My Profile

@mikebeckwith

Livermore, CA Raving since 2014 100 Half Marathons Club, Marathon Maniacs #12832 http://facebook.com/mikerunslivermore Active 3 months, 2 weeks ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):

    Brazen Racing Streaker #111

  • Rave race:
  • Race that's calling my name:
  • I run because:

    I can… Oh, and because I enjoy it. Oh, and because I enjoy seeing other people enjoy it. πŸ™‚ #brazenstreaker111

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 (10)

Race Distance Location Date Result
12 hr San Pablo, CA Jul 9, 2016 46.21 mi
50 Miler Folsom, CA Apr 1, 2017 11:14:33
50K Woodside, CA Jan 11, 2015 6:16:39
28.4 Miler Mill Valley, CA Nov 27, 2021 8:54:36
Marathon San Francisco, CA Jul 31, 2011 4:28:52
30K Walnut Creek, CA Nov 5, 2016 5:03:00
13.7 Miler Stinson Beach, CA Aug 27, 2022 3:32:10
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Feb 24, 2013 1:52:18
10K Oakland, CA Oct 25, 2014 51:09
5K Davis, CA Oct 11, 2014 24:00

Future Races (0)

Race Distance Location Date Paid

Past Races (102)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
Half Marathon Martinez, CA Aug 10, 2024 3:31:24
50K Walnut Creek, CA Apr 6, 2024 8:58:06
Half Marathon Richmond, CA Feb 24, 2024
50K Castro Valley, CA Feb 17, 2024 7:27:44
Half Marathon Indianapolis, IN May 6, 2023 2:13:40
50K Walnut Creek, CA Apr 8, 2023 8:51:08
50K Cool, CA Mar 4, 2023 7:42:38
Half Marathon San Ramon, CA 2023 4:14:13
13.7 Miler Stinson Beach, CA Aug 27, 2022 3:32:10
Half Marathon Martinez, CA Aug 13, 2022 3:13:57
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Jul 30, 2022 1:56:26
Half Marathon Richmond, CA Feb 26, 2022 1:59:58
50K Auburn, CA Feb 19, 2022 7:36:32
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Jan 22, 2022 2:25:32
28.4 Miler Mill Valley, CA Nov 27, 2021 8:54:36
13.7 Miler Stinson Beach, CA Aug 28, 2021
Half Marathon Martinez, CA Aug 14, 2021 3:14:03
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Jul 31, 2021 2:09:18
50K San Francisco, CA Jun 22, 2019 7:39:51
Half Marathon Oakland, CA May 5, 2019 1:58:11
50K Brentwood, CA Apr 13, 2019 8:44:19
Half Marathon San Jose, CA Mar 31, 2019 2:15:13
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 16, 2019
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 3, 2019
50K Cool, CA Mar 2, 2019
Half Marathon Richmond, CA Feb 23, 2019 2:33:51
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Feb 9, 2019 2:15:23
50K Auburn, CA Jan 19, 2019 8:27:25
Half Marathon Castro Valley, CA Jul 28, 2018 2:47:58
5K Concord, CA Jul 4, 2018 51:27
5K Fremont, CA Apr 28, 2018
50 Miler El Dorado Hills, CA Apr 7, 2018
Half Marathon San Jose, CA Mar 25, 2018
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 17, 2018
Marathon Modesto, CA Mar 11, 2018 4:48:49
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 4, 2018
50K Cool, CA Mar 3, 2018 8:08:28
5K Richmond, CA Feb 24, 2018 41:51
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Feb 10, 2018 2:08:52
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Jan 20, 2018 2:22:01
Marathon Lahaina, HI Jan 14, 2018 5:49:25
30K Walnut Creek, CA Nov 4, 2017
Half Marathon Vacaville, CA Oct 21, 2017 3:03:48
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Oct 14, 2017
Half Marathon Antioch, CA Sep 16, 2017
Half Marathon San Jose, CA Sep 2, 2017
Half Marathon Martinez, CA Aug 12, 2017 3:33:28
12 hr San Pablo, CA Jul 8, 2017
5K Concord, CA Jul 4, 2017 27:04
Half Marathon Saratoga, CA Jun 3, 2017
Half Marathon San Pablo, CA May 27, 2017
Half Marathon El Sobrante, CA May 13, 2017
Marathon Big Sur, CA Apr 30, 2017
50 Miler Folsom, CA Apr 1, 2017 11:14:33
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 26, 2017 1:56:05
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 18, 2017
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Feb 11, 2017 1:54:14
50K Salinas, CA Feb 4, 2017
Marathon Shasta Lake, CA Jan 15, 2017 4:51:24
5K Castro Valley, CA Jan 1, 2017 27:10
Half Marathon Castro Valley, CA Dec 31, 2016 1:52:51
Half Marathon Saratoga, CA Dec 10, 2016 3:08:40
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Nov 26, 2016 2:02:49
5K San Pablo, CA Nov 24, 2016 27:28
30K Walnut Creek, CA Nov 5, 2016 5:03:00
Half Marathon Vacaville, CA Oct 22, 2016 2:22:05
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Oct 15, 2016 2:48:37
Half Marathon San Ramon, CA Oct 1, 2016 3:32:42
Half Marathon San Jose, CA Sep 3, 2016 2:43:57
Half Marathon Martinez, CA Aug 13, 2016 3:39:32
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Aug 6, 2016 2:18:14
Half Marathon Castro Valley, CA Jul 23, 2016 3:48:49
12 hr San Pablo, CA Jul 9, 2016 46.21 mi
13.7 Miler Stinson Beach, CA Jun 18, 2016 3:59:44
10K Saratoga, CA Jun 4, 2016 1:38:32
Half Marathon El Sobrante, CA May 21, 2016 2:41:59
Marathon Big Sur, CA Apr 24, 2016 4:54:45
50K Brentwood, CA Apr 17, 2016 10:23:18
Half Marathon Berkeley, CA Apr 2, 2016 3:08:22
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Mar 26, 2016 2:06:43
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Jan 23, 2016 2:25:42
Half Marathon Castro Valley, CA Dec 27, 2015
Half Marathon Saratoga, CA Dec 12, 2015 3:11:29
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Nov 28, 2015 2:11:19
5K San Pablo, CA Nov 26, 2015 29:48
Half Marathon Walnut Creek, CA Nov 8, 2015 3:04:34
10K Oakland, CA Oct 25, 2015 58:19
Half Marathon Livermore, CA Oct 17, 2015
Half Marathon San Ramon, CA Oct 3, 2015 4:22:32
Half Marathon Antioch, CA Sep 19, 2015 3:26:30
Half Marathon San Jose, CA Sep 5, 2015 3:02:09
Half Marathon Martinez, CA Aug 15, 2015 3:44:12
Half Marathon San Leandro, CA Aug 1, 2015 2:02:00
50 Miler Folsom, CA Apr 4, 2015 11:52:50
50K Woodside, CA Jan 11, 2015 6:16:39
Half Marathon Castro Valley, CA Jan 1, 2015
10K Oakland, CA Oct 25, 2014 51:09
5K Davis, CA Oct 11, 2014 24:00
12 hr San Pablo, CA Jul 12, 2014
Half Marathon Danville, CA May 25, 2013 1:55:01
Half Marathon Fremont, CA Feb 24, 2013 1:52:18
Marathon San Francisco, CA Jul 31, 2011 4:28:52

My Raves

One of my favorite Brazen races. Tough half marathon in Briones Regional Park. 13.6 miles with ~2,800' of gain. Beautiful views all around and some great views of Mount Diablo, … MORE

One of my favorite Brazen races. Tough half marathon in Briones Regional Park. 13.6 miles with ~2,800′ of gain. Beautiful views all around and some great views of Mount Diablo, which isn’t that far away. This was my 9th year in a row running the Bear Creek half marathon. It’s one of the smaller events that Brazen puts on, but it’s definitely one of my favorites. The last mile is the best part of this course, in my opinion! And in case you didn’t know, Brazen puts on the BEST races anywhere!!

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5
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This is the toughest race of the year for me. This was my 7th year doing the Diablo 50k, and without a doubt, the best weather I've experienced here in … MORE

This is the toughest race of the year for me. This was my 7th year doing the Diablo 50k, and without a doubt, the best weather I’ve experienced here in April. AND we had SNOW on the higher parts of the mountain! This was my 33rd 50k, and 38th ultra marathon. We started at 0630 and the temps were in the mid 30s, but once the sun came out, it was a most beautiful day! Lots of mud on the course, but the dozen or so creek crossings kept our shoes clean and feet refreshed. The 1.5 mile out and back (just prior to Curry Point, 3 miles round trip) was very very muddy and slippery. Would’ve loved to seen how the race leaders made it through here. The course was slightly adjusted this year. The really super steep downhill part of Mothers was shortened, which was awesome! A change near the end added about 700′ total to the previous years (8100′ vs average of about 7400′ previously.) I’ll add the new map to this review. This made the aid station distances a little different than before. They were as follows:
Little Pine: mile 2.9 (no cut-off)

Rock City: 8 (no cut-off)

Curry Point:13 (cut-off = 11:10 am)

Diablo Summit: 16.5 (cut-off = 12:35 pm)

Juniper: 23.1 (cut-off = 2:55 pm)

Burma: 27.3 (cut-off = 4:05 pm)

As you can see there are really generous cut off times. While this race is very difficult (IMO), with an 11-hour cut off, it is achievable for a lot more people. Averaging a 20-minute pace will get you in before the cut off.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s Diablo 50k! As always, major kudos to the Brazen Crew, and all the amazing volunteers who work countless hours to make sure we’re all taken care of! And props to the 50k sweepers!

