Just the right amount of downhill! The fast and scenic Ventura Marathon is back this year. This point-to-point marathon starts in the eclectic town of Ojai, California and finishes in the vibrant beach town of Ventura. The course winds along the paved paths of the Ojai Valley Trail and Ventura …
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Just the right amount of downhill! The fast and scenic Ventura Marathon is back this year. This point-to-point marathon starts in the eclectic town of Ojai, California and finishes in the vibrant beach town of Ventura. The course winds along the paved paths of the Ojai Valley Trail and Ventura River Trail bringing runners towards the coast and one of Southern California’s most popular surf destinations. The race drops ~900 feet providing a gently downhill course that is crazy fast without the damage of ultra downhill marathons. In 2022 we were California’s 3rd top Boston Marathon Qualifier.
The half starts just South of Ojai, California and winds down roads and the Ojai-Ventura bike path dropping over 500 feet before finishing in Downtown Ventura. The course is FAST and is USATF certified making it a perfect qualifier for the New York Marathon.
The pre- and post-race festival take place in the ridiculously cool Downtown Ventura. Enjoy exhibitor booths, relaxing, post race waffles and craft beer, and then venture into Downtown for shopping, dining, and sight seeing. Ventura is now home to the X-Games.
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Great race, great weather, tough end
Weather was cool at start 48deg. They needed more porta potties as we waited 32 min & almost missed the start! 1st 10 mi we ran thru Ojai., then I … MORE
Weather was cool at start 48deg. They needed more porta potties as we waited 32 min & almost missed the start! 1st 10 mi we ran thru Ojai., then I to bike trail. Aid stations had water & some had Tailwaind. Bike trail was mostly flat with slight downhill with occasional small uphills. The last 5 miles were brutal as we were in full sun & it was hot. It also felt uphill!! I finished with good time, but thought the downhill would make me faster 😩. Food at finish was minimal.
Downhill gem!
This was a great race, overall! Not huge, but still had the feel of a big race. The expo was organized, and I had no problem picking up my bib … MORE
This was a great race, overall! Not huge, but still had the feel of a big race. The expo was organized, and I had no problem picking up my bib and swag, which consisted of my race shirt and a reusable bag. The bus organization race morning was fantastic. They were plenty of busses, and as soon as one was full, they took off to the start. Plenty of portable toilets and water available at the start, along with gear check. The course itself is mainly on a bike path and was a bit rough in a few places, but was marked with caution signs. Plenty of aid stations with water, electrolytes and toilets. A lot more spectators than I expected. Finish line was at the same place as the expo and had a great vibe going. Lots of freebies being handed out by vendors and yummy post-race waffles. Definitely plan on running this one again.
MY NEW FAVORITE HALF!
My first time racing the Ventura Half was a weekend I’ll never forget! When my race in San Francisco got cancelled three weeks ago, I told myself that I would … MORE
My first time racing the Ventura Half was a weekend I’ll never forget! When my race in San Francisco got cancelled three weeks ago, I told myself that I would choose another race and train for a few more weeks because I had come this far. I had been training for 23 weeks and was determined to find a race where I could possibly PR my half. When I came across Ventura, I signed up right away and it was the best decision ever.
Pre-Race Expo:
SO ORGANIZED!!! From 11am-5pm. So many volunteers. Even though the lines for packet pick up were longer right when the Exoo opened (11am), it went quickly and smoothly. Lots of amazing products there with yummy baked goods, massage booth, running shoes booth, sunscreen, awesome merch, etc! Also I lost my driver’s license at the expo and the race director found it ten minutes later. THANK YOU!
The race:
Announcements at start line were clear. We went in several waves in designated pace groups which REALLY HELPED everyone to spread out right from the start. They warned us that at mile four on the bike path we might need to be in single file due to the rough conditions of the ground left by the recent storm but I didn’t even notice that! The race started with a nice downhill in mile one, a bit of an incline in mile two, and more downhills until mile six when the rest of the race seemed to be more like rolling hills. Mountains and scenery were beautiful! LOTS of volunteers helping at aid stations! Plenty of aid stations with water and electrolytes. If you really get after it and dig deep, you can definitely PR this course, but just know that the second half is more rolling and flat than actual downhill. I PR’d my half by five minutes! Several marathoners BQ’d!
Post race expo:
A fun station to take a picture of you with your medal! More race swag too including jackets, shirts, hats, etc. Free drink card (shout out to Lori’s Lemonade—YUM)! Also free waffle breakfast.
