This is a nice , smaller race located in San Diego that takes place in January to keep you on track with your New Year's Resolutions. I was doing to … MORE
This is a nice , smaller race located in San Diego that takes place in January to keep you on track with your New Year’s Resolutions. I was doing to Disneyland Half on Sunday and decided to make it a double by doing this race on Saturday. There was good pre-race communication and the correct amount of emails and updates. For the race I got my packet at the Road Runner Store the day before though they do offer race day packet pick-up. Packet pick-up was easy and included a fine, light blue shirt and the bib. You can also buy anything you need at the store. I needed socks and I didn’t see the brand I usually wear and got Road Runners brand but they were great and my feet were blister free despite 4 half marathons in 9 days. The race is located near Sea World and Old Town so there are lots of hotels nearby though I’m not sure if there are any in walking distance. For race day morning I arrived about an hour early. I just parked in one of the suggested lots. It was about 1/2 mile away. I realized I definitely could have parked closer but it was fine as it allowed a warm up and I already had my bib. The race is in a park and the start/finish area is set up nice. There are a few booths. One had free Celsius energy drinks. There was also a Dunkins booth but you had to pay for coffee and donuts. The start was fairly organized as it’s a smaller race with 300-400 participants there is just one starting area no waves or anything. I just lined up near the back as there is a 3:15 time limit so I knew I would be one of the last finishers. I was a little nervous about the time limit as I picked up another cold and wasn’t feeling 100% but it was such a beautiful day for a run and such a flat course I had no trouble making the time limit. The race started on time. The course was extremely well marked. It seems they learned from their issues from prior years with course markings. There are 3 distances that share parts of the course but everything was very well marked and there were mile markers specific to each race. I really liked the first 4ish miles which were a loop around a little island. It was nice, peaceful, waterfront scenery for most of the race. Not the most exciting scenery every but pleasant views the whole time. After the Island it’s a short kind of loop out and then back to the finish line. Then the last 6 miles are an out and back in the opposite direction. I liked the last 6 miles less. Not really much the fault of the race but since this was a multiuse paved trail there were lots of bikers and people slowly walking who were not participating in the race. It was also a bit chaotic by the start/finish line since a lot of participants who finished the shorter races were walking on the path back to their car. This wasn’t really any worse than any other race that has an open public path. There were sufficient aid stations with water and electrolyte drinks and one had gels. Although it was a little disappointing the last aid station was closing down as I approached it. They still offered water but I wish they would have waited like 5 to 10 minutes before breaking it down as I was well within the time cutoff and it is always disappointing to see volunteers more focused on clean-up than cheering on runners. The finish line are was nice and I was happy with my time especially since I wasn’t feeling 100%. The medal is solid for a race like this probably average or slightly below average compared to all my half marathons but what I would expect from a smaller, more laid back race like this. There was okay snacks at the end with granola bars, fruit etc. I saw coconut water set up but they appeared to run out. I was still able to get a free Celsius energy drink. Overall this was a solid race. It’s not the greatest or most exciting race in the world but it met expectations and I had a nice time. I have done several half marathons in California and this would definitely not be my first choice for 50 staters but I would definitely recommend it to locals and it was worth the short trip down to San Diego to get an extra half marathon in. If I was still living in Southern California I’d definitely do this race again.