Random fact: Did you know that on a clear day, you can see parts of 40 of the 58 counties in California! πŸ™‚

DIFFICULTY
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PRODUCTION
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SCENERY
5
SWAG
5
My Media

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

What an awesome race!! Beautiful course at Lake Chabot. You do the 30k from Marina to Brandon, to Woolridge, back to Brandon, back to the Marina, then you go out … MORE

What an awesome race!! Beautiful course at Lake Chabot. You do the 30k from Marina to Brandon, to Woolridge, back to Brandon, back to the Marina, then you go out and do the half, Marina to Brandon, then back to Marina. I ended with 31.4 miles and 4.700′ of gain. Amazing crew and volunteers. Lots of fully stocked aid stations, with super nice volunteers. AS are at miles: 4.8, 10.6, 14.1, 18.6, 23.1, and 26.4. Finishers get a great shirt, an awesome medal, and like always a super cool pint glass (with a sticker!) Thanks ITR! Awesome race!

DIFFICULTY
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My Media

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

This was my first time doing this race, and I really enjoyed it. I ran it with my twin brother and we had lots of fun! It's one of the … MORE

This was my first time doing this race, and I really enjoyed it. I ran it with my twin brother and we had lots of fun! It’s one of the largest half marathons in the nation. Prior to COVID this race had 20-30k runners. This year, the half marathon (MINI, they call it) had 14,193 runners. I’m not sure I could imagine twice that many people here. πŸ™‚
The expo: The expo was really great. It was held in the downtown Indy convention center and had tons of vendors and fun stuff to do. It was also the same time as a comic convention, so that was super cool to see soooo many people in the convention center (and around town) for that.
The race: Very well organized start, with many waves. We were in the “I” (the letter I wave, and we started right at the correct time. Big huge corals and tons of volunteers to help or answer questions. It takes a little bit for the runners to thin out a little, but it wasn’t bad. LOTS of people on the streets cheering us on, including bands and groups of locals, even just people sitting on their front porches. When you turn from 10th street to Main Street (mile 5), there are TONS of spectators lining the street, cheering. That was pretty awesome! Of course a big highlight of the race is running the full distance around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Definitely a cool experience. The track is 2.5 miles long and they were blasting music the entire time. The best part of this, was coming to the main stretch (not sure what it’s called.) where the grandstands and start/finish (Indy 500) line is. Once you exit the race track, it’s about 5 miles to the finish, and even more people out cheering you on.
Post race party: This was huge! So many people. Lots of food and music and other things to do. It is held in Military Park, which is really nice, and along the river walk.
The city: My brother and I spent 4 days here, and had lots of fun. Tons of great restaurants and bars, as well as parks and museums. Before I go any further, I must say, GO TO SHAPIRO’S DELI FOR LUNCH. I promise you will not be disappointed. Also, there’s a great arcade/beer bar in downtown, called 16-bit. I HIGHLY recommend this place!!

Overall a really fun getaway weekend and a very well put on race! 🏁

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My Media

2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

What an amazing race! For me, this is the toughest 50k I've ever done (~7,500' gain). This was my 6th time doing this race, and this year was the best … MORE

What an amazing race! For me, this is the toughest 50k I’ve ever done (~7,500′ gain). This was my 6th time doing this race, and this year was the best one ever!! The weather was absolutely perfect. Sun stayed behind some clouds for almost the entire day, and the temps were perfect!! I’ve done this race in some brutal heat so this was really nice!! We’ve been getting so much rain (and snow on Diablo) lately that the course was pretty muddy in sections, and the lower part had a dozen or so water crossings. There was also some trail damage and fell trees, which led to a slight course change the day before the race. It wasn’t that big of a change, just a couple new out and backs to and from Curry Point. Brazen crew did an awesome job of letting everyone know about the change and the on course volunteers did a great job directing people. There are 6 well stocked aid stations on this course, with everything you might ever want. Hats off to everyone that ran this race, and kudos as always to the crew and volunteers for another amazing event!!

DIFFICULTY
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My Media

1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I love this race. It holds a very special place for me! This was my 7th year doing this race. Even … MORE

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. I love this race. It holds a very special place for me! This was my 7th year doing this race.
Even though it was it was one of the coldest WTCs I’ve done (I think it might’ve been THE coldest), we did luck out on a few parts. It wasn’t raining at the start, which is a HUGE win! We all knew it was going to rain, but nothing is worse than standing around in rain waiting to START a race. The rain started at 11:30 am and rained all the way through till about an hour before I finished. This was also good!! The course as expected was extremely muddy, and the water crossings were ice cold! Knickerbocker didn’t have as much water as I’ve seen in years past, but that wouldn’t be true for the rest of the course. I took a big fall at mile 17 at the super fast moving water crossing. I was alone during that crossing, so I didn’t have the luxury of seeing someone in front of me cross it. I stepped on a rock that was solid, but my second step went to a rock (about 18″ deep) that wasn’t solid. I slipped and fell in to the water, hands and arms down, to protect my head. πŸ™‚ This normally wouldn’t be a big deal but I had literally just put my gloves back on because the freezing rain was back. Now I had freezing cold and wet gloves, so I had to take them off. I wrung them out and put in my pocket and wasn’t able to get them back on for a couple hours 😱 When I got to ALT it started raining really hard. But the hot chicken broth was all I needed to keep going. πŸ™‚ Luckily the rain had slowed considerably by the time I got to Goat Hill. Chugged a little more broth for the last five miles. As soon as I finished, I went over and grabbed a diet coke and went to my car (had the best spot in the lot, because I got there at 6am) to thaw out. I hadn’t been in my car 5 minutes before the hail storm started. I took that as a sign to just go home!

In a nutshell! Do this race. πŸ™‚

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
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My Media

2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

This was my 8th year running this race. It is without a doubt one of the toughest half marathons around. It's just under 14 miles and has around 4,000' of … MORE

This was my 8th year running this race. It is without a doubt one of the toughest half marathons around. It’s just under 14 miles and has around 4,000′ of gain. It’s also the season ending run for the Ultra Half Series. A series of the toughest half marathons Brazen puts on. If you do 5 of the other tough UHS races, and Rocky Ridge, you get a super cool coaster, along with your finish medal. Since I would never be able to get an AG place in this race, I always opt for the early start (7am). I do this because it’s a little cooler (temp wise) and this means I get to see the award ceremony after the race. This is a prize race, so they give out $1,000, $500, and $250 (1st, 2nd, 3rd) for men, women (and Masters in both), for the ultra half series. And there is a cash prize for the winners of just this race as well. Lastly, if your elevation gain on UHS races tops 21,120′ (4 miles), you get a High Flyer patch, which is super cool!

Oh and this year it was also Brazen’s 300th race. So it was even more special and fun!!

As always, you’ll get the nicest people (from runners to volunteers), fully stocked aid stations, and enough stuff at the finish line to make you go home full. πŸ™‚

DIFFICULTY
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This is one of my most favorite races. Dipsea trail from Stinson Beach to Mill Valley, and back. Fourteen miles, and just over 4,000’ of gain. The weather this year … MORE

This is one of my most favorite races. Dipsea trail from Stinson Beach to Mill Valley, and back. Fourteen miles, and just over 4,000’ of gain. The weather this year was absolutely perfect! This was my 7th year doing it, and it was my fastest!! The Brazen crew and volunteers (as well as DSE) are the best in the biz!! Highly recommend this race!!

DIFFICULTY
5
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5
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This is one of my favorite courses. It's just under 13.6 mile with ~2,700' of gain. It's part of the Ultra Half Series, and it very much is an "ultra" … MORE

This is one of my favorite courses. It’s just under 13.6 mile with ~2,700′ of gain. It’s part of the Ultra Half Series, and it very much is an “ultra” half! This race starts and finishes at the Bear Creek Staging area at Briones Regional Park. It’s always in August which means the temps are high, but this year wasn’t too bad. It was still quite warm, but not un-bear-able. πŸ™‚ The climbs on this race never disappoint, and the last mile is one of my favorite finishes to a race! Highly recommend! As always, the Brazen crew and volunteers are the absolute best in the business!!

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1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

This is a really fun and easy race. It's held at the San Leandro Marina, and is just an out and back. All along the water, and the weather is … MORE

This is a really fun and easy race. It’s held at the San Leandro Marina, and is just an out and back. All along the water, and the weather is (usually) perfect. Five fully stocked aid stations for the half, and flat as a pancake. πŸ™‚ A good place to push for your PR. As always for Brazen, you’ll be richly rewarded by the most awesome crew and volunteers. Swag is always amazing too!

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1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

This is a really great race. It starts and finishes at the Marina Bay in Richmond. The half marathon is really flat and takes you out along the bay to … MORE

This is a really great race. It starts and finishes at the Marina Bay in Richmond. The half marathon is really flat and takes you out along the bay to Albany Bulb area, and back. Tons of aid stations and lots of support. I was able to squeak under a sub 2 so I am very happy!! πŸ™‚ If you do the Bay Breeze race (two weeks earlier) and this race, you get a really cool connector medal (pic included)

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1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

This race is brutal, but SO FUN!! FOURmidable has four big climbs, including K2 (training hill). I ended with about 5,600' of gain. It was a little warm this year, … MORE

This race is brutal, but SO FUN!! FOURmidable has four big climbs, including K2 (training hill). I ended with about 5,600′ of gain. It was a little warm this year, but not too bad. Singletrack Running puts on an amazing event here! With good food and snacks during and after the race! Plus the views from this race are epic!! Oh, and a really nice white hoodie to the finishers!

DIFFICULTY
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2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

This was my 6th time running the Coyote Hills half marathon. This year the course was modified a little. Instead of being two full out and backs, it was one … MORE

This was my 6th time running the Coyote Hills half marathon. This year the course was modified a little. Instead of being two full out and backs, it was one big loop with a small out and back climb in the middle. Total gain for the half was just below 800′. The starting area for the 2022 race was in the brand spanking new camp ground area. There was plenty of room and the weather was perfect! Oh and I got 3rd place in my age group, so that’s pretty rad! πŸ™‚ Kudos to the Brazen crew and volunteers for another awesome event!

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2
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This race is without a doubt one of the toughest races I've ever done. Every 50k (aside from Diablo) and 50 miler I've done just don't compare. With that said. … MORE

This race is without a doubt one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. Every 50k (aside from Diablo) and 50 miler I’ve done just don’t compare. With that said. It is one of my all time faves now! The race starts in Mill Valley, goes to Stinson Beach, then back, then repeat. 4 trips on the famous Dipsea Trail. 28.4 miles, and 8,500′ of gain. Aside from the ascends and descends, it’s all flat. πŸ™‚ LOL.

