Lauren O's Staging Area

I know from spectating this race in the past that the weather is usually dreary, but fortunately it was dry and only slightly chilly this year. I ran this in preparation for the Boston marathon 5 weeks later, and I think the hilliness of the half was good practice. Terwilliger is way harder than the Newton Hills. I forgot to pack gels for the race and was disappointed that they only had Honey Stinger chews on course for fuel, but I can only blame myself for that one. The long-sleeve race shirt was pretty good, but the medal (if you can call it that?) was the most bizarre one I’ve ever received. This event is really the start of running season in Portland, and it seems like every local runner is there at one or another. I really enjoyed watching all of the super fast elite runners in the 8K after finishing my race.

This race felt like a big party, and was a nice change of scenery from the winter weather in the rest of the country. This was a really easy weekend trip, planned only a week ahead of time — fly into John Wayne on a Saturday, Uber 25 minutes to a hotel right by the expo/start/finish, fly out after the race. The first 7 miles of the course were absolutely lovely with crisp weather and sunrise views of the ocean, palm trees, and mansions. After the turn around at mile 8, running toward the sun for the last 5 miles was a little rough. I can see why folks said that doing this twice for the full marathon was brutal, but for the half it was tolerable. The course was quite flat, though with one short hill at mile 4 and a sneaky incline at mile 10. The finish line vibes were great. My main criticism is that it was fairly crowded for the first few miles — the start was especially taxing since I was trying to PR and many walkers or slower runners self-seeded in the 7:00-8:00 min pace corral. Also, there was an issue with my chip time and gun time being the same for several hours, but this eventually corrected itself. I would definitely run this race again.

This is my second time traveling to this race, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The race is tough, but the organization is great, and the people are wonderful (volunteers and fellow runners). The ice packs at the finish are life-giving, and I love any race that gives me a cold Diet Coke. Also the only race I have been to that gives food at the start, too. Medal is great, and the shirt looks nice, though I wish they would do men’s and women’s fit instead of the boxy unisex size. I also found it bizarre that in a race of almost 2000 people, there were walkers lined up at the front — might be worth an overhead announcement that this isn’t cool. But these are my only minor complaints. What a gorgeous location.

I ran this race to lower my BQ time, and was able to do that despite unusually warm weather and high humidity. I think the point-to-point straight shot for 23 serene miles helped me dial in and run efficiently, but if you are someone who likes varied scenery and tons of spectators, this probably won’t be the race for you. That being said, I was surprised by the pockets of spectators that popped up in the middle of nowhere, and the last 10K had pretty consistent supporters right when you need it. The field did not feel overcrowded, even in the beginning of the race, which is something I have struggled with at other popular marathons. The “hill” at mile 22 is not bad. I really liked the medal. The T-shirt was okay, not tech. Volunteers for this race were great, and there were plenty of aid stations with nice touches like sponges and ice at most of them and fruit, pickle juice at some. There were also several sprinklers/water spray stations (not sure if they were official or set up by residents) that were life-saving. I recommend the Michelina’s spaghetti dinner, which is also available for lunch. Downsides: Port-a-potties at the start had long lines. Lodging in Duluth is so limited and sells out fast. You’ll need to pack all of your own fuel — no gels on course, just Pure Fuel maple syrup packet at one aid station. Overall, good experience.

Even though the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin were all gone, there were still quite a few in East Potomac Park, and the course is otherwise so beautiful that I wasn’t too bummed about it. Weather was perfect for running. The race was well organized all the way around, from expo to bag check to corrals. I really enjoyed seeing the pros run by on the out-and-back sections. The course was mostly flat, but there is a hill at the end, and there are some potholes along the road to watch out for. I did like the T-shirt design, but the medal (which was a $15 add-on) was underwhelming. I would make a trip for this race again.

I have mixed feelings about this race. On one hand, it’s Maui — what’s not to like? The point-to-point course is beautiful, with only some small hills in the mid-portion. The photographers got some pretty epic shots near the end. The volunteers at the aid stations were cheerful. The finish was at a nice beach with plenty of shade, some food carts (shave ice mmm), and picnic tables that made hanging out for the return shuttles easy.

