Daniel Roth's Staging Area

Here’s a run I’ve done every year since 2013 and it was a better experience this year since the entire course is within the gates of Anaheim Stadium rather then part of it being on City Streets near the freeway. This created a faster course for the serious runners and allowed the production to add more interactive things throughout the course for the walkers like player cutouts to stop to have pictures taken with and a set of two inflatable slides. Like last year they added bubbles but improved it by arranging the bubble makers right next to the actual course so if you decided to go through it you didn’t really lose any time. And they brought the number of bubble makers up to four.
As usual at the 2.5 mile mark you run down a ramp to enter Angel Stadium’s field to run on the warning track. This is always great but you have to dodge the others that will stop in front of you to take a picture.
A whole lot of giveaways and games here at the expo. It’s one of the better ones. You also get to enter the stadium to use their bathrooms.
I wish they could fix the sound system so you can hear the announcements and the National Anthem.

This a small scale run with Gemini Timing that runs entirely through neighborhood streets in Buena Park and is entirely flat. The run is early – 7am. There were only about 250 runners but they do advertise prizes for the division winners. As no runner finished in less then 20 minutes this might be a good run if you’re speedy.
Parking was a little confusing. I found the best way to enter off of La Palma was by taking El Monte (do not enter by Knott). It is at William Peak Park – the site of the Silverado Days carnival (which unfortuately does not start until 10 am so you have quite a wait if you wanted to attend. The run was rather inexpensive. With a Gemini discount code it only cost me $22.50 just days before.
About the 2 mile mark Volunteers attempt to pass out bottles of water. Like many people I passed on this as I didn’t want to carry a bottle with me.
There is not a lot of frills but the medal is substantial and you get a T-Shirt. Nothing much to see at the expo and no #FreeBanana.

I’ve left reviews for this and other Disney runs before and …I guess this is good news..not alot has changed. After the stripped down runs they produced last May with the Tinkerbell Half it is a relief that things seem back to normal. There were plenty of photo ops along the way featuring “The Incredibles” and other Pixar properties. Most of the run took place in California Adventure (where most of the Pixar attractions are) with the route in Disneyland is there mainly to get you through the photo op running through the castle.
The route includes some back stage areas and we saw new areas I had not seen before.
There was a new 5am start which was a bit welcome since it was very hot and humid this day. A nice surprise was a cool towel at the finish line after you receive your medal.
The mandatory Expo was still a bit of a shell of what it used to be. No guest speakers, no bar and no Clif samples.
Andrea and Carissa did an entertaining and enthusiastic pre show before the run.

This was my 5th time running the Neverland 5k and I left a pretty detailed review for 2016 already so I will just add some updates:
My “Race that was calling me” was doing all three Tinkerbell runs – the 5K, 10K and Half. The news leading into the weekend was that they were no longer using volunteers and instead were hiring temps. So how was this going to change things? The temps did a fine job and I didn’t really notice a difference there. There were less of the “Third Shift” Disney employees out with the big Mickey gloves giving you High 5’s.
There no speakers at the Expo and they cut out the bar 🙁
The big Hub Bub on social media was no character appearances along the course. This apparently upset alot of people (there were a few for the 10K and much more for the Half so maybe RunDisney responded to the criticism quickly and they will fix this for 2018).
Security has really stepped up since last year so give your self extra time to get through the checkpoint.
To recap from my 2016 review:
You need to pick up your bib in person the day before at the expo.
The run is the only event that starts at 5am (instead of 5:30am).
It actually starts at the castle which is cool (and a bit of a bottleneck) but running from the Matterhorn to ToonTown is the only part of Disneyland you will see due to the Star Wars construction. As soon as they reopen the Big Thunder Trail this will improve (hopefully for 2018).
The rest of the run is either backstage or in California Adventure (Turning a corner and seeing Radiator Springs at dawn was breathtaking and a highlight for me).
The 5K is pirate themed – I remembered this year!
If you have a Disney Signature Pass you get all those photos for free! Take advantage!

