Superhero Race (Aptos, CA)
Aptos, CA
- 15K, 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved), Trail (Unpaved)
- Official race website
Local Historical Weather (Jun 19):
| 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | |
| H (°F) | 88 | 73 | 73 | 75 | 66 |
| L (°F) | 56 | 49 | 51 | 47 | 52 |
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Simple, well organized, gorgeous course
Course Description: The course, for all three distances, is easily described. Starting in Aptos Village Park, runners go out the drive into the park, and turn onto Aptos Creek Rd., … MORE
Course Description:
The course, for all three distances, is easily described. Starting in Aptos Village Park, runners go out the drive into the park, and turn onto Aptos Creek Rd., following it and the Aptos Creek Fire Rd. into the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park. The course is out-and-back, with different turnaround points for the 5K, 10K, and 15K distances. There were aid stations at each turnaround. About 1/2 of the 15K course was paved road, and about half was packed dirt or packed dirt over old pavement. Simplifying somewhat, the outbound half of the 15K was uphill, and inbound was downhill. From the lowest (the start) to the highest point is about 464 feet. It’s never steep, but the outbound climb is steady and wearing. 90% or more of the 15K course is shaded (nice on a warm day, as it was in 2016).
Organization & Production:
The Superhero Race is small, organized by Fleet Feet Sports, benefiting the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Activity League. The organization is simple, but well done. Registration is done through Fleet Feet’s online store. There are packet pick-up events on the Friday and Saturday before the race at the Fleet Feet stores in Monterey and Aptos, respectively. There is also a half-hour packet pick-up time on race day.
The course is relatively simple, but there were course marshals at the turn near the start, and the one or two points where there were branches from the road followed by the race. There were mile marker signs every mile. The aid stations were water only. By the I got to the station near the 10K turn-around on my inbound leg there was just one, very helpful, volunteer, and when I got to the station at the 5K turnaround no one was there, though there was plenty of water and cups for self-serve.
Coffee was available during the pre-race check-in and mill around time. There was a free kids race – around the Aptos Village Park green – with participation medals.
At the finish area there was a table with water (not chilled), cut up bananas, gluten-free blueberry muffins, and packets of gluten-free granola. The latter two were from a local bakery (the granola was VERY tasty!).
Swag & Goodies:
Bib: The bib is very simple, the race logo (a caped superhero posed before a redwood forest in silhouette), the distances, the date (without the year), and the bib number, all on a white background.
T-Shirt: The men’s race T-shirt is medium blue-violet and polyester-rayon-cotton blend. Across the top of the front is Fleet Feet’s logo. Below that is a shield with “Superhero” across the bottom, a 5-pointed star in the middle with the three distances, and just under “Superhero” is the full date of the race. On the back are Fleet Feet’s logo, the name, distances, and date of the race, and the logos of the other sponsors of the race.
My Results & Opinion of the Race:
The distance I did, 15K, is not a common distance in races, so this was my first time doing that distance. At this point, 32 hours after I finished, I don’t have an official finish time, but I used the stopwatch app on my watch. My pace was a bit faster than 15 1/2 minute miles. The terrain profile was similar, in elevation change, to that of Brazen’s Coyote Hills or of The Jungle Run half marathons. Given that this elevation change was over “just” 15K, I’m pretty happy.
A couple of things set my pre-race expectations. First, while Fleet Feet Sports is a for-profit business, this race was for charity, not for profit. Second, I’ve had my eye on doing at least one race in the Forest of Nicene Marks State Park. So I expected fairly basic organization and a very beautiful course. I was not disappointed!
There was no finisher’s medal. Much as I might like for there to have been one, for the charitable purpose and the size, not having one was a reasonable decision. Having electrolyte drink in at the aid stations addition to water would have been very nice, but given the distances and typical coastal weather, not unreasonable. There were just 2 regular, and 1 handicap accessible portacans in the start area. This was marginally adequate (the line was about 15 minutes long in the half hour before the start time). I’d like to have seen at least one volunteer still at the last aid station (inbound) late in the race. The finish area food table was in an unshaded area near the finish arch. While I like the walk from the arch to the table being short, for the sake of freshness and the comfort of the volunteers, it should have been located in the shade or under a pavilion.
Probably the improvable aspect that came closest to irritating me had to do with race T-shirt distribution. T-shirts were distributed to participants at packet pick-up, first-come-first-served, and people who chose to check in on race day morning were advised in the pre-race email that T-shirt availability was not guaranteed. My size, XL is a popular size, and I had to settle for a 3XL. I had been warned, and chose not to drive 2 hours round trip to the packet pick-up the day before.
I realize that T-shirts are ordered based on the number of registrants at the time of the order, plus an estimate of how many late registrants there will be. Too large an estimate of late registrants is less money for the charity. That said, I think early registration should be encouraged. The alternative I would suggest is that T-shirts be reserved for people who had registered 2 weeks (however long it takes to send in the order and receive the shirts) or more before race day, and remaining shirts distributed to late registrants as they finish.
I wish I could devote as much time to the beauty of the course as I did, above, to the little things that could be improved. I’ve lived in Silicon Valley over half my life, and knew the course for this race would be through a redwood forest. So I expected the course to be really beautiful. It! Was! Tall redwoods, and lots of other, deciduous, trees. The course followed Aptos Creek up into the park, which added to the visual and aural beauty. The course crossed three bridges (twice each, of course), two of which were of wood construction. This race isn’t “bucket-list-grade”, but it certainly is a hidden gem! My 4-shoe Course Scenery rating feels a bit stingy, but it leaves room for 5-shoe courses like SF races that cross the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bottom line time, would I do the Superhero Race again? I will certainly keep it in mind in future years, and consider doing it again. The organization was simple, but well done, and the course is gorgeous.