Chuck Sohaskey's Staging Area

I ran the half marathon which started at the coliseum. The full marathon started at the same time but at a different location. After 13 miles they would arrive at the coliseum and merge onto our course. I liked starting with only the other half marathoners and not having to worry about where the marathoners would split off from us. It was below freezing at the start, but the coliseum was open for runners to gather which was a great touch. I’m not sure most races would have done this.

The first part of the course was not the most scenic I’ve run, but it was very flat without anything that would count as even a bump. The run on the bike path along the drainage ditch was probably the best part of the course. Strangely as we left that section to loop around the baseball park, we crossed the race course. Everyone was pretty spread out at this point so it was not a problem, but if there had been more runners, I can see collisions being a problem. I’m not sure why this was done because if we did the park loop in the opposite direction there would have been no crossing.

The finish line was in the coliseum and, having never done an indoor finish before, I really liked it. The bananas had been outside in the cold which made them probably the best post-race bananas I have ever had.

The support stations were good although I have to admit that I only grabbed water once. But they looked well stocked and the volunteers were very enthusiastic. (You really have to appreciate volunteers who work so hard with lousy weather.) At the finish line, it would have been nice to have some water right there rather than outside in the parking lot. There were a good number of porta-potties at the start, which is always a good thing.

The shirt was nice. I registered too late to get one at the expo but they said they would mail me one. And they gave me one from last year for free. The medal was good, an E, but I’m not a fan of a series of medals to spell out El Paso.

My only complaint about the race was that some of the mile markers were misplaced. Some were a little bit off, but the mile 9 marker was probably a half mile early. Since everyone has a GPS watch that is only a minor issue. My GPS agreed with the 13 mile marker but the last 0.1 was actually about 0.3. But overall, this was a great race I would do again.

This race is literally a mile from my house, and it supports good causes (CARE Project, The Center in Long Beach, and The Aids Food Store) so I had to do it. There was a 5K and 10K along overlapping courses. Both races started at 8:00 am while the famous Long Beach Pride parade started at 10:00 am. So I could do either race and still have time to recover for the parade.

The race starts at a park overlooking the Ocean. There was music, there was a dropbag location and lots of rainbow tutus. The first quarter mile is downhill to the beach parking lot so of course everyone starts too fast. At the bottom of the hill the 10K runners go to the right, but I was a 5K runner and we went to the left. The next mile and a half is an almost completely flat section of paved pedestrian path along the beach. It was not crowded so it was easy to pass people. There is only a slight incline as you pass the Long Beach pier just past the 1 mile mark. At the halfway point you turn around and retrace your path. Right past mile 2 you see the one hill leading back up to where you started, and you realize you are going to have to run back up that thing. It is not long but it is in a bad location. The finish line is just past the top.

The final hill might seem a bit cruel but it was a really good challenge. You can start the hill as part of a pack but everyone will be spread out by the time you get to the top. It was a great finish and definitely one you will remember (the hill gets steeper every time I tell the story).

As I said the 10K courses goes to the right at the bottom of the hill for a 1.5 mile out and back before doing the 5K section. They have to climb the final hill also.

The shirt and medal were both great. The post race and awards events were very good. There was a free photographer and free finish line photos were available. Everything was well organized.

This is the first real race I’ve done post-Covid. Fortunately, Long Beach remembered how to put on a great event. There were a few changes to the course from the previous year, but nothing major. The full marathon starts earlier than the half so the start was not as packed as you might expect. And as always, the weather was cool at the start and only slightly less cool for the rest of the race. The course is mostly flat with a few small hills here and there. In most cases you run down the hill and eventually loop around and go back up it. So you know what to expect. The very last 0.2 mile is downhill which really helps you pick up the pace so you can finish strong in front of the crowd. It’s a pretty scenic course with quite a bit of it along the ocean. Early in the race you loop by the Queen Mary and later you go through the CSULB campus. (The race photographers have finally figured out the best locations on the course for photos..)

There was a great shirt and medal and even with the social distancing the post run beer garden was good.

The only complaint was that some of the mile markers were off. But since we all have GPS’s that is not a big problem.

