Amy Solan's Staging Area

This was my second time running this race and my first post-COVID California race. Although I loved this race my first time around, this time was extremely disappointing. First, getting to the parking at the start was difficult, as many roads began closing early, and Google Maps directions used very long detours. Second, and most importantly, the parking at the start directions were unclear and the addresses were wrong. People following the directions in the printed race brochure had their cars towed before and while they raced. Third, the aid stations had limited coverage. While some stations functioned well, others could not keep up with the runners.

I heard from another racer that the race management had switched to a new company. Hopefully, the communication and general organization will improve with lessons learned from this race. However, I wouldn’t recommend this race until the issues are resolved.

Don’t underestimate the difficulty of this course. While the descriptions stated that this would be a trail course, please know that you will be running on paths covered by mud and/or rock fields that present an extra challenge in the pitch black. Then add in the elevation, some occasional fog, and some last minute muddy hills and you’ve got a very challenging half-marathon course. That being said, Vacation Races did a superb job (as always) of managing the course and the event, despite the weather and the newness of the race. The area itself is beautiful and one of my favorite hiking destinations in the daytime. I still haven’t decided if I’ll tackle this race again, but I’m glad I tried it this once.

Anchorage in mid-August has perfect running weather. The on-course entertainment was as varied as always (Scottish bagpipes, anyone?). And the tree-lined path was a soothing relief from the hot, smoky weather at home. I was not one of the lucky (unlucky?) ones who had their race interrupted by the bears or the moose, but I still enjoyed myself. Getting a new PR was just icing on the cake. Don’t wait to complete your 50 state challenge for this race, it’s worth repeating as often as possible.

An early start on what promised to be a hot July 4th, the field was not very crowded and the course was clean and wide. Most of the path had a dirt/ gravel shoulder that you could use to save your ankles. This is my second summertime race in Colorado and I’m really loving those iced towels at the end. All in all, a race worth repeating.

I was mentally prepared for a tough run due to the altitude. And as a Californian, I knew running in 40-degree weather would be an added challenge. But then the 20+ mph winds showed up – yikes!

It was a brutal start with the typical RocknRoll Race delayed release for each corral. Standing still in the bitter, stinging cold for 20+ minutes while waiting to begin running was a cruel wake-up call. I wish that either the corrals were bigger so we had room to jiggle and move for warmth or that the race production staff handed out those thermal sheets while we waited.

The race itself was a beautiful, flat course, providing an overview of some of the best parts of Denver. At different points, we had views of the mountains in the background (always breathtaking). The entertainers did their best to keep the energy pumping, despite the blustery conditions. (I’m still not sure how the stilt walkers stayed upright). I just wish the winds had allowed me to enjoy the course more. The buildings alternated between blocking the worst of the wind or funneling them into stronger debris-filled gusts.

The race production staff made the best of the conditions. I felt bad for the volunteers trying to hand out cups of water in the face of the weather. There were plenty of porta-potties on the route and the much-needed thermal sheets were available at the finish line. My suggestion for next year – hot chocolate instead of cold beer at that finish line!

This is the third year I’ve run this race. The course has not changed, but the race production has definitely improved each year. The route is flat and easy, but the weather (drizzle and breezy) did its best to make the conditions more difficult. I still recommend this race as a good way to begin your California running year.

This is my second year running the LB half. Compared to my prior experience here and at the other beach cities races, this race was disappointing.

To start, the parking situation was expensive. $15 for bib pick-up parking and another $15 for race day parking is very costly on top of an already expensive race registration.

The course felt crowded, even with the reduced attendance. Usually, races thin out by the 1-2 mile mark and people find their personal space. For this race, the entire 13-miles was spent dodging and weaving around groups of people.

It started off cool, but the humidity and temperature had an effect shortly after the sun showed up. Unfortunately, the aid stations were not placed frequently enough and were not manned well enough to keep up wth demand. On more than one occasion, I had to stand in a line of runners while waiting for the poor volunteers to fill cups.

Scenery-wise, this race has the least amount of beach-time compared with the other Beach cities races. Swag-wise, this medal disappointed. I always enjoyed the Queen Mary motif from previous years and the 2018 medal was rather generic with a silhouette of buildings and palm trees.

Overall, not my favorite race. I ran it to complete the beach cities challenge. I am still undecided if I will repeat this race a third time due to the production value and expense.

In a year of great races, the Anchorage RunFest has hit the top of the list on all counts. Visiting Alaska is a great perk, but the race was so well-produced that I would have had the same opinion no matter where it was held.

1. The race communications were frequent, helpful, and inspirational. There were stories of various race participants, enabling a sense of connection before the plane touched down. Logistics were also communicated on a regular basis.

2. The bib pick-up and expo furthered the sense of connection. Local merchants and organizations had donated a variety of prizes that filled multiple tables. By visiting each vendor, racers were able to enter into raffles for the prizes. The vendors (including Jeff Galloway himself) took the time to talk to each participant, making me feel welcome. It was the first expo that I truly enjoyed.