The organization of this race is top notch. Tons of volunteers to help you along the way. Be it crossing a road, or supporting you at aid stations, they’ve definitely got you covered. This year they did all the usual food/etc at the aid stations, but the volunteers handed you the items you wanted. They also had little baggies filled with things like pretzels, which was really great. They would fill up my water bottles and I’d stuff a bag of pretzels in my pocket and take off. Everyone was so great and supportive during the race. There is an aid station at mile 4 (Cardiac) and one just before the Stinson Beach turn around (~mile 7). Also one at the start, for the half-way turn around. This means you have plenty of places to eat or fill your water (at miles ~4, 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, 24, finish). Also, because this is a 2x out-and-back, you get to see everyone three times. Which is really helpful, especially in the latter parts of the race, when your legs are on fire! Everyone was so supportive and encouraging! After the race there were awesome full sized sandwiches as well as lots of drink options. Along with the shirt, this year we also got a Quad buff and a hat.

I definitely recommend this race!!

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2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

So happy to be back out at Brionnes for the Bear Creek Half Marathon. ~13.6 miles, with about 2,700' of gain. Ending with a sweet downhill mile to finish the … MORE

So happy to be back out at Brionnes for the Bear Creek Half Marathon. ~13.6 miles, with about 2,700′ of gain. Ending with a sweet downhill mile to finish the race (just before a tiny little climb) πŸ™‚
As always, Brazen puts on such an amazing event. Course is really beautiful, and tons of aid stations (4 in the half marathon) all stocked with all the goodies and drinks you’d need to keep going. Great work by the volunteers and course monitors etc. Highly recommend this race.

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1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

What an emotional race! First in person Brazen race in ~17 months. A wonderful event held at the San Leandro Marina. Flat, easy course along the marina, with great views, … MORE

What an emotional race! First in person Brazen race in ~17 months. A wonderful event held at the San Leandro Marina. Flat, easy course along the marina, with great views, tons of aid stations, super supportive volunteers, and all the goodies that come with a Brazen event.

I had no idea how I was going to do at this event, but just wanted a 2:11 (10min/mile pace). Felt great and ran the entire run just a tad faster. That felt great. So awesome to see the Brazen crew, volunteers, and friends! I highly recommend this race, there are distances for everyone, and whether you are a first timer, or looking for a place to PR, this course is for you!

DIFFICULTY
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2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

This was my first time running this race and it did not disappoint. Starting in the Marin Headlands and doing a couple loops (not identical) and seeing so much of … MORE

This was my first time running this race and it did not disappoint. Starting in the Marin Headlands and doing a couple loops (not identical) and seeing so much of the area. Many great views of the Pacific Ocean, as well as of San Francisco. The first loop we were treated with a fog layer that provides some beautiful shots of the tops of the Golden Gate bridge. You are very close to this in this race, so it looks so surreal. The second time around, it was all clear, and you could see all the magnificence of the bridge as well as seeing SF clearly. This race had just over 6,000 feet of elevation gain. The highest point of the race is just over 900′, but you go up and down from 0 to 900 about 6 different times.

Inside Trail puts on amazing events! I would highly recommend this one!

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This race was really great! Lots to say, so I'll try and keep it brief, and bulleted. πŸ™‚ Some things I loved about the race: Running across the Bay Bridge! … MORE

This race was really great!

Lots to say, so I’ll try and keep it brief, and bulleted. πŸ™‚ Some things I loved about the race:
Running across the Bay Bridge! I mean c’mon, how cool is that.
Limited to only 1,500 runners (likely due to size of pedestrian path on the bridge). The good thing is that from the start to the actual bridge is about 4 miles, so there’s a good amount of spreading out that happens, and I never felt crowded on the bridge. I stayed ahead of the 2:00 pacer and even after the turn around it never felt too crowded.
Easy parking at the start (we got there early, so it wasn’t an issue at all). They had lots of other places to park as well, from what their website said. And I didn’t hear of any complaints about where people parked.
Great swag. Got a small bag, a cool beer glass, a great shirt, awesome medal, some bib clip things (I didn’t use them, because I use RaceDots, but tons of other people were using them), nuun, and Hydrapak reusable cup for all runners (I didn’t use mine, as I brought my own hand held, but these cups are great for ultras)
Amazing social media presence before, during and after the race. Lots of folks out there taking professional pics for FB and IG and posting real time. That was cool.
Free professional photos on the course (searchable by bib number which is a plus).
I only stopped for a couple seconds at the very last aid station to fill my bottle, but I felt like there were plenty of aid stations. They were cupless (which is great!).
Course is basically flat, now with that said, the Bay Bridge itself does have a higher center than the ends, so that part is about 2.25 miles and 200 feet of gain. All gradual, plus a little head wind. But coming back from the turn around, was great, tailwind, plus a 200 foot drop.
The spectators and volunteers were great. Lots of high fives and encouragement. Even the police officers that were helping close streets were clapping and encouraging runners. Right before mile 13, there is a little over pass with the tiniest incline, but after I pushed it for almost two hours, it felt a lot higher lol. Then turn and BAM, you’re done. Beer and a taco afterwards (although the taco line was pretty line, so I just stuck with beer).
Lots of on course bathrooms.
Bag check went super smoothly. Was very impressed with this.

I will say the starting area is kind of small, so make sure to get with your approx pace group early. I made the mistake of socializing too long and was towards the back, which led to a little congestion in the fist 1/4 mile. Nothing too bad though.
Also, no race day packet pick up. But there were MANY other days you could pick up which was awesome! And they offered mail out service (which I think you need to sign up for early).
Overall, definitely a top 10 half for me (and I’ve done a lot!) πŸ™‚
Definitely coming back next year!!
#raceonraveon

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This is the toughest race I do all year. I've done 50 milers that are easier. πŸ™‚ But I tell you, there is nothing like finishing the Diablo 50k. This … MORE

This is the toughest race I do all year. I’ve done 50 milers that are easier. πŸ™‚ But I tell you, there is nothing like finishing the Diablo 50k. This was my fifth year doing it and my fastest ever! Weather was perfect.
This race has a very generous cut off time (11 hours), and the best support group ever. Every time I’ve ran this race I am so impressed with how many people stay until the last 50k finisher comes in, just to cheer them on. I always stay, and to see the look on the faces of some people (who perhaps didn’t have anyone there to cheer for them specifically) is priceless. To see their smile when dozens of people are cheering loudly for them, is one of my favorite parts of this race (and the Brazen community).
So if you want to run up to the summit, then up to North Peak, then all around the park, come out and do what I think is the best 50k around!

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I did it! 100 half marathons. And super happy that my 100th was a nice easy Brazen half. Not a lot of easy Brazen races, but this one is super … MORE

I did it! 100 half marathons. And super happy that my 100th was a nice easy Brazen half. Not a lot of easy Brazen races, but this one is super fun and super easy. Easy to get to, easy to park (and lots of it, right near the start), and an super fun easy course. A couple out and backs and a little loop in the middle. Never dull. Bunch of fully stocked aid stations, with the best volunteers in the biz, cheering you on. I couldn’t have asked for a better day for my 100th half!! My twin brother came out to surprise me and run it with me and he loved it too. If you’re looking for a PR, this is an easy race to get it. (I took it easy and definitely wasn’t going for a PR, but this course is fast). It’s also right on the money as far as distance.

Brazen rocks!!

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I really like this race. It starts and finishes at the Richmond Marina. It runs along the bay trail (paved) and has great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and … MORE

I really like this race. It starts and finishes at the Richmond Marina. It runs along the bay trail (paved) and has great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge (on a clear day). Lots of aid stations with plenty of food and refreshments to keep you going. This is definitely a fun course for anyone looking to get a PR. Also, if you do this race as well as Bay Breeze (two weeks earlier) you get a medal that joins the two race medals together to make a MEGA MEDAL! It’s so awesome! I highly recommend this race. Fun for the whole family.

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This is a really easy flat race out at the San Leandro Marina with views during the entire race of the San Francisco Bay. Starts in a park area and … MORE

This is a really easy flat race out at the San Leandro Marina with views during the entire race of the San Francisco Bay. Starts in a park area and can get a little muddy at the start/finish, but the other 99.9% of the race is on paved path and gravel path. This year had the most amazing rainbow (double, even) to start us off. Just a tiny amount of rain before the race started, but none after that, and when the sun came out it was really nice!!
This is a very popular race because of its location and how flat it is. There are plenty of aid stations in the half (they also do a 5k and 10k). I would recommend this race for any new runners, or seasoned folks looking for a PR.

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This was a really awesome and well put together race. For any of you that have done Way Too Cool, it uses a bit of the back part of that … MORE

This was a really awesome and well put together race. For any of you that have done Way Too Cool, it uses a bit of the back part of that course, but there is also some new trails that were just opened up. It starts (and finishes) at the Quarry Trail on Hwy 49. Goes up this trail until you get on the Wendell T Robie trail. There were four aid stations and all stocked full of everything you’d need. The volunteers were really awesome too. The aid stations were:
Brown’s Bar 3.1 miles
Green Gate 7.8 miles
Green Gate 16 miles
ALT 21 miles
Goat Hill 26.5 miles
I finished just a bit over 32 miles and just a tad under 5,000′ of gain.

This was the first Dead Truck race, so there weren’t too many participants, but I imagine it will get bigger next year.

Overall a very awesome race, course, and people. SS Mountain Racing did a great job with this, and I will absolutely be doing this race again.

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This is one of my favorite runs in the Bay Area. It starts and finishes at Lake Chabot. The half marathon takes you all the way around the lake, with … MORE

This is one of my favorite runs in the Bay Area. It starts and finishes at Lake Chabot. The half marathon takes you all the way around the lake, with some pretty awesome views. There are some decent climbs in this race as well. It is about 13.6 miles and has just over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. The start/finish area is really big, so you can hang out afterwards and relax. The theme of this race has been around a fish (in a kilt) and a monster in the lake. None of which actually exist, but if you own a kilt, this is the race to do it in. You will not be alone. Even the race directors wear them. After the race there is a bagpipe player and a single-drum player, playing traditional Scottish (?) bagpipe music. What’s not cool about that? πŸ™‚

Also, come on, this is a Brazen race. They are 100% the best in the biz.