This is my second year running and again it was a wonderful experience. I just re-read my review from last year and it still pretty much sums it up for me so I will just re-post it next.
A couple of new notes – Last year (2016) they offered a general 1-mile fun run as part of the Junior Carlsbad 5000 on the day before. I enjoyed this immensily last year and I am bummed it is longer happening. Running a mile under those conditions, picking up my bib and watching the kids run was fun.
Last New Note: Beer Garden opens at 8am sharp. Bring your ID. You get 2 free beers.
Here’s 2016’s review:
“I’ve always heard about this run and I always wanted to do it even though it is about a 65 mile drive. I was lured in by a $20 pre-sale a whole year ago (they are again offering this pre-sale rate for 2017 until April 10, 2016).
This was a great experience and lived up to the hype. The Carlsbad 5000 is billed as a fast 5k and it sure felt like that.
This takes place in beautiful Carlsbad Village and you get some great ocean views along the way. It seems like the whole community is out there to cheer you on. This is now part of the Rock n Roll Run Series and is a great production with a great T-Shirt, great Medal and some great Swag. The Expo is a fine mixture of samples, promotions and retail shops. Even with as many people show up for this there was never any waiting for the portapotties.
They run the races in 4 public runs that start as 7 am and then later in the morning they hold Men’s and Women’s Elite races which get some big media attention. There is a 20K experience available that allows you entry in to the first 4 runs.
The run is capped off with a craft beer garden sponsored by a local merchant, Pizza Port (There are 2 drink tickets on your race bib) where they have a live band.
Parking is wherever you can find it. I parked on Madison Street which was a little more than a 1/2 mile away. As I was looking for parking I noticed a couple of larger lots in the area but they looked pretty full.
Some other things of note – There was one water station at the 1.5 mile mark….and…my only gripe – in the finish chute you are handed a great deal of swag but no bag. So everyone is left trying to juggle everything.”

This run operated as the Leprechaun Leap 5k for the last 5 years. It has held a special place for me because I was born on Saint Patrick’s Day and in 2013 it was my PR and still is after 265 of these runs.
The Run has evolved into the Tustin Hangar Half and 5k and still features a run through inside one of the Tustin Hangers – Structures built during WW2 to house Zeppelins and aircraft. The St. Patrick theme is gone but still lives on a bit (the 5k bib and green lettering) and some people still dressed festive (I still wear my Green Elvis outfit). The 5k also differed a bit in that the official rating of the half course meant no strollers or pets. Otherwise, this is a flat and fast course with not a lot to see outside of the Hanger – but running through the Hanger is a unique experience.
The run was again well organized and was a great experience. The expo held inside The District was large and the swag was good. Over the years I have met most people involved and they are all fine people.

The Culver City 5K was one of my favorites but 2014 was the last year of that event. When I heard about this event I had to do it for old time’s sake (including a visit to a great dive bar – the Tattle Tale).
Held on the day of the Oscars the Inaugural Screenland 5k celebrates the movie history and centennial of the city and includes and map of “100 points of lore” to spot along the way (you would have to walk the course to truly appreciate that but I did spot a few things). Like past Culver City runs there is a great sense of community and this was a great production without being too slick. You never lose track that the volunteers are making this magic happen.
Many dressed in costume and the overall theme seemed to revolve around “The Wizard of Oz” which was filmed around there. The course features runs through Sony and Culver Studios with photo ops with Smurfs and Ghostbusters and such. There were divas and directors and people breaking out in song. Musicians played original arrangements of “Wizard of Oz” classics. I didn’t expect all the effort and it was wonderful and had me smiling as I ran. Great Effort!
The course itself was flat and fast with timing from Chronos Tracking. Nice medal at the finish. Only one water station was poorly manned and I had to skip it instead of having to do a full on stop while they poured more cups.
The expo was local events and services and freebies (Sprouts in particular was VERY generous).
Inaugural run – will they do it again? I hope so. I think they would be hard pressed to capture the unique innocence I experienced today… I would want it to exactly the same next year! I wish more people could have experienced what I did today.