Results:
Posted immediately! Also race tracking was provided so friends and family from afar could track any athlete they wanted.
I’ll be back next year! Maybe I’ll run my first marathon!
Breathtaking views, lots of PRs!
I’ve done this race several times and my only complaint is how cold the ling wait to start. It’s a lightening fast course, but the views make you want to … MORE
I’ve done this race several times and my only complaint is how cold the ling wait to start. It’s a lightening fast course, but the views make you want to stop to take pictures. Super fun post race atmosphere too.
Nice downhill course and BQ course
This was my first time running the Ventura Marathon - I needed a qualifying race for Comrades in June. I expected it to be similar to Mountains to Beach which … MORE
This was my first time running the Ventura Marathon – I needed a qualifying race for Comrades in June. I expected it to be similar to Mountains to Beach which is also run from Ojai to Ventura. I found this course to be less of a downhill and seemed a bit more of a “rolling” course ( it is advertised as “Just the right amount of downhill”). Either way, my quads were not as “shot” as they were finishing Mountains to Beach a few years ago – or possibly I was in better downhill running shape as I was training for the hill of Boston and Comrades in the lead up.
The race is somewhat small ( not sure of the exact field size), and the expo was small. However, the race organization was great and the staff and volunteers all very personable. It had been a stormy weekend but luckily the clouds cleared and the rain stopped the night before the race. It absolutely gorgeous at the start of the race early in the morning in Ojai. I stayed with a pace group most of the race which wound through Ojai and vineyards before heading down to Ventura.
The post race breakfast in downtown Ventura was terrific, belgian waffles and all. Nice medal and age group awards as well.
I highly recommend this race.
Kudos to the race orgaizers for this one
This year there were huge storms just before the race weekend. The race organizers had to make the final call to hold the race Saturday morning after some last minute … MORE
This year there were huge storms just before the race weekend. The race organizers had to make the final call to hold the race Saturday morning after some last minute route changes due to road conditions. The course was still certified! The organizers worked tirelessly to make this another great even and race day the weather was perfect. Rian on Saturday, Sun on Sunday, Rain on Monday. Wow
New Half PR and well done race
The Ventura half marathon production was seamless. The website was incredibly thorough, easy to access and navigate and there were proactive notifications for for participants to know when/how to pick … MORE
The Ventura half marathon production was seamless. The website was incredibly thorough, easy to access and navigate and there were proactive notifications for for participants to know when/how to pick up packets, shuttle info, locations, change in finish location, etc.
If you have done Mountains to Beach (and I think there are a couple other races that use this route) then you are familiar with the course. M2B has you run a bit up in Ojai. Ventura Half had its start in Ojai; (shuttle buses at the fairgrounds were plentiful and left regularly and quickly). We started on a school track (so smart), with banners posted along the track for corrals. The course is a net downhill, the first mile is a slight incline, slowest mile of the race. Then there are about 6 miles of mostly fast but not crazy downhill followed by 2-3 miles of net down but some baby inclines to manage. The the last few miles are mostly flat, some short downhills and a few longish inclines just as you are starting to fade. I questioned my ability to hold my pace around mile 11…the flats felt hard. But, I dug in and kept my pace about 20-30 seconds below the pace had set up to that point. Last point 1 felt long, LOL, but it was a .1 with lots of flags and spectators. (the course itself has very few; doesn’t affect me personally). No crowding at the finish, easy to find your crew. It was COLD at the top. I didn’t take a gear-check bag but wish I had. I had an old mylar sheet and some throwaway gloves and man was I glad! But, by mile 10 I was glad I dressed in shorts and tank with arm sleeves. I took my own fuel so can’t comment on the pit stops but they seemed to be well spaced out. I bested my prior Half PR by over a minute, I think, and cut 9 minutes off my last Half in January (Hilly the other way, LOL) I recommend it for a PR or a weekend in Ventura of if you just want to get your race season started.
Great Fast Course
Really pretty course. Be sure to get there with enough time to get to the buses. And make sure you get on the right bus. Pack layers as the weather … MORE
Really pretty course. Be sure to get there with enough time to get to the buses. And make sure you get on the right bus. Pack layers as the weather has been all over the place each year.
As advertised - very fast downhill race
It was my first time running this race hoping to get to qualify for Boston (sub 3). I wanted a slight downhill race, but not an insanely stupid downhill like … MORE
It was my first time running this race hoping to get to qualify for Boston (sub 3). I wanted a slight downhill race, but not an insanely stupid downhill like what Revell advertises. Overall it’s about an 800 foot decent from the beautiful town of Ojai.