On the other hand, the organization was…unique…in a not-so-good way. Website needs some major restructuring. I found the pre-race communication to be bizarre and off-putting. If you’re not aware of the race’s nickname, you could easily delete the plain text emails sent from the director’s personal account, with subject line “Nag from MOM.” All the mention of “C-students” and “single, unloved runners” and him having to “clean up your messes at the finish line” made me feel like I was in time-out before I even arrived. There was no bag check for the single, unloved runners. The buses dropped us off before the start line was set up, so there was some nervousness about where we were supposed to be. I think there were about 2 port-a-potties, so there were long lines at the Starbucks and gas stations bathrooms. I only saw one distance marker on the course (about 1 mile before the finish), so I would advise a GPS watch if you want to know how far along you are. The return shuttle situation was confusing because the waiting spots were only designated for Whaler’s Village and Maalaea, so it was unclear which of the long lines I should be waiting in for the Wailea bus. At the end of the day, everything worked out, and I enjoyed meeting some great people in the process. I would probably do this one again, if only for an excuse to go back to Maui on a holiday weekend.

Great destination race. Got a major discount for the awesome Grand Hyatt resort through the race website, and this was a good home base for the weekend. The expo and shuttles meet there, and there was a scheduled shakeout run from there on Saturday — this was a pleasant surprise, and I met a lot of nice people from all over. The expo was really good, with a lot of points of interest that made me want to browse for a while. I was surprised to see a pro runner and a social media influencer meeting-and-greeting as part of the festivities. Medal was nice, T-shirt was just okay. The race was well organized, with a clearly marked (and safe) course and great volunteers. No pacers, though. They had an awards ceremony with nice mementos for all of the age group winners. Just be prepared for heat, humidity, and hills, and adjust your goals appropriately. Most of the elevation is a gradual incline, but there is a steep grade at 5.6 miles. After 7.6 miles, you’re (mostly) downhill and can fly. Top notch event!

Point-to-point course with a fair amount of elevation change. The reward was beautiful views of the water and bucolic scenes. There was more time in the direct sun than in the shade, so don’t forget the sunscreen! The vibe of the race was laid-back, yet everything worked. The race started about 5 minutes late to make sure everyone on the last shuttle made it. Bib pickup at the start was easy. The mile markers seemed off, some too short and some too long, but the finish was exactly at 13.1 by my watch. Medal was beautiful. My only disappointment was the photos — I saw the previous years’ photos that were pretty epic, but this year’s didn’t really reflect the awesomeness of the course.

The course is pancake flat and well paved. The race was capped at a fairly small number of participants, so there was plenty of room to run your own race. Weather happened to be perfect, with a clear view of Mount Rainier and some cherry blossoms in parts. Medal was fine, and appreciated that I could have my bib mailed. The rest was pretty no-frills.

Very inexpensive 10K with high ROI. The course was nice (especially the 10K-only portion along the riverfront) and was easy to follow with lots of volunteers along the way. The swag bag was surprisingly full, with gloves, mylar blanket, hand warmers, long-sleeve tech shirt and lots of discount coupons. Warm soup at the finish was yummy, and lots of folks stuck around the after party tent with a band. The medal was meh, but I don’t mind that for a 10K. My only criticism would be that the faster 10K runners had to weave a lot through the 5K pack on a narrow sidewalk at the end. Also would have been nice to have some kind of token memento for the podium finishers. But, I had fun and would do this race again.

I expected the switchback climb at the beginning to be difficult, but the hills didn’t really stop until mile 9. The course was beautiful, mostly shaded, and the weather happened to be perfect. Medal was cool. Lots of food afterward. The dogs on course were an interesting touch, with staggered race starts preventing it from getting too crowded. A good race if you aren’t expecting a PR.

Seamless experience — I drove in from out of town the morning of the race and found it very easy to navigate parking, bib pickup, and bag check. Everyone was very friendly. Course was serene, if a bit unvaried. The path was not as crowded as I thought it would be for the number of runners. Don’t expect many spectators. I admire the environmental awareness of Orca Running, even though I was not super excited about carrying my own water. Free photos are a nice touch.

There are a lot of hotels near the start line that are affordable compared to other parts of Hawaii, a ton of restaurants and high-end shopping nearby, and of course Waikiki beach. The race itself was beautiful, mostly in the shade. The toughest part is the hill after mile 9 — not super steep, just long. Expo was pretty small, but easy to get to walking from Waikiki. Although previous reviews commented on a lack of organization at the start line, this year there were color-coded sections that runners were asked to go based on predicted times, and I found that worked fine. I will be back again!

Having the entire Strip shut down for runners is pretty awesome. The medals were also neat. Everything else was mediocre, and I do not think I would do this race again. There was a lot of walking to get to the holding area before the start, a lot of waiting around as I was in a later start group, then a lot of crowded walking to get to the start. Even though the course was flat, I had my worst half marathon time and I’m not sure why, but part of it might have to do with it being a night race. The start of the race was warm enough, but night fell and the temps got cooler by the finish, so I wish I had dressed accordingly. The finish did not have much to offer (unless you like beer, which I don’t), so I just wanted to get back to my hotel, but had to walk pretty far before I could get out of the course.