Dana Gonzalez's Staging Area

Fontana Days is a local race I look forward to every year. The downhill course practically guarantees a fast finish. The course begins in Lytle Creek with scenic views. Usually, the weather is ideal this time of year and the weather this year was perfect in my opinion. Cool and overcast the entire time. There are just enough runners to make the race competitive, but not overwhelming. Post-race vendors make the experience even more enjoyable.

I love running this course in my hometown. The route is challenging and scenic. This year we were graced with rain, which made the green hills even more beautiful through their misty fog. Post-race vendors add to the enjoyment of this event.

There were concerns this year regarding COVID-19 and I believe the race planners did their best to keep runners safety a priority and to increase sanitation efforts. Arriving to the race was chaotic – the freeway off ramp was backed up and it took 30 minutes to drive the last mile to the stadium. Buses were backed up as well and dropped of runners just minutes before the race started. Due to construction, runners were not allowed in the stadium so we were in the parking lot instead (which some areas were muddy and slippery). There was LOTS of porta potties which was much appreciated. The race itself went very well. I noticed all the volunteers at the water stations wearing gloves. There was plenty of porta potties along the race route as well. The last 8 miles were the most enjoyable due to the crowd support, bands, cheerleaders, and others playing music. I was a bit surprised that spectators were not allowed at the finish line and I was really disappointed that there wasn’t any music. Completing a marathon is something to celebrate, but the finish line was so quiet – it was creepy and depressing. I wanted to wait for my friend who was only a few minutes behind me but I was told I was not allowed to wait and I had to keep moving. We had to walk about another 1/4 mile to exit the finish line area. The roads had barricades to keep the spectators out and they were crowding the exit route for the runners and made it difficult for us to get past them. LA traffic is almost always a guarantee to be a challenge. Due to all the traffic and road closures, it took almost three hours to get home (normally a one hour drive without traffic). While I felt the best while running this race, I will not run it again due to the stress of getting to the race and back home.

The right amount of communication leading up to the race. Great options for parking off site with free shuttles/buses to the start line. Plenty of bathrooms at the start line. The right amount of bathrooms and aid stations along the course. Fantastic volunteers. What’s not to love about running along the coast. The weather is usually ideal this time of year.

The Riverside Reindeer Run is one of my top three favorite races. The Lexus LaceUp series puts out well planned events. A lot of thought is clearly put into the details to make a successful race. Bib pick the day before was easy as there were several volunteers to keep the lines short. There was a plethora of porta potties at the start/finish area. Also plenty of porta potties along the route. There was a last minute change to the originally planned route due to standing water on the course as a result of recent rainy weather. A notice of the changes was emailed to the runners the day before, which I appreciate. The post race food trucks were great! Some of the best food I’ve had. I’m looking forward to participating again next year.

This was definitely one of the most challenging races I’ve participated in. Don’t let the distance fool you. I thought a 6k race would be easy – but the 2,000 ft elevation gain humbled me. I was able to keep a at least a bounce in my step for the first mile with a 14:15 pace. At this point I apologized to my husband for unknowingly signing him up for this race. I walked and “bounced” the next two miles and thanked my husband for being a good sport. The last quarter mile was formidable and I swore I would never do this again. But once we finished and realized we accomplished something extremely ambitious, we’ll definitely consider participating again.

We choose not to wait for the buses to ride back down the road and decided to walk (as did many other participants). The weather was great – 60 degrees when the race started. We were in the shade of the mountains the majority of the time. The sunrise was beautiful!

There was plenty of parking at the Carl’s Jr & Del Taco parking lots a 1/4 mile away. There were also buses to transport runners to the start line.

Water stations were every mile along the route. There were plenty of porta-potties at the start line. A very well organized race.

The half marathon runners encountered some problem, which were not intentional. From the start of the race we were told to go in the wrong direction, at one of the turn around points (for either the 5k or 10k) the volunteers told us to turn around, however we should have kept going. So we had to back and re-run the part we missed. The race coordinator acknowledged the errors and sent an email to the runners asking for feedback to improve next year, which I really appreciate.
The course was stated to be easy – great for first time runners. However, I found this course to be a bit challenging. There were several hills, however the scenery was pleasant.
More importantly, this race is to provide support for Peppermint Ridge which helps individuals with developmental disabilities. While this wasn’t one of my better races, I am still happy to participate and will sign up again next year – probably for the 10k 😉

I truly love this race – I always have so much fun on this course/route. The weather is always great and I’ve always had great company. The race is well organized, lots of parking at the OC fair grounds, lots of buses to shuttle runners to the start. I’ve never run into any problems while participating in this race.

