brett ruston's Staging Area

12 of us runners got into two Ford Transit vans (the van of choice for this event) and drove to Huntington Beach the night before the start and stayed at a hotel that was a 5 minute drive from the start. At this point it would have been best to get some sleep but that wasn’t happening. I was in Van 1 and our start time was 5:45 am while van 2 got to sleep in and eat a proper breakfast. The course had good signage and there were plenty of runners along the way so getting lost was pretty difficult. The idea is to get water etc. from your van and the only porta-potties were at the end of your run. We ran past parks with restrooms and stores so an emergency bathroom break was never too far away.The runs ranged from 3.5 miles to 12 miles and we each ran 3 times throughout the event. My 3 runs started at about 6:30am, 6:00pm and 4:30am. Sleeping was not an option unless you can sleep on a van seat among backpacks etc. After our 1st runs were over van 2 took over and we had a lot of downtime to eat at restaurants and rest. We couldn’t run through Camp Pendleton so the course went far inland from Huntington Beach and Oceanside to make the mileage closer to 200. The runner exchange points were fine until we got to the ones where both vans had to park which were a bit hectic as this is a popular event. All of the teams decorated the vans with hilarious props and phrases and it was really fun just to walk around and check them out. As the day turned to night after our second leg we found a Denny’s open at 12:30 am to have “dinner”. Our last leg was during the wee hours and we all had to wear reflective vests and lights. There were always plenty of runners around and no one had to run by themselves through the dark. Traffic was not an issue either. By the time we finished our 3rd leg the sun was out and we had to wait for van 2 to finish the course. We found a shady tree at the Liberty Station park in San Diego and tried to get some sleep after a yummy breakfast at the Fig Tree Cafe. We all ran across the finish line together and enjoyed a couple brews in the beer garden before returning the van and heading home. The energy level was high and everyone was friendly and happy despite lacking sleep. . My hat goes off to those who chose the “ultra” option (six runners only).

This year the weather for this run was ideal. The morning started off cool without the need for any sweatshirts and it got better from there. The sun was blocked by clouds and it never warmed up as a nice breeze set in toward the end. A small group of runners made the pre-run routine simple: pick up bib, warm up and go, no long waits for anything.The course is one of the best I’ve run. I didn’t see a single (active) car until about mile 10 so there was plenty of room to spread out over the country roads. The first section is flat and the houses quickly gave way to farms and then open space with chaparral and oak trees around mile 3. The fist real hill was fairly long but not too steep. After that the course slowly looped back to the flat area again with a few small hills to keep it interesting. Some sections were shaded with large Oak trees and the breeze never became a speed scrubbing headwind. At the post run party there were various beverages available for free that included wine, champagne, sangria and some good IPA beer from Wiens brewery and a pretty funny DJ. The PA system was never too loud and the music was decent. Thoughtfully, the organizers didn’t give out the cheap synthetic T-shirts that many people don’t bother to pick but instead offered nice cotton shirts as an option to purchase. I will be back next year for this one, definitely worth the drive from San Diego.

“Cold” is a relative term; for some cold is a bitter bone chilling 20 below. For me 40 degrees is bitter and bone chilling. The lure of a run for me at this temp has to be significant to get me out of my warm bed and into the dark pre-dawn hyper-chilled air. Fortunately I was well rewarded with an incredibly scenic jog with a 700′ elevation drop. I brought my own water but it was so cool I really didn’t need it. The hardest part was taking off my warm sweatshirt handing it to the gear check volunteers. The first half of the run had a lot of sun so wear your specs. It also had three bridges and some really great views of the canyon. The second half of the run had more (cold) shade and the bike path was nice and wide so we were never scrunched in too much. It was always easy to see how far there was to go on the higher points so mile markers just weren’t needed.
Pros: Great views from hidden bike path and scenic bridges. Bus ride to start was well organized (I parked in Del Mar), few street closures needed, adequate water and snacks at finish. Several “stores of refuge” to sip on coffee and try to defrost.
Cons; 40 degree start “warmed” up to 58.

A fun low-key run with good water at stations.
PROS-Medium sized group of runners, Very easy and convenient parking and bib pick up, Local hotels and eats more than adequate, Friendly and plentiful spectators especially in Leisure World, Very organized with plenty of volunteers and water.
CONS- Weather can be on the warm side. T-shirts made from synthetic “help you sweat” material (please go back to cotton).

This run is just east of downtown San Diego with adequate parking if you’re familiar with the area could be tricky if you’re not. The running group is on the large side of medium but entire streets are closed off giving runners plenty of room to maneuver.
PROS- Water stations adequate on course however be aware of the bleach infused water at the finish (2015), hooded sweatshirt instead of a shirt, chocolate at the expo and plenty of hills in scenic old neighborhoods.
CONS- Angry car drivers trying to get around closed streets, bleach as preservative in finish line water YUK, some parts of course not so scenic and very loud PA system (bring ear plugs).

I haven’t run this course since they changed the route but if it’s anything like the 14 route expect scenic country roads with big shady trees and horse ranches. I have never experienced hot weather during this run.
PROS- Medium/small group of runners, good water stations, funny running costume contest?, The Queen of England (costume) spectator, convenient parking, adequate snacks, plenty of shade and good starting area.
CONS- Can be very cold at start down at the bottom of a small valley, Lame synthetic T-shirt (please bring back the cotton ones!).
Update 2016: The new course has a little bit more shade and more “out and backs” but is still has very nice scenery. This year the PA system wasn’t very loud and I didn’t see any runners peeing in the bushes and trees along the course. Unfortunately some of the residents in the neighbor hood complained anyway about having there street closed for 3 hours even though they were told months in advance of the date and time. Other residents were much more friendly and came out to enjoy their morning coffee and watch the runners stream past.

This well organized run has a large group of runners which start at the Cabrillo State Park. Parking is easy if you are familiar with Balboa Park. Enjoy the sunrise and the view of downtown across the bay while warming up prior to the start. The first few miles are downhill and in cool weather but don’t get carried away. Acclimate to the heat properly if you want to enjoy this run.
PROS- Nice course, good vibe, good water stations (I recommend training with and bringing your own water).
CONS- Can be very HOT and Humid (Approx. 50/50 chance), Bring water and drink early if it’s hot,