This race was a really good idea. To celebrate Batman’s 80 anniversary there would be a nighttime 5K from the LA City hall. There would be all kinds of Batman stuff and events, before and after the run. This was a one of a kind historic event.
There were some problems with the organization. Because almost everyone waited until the last minute to pick up their race numbers the lines were long, and they decided to just hand out numbers randomly. It was a fun run with no official time anyway, so that was not important. But they also ran out of race shirts and said they would have to mail those. The race start was incredibly packed, and it took forever to open up. But it was a Batman run so I knew there would be a lot of kids and walkers, and it was mostly my fault for starting so far back.
The race itself was great fun. There were three out and back sections so you could see everyone in front and back of you. There was a long stretch through a tunnel that was complete with fog and eerie music. Most of the runners were in black with quite a few Batman and Jokers. It was not a fast course; there were some hills and sudden U turns.
The band was great, as were the post race activities. The race had photographers on the course and the pictures were free. But unfortunately they were linked to your race numbers so I got someone else’s. But despite all these problems I would do the race again. It was great fun.

This is a very good race. Normally I don’t like races that consist of laps (the 10K is 2 laps of the same course, the 15 is 3), but I like this course. It is hilly with lots of turns and is not likely to give you a PR. But it runs through the UCLA campus and is just an overall fun and scenic course. Although the hill that leads up to the finish line is particularly cruel. And since they run you right past the finish line once (for the 10K) or twice (for the 15K) you will get to know it well. The finish line and goody bag was very nice. Free donuts at the finish line and a very nice water bottle in the bag. Plus lots of free samples and such.
Overall this was a very well organized race. They have a gear check which is always a great think. Lots of bathrooms also.

I’ve run a lot of races and this has to be the most beautiful course I have ever run. It was run through the pine forest of Fish Camp right outside of Yosemite. I stayed in the onsite dorm room type lodging in a room full of bunk beds. That had both good and bad points. Snoring was an issue, but I was just meters away from the starting line in a room full of other runners.

The race features about 5 hills of various lengths but none too long or too steep. The course elevation ranged from the 5,037 ft at the starting line, up to 6,286 at the top of the second hill. There were only a few technical spots on the course; most of it was wide fire road. There was one water crossing which was a lot of fun. It was icy cold water almost up to my shorts which left my feet numb by the time I got the other side.

After a steep but short rocky single track the course leveled off for a bit. This was one of those magical trails with the smell of pine everywhere and the most amazing sights at every step. Around 15 miles I started seeing the giant redwood trees. I noticed the first one when I went around a corner and a runner that I had been chasing was just standing there staring at it. I had to stop also.

Finally I got to the Shadow of the Giants 1 mile loop. This goes through Mariposa Grove, the site of many giant sequoia trees. I admit I walked this loop to get a good look at them.

This could be a fast course but I was continually distracted by the scenery. My fault, but I am not complaining.

There were not many support stations, but with the weather we had they were more than adequate. And they were well stocked. The race was very well organized. A nice bonus was the onsite showers for after the race.

The swag was nice. I got a great shirt and a wooden medal. At the finish line they handed out cold towels. Mostly I got amazing memories of a stunning course (also a lot of pictures). I highly recommend this course.

The day before the race the temperature peaked at 107F. But then it cooled off so the high on race day was only 92F. This sounds hot but the average for this day is 96F. So this year we got lucky. But I have to say it was still a big challenge.
The race was run along both sides of the Trinity River. The course was mostly paved with a short section that was a rocky dirt road. As soon as you drop down to the river, below the street level, right before mile 2 you lose any wind that might cool you off. But there were water stops every mile with Gatorade, water and in places, ice cold towels.
I really enjoyed the course. There were cement cows, and bridge graffiti art and we got to run under the fancy Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (shade!). There was a minor hill (down on the way out, up on the way back) but mostly the course was flat. There was no crowding even thought it was out and back on the same trail.
When I crossed the finish line the volunteers handed me a cold bottle of water and an icy cold towel. The medal was amazing, one of the best I’ve seen. The shirt was even better with great art work. And the beer at the finish was the best I had while I was in Dallas.

Make no mistake, this is a serious race. Do not be fooled by the amazing post race party. The course is not flat, there is a good hill just past the half way point. And one right before mile 12. The first half of the course is overall uphill, and the second half, down. It starts in the tiny town of Santa Ynez and runs through scenic vineyards to finish in the tiny town Solvang. There was plenty of support along the course (even a wine stop) and lots of beautiful views. I even saw a bison just off the road.
The shirt was a very nice non-tech shirt. And the medal was unique – a corkscrew, bottle sealing combination heavy kinda thing.
The race finishes right near all the wonderful Danish bakeries and Scandinavian stores that Solvang is known for. But the race is best known for the wine tasting. For an additional charge you get a nice wine glass and entry into the park. There the local wineries have samples of their wines for the runners.
This is a very well organized race, with a great course and after race party. I would highly recommend it.

