Angels 5K

Here’s a run I’ve done every year since 2013 and it was a better experience this year since the entire course is within the gates of Anaheim Stadium rather then part of it being on City Streets near the freeway. This created a faster course for the serious runners and allowed the production to add more interactive things throughout the course for the walkers like player cutouts to stop to have pictures taken with and a set of two inflatable slides. Like last year they added bubbles but improved it by arranging the bubble makers right next to the actual course so if you decided to go through it you didn’t really lose any time. And they brought the number of bubble makers up to four.
As usual at the 2.5 mile mark you run down a ramp to enter Angel Stadium’s field to run on the warning track. This is always great but you have to dodge the others that will stop in front of you to take a picture.
A whole lot of giveaways and games here at the expo. It’s one of the better ones. You also get to enter the stadium to use their bathrooms.
I wish they could fix the sound system so you can hear the announcements and the National Anthem.

I love this run and chose it over another favorite of mine – The Seal Beach Run. There was also the HollywoodHalf Hollywood 5K happening as well. I am an Angels fan and running through the stadium is always awesome. Hector Santiago passed out Medals and was very accommodating with pictures and is a very cool guy.
The good bits: The course is actually fast even with the drop into the field and the run out. Something about running on the warning tract REALLY gets you going (towards the end of mile 2). Packet pick up the day before was much quicker then last year. The expo was cool with a good mix of everything. You get a great Tee and a Medal. The free ticket voucher is limited like last year but still a cool perk. The promise of a Mike Trout Bobblehead for running 2016 and next year will bring me back.
The Bad…. C’mon people… “Fun Run” and “Run” do not mix. Like so many of these family races it’s time to grow up. You need at least two waves (something many runs are doing lately). The start was chaotic with every causal runner mixed it with people who actually care that this was timed. In the beginning I like so many had to run outside the pylons on the street to avoid the masses who all decided to walk on the left side side by side with their friends and family, There was literally no where else to go. The entire race was like that for me. People were all over the place walking and running all over the place.
To make matters worse as I we finally got to enter the stadium – always a problem with congestion – masses of walkers came from another direction (?) (!) and entered the same small space with us! This is the highlight of the run and people are constantly stopping to take a selfie and you feel like a jackass for asking people to step aside so you can run.
How to fix?
The first thing you can do is empower your MC to instruct the runners of the “Rules of the Road”. Part of this is giving him a sound system that works. These last few years I have been fairly close and you can only hear him from about 50 feet away. People are speaking on stage and I can hear you they are. I couldn’t hear the national anthem.
Disney also does these types of event runs and they are very good about repeating the rules of the road in their media and on site – it doesn’t mean the novices are going to listen but at least they are trying.
Start a “Timed Run” at 7:30am and a “Fun Run/Walk” at 8:30am instead of one big wave at 8am. You had at least 4500. You can do this.
A few other tidbits:
The bathrooms in the stadium are open – if one seems crowded just so to the next set – very few people do this.
And… because the the stadium is open you have some chances at cool infield pics as you go to the restroom – instead of being a jackhole and blocking runners on the warning tract.
There are also some opportunities to have some pictures taken with Angel player standees for the Fun Runners.
This could be an Amazingly Fast Run towards anyone’s PR if they could figure out a way to separate the Runners from Fun Runners. I Hope they do!
I will be back next year.
This was 200th Run since June 2012!