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Nice Start to the New Year
This is a nice , smaller race located in San Diego that takes place in January to keep you on track with your New Year's Resolutions. I was doing to … MORE
This is a nice , smaller race located in San Diego that takes place in January to keep you on track with your New Year’s Resolutions. I was doing to Disneyland Half on Sunday and decided to make it a double by doing this race on Saturday. There was good pre-race communication and the correct amount of emails and updates. For the race I got my packet at the Road Runner Store the day before though they do offer race day packet pick-up. Packet pick-up was easy and included a fine, light blue shirt and the bib. You can also buy anything you need at the store. I needed socks and I didn’t see the brand I usually wear and got Road Runners brand but they were great and my feet were blister free despite 4 half marathons in 9 days. The race is located near Sea World and Old Town so there are lots of hotels nearby though I’m not sure if there are any in walking distance. For race day morning I arrived about an hour early. I just parked in one of the suggested lots. It was about 1/2 mile away. I realized I definitely could have parked closer but it was fine as it allowed a warm up and I already had my bib. The race is in a park and the start/finish area is set up nice. There are a few booths. One had free Celsius energy drinks. There was also a Dunkins booth but you had to pay for coffee and donuts. The start was fairly organized as it’s a smaller race with 300-400 participants there is just one starting area no waves or anything. I just lined up near the back as there is a 3:15 time limit so I knew I would be one of the last finishers. I was a little nervous about the time limit as I picked up another cold and wasn’t feeling 100% but it was such a beautiful day for a run and such a flat course I had no trouble making the time limit. The race started on time. The course was extremely well marked. It seems they learned from their issues from prior years with course markings. There are 3 distances that share parts of the course but everything was very well marked and there were mile markers specific to each race. I really liked the first 4ish miles which were a loop around a little island. It was nice, peaceful, waterfront scenery for most of the race. Not the most exciting scenery every but pleasant views the whole time. After the Island it’s a short kind of loop out and then back to the finish line. Then the last 6 miles are an out and back in the opposite direction. I liked the last 6 miles less. Not really much the fault of the race but since this was a multiuse paved trail there were lots of bikers and people slowly walking who were not participating in the race. It was also a bit chaotic by the start/finish line since a lot of participants who finished the shorter races were walking on the path back to their car. This wasn’t really any worse than any other race that has an open public path. There were sufficient aid stations with water and electrolyte drinks and one had gels. Although it was a little disappointing the last aid station was closing down as I approached it. They still offered water but I wish they would have waited like 5 to 10 minutes before breaking it down as I was well within the time cutoff and it is always disappointing to see volunteers more focused on clean-up than cheering on runners. The finish line are was nice and I was happy with my time especially since I wasn’t feeling 100%. The medal is solid for a race like this probably average or slightly below average compared to all my half marathons but what I would expect from a smaller, more laid back race like this. There was okay snacks at the end with granola bars, fruit etc. I saw coconut water set up but they appeared to run out. I was still able to get a free Celsius energy drink. Overall this was a solid race. It’s not the greatest or most exciting race in the world but it met expectations and I had a nice time. I have done several half marathons in California and this would definitely not be my first choice for 50 staters but I would definitely recommend it to locals and it was worth the short trip down to San Diego to get an extra half marathon in. If I was still living in Southern California I’d definitely do this race again.
Good Run For A PB
Great flat course that never got too crowded that you couldn’t pass when you needed to. Get there earlier than you typically would to park- Line to park took way … MORE
Great flat course that never got too crowded that you couldn’t pass when you needed to. Get there earlier than you typically would to park- Line to park took way longer than it did in the past, so it left us along with many half marathoners running to the start.
Post race celebration was bare minimum, but it seems like a lot of races are leaning towards virtual offers than booths on race day. Booths that were there: Celsius, SD Police, Bathroom refurb, and Dunkin Donuts. A bit of a random mix for a race day.
The free photos were great and plentiful, about 3-4 locations for 10k along the course. I’d recommend this race to anyone, experienced or beginner.
Swag was average for a race this size, combo 5k/10k medal & a shirt.
Nice half marathon in January
Nice flat half marathon in early January in San Diego. Good for staying in shape during winter months or long run for spring marathon training. Package pick up - was … MORE
Nice flat half marathon in early January in San Diego. Good for staying in shape during winter months or long run for spring marathon training.
Package pick up – was coming from Indiana so did not participate in day before package pick up. Did day of race package pick up and had no problems.
Weather – it was clear and ‘cold’ at the start. 42 degrees. Quickly warmed up an hour into the race once the sun came up.
Race area / parking. Race is held in Lagoon / park within Mission Bay Resort area. No problem getting there. Right off major high way. Parking was plentiful and close to start / finish.
Start / course – half marathoners and 10k people started together. About 400 people. No problems. People spread out after half mile or so. The half course is 6 miles once around a lagoon then a down and back for a mile then out thru a park 3 miles and back.
The part around the lake was nice and very scenic. Just runners. Then the part in the park was very crowded due to the general public starting to use the park during the day. Lots of weaving and bobbing around non race people the last 6 miles. Just people. No cars.
Nice and flat. Some very minor rolling hills. As for previous year issues mentioning the course being to short or long my watch measured it at 13.14 miles.
Water stops / volunteers – water stops about every 2 miles and well manned. Water stops / start / finish were well manned by enthusiastic people.