Hope to see you out there next year.

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I love this race. Lots of fun, and lots of red, white, and blue. I pushed my grand babies in a twin stroller, and they had so much fun (as … MORE

I love this race. Lots of fun, and lots of red, white, and blue. I pushed my grand babies in a twin stroller, and they had so much fun (as much fun as an almost 1-year old can have.). The thing I think I love the most, aside from the amazing Brazen atmosphere, are the the people in the surrounding neighborhoods. They come out in full force to cheer on the runners. This is really cool. I mean, we are running through their neighborhood right? πŸ™‚ Anyway, this is a super fun way to start your 4th. Also, there is a cool parade that happens right after the race ends.

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What to say about the Modesto Marathon?? I really, really enjoyed this race. I am not one to normally love a flat road marathon, but this one was great. I … MORE

What to say about the Modesto Marathon??

I really, really enjoyed this race. I am not one to normally love a flat road marathon, but this one was great. I signed up for this race to help pace my twin brother who was running his first marathon. I was really looking forward to spending the day with him, but honestly, wasn’t really looking forward to 26.2 miles of asphalt. That was until the race started. πŸ™‚

Modesto sometimes gets a bad rap, as a city. But this race takes you through a couple miles of old well-kept neighborhoods, where the houses are great and the people are better. Lots of neighbors came out side to cheer on the runners, and some even had their own little aid stations set up. One lady even had champagne and OJ on a small table on the curb. Mimosas anyone? πŸ™‚ This was around the first mile. πŸ™‚ After this, you head over the west side of the freeway for a country road run, which will be a vast majority of where you’ll run. This part of the county has a lot of farm land. Lots of almond orchards and some dairy farms. The neighbors in these areas were just as friendly. Lots of them came out to cheer, and some of them even had refreshments. One family went all out (and you can tell they do this every year), they had a full beer bar set up out in front of their house. 6 kegs tapped and ready to go. Small plastic cups on each keg for quick filling. And we’re not talking Coors light. These folks had great beers. I think I saw an IPA and a couple Stouts (WOW!). (I really really love beer, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop. I would’ve probably not left!). They even had a keg in the front with a “DNF Start Line” sign in it. LOL that was super funny.

There was a good amount of miles where runners were running in both directions. If you know me, you’ll know that I really like this. It makes it a lot of fun. You get to see the leaders, and you get to see people you are leading. Big fan of that!

This race has Marathon, marathon relay, half marathon, half relay, wheelchair, and 5k distances. The marathon and half start at 7 am (which is nice), and the wheelchair, and 5k just before and after 7.

The swag: Cool bright red shirt and a nice thin zip up hoodie. Also, the medal was cool, and it’s pretty big (small detail I really liked was the ribbon on the medal was stitched right about the medal so the medal didn’t slide around or flip over. Nice touch.)

After the race there was a beer and wine garden, and some vendors selling some things as well. There was also a tent with finish line photos already printed and hanging up for you to just take with you. That’s pretty cool. I’ve been to a few of those, and people really like that.

Overall this is a race that has a small town feel, with a great production. Parking is close to start and finish. (I got there early as usual so I parked on first floor in the parking garage that was two blocks from the start.)

I really look forward to doing this race again.

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What to say about this run? Where to start. This was my fourth year running it, and it never disappoints. This year I had the awesome honor of helping to … MORE

What to say about this run? Where to start. This was my fourth year running it, and it never disappoints. This year I had the awesome honor of helping to pace my friend’s daughter (13 years old) for her first Ultra Marathon. (yeah, let that sink in. What were you doing at 13?)
Anyway, here we go…
Leading up to race day, the forecast was showing rain all day, and some snow, yes, SNOW! Luckily that never happened, but the temps were certainly cold. It was very nice for the start and didn’t actually rain all that much. About an hour total off and on (with a couple small hail episodes #whatthehail). I think we started at about 36Β° and got up to low 40Β°. There are quite a few stream crossings some as deep as about 12-15″ and as wide as maybe 20 feet. But trust me when I say this water feels great and wakes you right up. Later in the race, it helps cool down your tired feet. πŸ™‚
The race starts out by heading down the paved St. Florian Court. Just a mile or so, then you have your first creek crossing as you cross the Knickerbocker Creek, this is the only part where there might be a small bottleneck. Just go through it. Trust me. πŸ™‚ You’ll run on the Olmstead Loop Trail and the Rim Trail, until you cross Knickerbocker Creek again, at about mile 7. Then one more mile and you’re right back to where you started, and your first Aid Station. Here, you’ll cut around what will be the finish area, and get on the Wendell T Robie Trail. This section is pretty fun. Then in the 11th mile, you’ll cross over Highway 49 (Highway Patrol and volunteers out there stopping traffic and encouraging runners). Here you’ll enter on the Quarry Trail, and run until the American Canyon Trail. This entire time, you’ll have the American River (rather, a fork of it). There is an AS at the bottom of the American Canyon Trail, and they have HOT CHICKEN BROTH… which is to die for after you’ve made it this far (about 20 miles). Leaving this AS, you jump back on the WTR trail. This will take you up Goat Hill (at about mile 26). After this, it’s smooth sailing down to the finish. (Well, aside from that small little climb with 1.4 miles to go.)
TIPS:
Get their early. If you think you’re getting their early. Get there even earlier. πŸ™‚ I got there at about 5:15 am and got an amazing parking spot in the first lot. Then I left the heater on in my car and took an awesome nap. The race starts at 8. I think I crawled out of my car at 7, to go see and mingle with some friends. If you have to park down the road, it’ll suck after the race.
Bring dry clothes (and shoes) to change in to afterwards. There will likely always be water crossings, and lots of mud. Bring flip flops. This way after the race, you can go over to the hose and wash your feet/legs off, and then walk back to your car and put your dry socks and shoes on (boots are even better).

This is definitely one of my favorite races. And I am so happy to have been able to help pace Frida to her first ultra marathon.

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This is a super cool race. It is out at the Richmond Marina. Nice views of the bay (and boats). πŸ™‚ Was a very special race for me because I … MORE

This is a super cool race. It is out at the Richmond Marina. Nice views of the bay (and boats). πŸ™‚
Was a very special race for me because I did it with my grand babies. It was their first race, and they loved it. (7 month old twins)
If you do this race as well as the prior race (2 weeks previous, Bay Breeze), then you get a super awesome connector medal that makes your two medals one MEGA MEDAL! Gotta love that.
They also had something really awesome at this event this year. A sponsor of the race was giving out an extra medal if you did your race in a particular time or faster. I believe it was :32, 1:34, and 2:03 (5k, 10k, half). That had a lot of people going for the extra bling.
Lastly, it’s a Brazen race, so you know for a fact you’ll get the best experience ever!!
Come on out and do it with me next year! I promise you’ll enjoy it.

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...the other side of the pillow. This is a fun race and brings out TONS of people. It's flat and easy, and is an out and back along the bay … MORE

…the other side of the pillow.

This is a fun race and brings out TONS of people. It’s flat and easy, and is an out and back along the bay (paved and some gravel). It’s exactly 13.1 miles, and has 5 awesome aid stations (always awesome volunteers at Brazen!). The theme for this race is Valentine’s Day, so medals, shirts, bibs, props, are all Valentines Day related. Very cool. Can even find some candy lying around too. I recommend this for anyone wanting to have a leisurely stroll, or get a PR (I think the CR is 1:09 for the half!).

Will you be my Valentine (runner, next year, and run with me?) πŸ™‚

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This is a super fun race that I look forward to each year. The half marathon is a double loop + lollipop out and back. I don't know if that's … MORE

This is a super fun race that I look forward to each year. The half marathon is a double loop + lollipop out and back. I don’t know if that’s official, but it sounds cool. πŸ™‚
It is held at Coyote Hills Regional Park, and runs around the park, over to near the Dumbarton Bridge, then back. Very runnable rolling hills. Total elevation gain on the half is only about 700′. This is >90% (non exact math) paved bike/running path.
Aid stations and volunteers are super awesome as always. There is a really cool finish to the race, which goes down a very short downhill trail, and loops you around to the finish.
Oh, and there isn’t parking at the start, but Sam and Jas spoil us with luxury busses to get us over to the start. We get to park in a really nice parking lot just over a mile away, and then jump in our fancy busses.
This is must do race if you are unsure about hills etc. This is a nice warm up. Plus it brings out the coolest people ever.
PC: Jay B.

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This race was so awesome! It is my slowest marathon, but I loved it! I will definitely be back. Here are my quick thoughts on this race, before I forget, … MORE

This race was so awesome! It is my slowest marathon, but I loved it! I will definitely be back. Here are my quick thoughts on this race, before I forget, and fall asleep. πŸ™‚ If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask.

