Katie Ho's Staging Area

The Houston Marathon ABB 5K is a well-organized kickoff to Marathon weekend. We flew into Houston the night before, so took advantage of race-morning packet pick-up. We stayed at the Aloft Hotel downtown, so it was easy to walk to all event activities – I arrived at 7:15am and had my bib & gear check bag a good 25 minutes before the 8:00am start of the race. Even though the Expo didn’t open until 8:30am, the adjacent George R Brown Convention Center was open, so we were able to wait inside and use their facilities, which was wonderful given that it was 34 degrees outside… colder than this SoCal girl is used to!

The 5K course is a simple out-and-back on two downtown city streets, running southwest of Discovery Green. Flat and not a lot to see, but I was pleasantly surprised at the number of spectators out cheering on the runners. With so many runners and so much excitement I started out way too fast and ran inconsistent mile splits, but overall felt strong the whole way and my overall pace was more or less what I expected. My Garmin recorded the course a bit long at 3.25 miles, even though I tried to run the tangents.

On crossing the finish line we were handed a medal and small bottle of water. There were vendors at the post-race festival on the Discovery Green, but I was so cold I headed straight back into the convention center. We went to the Expo where Mike picked up his packet, then we strolled around and shopped for Skechers shoes – they have a giant booth where they sell shoes & apparel plus official race merchandise. Found a nice place for brunch (MKT Bar) a couple blocks away on the way back to the hotel.

Swag-wise, the 5K medal was appropriately-sized, but without a strong reference to Houston, and the red cotton tee was just fine. Great morning for running (despite the cold) and always fun being with lots of other happy runners!

We decided at the last minute to join our neighbor and her 9-yr-old son for this local 5K to raise awareness and funds for the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center. The USATF certified course was a mostly flat out-and-back along Westchester Parkway adjacent to LAX, with slight elevation at the overpass above Lincoln/Hwy 1. Race started at 8am and was mostly exposed, with fleeting shade in sections from the trees lining the parkway, and it was very warm (mid 80s) already by the time we finished.

No pre-race expo, but the post-race festival featured various community organizations as well as donuts, a local bakery and a balloon artist for kids. Logistics were smooth, and parking nearby was free and easy. On-site registration was available for $35, with no swag other than a light blue gender-neutral cotton t-shirt… though nice medals were awarded to age-group winners like our friend’s daughter, who won her age group and was psyched to receive a medal for her efforts.

Highlight for me personally was running a faster time than Mike (who ran with our 9-yr-old neighbor) – first time for everything! 🙂

Entire production was well organized with an overall festive & casual vibe, fun post-race party and great value — 5K fee is $30 and runners get a long-shirt performance tee and a medal (see photo).

Opted for morning-of-race packet pick-up, so arrived early but access to parking at the Pacific Design Center was blocked off before the published 6:15am cut-off time. Luckily, we were able to maneuver around the road closures to park at the equally convenient West Hollywood Public Library parking structure. Bib pick-up was quick and took just a few minutes; unfortunately (as at most races) that was not the case for porta-potties. More units next time, please.

The course was great — even the hill up San Vicente Blvd to Sunset (~150 ft gain in first half mile) wasn’t all that bad, and it was worth it to have that downhill stretch coming back to the finish. Loved running along Sunset without car traffic, there are some iconic sights along that stretch, and it never felt too crowded even with 5K & half marathoners running together. I clearly didn’t do a good job running the tangents though (and/or the course was a bit long), since my Garmin recorded a total distance of 3.35 miles.

West Hollywood Park was a great venue to hang out afterwards on a gorgeous day. We plan to join again next year!

Billed as an “adventure run,” the 5K included a scramble up (then down) two different rock formations with guides and ropes, plus an obstacle course at the end. Thankfully, no crawling through mud pits, but we did have to hop to & from pylons with both feet in a burlap sack, wriggle through a child’s nylon tunnel, and toss into a Frisbee golf basket. Yet despite what the website described, I was disappointed to discover there was no crossword puzzle challenge.

Terrain is varied, ranging from single-track to slick rock, a couple stream crossings and the last stretch through a dusty parking lot. The 10-15 minute wait times for the rock climbs contributed to a finish time longer even than the 10Ks I’ve run, so expect that delay if you’re a middle- to back-of-the-pack runner.

Overall high ratings for the course, scenery and swag (Merrell tech tee, medal and finisher’s mug)… would highly recommend.

And if you like to complement your race weekend activities with hiking and sight-seeing, Moab delivers! We stayed at the Gonzo Inn, and found it to be friendly and comfortable. Perfect home base for day trips to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Excellent hiking and amazing sights within easy driving distance.

This race is run in Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, just north of Tilden Park in Berkeley. Of the three Brazen trail races I’ve run (Nitro Trail and Drag ‘n’ Fly), Wildcat is the most challenging and my favorite. I first ran it in 2011, and it was my first trail race. Ran it a second time in 2012, despite the hills, because it’s a great course with beautiful views.

It begins with a fairly immediate uphill along a wide fire trail (~500 ft elevation gain) for the first mile. At the top and along the ridge, you’re rewarded with beautiful views of the bay. It’s a slight downhill to the turn-around and then another chance to enjoy the views.

Another excellent production from Brazen… they consistently create a fun, supportive environment. Swag included a very cool medal and tech tee, and I always appreciate knowing that there will be Its-Its (Brazen’s signature post-race treat) waiting at the finish!