Bling – nice tech t-shirt and medal was a little erasable white board that you could write your New Years resolution on.
Communications – excellent. Received two or 3 pre race emails keeping people informed about the race and any changes.
So all in all a good flat half marathon. Would recommend it if in area.
Can't ask for prettier place in Jan
Wanting to keep a 12m streak going for races, I needed a place that wasn't snowing in January. I love San Diego and wasn't disappointed--perfect running weather. Packet Pick Up … MORE
Wanting to keep a 12m streak going for races, I needed a place that wasn’t snowing in January. I love San Diego and wasn’t disappointed–perfect running weather.
Packet Pick Up was at Road Runner Sports (unpaid endorsement–love their online store, prices are excellent, especially if you pay to be a VIP–it will pay for itself) and deals on last year’s models are always great). It was nice to be in the store to be able to shop and you get a 20% off coupon for use while you’re there. Parking is plentiful so that is nice. Shirt was meh and ran very small. I’m on 5’3″ and a lightweight and a medium was skin tight. Upsized to a L to have some breathing room. It was pretty boring design.
Race morning they said was going to have tight parking and that freaked me out a little. I left my hotel (only 5min away) at 6A to be sure to find parking. I got to the first lot and the road past that was closed. I got a spot and while sitting there, they opened the road so I decided to move the car. Again, since they made a huge deal about how parking was going to be tight, I went to the very next lot and parked. That lot ended up being a 1.5 mile walk to the start!! There was SO much parking I could have gotten within a quarter mile of the start easily.
I was really cold at the start since the sun hadn’t come up yet, it was only 43 degrees. They started about 5 min late which only led to more shivering. People were generally well behaved with self seeding. The course is FLAT as a pancake which is lovely and pretty scenic as you run out onto a little island, run around the edge of that and then back towards the finish line, overshoot that to one direction, double back and overshoot the other direction and then double back. The 5K and 10K share the course with you which wasn’t a problem–it’s the people that come to the park to ride their bikes, run in the opposite direction, walk their dogs or walk 5 abreast with a stroller. That was pretty challenging to navigate. There is a part where you run through packed mud/sand which wasn’t awful but it ended up with dirt in my shoe which was frustrating because that rubbed the rest of the race. Lots of water stops and gels available. Got to watch the birds and water skiers for distraction.
The medal was a “chalk board” that you could use chalk markers to write your resolution on and a magnet on the back. Food options were limited but there were lots of vendor tents. Unfortunately, then had to do the long haul back to the car…By the middle of the race, the temp had warmed to a comfortable 50 and sunny so that was wonderful racing temps.
Short Course, But Good Event
I won a free entry into the Resolution Run through an Instagram contest. Packet pick-up was at Road Runner Sports from 10 am - 2 pm on Saturday. You could … MORE
I won a free entry into the Resolution Run through an Instagram contest.
Packet pick-up was at Road Runner Sports from 10 am – 2 pm on Saturday. You could pick up packets for other people. For those unable to attend packet pick-up, free race morning packet pick-up was available starting 6 am on Sunday morning.
Per the pre-race e-mail, participants should utilize parking lots and street parking up and down East Mission Bay Drive. A map was provided showing general locations of the various parking lots. I arrived about an hour before the race start and was able to locate street parking with only a minimal walk to the start.
The half and 10K started at 7:15 am and the 5K started at 7:30 am. The race started and finished at Tecolote Shores and ran along the flat paved paths through Mission Bay. There were aid stations every 1.5 – 2 miles, each stocked with water, Ultima and Honeystingers (my favorite!). I enjoyed seeing all the various types of birds that call Mission Bay home.
Reading through the previous year reviews, both people commented that the course was poorly marked. For 2019, I found the course adequately marked. The level of markings were consistent with other races of this size. The mile markers were extremely accurate up until mile 10. There was no mile 10 marker. I then hit the mile 11 marker at only 10.3 miles. The mile 12 marker was at 11.3 miles. I reached the finish line at only 12.4 miles. It became apparent that a volunteer had been turning participants around early during the out-and-back portion.
As of this writing, the race has not sent out an e-mail or made an official post on their main Facebook page addressing the short course. However they replied to a comment about it on the Facebook event saying, “Hey everyone! Thank you for your feedback. We are very sorry about the mix-up with the volunteer course marshall. As soon as we heard about it we sent someone to fix it but we are sorry to those affected. In order to make it up to you, when 2020 registration opens, you will be able to sign up for next year for only $49 with code: RESRUN2020. It will be good for 30 days so keep your eyes open! Again, we apologize.”