This race starts in Wailea. And runs point to point, up the coast, 26.2 miles, up to Lahaina. We stayed in Lahaina, literally one block from the finish. I highly recommend this! There are busses that take people back to the start if you stay there, but let me tell you… there is nothing more awesome than finishing a race, going right to your room, and showering/changing, and being back at the finish line in no time flat. πŸ™‚ There is an early bus that leaves from Lahaina to the start at 3:30am. The race starts at 5:00 am (and there are some earlier start options). The sun doesn’t rise until 7:04am (today’s sunrise time). So, yes, that’s first two hours in the dark. SO AWESOME, and WAY COOLER. πŸ™‚
The start was pretty fun too. Not a ton of runners, so bathroom lines are short and quick. They also had Hawaiian spiritual elders (I think they were called) and they did chants and blessed us and the course. A really amazing experience. They also walked around afterwards and greeted people.
Ok, this is sort of all over the place, but I’m tired. lol
They suggested head lamps for people (which you can drop off part way through the race). I actually wore my lamp the entire time, and it didn’t bother me. The first 7 miles or so is streets/bridges/etc, and lit enough to run without one. This year there was a road that washed out, so there was a slight detour at mile 7. It was less than 1/4 mile long, but was literally on the beach. ON THE BEACH. How cool is that? Lots of people were putting on plastic bags with rubber bands (suggested by the RD) to do this part, which was great for them, but my friends and I did not (we are trail runners, so a little sand never bothered us). πŸ™‚
Aid stations: There were plenty!! I can’t even count how many. Maybe 10! Lots of amazing volunteers. In latter AS there were things like Gu, watermelon, Otterpops (the little girl that gave me one around mile 18 or so was my little angel!). The beginning ones had just water. It sort of felt like they weren’t sure what to do when I just wanted my bottle filled, but I don’t fault them. They were always super nice! There were things like AS at Carls Jr, that was ran by CJ employees. That was cool.
Views: UM, you’re in MAUI!! OMG the views were spectacular!! Seeing the sun rise over the mountains was just simply breathtaking.
Live results: They called it live results, but I read it as live tracking so I posted it. πŸ™‚ There were no times, other than the finish. My bad.
Emails from the RD: Ok, I’ll admit, he sends a ton of email, but you can unsubscribe, but do so at your own peril. lol. I didn’t read them all, but I did towards the event day. I’ll just say the emails are quite comical at times. Don’t be a C- student. (you’ll see what that means if you ever do this race.)
Weather. First 2 hours are before the sun rises, which was amazing. But when the sun came out, the humidity came quick. I am from the Bay Area, so 60% humidity was like running in water. πŸ™‚
There are a couple really small climbs (total elev gain on this course is less than 600′. Miles 10-16 have some good rollers, then basically net downhill after that.
Overall it’s an amazing race.
Smaller race. Great views. Great people. And, even if it’s your slowest marathon… YOU’RE IN MAUI!!
Mahalo

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No, really.. never say die. Like ever. πŸ™‚ This is a super fun race. It is held at Lagoon Valley, and you do two loops with beautiful views. It has … MORE

No, really.. never say die. Like ever. πŸ™‚

This is a super fun race. It is held at Lagoon Valley, and you do two loops with beautiful views. It has approx 2000′ of elevation gain. Lots of fun downhills to zoom down. Plus, many runners dress in pirate themed costumes (and even talk like pirates)β€”how can one go wrong with that?

So, what are you waiting for? Put this one on your list next year. I promise it won’t disappoint. Tell ’em 111 sent you. πŸ™‚

HEY YOU GUYYYYYYS!!!

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Just like Brazen says.... it's not nice to say you love "one child over the rest" or "one race over the others", but this is my favorite race. It is … MORE

Just like Brazen says…. it’s not nice to say you love “one child over the rest” or “one race over the others”, but this is my favorite race. It is so quaint and intimate. The staging area is small and everyone is packed inside waiting for the race to begin. If this is your first Brazen race, I guarantee you’ll leave with 50 new friends. πŸ™‚
The course is difficult to say the least, but finishes with the most awesome half mile of downhill single track, before heading up a couple hundred meters (or yards) to the finish. Plenty of aid stations and lots of rolling hills.
Come do this race and I promise you will hooked on Brazen!!
Thanks Brazen staff and crew for another awesome weekend!!

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This race is really fun. What better way to start off your Independence Day than to run a fun 5k. Of course Brazen puts on the best of the best … MORE

This race is really fun. What better way to start off your Independence Day than to run a fun 5k. Of course Brazen puts on the best of the best races, and this one is no exception. There is really easy parking at the start, and a super fun kids run around the park before the race. Also, when you run through neighborhoods, people come out of their house to cheer you on.
Definitely shouldn’t miss this race. And if you go, dress in your best red white and blue. After all, it is 4th of July!!
This race is #111 approved!

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This is a really great race. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to do their first 50 miler. This was my second year doing this race, and my best … MORE

This is a really great race. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to do their first 50 miler. This was my second year doing this race, and my best performance to date. I really wanted to come in sub 11, but am happy with my 11:14.
This is a point to point race, starting at Brown’s Ravine, and finishing at the Auburn Dam Overlook. It has a very generous cut off time of 14:00. There are 10 aid stations during the course (not counting the finish line). There is a section between Granite Bay and Horseshoe Bar where you go nearly 9 miles between aid stations. It’s not an easy 9 miles, and has lots of single technical track. I can’t suggest this enough. Be sure you bring TWO bottles of water at a minimum during this stretch. I did this year, and it made all the difference in the world.
I also suggest getting a crew. πŸ™‚ I had an awesome crew, with Oscar and Oscar Jr coming out and supporting me. Had some love and support from Yoly as well, who was crewing my friend Jay. This made all the difference in the world, as they kept me fed/focused/cleaned up each time and made sure I didn’t spend too much time at each AS.
Also, a crew helps you not have to worry or stress on how to get back to your car. πŸ™‚ As I mentioned, this is a point to point race. The bus to the start leaves very early. Just before 4 am. I always stay at a local hotel the night before and the night after (Lake Natomas Inn).
Overall, a very nice race brought you by the same folks that bring you Way Too Cool 50k. Will definitely be doing this one again.

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Make no mistake about it. I do like this race. Keep in mind, I'm running all of Livermore anyway. πŸ™‚ Every. Street. Race started an hour early this year, at … MORE

Make no mistake about it.
I do like this race.
Keep in mind, I’m running all of Livermore anyway. πŸ™‚
Every. Street.

Race started an hour early this year, at 7am.
Understandably, I was very happy about this.
Now for some bullets on the race.
Scenery is very beautiful in some partsβ€”wineries, etc.

Lots of friendly supporters on the course.
I live very close to the start, so I walked over.
Very cool to have pacers out there helping.
Extra porta potties at the start would’ve been nice.
Race expo is the only place to get bib and shirt (day before).
Might I suggest expanding that a little.
One other thing, is that the shirts were unisex only (which means Male).
Running this race is still very fun.
Expect to see me there again.

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No, not Covergirl. πŸ™‚ This is a really great event, out at the San Leandro Marina. It's flat and easy. It's an out and back with views of the bay. … MORE

No, not Covergirl. πŸ™‚

This is a really great event, out at the San Leandro Marina. It’s flat and easy. It’s an out and back with views of the bay. There are 5 Aid Stations for the half marathon, and they are nicely spread out (between 1.4 and 3.7 miles apart). The Tri Valley Running Club folks do a great job pacing times between 1:30 and 2:30 (I believe).

This year, due to all the rain, Brazen moved the start/finish arch to the paved walk way. They did this about an hour before the start of the half. This was a great call. The grassy area was very muddy, and it was way better to start/finish where we did.

I had a really good run and managed an even pace through the full race, and finishing just over 1:54.

This race draws lots of people, and is a lot of fun, and as always, the Brazen crew and volunteers make this an awesome event!

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Ok, ok, first. I am stealing the "Dam" part of this title from my friend, Shanna, who put that in her title first. I loved it, and I stole it. … MORE

Ok, ok, first. I am stealing the “Dam” part of this title from my friend, Shanna, who put that in her title first. I loved it, and I stole it. πŸ™‚ Thanks, Shanna.

This is a really fun run. I decided super last minute to sign up for this run and run with some friends. It starts at the Shasta Dam and ends 26.2 miles later on the beautiful Sundial Bridge. It is a pretty simple run, but for someone like me that does so many more trail runs, running the pavement for that long made it a little tough on me.

Ok, let’s talk about what I liked about the run… here we go.

Easy to register, even just a couple days before the race.
Beautiful start area. You start right next to the Shasta Dam (see my title is making sense now, right?). You can see the amazing Mt. Shasta and lots of other great sights.
It’s a rather low key race. Only a couple hundred marathoners, and some that are doing the relay. It was a little cold in the morning (not that bad though), but the Dam visitor center was open to us. That part was really nice, and much warmer. They do drop bags at the start, so I bundled up with a sweatshirt till the start of the race.
There were a few aid stations. Just with water and electrolytes, and some had GU and Gels. For someone like me that doesn’t use either of those, I just brought my own Tailwind.
There is an AS you pass three times. My friends call it the bermuda triangle. I’m not sure if that’s an official name, but hey, it worked for me. They were BBQing at that one. And on my third pass through (around mile 22, someone offered me a couple small pieces of tri-tip. Not having eaten for a few hours, it was the best food I had ever ate. πŸ™‚ Thank you nice BBQing man.
You finish on the super cool Sundial bridge. That part was pretty fun.
Lots of snacks (chips, etc) at the finish, and lots of hot soup. I had about 3 big cups worth. Mmmm
This race has great views. You are basically running alongside the Sacramento River the entire time. With all the rainfall we’ve had lately, it was really cool to see how high and fast that river was moving.
You cross over a couple bridges during the race as well.
The first two miles is basically all down hill. Fun way to start a race. πŸ™‚
The rest of the course just had some rollers. Nothing really more than that. Total course gain for me was just under 800′.
This entire course is on a pedestrian paved trail. Not a lot of other runners/cyclists. The ending is through a little park for the last mile or so, which was a nice change of scenery.
The people. Everyone I met was super nice.
This course is BQ course (Not that that would ever matter for me) πŸ™‚
I actually feel like I had an ok performance at this race. I don’t do a lot of flat road halfs, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wanted to keep a 10 min pace the first half, then an 11 minute pace the second half. Well, I kept the 10 minute pace exactly (or just ahead of) for the first 19.5 miles. Then I just got a bit tired. It was smooth sailing for me, the first 20.
Cool medal, bag with strings, and long sleeve quarter zip shirt.

Couple points to keep in mind.
There is no chip start. That means everyone has the same start time. Not a huge issue because there aren’t a ton of runners, but something to definitely consider. If you are looking to BQ or PR (etc), just get up in the front. I stayed way in the back and started with my friends. This cost me my BQ, as it took us 1.75 hours to get to the actual start. OK OK, that’s just a joke. Honestly it only probably took 30 seconds off my time.

As I mentioned above. There really isn’t food on the course per se. I don’t know if the bbq is actually for the runners, or not, but I got some, and I loved it. If you are like me and eat real food during races, just keep that in mind and bring your own.

