind during the race. You can say it’s not, but it is. Overall, I hope to return next year! P.S. recovery was not bad at all – sore quads thanks to the downhill, but probably my quickest recovery process so far.