Expo was very small, really cool beer vendors. If I wasn’t going for a PR I would have joined In on the fun.
Shuttles were good. school buses take you up to Ojai. A bit bumpy but i dont think public rides invest much into decent shocks.
Medium sized race, so wasn’t a crazy corral start like some of the majors.
Course was absolutely gorgeous in Ojai as the sun rose upon the mountains. a slight uphill around miles 5-7 at a turnaround in town mean you should scale back just a bit, but once you hit the peak and then on the trail, the gradual downhill means you can really open up your stride. The Ojai river trail was so pretty and well shaded, however, this year in 2019 they had to change the course due to construction, which meant shipping you out in the hot sun on a road. There was a really steep hill about mile 17, which I conquered but after mile 20 it started to get really hot and there wasn’t much fan support so times could suffer.
However, the end was well supported and finish line was well stocked with food and waffles!
In other years when the trail isn’t fully closed, you’re more shaded as you don’t hit the open sun until mile 20, but overall I though Ventura did a great job! It’s definitely a PR worthy course; I just missed Boston by a min 55 but I think a bit cooler weather could have helped.
In my opinion, if you’re looking for a gradual downhill race to aid in a PR that’s not a Revell, Ventura is a great option.
I love the location north of LA for a smaller Southern California vibe, and it’s not a crazy big race.
Ventura is like second home to me for a chill vacation spot so I’ll be back sometime to run.
Ran It For a PR
Organization: Smooth sailing, for the most part. Easy packet pick-up with no lines in the afternoon. There were more than enough start line shuttles, and I only had to wait … MORE
Organization: Smooth sailing, for the most part. Easy packet pick-up with no lines in the afternoon. There were more than enough start line shuttles, and I only had to wait a couple minutes in line. Gear check drop off was a little bit of a mess because they handed out bags at the drop point instead of giving you one with your bib. Could be improved by making it clear ahead of time that you can bring and use your own bag for gear check.
Course: I chose this course specifically because it’s almost all downhill for a shot at a PR (which I accomplished). It is an easy course with few sharp turns and despite being run primarily on running/biking path, the race is small enough that it’s never crowded except for the usual 1/4 mile crowding. But the scenery isn’t great. The hills near the start are nice, but your back is to them. The second half of the course runs by a lot of industrial and commercial distribution sites, and sometimes you’re sandwiched between that and a highway. And, yes, Ventura is in the race name, but don’t expect to see the ocean.
Course support: Minimal spectators since you’re running through a sparsely-populated area. Decent turnout at the finish line. Good encouragement from course volunteers, though (no “Almost there!” statements).
Medal: Nice design, but I would appreciate having a half marathon-specific medal.
Shirt: A low-end, unbranded technical shirt. Again, it is not race-specific. This is a relatively expensive race with a corporate sponsor…I’d feel a lot better about the value and being appreciated if there were at least half marathon-specific medals and shirts.
Final note: This race is attractive for a PR chance and as part of a weekend trip to Ventura. But at no point during or after did I think, “Great race, I’ve got to come back.”
Ventura Marathon - Just Do It
This is a good scenic course with up and down hills - not a downhill course in my opinion plenty of rolling hills along the way. I have done this … MORE
This is a good scenic course with up and down hills – not a downhill course in my opinion plenty of rolling hills along the way. I have done this 3 years now and will do it again next year.
A excellent run
The aid stations were excellent. The hydration with water and Nuun was fine. The most unique aspect of the race was that it was mostly flat. The race is recommended … MORE
The aid stations were excellent. The hydration with water and Nuun was fine. The most unique aspect of the race was that it was mostly flat. The race is recommended to others because it was an excellent experience. The course was fine.
Just do it!
I would recommend this race - rolling hills to start - good descent in the middle leading to rolling hills and a flat finish. I will do it again next … MORE
I would recommend this race – rolling hills to start – good descent in the middle leading to rolling hills and a flat finish. I will do it again next year!
LaceUp and Run!