Who doesn’t love running on Pacific Coast Highway? Race was well organized. I love having the option to park off site and free shuttles to take racers to the start line. I was really hoping for a sub-two hour finish, however after the turn-around at mile 8, there was a head wind for the remaining 5 miles. The weather was perfect! The expected rain stayed away.

I enjoyed running this small town race. Its easy to find parking and easy to pick up your bib and race swag on race day. The course has some difficult hilly sections. The entire course is on a paved surface. I also enjoyed the nice long sleeve race shirts.

This was a beautiful route (while in the mountains). The race started right on time (thank you!). Runners were advised to line up based on anticipated finish times. The first nine miles had a few uphills, but nothing too difficult. During this time we were in the shadows of the mountains. Around mile 11 we could see the clouds in the valleys of the mountains, eventually we were running in the clouds, and then running under the clouds. I know this couldn’t be planned, but it was an amazing experience. Miles 14-20 were fast downhill as promised. The end of the race went through the City of Mentone which isn’t very scenic. The last mile was mostly flat, which was difficult for me after all the downhill momentum. I finished the race with a 21 minute PR!
I appreciate aid stations every two miles starting at mile 3. Water, powerade, and bathrooms at ideal locations along the route are always appreciated. Volunteers at the aid stations were fantastic! All were so encouraging & supportive.
The finish line included water, cold towels, bananas, donuts, pizza & beer. I appreciate a local brewery having the opportunity to participate. Family and friends were able to easily find us after the race and enjoyed hanging around for a while.

This is without a doubt the most scenic & beautiful race I’ve run! Big Sur/Carmel is the perfect combination of mountains & beach. I felt like a tourist along this course stopping to take so many pictures along the way. This was also the most challenging course I’ve run – I was not expecting so many hills, but the amazing scenery was a welcome distraction. The convention center was a wonderful location for the expo. Inside the convention center was well organized for bib pick, t-shirt pick up, and expo area. Expo vendors were fantastic as well. The buses were well coordinated for the 11 miler. This is a race I definitely want to run again in the future.

If there was ever a “chill” race – this is it. Race day temps were great – clear skies and low 60’s. Winter weather is great in Palm Desert. Race location was easy to find, LOTS of parking at the Civic Center Park, plenty of clean bathrooms. Had a hard time finding the bib pick up when I arrived (it was still dark outside) but the tents were easy to see when the sun came up. Race started on time (thank you!) – course was mostly flat and uphill (I felt as if the course is similar to the Surf City Half Marathon – just in the desert instead of along PCH). Challenging hill at mile 7, I was really hoping to break 2 hours, but fell short by 45 seconds. Post race activities were enjoyable – there was a nice vibe to just hang around. Met an 81 year old woman who placed first for her age group (love to see people being active no matter their age, gives me hope to remain active my whole life). Beer garden is always preferred (thank you La Quinta Brewing Co). There was a good turn out. It was an all around enjoyable morning.

The Holiday Half Marathon & 5k event really knows how bring in the holiday spirit. From the “ugly sweater” running shirt, “ugly sweater” beanies, snow at the start line and Christmas Carolers singing – it truly is a festive event. Lots of pre-race advertising, pre-race communication is great as well. I knew exactly where to go on race day. LOTS of parking available at the Fairplex and LOTS of bathrooms available at the start/finish area. The 5 race is a mostly flat and easy route – part of the route is on the speedway. The half marathon route is scenic and can be a bit challenging at times. The route goes through the Frank Bonelli Regional Park with great views of Puddingstone lake. Finishers medals are sparkly snowflakes – completed the both the half marathon & 5k for the Snowflake Challenge and receive an even bigger snowflake medal! Post race activities are great! Lots of vendor, lots of tables & chair to relax, food and a complimentary beer! I loved the support along the half marathon route – lots of water/aid stations and so many spectators cheering you on. Its one of those races you can’t help but to smile the entire way. Looking forward to participating again in 2018!

The Mission Inn Run is one of those races I look forward to every year. I’ve participated every year since 2012 – whether its the 5k, 10k, or 1/2 marathon. The 10k route is my favorite of the three. I love that the course takes you through some of the historic neighborhoods of Riverside. The 10k isn’t too difficult, there are a few hills but the majority of the course is very much enjoyable. I love how the community comes together for this well organized race. The camaraderie of the other runners is fantastic! The only negative aspect of this race is there aren’t any good options for parking (arrive early – very early!) My performance this year went much better than I had expected. I had an extremely busy weekend, but didn’t want to miss out on the race. I figured I would just take it easy and enjoy the run. After the first mile I was running faster than expected and decided to push myself for the rest of the race and I ended up placing 1st for my age group! A complete surprise and a great way to end a busy weekend.

