West San Jose Kiwanis Resolution Run

Event & Course Description: The Kiwanis Resolution Run 10K and 5K benefits the Kiwanis service club and is run (or walked) on New Year’s Day in Mountain View near the south end of San Francisco Bay. Much of both courses use the eponymous Bay Trail. The views are of low lying marshes, and in the middle of both courses also of the edge of a landscaped golf course. The 10K course was out-and-back, with a little loop near the turn-around, while the 5K return splits off the outbound course about a mile into the return leg and follows a road along the edge of the golf course back to the start/finish area.

Organization & Production: The event is kind of no-frills, but very well done. Parking was plenteous and free. Check-in ran smoothly, the course was well marked, with course marshals at turning points, the water-only aid stations were well stocked with water and friendly volunteers … almost as if West San Jose Kiwanis has been doing this for many years … which they have. If the event is simple, it’s simplicity very well done. There is also a kids’ 1K run and gopher-herd.

Bib: The bib is basic white, with the number and name of the race.

T-Shirt: The T-shirt uses the same artwork the event has been using for at least several years (good use of $$), and this year’s cotton shirt was very red.

Finisher’s Medal: Only age group winners received medals, again good $$ use in an event for a charity.

Finish & Recovery Area: The start/finish area is a part of a park for kite flying, so it doesn’t have picnic benches (or baskets, sorry, Yogi and Boo-Boo). There were several chairs available for people who NEEDED one. There was a goodies table with fruit and snackie stuff.

My Results & Opinion of the Race: 2023 was my 4th time doing this event, hint, hint. It’s a good way to start the year, consistently well organized (including 2022’s short-notice-approval scramble), close to my home, and the ~10 AM start time is, ummm, friendly to those who party hearty New Year’s Eve (I’m boring, but don’t mind a little extra snooze time).

Event & Course Description: The Resolution Run is a 10K and 5K event that benefits Kiwanis run on New Year’s day. I did the 5K (like I did last year). The start and finish was in a large open field. All runners cross about 3/4 of that field, follow a trail that parallels Stevens Creek, and then turn to run along side a marsh. The trail curves around a slough. About 2/3 around the slough 5K runners turn left, while 10K runners continue around the slough and continue along the marsh. 5K runners go about half a miles to a turn-around, then go back around the slough and onto a trail that parallels a golf course access road. Runners are then turned onto the open field again, completing what amounts to a loop with a tail in the middle of it. Meanwhile, 10K runners continued along the mash, did a little loop with a short out-and-back leg, and then came back the way they came. Except for about a half mile at the start and finish which is packed dirt and crushed recycled street pavement, the course is paved (though there are parallel packed dirt paths along some of the trail).

Organization & Production: This race is what I call “register-and-run”. All a runner has to worry about is getting there (not hard) and running or walking their race. Information is complete, there were two pre-race packet pick-up days plus at the event. The aid station that 5K runners went through twice was water-only.

Bib: The 5K bib has a white background with the bib number in the center, the race timing company’s name across the top, and website across the bottom, all in black letters. Plain and functional.

T-Shirt: The race T-shirt is light lime green cotton. The front has the race logo in aqua, white, and purple, including “2020”. The back has sponsors’ logos in purple.

Finisher’s Medal: This race only had medals for over-all and age group place. Others received a “Participant” ribbon. I could have foregone the ribbon, but I suspect it didn’t cost the organizer very much. This is a charity race, so I’m good with the decision not to have finisher’s medals (though some charity races do).

Finish & Recovery Area: In the finish area there were apples, oranges, bananas, and coffee cake. There were no picnic tables or benches in which one could sit – sorely missed by me, but that’s the venue, not something the organizers could change.

My Results & Opinion of the Race: While I was over 6 minutes slower than last year, I was actually expecting a slightly slower finish time. I’m not getting younger. This is a really well done event, and the venue is not very pleasant and not used by many other events. I’ll be considering again next year.

Event & Course Description: As the name suggests, the Kiwanis Resolution Run benefits a Kiwanis service club and through it, the charities it supports. The run has 10K and 5K distances, is run on January 1st, and is run in Mountain View’s Shoreline park. I ran the 5K.

The start and finish was in a large open field. All runners cross about 3/4 of that field, follow a trail that parallels Stevens Creek, and then turn to run along side a marsh. The trail curves around a slough. About 2/3 around the slough 5K runners turn left, while 10K runners continue around the slough and continue along the marsh. 5K runners go about half a miles to a turn-around, then go back around the slough and onto a trail that parallels a golf course access road. Runners are then turned onto the open field again, completing what amounts to a loop with a tail in the middle of it. Meanwhile, 10K runners continued along the mash, did a little loop with a short out-and-back leg, and then came back the way they came. Except for perhaps a half mile at the start and finish which is packed dirt and crushed recycled street pavement, the course is paved (though there are parallel packed dirt paths along some of the trail).

January in the SF Bay Area is not cold like in most of the US, but it is the coldest part of the year. In 2019, skies were clear, temperatures during the run were in the 40s F, and it was very breezy.

Organization & Production: This was a basic well done charity run – register-and-run, as I like to call it. The information on the website was complete and registration easy. There are maps for both distances on the site. Pre-race and race day packet pick-up were done (also race day registration). Probably the one unusual point was that the start times were 10:00 for the 10K and 10:15 for the 5K – allowing for people who had been festive the previous night.

The course was well marked with cones and with course marshals at key points, and there were mile markers. 5K runners passed an aid station at about the 1.7 or 1.8 mile point, though it was on the other side of the trail, and then came back to it, at about the 2.2 or 2.3 mile point. It was water only and well stocked.

Bib: The bib is plain white, with the bib number in red in the middle, and the race timer’s website at the bottom in blue.

T-Shirt: The race T-shirt is dark sky blue cotton-polyester blend. The front has the race logo (yellow is the main color), basically a large circle. Around the outside of the circle are the race name, location, and distances. Below the logo are the year and the name of the specific Kiwanis Club. As usual race sponsors’ logos are on the back of the shirt.

Finisher’s Medal: There was no finisher’s medal. Instead finishers received a blue ribbon with the race logo, name, and date. There were medals for the top over-all finishers and for age group top three.

Finish & Recovery Area: I guess the finish area could be called “no frills”. There were no places to sit, but that’s due to the area of the park used for the race. There were tables where finishers could grab bottles of water. At several more tables there were cut up apples and bananas, sliced blueberry coffee cake, and cut up brownies. As “no frills” goes, it was pretty nice.

My Results & Opinion of the Race: My results were about what I had hoped for, though I probably was held back by 10 or 20 seconds by the bottleneck at the starting arch. In an odd way, nothing exactly stood out to me about the race. The organization was tight, the volunteers helpful the course well managed, the marsh and slough scenery pleasant. The race is definitely family-friendly. I saw one 4YO young lady doing her first 5K, and I saw family groups that had 3 or 4 generations represented (Can you say “Octogenarian”? I knew you could.). The Kiwanis Resolution Run is a really nice community run. Being well done and close to me, I will definitely considerate doing it in 2020 and beyond.