Lexus LaceUp Ventura is the second stop in a four part race series. Packet pickup was at Mission Park from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm on Friday and 7:00 am … MORE
Lexus LaceUp Ventura is the second stop in a four part race series. Packet pickup was at Mission Park from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Friday and 7:00 am – 6:00 pm on Saturday. For Full and Half Marathon participants unable to attend packet pickup on Friday or Saturday, VIP packet pickup was available on Sunday morning for $20. In addition to the Half and Full Marathon on Sunday, there was a 5K and 1 Mile downhill race on Saturday. There was no additional fee for race morning packet pickup for the Saturday races.
Parking on Sunday morning was at the Ventura County Fairgrounds for $5. Although there was plenty of parking available, the line to pay to get in got very backed up. Per the website, the buses for the Full Marathon departed from 4:45 – 5:00 am (with the race starting at 6:40 am) and buses for the Half Marathon departed from 6:00 – 6:15 am (with the race starting at 7:10 am). As I was waiting for a friend, I got on a Half Marathon bus at 6:10 am. We then got to the race start at 6:40 am. As the lines for the porta potties were very long, we immediately got in line to use one. I did not have time to stretch before the start of the race, which flared up my planter fasciitis during the run. I think the race would greatly benefit from having the Half Marathon buses start running earlier.
Of the races I have run in Ventura, this has been my favorite course thus far. While many Ventura races follow the same beach bike path up and down the coast, LaceUp Ventura starts inland in Ojai and finishes in Ventura. The majority of the course was along a bike path that was bordered by oak and eucalyptus trees. Around mile 9.5 the course became less scenic as we passed by oil drilling machinery. The path then paralleled Highway 33 until the final stretch to Mission Park. The course is mostly downhill and very PR friendly.
The aid stations and volunteers were great. They provided runners with water and Nuun. Two of the aid stations had Honeystingers, my favorite fuel. One station gave out full packages of Honeystinger gummies while the other gave out gels.
I felt bad for the faster Full Marathon runners once they caught up to the middle of the pack and slower Half Marathon runners. The first and second place runners had a bike marshall riding ahead of them instructing Half Marathoners to move to the right. All other faster Full Marathon runners were on their own and had to continually ask Half Marathon participants to stay to the right. Other than participants better observing race etiquette, I think some of this could be alleviated if the Full Marathon were to start at the same time as the Half Marathon. At present, the Full Marathon starts half an hour earlier. The middle of the pack and slower Half Marathoners would be even further along in the course and hopefully more spread out before the faster Full Marathoners catch up.
Upon crossing the finish line, I was surprised to see that cups were being handed out rather than full bottles of water. A volunteer gladly filled my handheld water bottle when I asked.
Upon exiting the finisher chute, runners could use tear off vouchers on their bibs to get a Belgium waffle (with optional whipped cream, syrup, fruit, pretzels and cookies) and Sierra Nevada beer. Nuun had a booth with coolers filled with a variety of Nuun flavors for people sample and fill their waterbottles. There were a variety of other vendors selling running related items and services. Free massages were available, but I did not partake in this. Altra hosted a planking competition for a free pair of Altra running shoes. Anyone who uploaded a photo to Instagram using the hashtag #lexuslaceup was able to pickup a print of the photo from the Print Shop booth. LaceUp also provides free race photos, which will be online in the next few days.
There was a lot to do at the finish festival and plenty of reasons to hang out after the race. The walk from the finish festival back to Ventura County Fairgrounds was approximately half a mile.
Any runner who participates in all four of the 2018 LaceUp events (any distance) will receive the LaceUp Challenge Medal upon completion of the series (it spins!). Runners who participated in the Foothill 5k Challenge in April can earn the Best Foot Forward Challenge Medal by running any LaceUp race. The series has also been added to the California Half & Full Marathon Series, which allows additional opportunities for half marathon runners to earn a challenge medal.
Anyone wishing to run 2018 Lexus LaceUp Palos Verdes (November 17th) or Riverside (December 2nd), use code LACEUPSARAH for 10% off.
Be ready for the first 10 miles
This course is similar but different than the Mountains to the Beach Marathon. This one started with a double loop around Ojia that took up the 1st 7+-miles. A lot … MORE
This course is similar but different than the Mountains to the Beach Marathon. This one started with a double loop around Ojia that took up the 1st 7+-miles. A lot of up and down before you head for a long steady downhill (with some rolling hills. Before heading into town for the finish. Really cold at the staging area for the start come prepared!!! Fun race will do again and again! Train for hills this race is not easy but worth every mile!