Overall, I really enjoyed this race. Just wish it wasn’t 3 hours away. πŸ™‚

Till next time….

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I don't normally do the 5k distance, but I decided to do it this time. It was really fun. Some really small rolling hills around beautiful Lake Chabot. It's a … MORE

I don’t normally do the 5k distance, but I decided to do it this time. It was really fun. Some really small rolling hills around beautiful Lake Chabot. It’s a simple out and back course, and allows you to run it fast. I came in 4th in my age group, which I’m really happy about, because seems like all the really fast people are 45-49. πŸ™‚

This is a really fun way to start the year off right. Lot’s of New Year type props to take tons of funny pics with.

As with any Brazen race, you are going to get the best of the best of everything. Doing this race and the NYE race got you a connector medal to turn your two medals in to a MEGA medal.

Also, if you’re ever looking to become a Brazen Streaker (doing all the races in a calendar year, which is currently 26) you have to start with this one.

Happy new year all!

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This has become a great tradition of mine, to end the year running Brazen's New Year's Eve race. It's normally called "Almost" New Year's Eve, because it's held on the … MORE

This has become a great tradition of mine, to end the year running Brazen’s New Year’s Eve race. It’s normally called “Almost” New Year’s Eve, because it’s held on the Saturday before New Year’s Day. But since 1/1 fell on a Sunday, it meant the “Almost” was removed from the name. Which gave us back-to-back days to race. Yay!

The weather was just a little cold in the morning, and we were able to finish the half before the clouds came in. This was a plus, because most years it’s been really cold. Also, this marked the first year that this race was at Quarry Lakes, in Fremont, instead of Lake Chabot (which is where the 1/1 race was).

Also, Brazen changed up the course a bit for this race, so that made it a bit more interesting. You head out where you normally finish the half, and then cross the bridge to the other side of the creek, and then do a T shaped run. Never more than about 3 miles without changing direction or getting to an Aid Station.

They also do the Streaker ceremony (see https://brazenracing.com/community/streakers/ for more info) before the race. And this year they kicked it up a notch by putting out Stars along the red carpet with each 2016 Streaker’s name. Very nice touch!

This race also has the Tri Valley Run Club folks come out and pace. I stuck along side Arnel, running with TVRC, who was comfortably pacing the 1:55 group. I made it my mission to stay ahead of him. Him (and Peter and Michael) motivated me to keep going, and I finished with a….

…wait for it…

ONE
FIFTY-TWO
FIFTY-ONE

Yes! a 1:52:51. Just 33 seconds off my all time Half PR. I was pretty stoked about this. Attaching a pic of me with Arnel (1:55 pacer), when he “finally” made it in. πŸ™‚

Happy New Year all… let’s do it again real soon.

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas At this race, you know There's a half and a five and ten-k It's way up a hill they say With ribbons … MORE

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
At this race, you know
There’s a half and a five and ten-k
It’s way up a hill they say
With ribbons that tell you which way to go

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Runners are all in store
For the coolest sites to see
The views with all the trees
And the medal that you wore

A very great run and a lots of fun is the wish of Jasmin and Sam
Folks that will talk, and some that will walk, and everyone’s a friend
And lots of clapping all around as they cheer the runners in

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
At this race you know
There are volunteers to help
Some parking us as well
The awesome kind that doesn’t mind the cold

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Soon the race will start
Then you’ll finish and get your bling
It’ll make you want to sing
Owl dressed as Santa plays the part

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Now the race is done
This whole race was in the rain
I can’t wait to do it again
Brazen races are funnnnn

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This is a great Thanksgiving weekend tradition. After Thursday's 5k at Point Pinole, Brazen does a follow up race two days later, at Quarry Lakes. I did the half marathon … MORE

This is a great Thanksgiving weekend tradition. After Thursday’s 5k at Point Pinole, Brazen does a follow up race two days later, at Quarry Lakes. I did the half marathon on Saturday. The weather was cold and rainy for most of the morning, but by the time I got to mile 7 the rain stopped. There are two big covered areas where everyone was under during the morning. πŸ™‚ And the Brazen volunteers showed up as always, in great numbers. Rain can not keep these awesome volunteers away. There are plenty of Aid Stations on the course with lots of good stuff to eat and drink. And tons of food after the race (including lots of pumpkin pie with whip cream). This is a good flat half with no climbs at all (just a couple small underpasses). I did well at this race coming in at 2:02 and some change. Big bonus is if you do this plus the Thursday race, you get an awesome combo medal that combines both medals. So worth it! Brazen is the best!!

Rave on.

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This is one of my favorite races of the year. It's a fun quick event out at point Pinole regional shoreline. This is a tradition that starts my Thanksgiving day … MORE

This is one of my favorite races of the year. It’s a fun quick event out at point Pinole regional shoreline. This is a tradition that starts my Thanksgiving day by dressing up in a costume and running a quick 5K. Hey that rhymes. This event bright almost 1000 runners to run the 5K or 10K distance. This year I did the race dressed in the chef costume which was kind of fun having an apron around my waist for the race made it easy to put stuff inside I think I might be onto something. Lots of people dressed in holiday themed costumes which always makes this race extra fun. The race director has been known to give out gifts like bottles of wine to people in themed costumes happy to report I’m three for three for getting a bottle of wine. πŸ™‚ we also do a canned food drive for a local food shelter and it’s cool to see how much food everybody brings to donate. You’re also given one raffle ticket per item that you bring in brazen gives out prizes and raffle. Nothing would complement the Thanksgiving day run more than doing the Saturday run as well. You see if you do the Thursday and the Saturday race your two metals will combine and you’ll get a third bonus metal that makes them into one mega metal definitely worth it. This review was made using Siri on my iPhone so pardon any typos or grammatical errors πŸ™‚

Signed, streaker #111

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There once was a race to the Summit. Only a couple other times had he done it. This time a 30K. It won't take all day. But took twice as … MORE

There once was a race to the Summit.
Only a couple other times had he done it.
This time a 30K.
It won’t take all day.
But took twice as long as the guy who won it!

(Can’t fit everything in a limerick, but had to try) πŸ™‚ This was a super fun race, and the weather was perfect! As always, great crew and awesome volunteers makes this a great race. Hope they keep the 30k option. Amazing views from the Summit.

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This is one of my favorite races. It's out at Lagoon Regional Park in Vacaville. It starts with a lap around the lake, then two loops. While it has just … MORE

This is one of my favorite races. It’s out at Lagoon Regional Park in Vacaville. It starts with a lap around the lake, then two loops. While it has just under 2,400 feet of elevation gain, I find this course easier than a couple others that have only 2,000. I think it’s a bit more spread out and runnable. I got my fastest Goonies time this year. This was undoubtedly because of the cool temps that lasted all morning. The sun never really came out until I was done. The views are great at this course. There are some tough small climbs. Some cool single track downhill, and some paved parts (especially mile #12) which you can get a really fast mile at (all downhill). Post race snacks, Volunteers, on course aid stations, Crew, Bling, everything was TOP NOTCH. As it always is at a Brazen Race!

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This is a super fun course with only one big climb. Total elevation gain is just over 2,000 feet. It starts with a rolling 2 1/3 mile out, then a … MORE

This is a super fun course with only one big climb. Total elevation gain is just over 2,000 feet. It starts with a rolling 2 1/3 mile out, then a big loop. The big loop starts with nice big climb of about 1.3 miles long and just under 1,000′ feet. It’s tough but the views are super awesome. After this, it’s some awesome downhills that you can speed through. At about mile 11 you come back to where you started the climb, but you turn and run the 2 1/3 miles back. This is net downhill a little, so it’s a nice speedy finish. Lots of people come dressed in Spider themes. You can also spot some Tarantulas on the course if you look closely. Personally I’ve only seen one one time, and I am not a lover of spiders, so it just makes me run faster. πŸ™‚
As always, Brazen’s events are amazing, and very well organized and staffed. Best crew and volunteers in the biz.
Oh, and this was my 100th ALL TIME race, so this made it pretty special for me.
Hope you’ll join me next year.

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What to say about Rocky Ridge?! This is the half to end all halfs. It is the last race in Brazen Racing's Ultra Half Series. When you do at least … MORE

What to say about Rocky Ridge?! This is the half to end all halfs. It is the last race in Brazen Racing’s Ultra Half Series. When you do at least 5 other Ultra Halfs (longer than 13.1, and wicked tough elevation) plus Rocky Ridge, you get an awesome Coaster along with your medal. This course is beautiful and the views are great. But don’t let that fool you. The course is almost 14 miles, and has just a hair under 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Even if some of the views are of you looking down at the ground as you make your way up steep inclines. πŸ™‚ It’s held out at Las Trampas Regional Park, in the East Bay. Once you get to the top, you can clearly see Mount Diablo, which is just across the highway, and you can see lots of the rest of the East Bay. From Rocky Ridge trail, you can also see Lake Chabot (I believe). There are a couple really tough climbs on this course. One is up the infamous Del Amigo. It’s not that long, but it is super tough. The other one is at around mile 9.5. This is a paved trail up to the entrance of Rocky Ridge Trail. It goes over a mile, and feels like you are going up forever! Once up there, there are only about 3 more miles of nice rolling hills and a sweet downhill to end the race. This race brings out the speedsters because there are cash prizes for the Top 10 Men and Women in the Ultra Half Series, plus cash prizes for top three in the Half Marathon Championship (just this race). I always take the early start (7:00 am, one hour earlier than normal start) at this race. For two reasons. One, so I can beat some of the heat. And 2, so I can see the leaders all pass me. πŸ™‚ The Roches won the half marathon. Husband and wife speedsters. Their times were 1:35 and 1:50 I believe! My time on this course was 3:32:42, and let me just tell you… this is awesome!! πŸ™‚ This beat my best time on this course by 20 minutes!! This was all due to the weather. Last two years this course was so hot!! It’s almost unbearable in the heat. This year, the RDs dialed in amazing weather!! That made all the difference in the world.