So…. for my 251st run I overslept! I sped down there anyway and I was about 25 minutes late (5:55am) and the course start was closed 🙁 . I made may way down DownTown Disney (Passing through 3 security checkpoints! – New this time…) and managed to run the last 1/2 mile to pass the finish line and get my medal (nice), banana (free), Gatorade, water and my RunDisney box of treats. This was the first year they passed out thermal blankets to the 5K and 10K attendees.
I noticed a AP only lounge at the finish. There was a long line for it so I didn’t go in. Everyone was picking up something from a table… was it a pin? a cookie? I will investigate in May!
The Expo was smaller then previous events. Packet Pick up is Mandatory and I arrived after work at 7pm (it closes at 8pm). Traffic at parking was crazy so I parked at the Disneyland Hotel where you are given only 20 minutes free… I made It!
Since I basically missed my $80 run I drove to Belmont Shore and did my own Make Up 5K. I ran with a Mickey Darth Vader Helmet, A Cape and My Medal and no one batted an eye. I posted this time as my result.

Here is the website’s official description:
“Course Description
The Yuletide 5K starts and finishes under the Christmas lights of the Manhattan Beach Pier. Race out and back north to the jetty at 45th Street. The miles are marked with splits and “kick” markers from 400m to go guarantee your best finish. The super low tide creates a perfect running surface of hard packed sand like a dirt road so running with or without shoes is an option (the faster athletes tend to wear shoes). One can even wear track spikes! Baby joggers work great and are encouraged as the kids love being that close to the sea. ”
That decribes it pretty much – You are running on the beach at low tide. It’s beautiful and there is a nice causal atmosphere. I have been running better lately but this run always kicks my ass! Maybe because it is always that I always do a run earlier or those couple of cocktails or I wasn’t made for sand.
I’ve always found inexpensive metered parking close by. The registration is on the beach to the right of the pier. It’s not a cheap run but it’s different. You get a T-Shirt and they have been handing out those party store glow stick pipes you can make a necklace out of. There are unusual snacks – candies; chocolates from samplers. No medal.
The path gets dark but never too dark. They have light sticks out marking the path and it is beautiful and peaceful.
The promoter was lamenting that as nice as this run is it hasn’t grown much in size and I told him he should promote earlier – even though I’ve ran 240 runs and I try to do this one every year it always catches me by surprize a week or two before the event. I suggested doing an email blast and creating a Face Book event in September.

About the same experience as last year – this year I ran it hungover –
“Resolution Run is a 5k held at Edison High School, Huntington Beach Benefiting the McKenna Claire Foundation for Pediatric Brain Cancer Research and Huntington Beach Schools.
This a simple production carried off very well. People here are nice and the HB Fire department will even make you a pancake breakfast. The first 2 miles of the run take place on Magnolia Street towards the beach and then back to the school where you finish off an a mixture of cement and AstroTurf. It’s mostly flat.”

The Course at University of California at Irvine is very hilly and it really kicked my ass! That aside this is a class production from the folks at OC Marathon and is in it’s third year. The parking garage on campus is $10 cash so be ready for that if you want to park close (I may try to park across the street at the plaza next year).
There is no T-Shirt for this event – you will be given a Santa beard and a logo’d Santa Cap. At the finish you will be given a logo’d mug and a medal.
In my review last year I mentioned how the expo booths near the finished were told not to pass out samples until after the run and it was awkward. This year it seems more lax.
Class MC, Rudy, is on hand for this event which featured a 1-Mile Run before the start of the 5K. Last two years they had carolers but they were absent this year. The Salvation Army is on hand for donations. There is a Gear Check. This is a good Christmas Event – just do not expect a PR!

