Surfer’s Path Hang 10/5

Event & Course Description:
Surfer’s Path Hang 10/5 is one of a three race series: Surfer’s Path 10K & 5K in late February; Surfer’s Path Marathon & Capitola Half Marathon in May; Surfer’s Path Hang 10/5 in October. All share much of the same course, except the marathon and half marathon start in Santa Cruz instead of Capitola, and the marathon is a double out and back, with the second leg being unique among the races.

10 and 5 mile runners start together, heading westward along Cliff, Opal Cliff, and E. Cliff Drive, near the shore and between the shore and Corcoran and Schwann Lagoons. At 7th Avenue in Santa Cruz runners turn inland near the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor and cross Arana Gulch, which feeds Woods Lagoon and the Harbor. Just before the gulch runners go onto the Arana Gulch Trail, cross it, do a half mile loop and begin the return leg to Capitola.

The course has some sea and beach views, but some of it is among vacation homes, bungalows, and a mildly funky business district. There were several beaches along the way, so runners did see surfers in wet-suits with their boards. The course features several short rolling hills, and except for a dirt section of the Arana Gulch Trail loop, is paved streets. The temperature during the race was in the 60s.

Organization & Production:
The race website information is very complete, with maps and elevation profiles, schedule, and parking information. As I often say, runners simply need to worry about getting there and running their race. The organizer, Lifestyle Escapes, didn’t send out a pre-race email, but it really would not have been necessary.

There were 3 aid stations, with water and friendly volunteers. While the course map was entirely adequate, the course was marked with lots of chalk or flour arrows, and there were lots of encouraging volunteers along the course, as well as course marshals at key points.

The course is maintained for a minimum 15 minute mile pace. Slower people, like me, would have to follow traffic laws, beginning some time after the half-way point. Being slow (DLF), I had to do that. It did not impact what I did much, other than staying in bike lanes or on the sidewalk the last 4 or 4 1/2 miles. I was able to top off my water bottle at the mile 6 aid station. After that the other aid stations had already packed and left, as had whatever good stuff was happening in the finish area, including the finish arch.

BUT! I had my wife let the organizers know I was still coming. That everything was dismantled was due to time limits in the organizer’s contract with the City of Capitola. The start/finish area was in a touristy commercial area, so stores would be upset if their normal business traffic were disrupted. The race directors hung out until I finished, as did the photographer. The RDs were super nice people and had a goodie bag for me. Tipping off my conclusion somewhat, it’s to a fair degree because of them that I am considering doing their 10K next February.

Swag & Goodies:

Bib: The bib is really nice. The background is a close-up picture of a large wave. At the top is the name of the race. In the middle left is the bib number, with the race logo to the right of it Across the bottom, in dark blue script is the locations and year.

T-Shirt: The race T-shirt was handed out to people as they finished. This generally makes me a bit nervous, since I’ve had a poor experience with that kind of arrangement. However they managed it, I did receive a Tee in my size even though I finished last. The shirt is fairly simple, but likely to be a favorite. The shirt is tech type and maroon, a color I like. The front simply has the name of the race series, “Surfer’s Path” in script. The back has a surf board with three S-curved stripes: light blue changing to dark blue; white; orange changing to yellow. Across the board is the race name, and below is the year

Finisher’s Medal: I’m going to “cheat” a little with my description, courtesy of a Facebook friend who posted a picture of the medal (he’s fast). One of the things that didn’t go well for the organizer is that 2 of the 3 boxes of medals went astray. So most who did the 10 mile distance didn’t receive a medal, as probably did a few who did the 5 mile distance. This is something outside of the organizer’s control, and occasionally happens to the very best. The medal is in the shape of a surf board, with the name of the race and year like a banner across the top. The board is very similar to the one on the race T-shirt, with blue, white, and orange S-curved stripes. The medallion is not huge, but it is a very decent size. The ribbon features curved stripes in the same colors as the medallion, with “Surfer’s Path” and “2017” along the ribbon. I received my medal by mail 11 days after the race. I was expecting 13 or 15 days, so that went well.

My Results & Opinion of the Race:
I didn’t pay attention to a lot of the shore area I could see in the first couple of miles. As strange as it sounds, I didn’t realize how much I could have seen until the last couple of miles. Being strange, I’m a little disappointed, but know I should not be.. I did notice lots of nice, shaggy, and fragrant eucalyptus trees along much of the course. There was some really gorgeous scenery along the course! None of the hills was especially long or steep, but they were definitely enough to slow one down and burn up energy.

For slow people like me, one has to be aware of the time limit and the adjustments that need to be made for the latter part of the race. Mostly, it’s following normal pedestrian traffic laws and being sure to top off one’s water bottle at mile 4 or 6. Letting the RDs know beforehand that you are slower and giving an estimated finish time would be a good idea.

Have I mentioned yet that I’m slow? More importantly, would I do this event again? It’s a year away, so I’ll just say I would consider it. All in all, Surfer’s Path Hang 10/5 was well organized, and the people organizing it are really nice. All told, it was a very good race experience. I’m definitely interested in the 10K and 5K race next February. While I hope my endurance then will be better than it is now, the race is managed at a 20 minute mile pace, which is slower than I did in this 10-miler.