Overall, this is one of the most challenging halfs around, and it’s one of my favorites. The atmosphere at the event is electric. So many people set out to do the series, and it all comes down to this race. It’s like Christmas morning, seeing everyone with their Coasters that they worked so hard for all year!

Hope to see you at next year’s Rocky Ridge. Oh yeah, the 2017 Ultra Half Series starts in two weeks. πŸ™‚ (10/15/16)

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This was my very first Brazen race in 2011. This year I did this race for my 4th time. I love this race. It's out at Mount Hamilton (however you … MORE

This was my very first Brazen race in 2011. This year I did this race for my 4th time. I love this race. It’s out at Mount Hamilton (however you don’t go up to the top). Mount Hamilton is the highest mountain in the bay area. The half marathon has about 1,700 feet of elevation gain, and there really isn’t any long climbs, just a lot (about 5 or so) nice climbs. A lot of people wear things to this race themed after pigs or hogs. This race is part of the Ultra Half Series, with Brazen, and I highly recommend it. Pay attention to how to get there, and don’t take Quimby road. It’s super winding (I always get confused when typing that word. I want to type “windy”). πŸ™‚ Anyway, come out and get piggy with it. I’ll be there for sure.

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This is one of my favorite races. It is out at Briones Regional Park. It has a really quaint start/finish area. The course is measured at 3,088 feet of elevation … MORE

This is one of my favorite races. It is out at Briones Regional Park. It has a really quaint start/finish area. The course is measured at 3,088 feet of elevation gain, and you’ll love every bit of it. It can get a little warm, so I opted for the 7:00 am hiker start. This is one hour prior to the regular half marathon start.
The coolest part of this race is the last one mile, which is nice downhill on a technical single track.

You start on a small paved area but then jump on the Abrigo Valley Trail, where you’ll join the Briones Crest Trail just under mile 2. Around mile 3 you’ll hit the first Aid Station (with awesome volunteers!). You’ll then be on Lagoon Trail to Toyon Canyon Trail. Then you’ll join Orchard Trail to Alhambra Creek Trail. You’ll be on Spengler Trail, Valley Trail, and Crescent Ridge Trail. You’ll do a quick stint on Seaborg Trail, before the awesomest finish, down ~1 mile on the Bear Creek Trail, before a couple steps up to the finish area. Keep your eyes open for the inflatable bear, usually displaying a funny sign.

Parking is $3, and I would recommend car pooling (for parking spaces, and for the environment) :). Also, the location can be a little confusing at first if you just use Google Maps. Easiest way to find the area is to put the intersection of Bear Creek Road and Briones Road in to your GPS.

Hope to see you at next year’s Bear Creek race!

#streaker111approved

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This is a really cool race. It's held out at the San Leandro Marina. Wide open area with lots of parking to start the race. This race's fast and flat. … MORE

This is a really cool race. It’s held out at the San Leandro Marina. Wide open area with lots of parking to start the race. This race’s fast and flat. It’s right off of the bay the entire time it is an out and back course. Because this race is so flat and fast it draws really large crowds. Lots of running groups bring their whole teams out to do this race. The tri-Valley running club provides pacing for this group from the half marathon distances of one hour 30 minutes to two hour 30 minutes and all increments of five or 10 minutes. The weather this year was absolutely perfect. The sun never really came out and there was a cool breeze the whole time. And the name summer breeze. The course is an out and back and measures exactly 13.1 miles. As always with every brazen race there are plenty of fully stocked aid stations. This course has five aid stations for the half marathon. The props and everything around the race are really fun and made out to be a nice summer day there are beach balls and lots of other summary things at the end of the race. Another great thing about brazen races are the volunteer photographer is out on the course all taking the another great thing about brazen races are the volunteer photographer is out on the course all taking free photos which are posted online shortly after the race. For folks like me that do all the brazen races this race is a fun flat easy course in between two tough trail races. In summary this is just like any brazen race awesome people awesome Korcz awesome volunteers awesome swag great times great weather.
The entirety of this review was written with voice to text dictation on the iPhone. If it seems to be one long drawnout run on sentence it probably is but it’s cold to do a review by just talking into your phone.
Brazen streaker number 111. Out .

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This is a really beautiful course, out at Lake Chabot. Due to some trail maintenance this year's course was changed. I have ran this course 5 times, so the change … MORE

This is a really beautiful course, out at Lake Chabot. Due to some trail maintenance this year’s course was changed. I have ran this course 5 times, so the change was a nice welcome. The course shows as 13.5 miles online, but I showed closer to 14 with my Garmin. There are many shaded areas, where you run under tree cover so that can cause GPS hiccups. This was my 57th half marathon, and ranks up there with my favorites.
This year’s course has you starting on the West Shore Trail, and looping a small loop to the East Shore Trail. The first 1.7 miles is flat and runnable hills, till you hit the Cameron Loop Trail, which starts the first climb. You’ll then connect to Ten Hills Trail. Next you’ll join Brandon Skyline Trail. You’ll continue on Brandon Trail and do a loop with some climbing. After the loop, you’ll make a right on Towhee Trail where you’ll join Live Oak Trail. This part is all downhill. In other years, this race had us going up this hill. It’s much more fun to only go down it. :). You’ll cross over the rickety bridge, which I love, and then join the East Shore Trail again, to run in to the finish, where you’ll cross one small bridge before finishing through the Brazen arch.
This year I paced my good friend’s daughter on this half marathon. She is 12 years old as has done quite a few halfs already. We had a lot of fun. We saw lots of cool lizards, and saw two really cool deer.
After the race, of course, as with any Brazen race, the people, the fun, the food, the bling, everything, was awesome as always.
Pro tip: Get there early as parking in the lot is limited and once it’s full you have to park outside of the park. Parking is also free if you’re doing the race. The parking lots are big, but there are lots of other people who use this park, so remember, get there early.

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This is my favorite race of the year. The race offers individual twelve hour and six hour races, as well as team events in these times. They also do morning … MORE

This is my favorite race of the year. The race offers individual twelve hour and six hour races, as well as team events in these times. They also do morning and afternoon 5k and 10ks. The atmosphere is super fun and encouraging for all levels of runners and walkers.
It is held at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline. The 12 and 6 hour races start at 7am. It is a fun loop of 3.37 miles that is basically flat, with just a couple small little hills. I think only 100 or so feet elevation gain per 3.37 mile loop. After doing laps, however, those little hills can feel bigger. πŸ™‚ It starts at a great big staging area where people line up tents, chairs, canopies, etc, where they keep all the support stuff they’ll need. There’s also two aid stations. One about mile 2 and the other at the start/finish area that you run through with each lap. The aid stations are stocked full of awesome food and drinks and ICE. Loved having ice to put in my water, and in my bandana.
You’ll start by joining the Bay Trail, then jumping on to the Bay View Trail. It runs along side a cool shoreline with tons of great views of bill mountains like Mt. Tam. Just before the first mile, you’ll hit your first little hill (remember what I said, it’ll seem a lot tougher 10 hours later). You’ll join the Bay Trail again just before mile 2, where you’ll get your first (and every other odd number) aid station. This aid station was so fun, where they had funny signs that changed through out the day. After the aid station you’ll jump on the Tramway Trail where you’ll run to the Packhouse Trail, followed by the Woods Trail. Then you’ll turn right on to the Biazzi Trail, jump quickly on the Nitro Trail, then back on Packhouse Trail. This part in the latter hours of the day can be hot. (oh yeah, bring lots of sunblock) :). Then, lastly, back on the Bay Trail to finish that lap. Then, rinse and repeat. During the last hour of the 12 and 6 hour race, there is a little course (0.60 miles) that you can do as many of those laps as you can if you don’t have time to do the big 3.37 mile lap. Only full laps (big or small) are counted towards your total.
This year’s race had a super excited competition in the Women’s division. Natalia and Angela battled all day, and finished an amazing race by coming in just 0.23 miles apart, with Natalia edging Angela out, with 63.29 miles (WOW!!!). Seeing the respect they had for each other all day was so awesome. Also, third place Liz kicked butt and got 55.72 miles and to see her and the winner embrace each other at the finish brought some additional moisture to my eyes. Love this race, and love my Brazen fam!!
Oh yeah, I forgot. BBQ at the finish FOR THE WIN!!

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Saying this is a tough race is an understatement. This course is really, really tough. Always an awesome time at this long running race. It starts at Stinson Beach, then … MORE

Saying this is a tough race is an understatement.
This course is really, really tough.
Always an awesome time at this long running race.
It starts at Stinson Beach, then goes out about 7 miles to Mill Valley.
Runners start in waves, based off age/sex, and it has a handicapped finish times.
Scenery is really nice in this race.

Stairs. Did I mention there are stairs?
This race totals over 4,500 feet of elevation gain.
Another cool thing is since it is an out and back, you get to see everyone twice.
I would recommend putting in your calendar the date that registration opens.
Recalling last year and the year before, it sold out pretty quick.
Stay tuned to next year when I do it for a third time.

Did you notice any pattern in my post?
S
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A
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and more stairs!! πŸ™‚

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This is one of my favorite races. It's a doozy of a climb, but it's so cool! It starts and ends at Sanborn Park in Saratoga. The starting area is … MORE

This is one of my favorite races. It’s a doozy of a climb, but it’s so cool! It starts and ends at Sanborn Park in Saratoga. The starting area is small which I really like. It’s a bit more intimate than others. This year I decided to do the 10k instead of the half marathon. It’s a pretty tough 10k, coming in with just below 2,000 feet of elevation gain (1,846′). It starts off on a nature trail before joining the Peterson Memorial Trail for a short bit. This then joins the Sanborn Trail and continues the climb up to Skyline trail. 10K runners turn around at this point (aid station #1), heading back down the Sanborn Trail, meeting with the San Andreas Trail. This year there was also a small loop added (the extra loop is fun, about .5 miles, and about 200 feet of gain in the first .2 miles of this). The first half of this race is all uphill basically, so it’s a ton of fun to run down the second half. πŸ™‚ Be careful though. There is some technical trails, and there are roots and rocks. Also, there is a great deal of shade on this course (which is awesome!) but the bits of sun rays that come through the trees can cause issues with seeing some parts of the trail at times. Just take it easy. No need to wear sunglasses on this course (for me).
The weather this year was warm, and felt a bit humid. Also, there were some mosquitos at the start, but of course Brazen took care of this by having Yoly walk around offering to spray folks with mosquito repellent.
As always, Brazen is the best of the best. Great medal, shirt, course, everything. Thanks again Brazen.
-Streaker #111

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Wildcat is one of my favorite races. The course has amazing views and has always had an intimate feel to me. Maybe that is because a lot of the parking … MORE

Wildcat is one of my favorite races. The course has amazing views and has always had an intimate feel to me. Maybe that is because a lot of the parking is right at the start line. The East Bay Waldorf School allows us to park in on their property which gives us a great location to start.

