My Profile

@Katie_Ho

Marina Del Rey, CA Raving since 2014 Active 4 weeks, 1 day ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):
  • Rave race:

    E.T. Full Moon Midnight 10K

  • Race that's calling my name:

    One of the Disney races

  • I run because:

    there’s no excuse not to, living in sunny LA. Plus, it’s hard to find a good game of pick-up basketball.

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Personal Bests (3)

Race Distance Location Date Result
10K San Pablo, CA Jun 4, 2011 1:08:30
7K San Francisco, CA 2010 50:00
5K Houston, TX Jan 14, 2018 33:34

Future Races (2)

Race Distance Location Date Paid
5K Agua Dulce, CA TBD
10K Huntington Beach, CA TBD

Past Races (22)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
5K Little Rock, AR Feb 29, 2020
5K Cleveland, OH Dec 7, 2019 35:46
5K Los Angeles, CA Sep 21, 2019
5K San Pablo, CA Jul 6, 2019 38:00
5K Universal City, CA May 12, 2019
5.6K Cape Town, South Africa Apr 19, 2019
5K Little Rock, AR Dec 16, 2018 35:34
5K San Pablo, CA May 19, 2018 36:13
5K Houston, TX Jan 14, 2018 33:34
5K San Francisco, CA Nov 6, 2016 33:40
5K Los Angeles, CA Sep 25, 2016
5K San Diego, CA Apr 2, 2016 33:36
5K West Hollywood, CA Apr 19, 2015 35:29
5K Berlin, Germany Sep 28, 2014
10K Rachel, NV Aug 18, 2013 1:16:51
5K Moab, UT Nov 3, 2012 1:19:20
5K Antioch, CA Sep 8, 2012 34:44
5K El Sobrante, CA May 19, 2012 41:58
10K San Pablo, CA Jun 4, 2011 1:08:30
5K El Sobrante, CA Apr 30, 2011 42:30
5K Austin, TX Feb 20, 2011 34:13
7K San Francisco, CA 2010 50:00

My Raves

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 … MORE

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!

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The Golden Gate Half & 5K provided an excellent reason for us to stay in San Francisco as tourists, since visits to the Bay Area often revolve around seeing family … MORE

The Golden Gate Half & 5K provided an excellent reason for us to stay in San Francisco as tourists, since visits to the Bay Area often revolve around seeing family or friends.

On race day, since the start and finish lines are at different locations (and because parking in that neighborhood can be a challenge), we took a short Uber ride from our nearby hotel to the Aquatic Park Pier, dropped off our bags (long line went quickly) and headed to the start. Weather was great for pictures the day before and after the race, though no bridge sightings on race day (note: 5K course does not run on bridge). But it was perfect for racing – cool with a light misting rain.

The 5K course starts on an immediate but short uphill onto Van Ness Ave around Fort Mason to Marina Blvd. The turnaround is at the east part of Chrissy Field, going along a short stretch of gravel trail before heading back on Marina Blvd. My Garmin recorded the 5K as a little short, just shy of 3 miles.

Post-race was festive… handed a free water bottle (volunteers could have done better job of directing to the actual water stations) and bananas at the finish, various vendors were handing out free samples (e.g. Muscle Milk, BarkThins dark chocolate pretzels – yum!) and a couple of food trucks were onsite selling coffee and donuts. The Marina Green was a pleasant venue to hang out afterwards, and the free Sierra Nevada pour at the beer garden was a nice perk. We had great fun hanging out with fellow Raving Lunatic @emcclendon.

My only disappointment was the swag – 5K medal was generic and captured nothing unique to either SF or the race other than the ribbon. And the tech tee was a strange ¾-length sleeve that was somewhat ill-fitting.

That said, we had a great time and will definitely be back to run this race again!

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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. … MORE

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! 🙂

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It was perfect race day weather – cool at the start with the sun coming out after the finish. 5K course was a straightforward out-and-back along the paved path around … MORE

It was perfect race day weather – cool at the start with the sun coming out after the finish. 5K course was a straightforward out-and-back along the paved path around the lagoons in Mission Bay, though ran a little long (my Garmin measured 3.26 miles). The 10K and half marathon courses overlapped in places and the path was shared by recreational walkers & runners, causing some confusion at certain forks in the paths.

The 60s-themed post-race festival was as chill as expected, with plenty of water & snacks plus a live band for entertainment and winners announced throughout the morning. Some runners wore tie-dye shirts and there were a few more elaborate costumes.

The swag was excellent – substantial medal (ribbons differed depending on the distance run) and cool t-shirt designs (tech tees for half marathoners & cotton tees for 5K and 10K runners). Plus, age group winners (5-yr groupings) were awarded an extra medal. Fun vibe and I’d recommend it, though would encourage half marathoners to study the course map carefully.

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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 … MORE

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!

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Having never run at night or in the dark, I was a little apprehensive going into the race, and it didn’t help that I couldn’t turn on my borrowed headlamp … MORE

Having never run at night or in the dark, I was a little apprehensive going into the race, and it didn’t help that I couldn’t turn on my borrowed headlamp minutes before the start. A volunteer assured me the full moon would provide sufficient lighting, and she was right! (Note: I’d still highly recommend using a headlamp… I got mine to work just as I crossed the start line.)

The 10K starts at the finish line and is the same course as the final 10K of the marathon (the half marathoners turn in, but the marathoners continue out-and-back 10K before finishing). Though the race is run entirely on the nearly mile-high paved “Extraterrestrial Highway” (Nevada Highway 357) with (obviously) not much to see, running by the full moon was quite surreal and soothing. In fact, I may have closed my eyes during a few stretches near the end.

The runners were a rowdy, animated bunch, many dressed in costumes and/or decked out with glow stick necklaces & bracelets.

The breakfast buffet at the Little A’Le’Inn was a surprisingly diverse spread and the kitschy alien-themed merchandise in the main building was amusing. The glow-in-the-dark alien medal is one of my favorites. Overall: festive ambiance, well-orchestrated and a unique race experience.

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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 … MORE

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.

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The Drag-N-Fly trail races are staged in the East Bay’s Contra Loma Regional Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch. While the 5K and 10K courses encircle the … MORE

The Drag-N-Fly trail races are staged in the East Bay’s Contra Loma Regional Park and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve in Antioch. While the 5K and 10K courses encircle the Contra Loma Reservoir, the 13.5-mile half marathon course heads immediately away from the reservoir toward Black Diamond Mines, before following a loop and returning along the same route. Sam helpfully warned us of gopher holes dotting the picnic area around the start line, and the race lived up to its name, as in DRAG yourself up one side of the hill and FLY down the other!

Brazen’s low-key yet ultra-organized approach once again carried the day, and I happily enjoyed my IT’S-IT afterwards.

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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), … MORE

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!

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