This was the 39th running of the Turkey Trot in beautiful Dana Point. It’s a well organized event featuring a 10K, two 5k’s and a 1 mile kids run. The course is almost completely flat with plenty of scenic views of the harbor.
The 10k ran at 7am with the first half of the run traveling east and the second half follow the route of the regular 5K.
The first 5k is at 8:30 am and is the billed the “Masters 5K” and is for runners 40 and above. The 2nd 5K is 9:30am and is the “Open 5k” for those 39 and younger. You can run in either race but you can only be eligible for age group prizes if you run in your appropriate run.
I ran the Master’s 5k and here’s my tip. Be lingering around the start around 8 or 8:15am to be one of the first to line up for the start (the organizers wait until the last of the 10k runners pass that half way point). This run has many participants and you want to get in front of as many dogs, strollers, children and people dressed as turkey as possible. This is a fast course but these obstacles can really hamper on your run.
***Time to line us up by Time!***
The expo is pretty good. with over 10,000 runners it never seemed crowed and there were plenty of porta potties.
I stuck around for the kids’ 1 mile run and it was oddly disorganized for something they do every year. They were supposed to start at 10:15am but started later. They stagger times in 3 age groups and my friend’s 5 year old snuck into the 6 to 9 group and ran at 10:50am.
The biggest headache is parking – I arrived extra early and parked on a residential street a half a mile away. I saw they had free shuttles this year and I may try that sometime.
The charity is local: Family Assistance Ministries

Another wonderful Disney experience. I Usually run the 5k’s but opted for the 10K here and I was glad I did. The addition of timing and the ability to track you time on many platforms brought another dimension and elevated it to something more then a “Fun Run”.
The Expo at the Disneyland Hotel is always great (there’s a bar!) and you have the opportunity to purchase future RunDisney events at a reduced cost there (I purchased the Pixie Dust Challenge 10K & Half to go along with the 5K I already bought for that May 2017 weekend. Yikes!).
Event parking is in the Mickey and Friends garage and it’s a short walk to the startline at Disney Way. These events are early (starting exactly at 5:30am). People watching in your corral is a chance to see some inspired costumes.
The the first winds you guides you through the Grand Plaza of the Anaheim Convention Center and brings you back into Disney’s California Adventure where you spend Miles 2 & 3 running int and out of park and backstage areas. The only elevation loss and gain occurs between parks. Miles 4 & 5 are in Disneyland itself. While in both parks there plenty of photo ops with Marvel Superheroes if you want to wait in line and forget the PR.
Mile 6 brings you back home to the Downtown Disney area you started at where your name is called as you finish and get a great medal. Then it’s a chance to celebrate at the Finish line stage. Fun Times.
A tip about something recently added. I have a Disneyland Premium AP pass (or whatever they call it now) and ALL photos are free with my pass. They have plenty of photo ops so ham it up out there!

Enjoyable 5K run down PCH in Downtown Huntington Beach on a flat course. The weather was perfect for the run and the views of the ocean are awesome.
The day also included a 10 mile and a 10K with times staggered so the 5K started at 8:15am. The course was laid out so the 5K and 10’ers never run into each other – a great idea. Plenty of volunteers and two water stations as well.
MC’s Andrea and Fitz kept everything moving and once again our former mayor (of HB) sang the national anthem.
The race dates were moved to mid-October due to an air show. Costumes are still a big part of the run with someone who dressed in a T-Rex outfit winning the contest. The expo had plenty of vendors and live music. There were also band along the course but only for the 10K and 10 miles runners.
Now a list of gripes. If you can get past the date being moved (It happened so early on it didn’t effect me at all) there was the email we were sent late Friday saying we MUST pick up our packets on Saturday for the Sunday run. There was no mention of this before and I couldn’t make it. On the FB page Surf City 10 commented that runners could pick up day of but must come early. So I showed up at 6am for my 8:15 start. Everything was set for registration including “day of” registration so the email was misinformation.
I saw in a review that XXL and XL shirts were gone by 6:45am – if that’s true it’s ridiculous and very bad planning.
By my GPS my distance for the 5K was perfect – 3.1 miles. However, I heard the 10K was 6.05 miles – short of the 6.2. I was told by a 10 mile runner that his distance was 10.25 miles. How can you a quarter mile off?