Merged two great races, had a few issues
This year Lexus Laceup and Ventura Marathon combined to form one event. It had the usual LaceUp expo with plenty of vendors and the beer garden/beach party was a two-day … MORE
This year Lexus Laceup and Ventura Marathon combined to form one event. It had the usual LaceUp expo with plenty of vendors and the beer garden/beach party was a two-day event. The shirts for Laceup this year aren’t the best, not a true tech shirt and the sizing on them is weird so they’re all going to end up going to goodwill. The 5K started extremely late, like 40 minutes. Not sure what the issue was, just kept getting told it would start soon. The warm-up I did before the race was essentially useless by the time we started. The course was just ok. It started with a short climb up Sanjon and went to downtown Ventura. I really wish they had utilized more of the coast and promenade for the race, but I know it’s tough when you have 3 different distances starting in 3 different places finishing in the same spot. The medal is really cool and the post-race party was fun. Loved the free Sierra Nevada beer! Hopefully next year they have more room and tables, once the 1/2 field starting finishing it got really crowded. Would also like to see the food truck option like the other Laceup races, the one brick hard waffle wasn’t cutting it.
First marathon
This was my first marathon. I chose it because it advertised all downhill. Technically, it was downhill but the decline was so gradual it felt flat. The last shuttle to … MORE
This was my first marathon. I chose it because it advertised all downhill. Technically, it was downhill but the decline was so gradual it felt flat.
The last shuttle to the race start was for 4:45 a.m. Like a lot of other people, we were there a little early and took an earlier bus. But then had to wait 1.5 hours to race start! It is cold and dark at 5:00 a.m. The start line area had no lighting except for headlights pointing toward the event people setting up the area.
The race route was well marked. I ended up walking more than half the marathon, so at cut off time I was handed a piece of paper to follow to get to the finish line. I don’t read the listed type of directions well and almost got lost. A map would have been much better.
I was fortunate that the timing mat was still up when I hit the finish line. It was picked up after me and there were still several participants on the course. I know they have to pick it up at some point but I felt back for the remaining runners who worked so hard to finish.
Well-Organized Race with Awesome Swag
I expected a flatter course based on previous participants' reviews, but I heard that they changed the 5K course this year, which had a couple of hills at the beginning. … MORE
I expected a flatter course based on previous participants’ reviews, but I heard that they changed the 5K course this year, which had a couple of hills at the beginning. I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to run along the beach the whole time, but the start/finish line were beautiful and I got to enjoy the sunrise at the start. The race communications were second to none from start to finish and the swag was awesome! Gender-specific tech shirt, large reusable tote bag, water bottle, free photos (both digital & printed ones at the expo) and a beautiful finisher’s medal. We also got a free beer, waffles, fruit, and other snacks post-race while enjoying a live band. The expo was great and parking was pretty easy, too ($10 in the structure adjacent to the Ventura Pier). The only negative thing I have to add is that the 5K started about 30 minutes late without any sort of explanation and it was freezing after I checked my jacket in at the gear check! Will definitely do this race again in the future!
Super Fast Downhill Course
This was a new course for 2017. It was point to point so be sure to plan transportation accordingly. I would also recommend gloves or toss away clothes for the … MORE
This was a new course for 2017. It was point to point so be sure to plan transportation accordingly. I would also recommend gloves or toss away clothes for the start. It’s early and can be chilly further up. Lots of goodies at the finish are included with the race entry. Lines for food tended to be a bit long but totally worth the wait. This is also part of a series. If you do all 4 of their locations in one year you’ll ear a challenge medal! Totally going to do this one again in 2018.
Nicer course than previous
I ran this race as the "6 hour sweeper" to try and help those that were trying to finish under that time. The race was mostly well run. Not all … MORE
I ran this race as the “6 hour sweeper” to try and help those that were trying to finish under that time. The race was mostly well run. Not all downhill but I knew that being familiar with the area, so people needed to be aware. The elevation was shown on the website as well as at the expo. There were many aid stations which were manned by great volunteers, the police helped greatly with traffic control. The last few aid stations provided ice with the water and Nuun which really helped especially once the temperature started climbing. Nice size for the race, small enough to allow the runners to run on the bike path. Didn’t encounter too many others on the path that weren’t running the race – this is probably due to good notice provided in the weeks prior to the race. The street outside the start area for the marathon was not lit up to help those that were parking there or using the porta-potties. A diagram of the start area could have been provided on the website or explained at the expo, as well as showing which streets would be closed in case people were getting dropped off or driving to the start. Small complains compared to the rest of the race which went off smoothly in my opinion.