While disappointed that the course was .7 miles short, mistakes happen. I wouldn’t let this stop me from running the race again next year.
Just before mile 7, the half marathon course passed by the finish line. Like the previous reviewers, I experienced some frustration with 5K and 10K participants who had finished and were utilizing the path to walk back to their vehicles. Many walked in groups and seemed oblivious to runners still on the course. This seems to happen at nearly every race that starts and finishes in Mission Bay and I have come to expect it.
Finish line refreshments included small cups of water (with an area nearby where you could refill a water bottle) and incredibly green bananas (in another few days, it is going to be delicious!). Participants could then go pick up their goody bag. My bag contained a bottle of Detox Water bioactive aloe water, a 6oz can of Bare Republic clearscreen sunscreen spray SPF 30, a .17oz sample of Bare Republic mineral SPF 30 sunscreen lotion for the face, a 13.23oz jar of Hyperbiotics Prebiotic organic prebiotic fiber supplement, a 1.27oz sample of Purely Inspired organic protein plant-based nutrition powder, a 3oz Sans meal bar, a 0.78oz Larabar, a Boude flushable wipe, a small Justin’s peanut butter cup and various race flyers. I was surprised by such great items in the bag.
There were also great vendors at the finish line. I enjoyed a post race stretch offered by Stretch U. GT’s Kombucha had three flavors on tap and were pouring generous 12oz cups of their booch (AND encouraging people to come back for seconds and thirds!). Imperfect Produce was offering 50% off produce boxes for new customers. Statefarm Insurance was giving away fun items (I got a rainbow fannypack… clearly what my life was always missing). Sans was giving away meal bars. I noticed Suja Juice also had a booth, but they packed up before I had a chance to visit. Lorna Jane had a booth selling some of their athletic clothing. There were several other vendors, but those are the ones I specifically remember.
The medal features the year 2019 and a space to write a goal for the year. There are magnets on the back of the medal so that it can be affixed to your refrigerator at home.
Despite the short course, this race was a positive experience and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have run it.
Flat, easy course but not well marked
I ran the half marathon, and my biggest complaint is that the course was not well-marked. I saw several people go the wrong way and have to turn around and … MORE
I ran the half marathon, and my biggest complaint is that the course was not well-marked. I saw several people go the wrong way and have to turn around and come back- probably the worst area was where the 5K/15K/Half marathon split coming off of Fiesta Island and there was ONE person directing traffic- also the half marathoners had to cross BACK across the 5K/15K traffic and there was no one directing people there (saw 3 people go the wrong way there). Also the course was advertised as being stroller and wheelchair friendly but there was a section that was a dirt path. No big deal for runners, but hard if you don’t have an off-road stroller.
There was also a turnaround out by Campland where there was NO volunteer- thank goodness that’s where my husband and kids were waiting to cheer me on as he said he had to redirect multiple runners who didn’t know they had to turn around and kept running down Pacific Beach Drive!
It was challenging running around Mission Bay on the public path, as there were a lot of people walking 3 and 4 wide on the path. (The worst offenders were those who had completed the 5K and were walking back to their cars- so a suggestion for the race directors might be to ask people after they’ve finished their race to NOT walk on the racecourse!) There was a lot of weaving to be done as it is already an out-and-back on a narrow path, plus public pedestrians, bikes, etc.
Some of the waterstops were also understaffed- passed one on Fiesta Island with only one volunteer. Poor thing.
If you like exciting races with lots of crowd support, this one is not for you. Even most of the volunteers along the course weren’t cheering much if at all. I did love the happy spirit of the dancers at the split at Fiesta Island, though!
Some pros though were that I thought this race was very reasonably priced and I was very happy with the SWAG we got for the price (the medal was great, loved all the snacks in the goody bag). The post-race expo was great, and I really appreciate the company’s green initiatives. It was also great that you could pick up your bib on race morning if you wanted to rather than have to drive out to packet pickup.
All three courses were short.
All three courses were short. Courses were not well marked and there were almost no course marshals, and no lead bike. It was not always clear which way to go. MORE
All three courses were short. Courses were not well marked and there were almost no course marshals, and no lead bike. It was not always clear which way to go.