I love the quiet little “small town” feel of Beaumont. The Beaumont Spirit Run is an annual event that benefits 10 schools in the Beaumont School District. This is another race with great camaraderie within the community. The race starts and finishes at the local high school with the route taking you through nearby neighborhoods. I’ve participated in the 10k race the past two years and the last half of the race is certainly challenging – all uphill! Neighbors cheering you on as you run past their homes certainly helps to conquer those hills. The Beaumont High School cheerleaders cheering as you race to the finish line is enthusiastic as well. This race is well organized with plenty of parking in the high school parking lot. LOTS of clean bathrooms at high school stadium (no port-a-potties along the route though). A great race with options for the entire family to be involved.

This was a great race! It was my second full marathon. The corrals started ON TIME (just as we runners like). Course entertainment was great as well as were the crowds/spectators. You’ve got to love the cool-overcast weather in San Diego which is always appreciated for any run. Pre-race communication/emails were greatly appreciated. I didn’t have any questions about what to expect. Post-race entertainment seemed nice, although I didn’t have time to stick around. Medals were awesome and I was surprised to receive a finishers jacket (full marathon participant only). My only dislike about this course was at mile 8 – downhill with a very heavy slant (knees started to really hurt because of this) and the LONG uphill from mile 22-23 (also on a slant) up the 163 freeway (although it was really cool to run on the freeway). Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed the race, I am really happy with my time & performance!

I look forward to running A Run Through Redlands every year. This year I ran the 10k instead of the half marathon. The course has a good mix of flat, uphill & downhill. I love running through the historic Redlands neighborhoods.

This year medals were available for all race categories (not just the half marathon as in previous years). I love that each year a different historic home is featured on the race shirt.

Post race activities are great, lots of vendors and park space to hang out.

I really love this course – its mostly flat with a few hills, the right amount of elevation change. The course is mostly on a paved bike trail. I loved seeing all the service men & women at every corner & intersection to ensure the safety of the runner. We are so thankful to have them there! The runners along the course were so encouraging to other – I had two gentlemen encourage me to push just a bit harder when crossing the finish line. I ended up getting my second best 1/2 marathon time and I ran this course 10 minutes faster than last year! Post race was awesome! Free beer tickets and free food tickets which can be used at any of the four food trucks on site. Lots of photo ops, pictures posted to instagram and tagged with #LexusLaceUp were printed, free water bottles, lots of chairs & table to relax. I’m planning on running all four races of this series next year.

Without a doubt – the BEST race I’ve run yet! Everything about this race was enjoyable and every detail was clearly well thought out and taken into consideration. The race swag is awesome! Runners were provided with gloves and aluminum blanket to use while waiting before the race started. Beanies were also included. The volunteers for bib pick-up were amazing as well – all were so kind, courteous and pleasant. Bib pick up location was easy to find and parking was easy as well. Race day parking was easy to find (and free of charge!) Lots of buses were ready to go to take runners up the mountain to the starting line. At the start there were TONS of port-a-potties! No long lines for waiting to use the bathroom. There was music, coffee & hot chocolate. Also additional gloves & blankets were available if needed. The views in the mountains were gorgeous! We watched an amazing sunrise just before the race started. The race started on time as promised. The scenic views running down the mountains were amazing! I want to return to spend more time in the mountains. Safety of the runners was evident by the law enforcement bringing drivers up & down the mountain on the other side of the road at safe speeds. There was lots of water, first aid & port-a-potties all the way down the mountain as well. The finish line was well organized as well. Plenty of food & vendors. Great opportunity for photos as well. The end was a short walk back to the parking area. I PR’d my half marathon by 11 minutes! I’ll be looking forward to running this race again!

The course was fairly flat – some parts along the LA river bed (not a real river). The group was a bit more competitive than I expected. A good amount of port-a-potties at the start/finish, however none along the course. Very nice volunteers at check in/registration. Fun pre-race warm up!

I used to live in Beaumont so I love running this race. There’s a good turnout – not too crowded. The race fees are very reasonable. Plenty of parking and very friendly staff for registration & bib pick up. I look forward to this race every year.