This race is brutal. No matter what your pace this race is tough. The starting line is at already 6,345 and I live at sea level so I was already a little winded before the race started. The halfway point is at the summit of Pike Peak at 14,115 ft where there is 43% less oxygen than sea level. The average grade is 11%.
That said this is an amazing race. It starts in Manitou Springs Colorado at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The views are spectacular and this race is one you will not forget or stop talking about. Instead of the Star Spangled Banner at the starting line they placed America the Beautiful since Pike’s Peak was the inspiration for the purple mountains majesty.
The first decision is what to carry. It can get cold and windy near the top so you want to dress warmly. But the weather can be warmer at the lower levels (88F on my race day). I wanted to carry enough to be prepared but at the same time, the first 13 miles are uphill and I didn’t want to carry any extra weight.
The trail is in good condition up to the tree line at 12,000 ft. After that it gets a bit rocky. The last half mile to the top consists of the infamous 16 Golden Steps which is actually 32 switchback that involve stepping up onto large boulders. Then you turn around and do the whole thing again.
The race was well run. The support stations were well run and although they were close in distance they were far apart time-wise because of my slow pace. On the negative side the shirt was low quality and is already falling apart. But this is still an amazing experience.

This is a review for the Death Valley trail marathon. (There is also a street marathon. And if the weather is bad sometimes this race is run on the road. ) This is a beautiful marathon if you like the desert which I do. We were bussed out to the Nevada starting line and from there it was one road back to California. But between you and the finish line is a row of hills.

The first part of the race is 5 miles of flat dirt road. This begins to climb up to the White Pass where the 30K starts. Then there is a downhill and you start back up the next hill to the Red Pass. You reach that after a 1,800 ft climb (relative to the starting line). From here it is 13 miles and 5,000 ft of downhill.

You run by the ghost town of Leadfield. You run by ancient petroglyphs. And then you get to Titus Canyon. Some years this is closed because of rain, snow or rock slides. It is a narrow winding dirt road down a slot canyon. There are cliffs probably a couple of hundred feet high in places. The rocks were all different colors, the cliffs were dramatic, and everything was just great. When you come out from the canyon you can see the finish line 3 miles away.

Most people worry about the weather but it is run in the winter and the weather for my race was perfect. There are aid stations every 5 miles also. I admit the race shirt and medal could be better. But the awards ceremony is in the one bar in Furnace Creek which was very nice. I would highly recommend this race.

This is a real cool race put on by a great running company. There are 4 – 6 hills depending on how you count (7,142 ft of overall climbing). But the first 3 miles are relatively flat and that gives you a good warm up. And that first hill is pretty steep.
Part of the course is run through cow pastures with the trail barely visible. But it was well marked so this was not a problem. There were cows in parts but they generally moved off the trail when I got close. We went through many gates and each one seemed to have a different locking mechanism. Some took a second to figure out and I saw one runner just climb over the gate.
The trail was never very technical. It went from narrow single track to wide fire road. In the last couple of miles there were about 10 water crossings some over my ankle.
It was a hot day eventually getting over 90F. But the aid stations always had plenty of water and even ice sponges. There were only 4 stations and they were about 8 miles apart. The shirt and medal were both very nice. And they even had free engraving for the medals at the finish line. There was a photographer on course and all pictures were posted for free.
This is the only Brazen race I have done but they know how to put on a race.

This race is only a 1.5 hour drive from D.C. but it seemed like a different world. I stayed nearby, had trouble finding an open restaurant and there were deer in my front yard. The starting line is at a seamanship school and they are nice enough to open up the building for the runners to use the bathrooms. The starting line is near the giant anchor in the parking lot.
The first half of the race is along Saint George’s Island and is beautiful with a great view of the Potomac River. It goes along a narrow tree lined one lane street for an out and back by a light house. The next part is an out and back along highway 265 which is not as nice. This is a two lane road with a shoulder but there is no traffic control. The finish line was unimpressive with only small glasses of water. But afterwards there was a free lunch in the school which was great.
Overall the course was flat and fast. Both the shirt and medal were nice also. The lunch was a very nice treat.