The half marathon has about 2,200 feet of elevation gain, and starts right off with a 1 mile climb up the Clark Boas Trail, before heading down a half mile to connect to Wildcat Creek trail. You do a quick out and back, then jump on the Conlon Trail. This is about a 2 mile climb to get to the highest part of the course. Once on the top, you have some slight downhill on a paved trail, before turning down for about 1.5 miles of my favorite downhill trails to run–the Havey Canyon Trail. This loses about 500 feet in elevation over this 1.5 miles. Beautiful single track and a nice little creek crossing (with rocks to step on and over). Once you’re at the bottom you’ll come up to an aid station (you actually hit this aid station twice), before heading up another big 1 mile climb up the Mueze Trail. Once you get to the top of this, there’s a little climb before getting on the San Pablo Ridge Trail. There are some pretty wicked (and fun) downhills here. Not as runnable (to me) as the Havey Canyon trail, but at this point you are almost done. You’ll join back up with the Clark Boas Trail to run in for the finish.

Keep your ears open when you finish because Brazen not only calls out your name, but you’ll hear a cool cat sound. Just listen for it. πŸ™‚

As always, Brazen races are TOP NOTCH. Everything about this race is amazing. The views, the people, the swag. EVERYTHING. This year (again) the medal had glow in the dark cat eyes!

Can’t wait to do this race again, next year!

-Brazen Streaker #111
πŸ™‚

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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Using dictation to type this. What a beautiful race! Very well put on and scenery beyond any other I've ever done. The race starts in Big Sur, California, and goes … MORE

Using dictation to type this.

What a beautiful race! Very well put on and scenery beyond any other I’ve ever done.
The race starts in Big Sur, California, and goes 26.2 miles up Highway 1, to Carmel. There’s only one way to the race start, and that’s via a bus. Since the roads are all closed down (and the busses need to get back before the start) you have to leave Monterey/Carmel area between 3:45 and 4:15am. The bus I was on was a really nice school bus with comfortable seats. Not an old beat up bus like we rode as kids. πŸ™‚ All the runners are dropped off at Big Sur station where they will stay until the start. It’s a bit chilly in the morning, but they offer drop bags at packet pickup, so I just brought some cheap sweats and sweatshirt. They had coffee and water at the start, and 4,283 portapotties (ok, not that many, but a lot. One of the funny things is that on every door of the porta potty’s they had something funny like las Vegas first class lounge stuff like that. I wish I would’ve taken more pictures of those they were hilarious.
When they started lining runners up, they backed them up according to pace. Slowest runners in the back followed by median pace runners followed by the fast ones. Then at 6:45 they start and it takes about 10 – 12 minutes for everybody to get through. The first 5 miles is basically downhill, losing about 300 feet of elevation. Once you get to the 5 mile mark you start seen the ocean. The next 4 miles is a gradual increase all very runnable up a couple hundred feet. Mile 9 is straight downhill and at the bottom you make that 2 mile ascent up to hurricane point. This is the highest point of the race I just over 500 feet. It’s also the windiest part of the course. It was so windy at the top of her came point I thought it was going blow me into the ocean. Someone said it was a 45 mile an hour gusts I think it was closer to 200. From that point it’s basically downhill and rolling Hills. At mile 13 you cross the Bixby Bridge which is what you see on the shirt in the metal just after the bridge is the popular piano player. I could hear him playing from mile 12 that was really cool.
This will go down as one of my favorite races the views are second to none. Having just completed a very tough 50 K the weekend before I didn’t have I expectations for finishing strong, but ended up very happy with my performance.
After the race I had some snacks a cold beer and watch the awards ceremony. Then grabbed a shuttle back to my hotel and took a nap:-).
This is also the very first time I’ve done a complete race rave using voice to text dictation.

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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This is the toughest race I've even done. Two years in a row. Tougher than any 50 miler. 50k with 8000' of elevation gain. Up to the summit, and north … MORE

This is the toughest race I’ve even done. Two years in a row. Tougher than any 50 miler. 50k with 8000′ of elevation gain. Up to the summit, and north peak. Awesome race. Awesome support, volunteers, swag, people, everything. Nothing beats a Brazen race. And a Brazen ultra? Even better. That’s all for now. My legs are hurting just writing this. πŸ™‚

DIFFICULTY
5
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
5
SWAG
5

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Not that there are any bears on this race. πŸ™‚ This race was a good race. It's put on by Coastal Trail Runs, and is a beautiful area. It is … MORE

Not that there are any bears on this race. πŸ™‚

This race was a good race. It’s put on by Coastal Trail Runs, and is a beautiful area. It is in Tilden Regional Park, in Berkeley. The half marathon has (as posted) 2850′ of elevation gain, my GPS had it just at 3000 (that sounds better to me). πŸ™‚ The race starts and finishes at Lake Anza. The half marathon course is like a lollipop, run out to mile 4.7, then do about a 4 mile loop, then from mile 10 to about mile 11, it’s a different trail than you went out on. This gave you lots of new trails to see on a sort-of out and back course. It was a bit foggy this day, but the views were still great. Coastal Trail Runs does a great job marking the course, and provides many different distances on the same course. 10k, half, 30k (half+10k), marathon (half, twice), 50k (half, twice+10k).
Something else you can always count on at a Coastal race is ice chests filled with drinks (water, soda, beer).
Overall, this race was tough but very fun!

DIFFICULTY
4
PRODUCTION
4
SCENERY
4
SWAG
4

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This was my first time doing the Livermore half marathon. I tend mainly run trail races but this was an open weekend, so I signed up for it. The race … MORE

This was my first time doing the Livermore half marathon. I tend mainly run trail races but this was an open weekend, so I signed up for it. The race is a little pricey ($104+$10 fee), but on par with bigger road races. They offer packet pickup the day before unless you pay $30 to pick up on race day (this also comes with the ability to do a gear-check). There are a lot of runners at this race, but they do a good job of staggering the runners to start. I heard this was the first year they did this. They’d let a couple hundred go, then wait a couple minutes, and so on. Took me about 8 minutes to start, but once I did, I got right in my pace and never had a bottleneck. It runs through the streets in Livermore, then jumps on a paved trail and runs along side some nice vineyards. There are a couple small hills to run up. For folks that do trail runs, they aren’t that hard, but for flat runners, they can be a little tough. I think my Strava showed 600′ for total climb on the three hills. It has a nice finish area, and the medal is really awesome! Also, after the race they have beer and wine (does it get any better than this?), and the Livermore festival (forgot the name of it), which is fun. I parked in the parking structure on both Friday (packet pickup) and Saturday (race), and the traffic getting in and out of there was pretty bad. But that’s nothing unexpected at big road races. There were also awesome pacers (from TriValley Running Club). They were so fun, and they all nailed their pace time (the course was also a little short. Most GPS’s showed it around 12.95 miles). Overall I think this was a well put on race, and I’ll be doing it again.

DIFFICULTY
2
PRODUCTION
3
SCENERY
3
SWAG
2

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This is the second Brazen race of the year, and is a nice relatively easy one after a few consecutive difficult ones. πŸ™‚ This year's race had all sorts of … MORE

This is the second Brazen race of the year, and is a nice relatively easy one after a few consecutive difficult ones. πŸ™‚ This year’s race had all sorts of weather. It started pouring rain about 5 minutes before the half started, but then cleared up about 10 minutes after. It was a beautiful morning, even if the pouring rain came back with just 10 minutes left in the race (for me). This race is out at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont, CA. There isn’t any parking really, so you’ll need to park 2 miles away in a nice big open business parking lot, but Brazen got us to the race in style. Big comfy fancy shuttle busses. With leather seats, and drivers in black suits. The drivers were really nice too!
The course is a double loop for the half marathon, and has great views. From the Brazen web site, it says:
From fire trails to single track, pavement to wooden boardwalks, these courses have it all. Just make sure you don’t get too distracted by the views that you don’t notice where you’re running! All courses include rolling hills that are very “runnable”.
There is a nice fun hill to climb at the half way point, and the finish, and finishes with a super fun downhill single track. I got this in the pouring rain this year which made it fun.
Race medal as always was AWESOME. And this year featured a glow in the dark moon!!
Come do a Brazen race, and when you’re done, if you didn’t have a blast, come find me and I’ll eat your bib! πŸ™‚
#streaker111 #bebrazen!

DIFFICULTY
3
PRODUCTION
5
SCENERY
4
SWAG
5

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This is a very fun and challenging race. It's held at Sanborn County Park in Saratoga. It's the same course that another race is held at earlier in the year … MORE

This is a very fun and challenging race. It’s held at Sanborn County Park in Saratoga. It’s the same course that another race is held at earlier in the year (Trailquake). Summit Rock goes the opposite direction as Trailquake and has a slightly different course. It starts with a pretty tough almost 4 mile climb with just about 1500 feet of gain. The course is absolutely beautiful with lots of single track and some beautiful redwood trees. Thee are so many that I never wear my sunglasses at this race. πŸ™‚ The last 4 miles on the half are down hill. But be careful as there are roots and rocks etc that can trip you up. The start and finish area is small and intimate which makes it fun as well. Parking can be a little walk and there is also a shuttle if there’s no parking available. This year we also did the cha cha slide before the start of the half (think flash mob). πŸ™‚ This race is also part of Brazen’s ultra half series. As always, Brazen puts on the best races anywhere.