Shoreline Aquatic Park in Long Beach is a perfect setting for this Hawaiian themed 5K and 10K. It’s festive and a good one for causal runners and families.
Timing is optional and costs an extra $2.00. Like last year there were a lot of discount codes and internet specials for this run. I used the “Rush49” website to register cheaply.
I parked in the Pike parking lot nearby (I ended up paying $8 for parking). I would advise hitting the public bathrooms on the way there as the lines at the start line were rather long. Shoreline Park is next to the Aquarium of the Pacific and is a beautiful place with scenic views of the Queen Mary in the background. An energetic MC and local high school cheerleaders get you started one wave at a time starting with the 10K runners at 7:30am. I was part of the first wave of 5K’ers and we started at 7:50am.
The run is flat as it winds along the public walking path around the shoreline. There were plenty of volunteers cheering you on and giving high 5’s. Just when you thought there is no water station is shows up at Mile 2. The distance seemed off according to my GPS but ends up being 2.99 miles so it’s pretty close.
You’ve got a pretty good hill to run up to get to the finish but once you pass you get an awesome medal with a Hula Dancer with a grass skirt that moves.
The T-Shirt itself is generic (Just says “Aloha Run” and there is music and samples aplenty after the run.

A Better World Running is an organization that organizes runs just about every weekend generally in Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Van Nuys. Their runs range from 5k’s to full Marathons and they have a Run 4 get a race free policy. No shirts but you get a medal at the end. I love these guys.
World Peace Day Run is one of their few “mainstream” runs. It takes place in picturesque Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley and is one of the only times your run is chip timed and not timed by stop watch.
The run was very inexpensive (about $20) and also has a 10K option. No T-Shirts again and the medal is nice.
The course is beautiful with mild hills and is fully on path. There was no aid station (the 10K runners had one).
All and all a great time.

This is the classic run at Disneyland. There are now four of them with their own theme. The Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend is a little looser on the themes and this year the theme was a ride, Extremely appropiate except this ride, the Country Bear Jamboree, was just down 15 years ago. I was less nostalgic and more angry – why did you take a Marc Davis ride out!! For Winnie the frickin’ Pooh!? Will next year be Adventures Through Inner Space?
All that aside these runs are addicting. When I finish I always winder when the next one is. (I know when because I pay 6 months in advance). The early start time (5:30am, usually) messes with your whole day but there is definitely magic afoot.
The run was more DCA then DL this year presumably because of the Star Wars Land construction. So we get to see a little extra DCA and backlot then usual and it was nice. The end of mile 2 was a little difficult due to running up the tunnels that run under the parks but other the that you are pretty smooth sailing (this may change by next year). There are A LOT of photo ops along the way. This run is not timed and you people do a lot of stopping. But people watching is part of the fun. Costumes are allowed as long as your face is visible and your cape will not smack others in the face. Staff arrive early and are on the course to yell encouragement and provide high fives. There was a water station at the half mark.
Again the course is not timed for 5k’s and my GPS measured the distance at 3.2 miles.
So. Changes this year….. The T-shirt wasn’t up to the quality of the last RunDisney run I did in May…which is ok, I guess…of course they raised the prices. They touted that the 5K medal would be metal instead of rubber and what I got was underwhelming compared to the ones I received the last 5 years. They no longer give you a physical copy of the multi-page program instead you get a couple page cheat sheet so check out the one they give you on line. The corral system was more expansive (good). The MC team…. well, I miss Rudy. He is a legend around these parts. I LOVE local legend Andea staying as part of the team – she sounds like she’s been doing this for years. Carissa reporting live from the back corrals is a great idea and she did a great job. The other MC…well, Rudy couldn’t have done that better? C’mon, guys. Bring Rudy Back.
REMEMBER! You have to pick up your Bib at the expo the day before! In Person! The expo at the Disneyland Hotel is very informative and I was able to sign up for this November’s Dr. Strange 10K there at a reduced price although it was officially sold out.

This run is another fine production from Caren Ware. Her races just keep getting better and better.
Last year this run and the similar Pirate Run were held in Long Beach coinciding with Tiki and Pirate festivals. Apparently these runs were too big now to hold there so they have been moved to Bold Chica – a popular spot for these types of runs.
Parking for this run could be free if you grab one of the spots at the smaller parking lots right behind jack in the box. I started waiting nearby at 6:25am for the gate opening up at 6:50am. You may also park at the lot across PCH free or pay for the beach parking right at the location.
Not alot in the way of vendors at the expo but they did offer an inexpensive pancake breakfast.