3. The spaghetti dinner included a talk by Jeff Galloway where he gave his insights, as well as answered questions from the audience. It was motivational and made me wish I had signed up for his clinic later that day.

4. The race itself was under rainy, cool conditions. The path took us past the water and under the cover of green trees and beautiful parks. The course was fairly easy with the only unpleasant part being the hill at the 13-mile mark, immediately before the finish line. There was even a report from a marathon runner of seeing a moose cross the path during the race! Support was generous with many locals showing up along the path to cheer us on. They even had a highly diverse musical selection to encourage us – bagpipers, guitar-player, a drum group and more.

5. The shirt and medal were beautiful and unique, featuring a color palette that resembled the northern lights.

6. My only negative comment was that the end of the race did not have many food options for the hungry runner. There were free grilled cheese sandwich halves (which tasted good on a rainy day). But as an out-of-towner, I would have liked a food truck or two so that I could purchase lunch before returning to my hotel. Having seen many food trucks in the area, I think this would be the perfect opportunity for them to make some money and allow runners to replenish their calories.

Overall, I would highly recommend this race to anyone wanting to enjoy a unique destination with local support and strong sense of inclusion for all runners. I can’t wait to return…maybe to run the marathon next time 🙂

This was my second year running the OC Half Marathon and I continue to enjoy this race. The course is relatively easy with only a few gentle uphill portions (although at mile 10/11, you feel it a bit). There was an over-abundance of aid stations and energetic supporters. Although I got a PR, I left the race thinking/ wishing I could have pushed myself even more. Next year, I will definitely look at this review and remind myself of that fact.

Despite rain and breezy weather, this race was worth repeating. It was a great opportunity to see the inside of the Tustin hangars (much bigger than you expect from the outside). The course is mostly flat, with an occasional uphill/downhill trek for the freeway overpasses. Course support was plentiful, especially considering the weather. The medal was the same high quality as last year and one of my favorite features of running this race. I will definitely return for year 3.

This was my second year running the Surf City half and I was glad I made this a repeat. Most of this flat course is along the beach, with only a short section at mile 3-4 that winds inland before looping back to the ocean. The only thing preventing a PR on this race is the constant need to dodge other runners. As a warning, the starting waves are self-regulated meaning that even the earlier (faster) corrals are full of walker-talker groups. Despite the number of runners, the views of the surf and beautiful weather makes this a must-do (and a must repeat).

Relatively fast course with a few hills thrown in. I enjoyed the run through the park and the aid stations were well staffed. I will definitely put this on my repeat list for 2018.

This was a poorly organized race, from start to finish. The race day weather and lack of course support lead to very dangerous running conditions. The Rock n Roll organization should reconsider associating their name with this production.
1. To start, the pre-race expo was held in a location too small for the turnout. The line to get inside the building for bib pick-up was over 2-hours long and on an unshaded concrete terrace. On an 80+ degree day, this led to sunburn and heat issues for all even before the race started.
2. Bibs were handed out without safety pins. This made for an interesting opportunity to scour Lisbon stores for something to attach our bibs to our shirts.
3. Inside the expo, there were a few crowded (uninterested) vendors before I was pushed towards your t-shirt and exit. I luckily received one of the last few shirts available, although not in my size and unwearably small. They completely ran out of race shirts for participants later that afternoon.
4. On race day, we had to wait in another >1-hr line to board a bus for transport to the starting point on the bridge. Once there, we had to wait another hour for the race to start. There was no shade or water during any of these waits. Unfortunately, the staff only allowed racers to use toilets in their own tightly controlled corrals. I could see empty toilets in the corral behind me, but was prevented from using them by security. Despite waiting over an hour, I still had not gotten through the line for the toilet when the race began and my corral emptied out.
5. Water/aid stations were not located at the miles indicated at the expo. This meant that the first aid station did not happen until well-past the 3-mile mark. While this may not be a big deal normally, the long pre-race wait times, lack of shade, and late start time (10:30am) on a day that climbed near 90oF meant I was very thirsty and would have appreciated an earlier water break.
6. At the height of the race, when temperatures were at their worst, the aid stations ran out of water and liquids. By mile 8, the tables were empty and support staff were gone. Racers were digging through discarded water bottles on the ground for any drops they could get. A first aid station handed out some water, but had to reserve most of their supply for the health emergencies that began rolling in. I should mention that I finished well within the time constraints of this race and this lack of water/aid affected a large portion of the runners.
7. They ran out of post-race snacks/ drinks. On a large concrete, unshaded plaza, after miles of no course support in 90-degree weather, I was greeted by empty-handed staff. After begging, I was eventually provided a small carton of warm chocolate milk, but was denied a second by security.

After the race, the Lisbon staff took to social media to congratulate themselves on a record-number of runners. They seemed to overlook the fact that their poor management of the race put runners’ health at risk. If you have a race that runs through mid-day heat with no shade, then you need water. It’s that simple.