Runner Bee's Staging Area

First world marathon major for me so I had high hopes for this race, but as always never go in with high expectations because it was a bit of a letdown as a “major” (I’ve seen better productions from non-majors). Entered the lottery around November 2022 and results were announced in early December. This was my first time applying for the Berlin lottery so it seemed like it was fairly easy to get in (unlike London, which is Mission Impossible).

Expo: Held at the old airport on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before the race. I went on Friday afternoon and the process was fairly smooth. Upon entry I was given a blue wristband (not to be taken off until after the race) as the volunteers would check the wristband and bib to prevent unauthorized runners on race day. It was a bit annoying to have the wristband around on Saturday so if you don’t want to be stuck with a wristband I suggest going on the last day of the expo (unless you want to get the merchandise as they may be sold out by then). In addition to the bib, I rented a ChampionChip for timing to tie to our shoes to record time (why we are still using these timing chips is beyond me, I thought most chips are attached to the back of the bib these days, not to mention we were supposed to return these ChampionChips after the race, extra hassle). The good thing is registration comes with free public transportation from Thursday through race day so it was nice not having to worry about how to get to and fro. I also picked up a finisher shirt (a bit awkward to get the finisher shirt before the race) but race entry (163 EUR) didn’t include any shirt. I believe next year (50th anniversary) the race entry will be 205 EUR (26% increase, yikes), not sure if a shirt will included at that price tag.

Race Start: Entrance was right across from the Reichstag building where the volunteers checked your bib and wristband upon entry. I was placed in the last corral (if your expected finish time is at or over 5 hours you’d be placed last). This is my main issue with this race. The last two corrals (J and K) started the race around 10:40am, yes you read that right, 10:40am. Within the first hour the sun is already directly above your head which significantly slowed me down with all the heat (within the first six miles no less). If you expect to run for more than five hours, essentially you won’t be done until around 4pm. By the time I started around 10:40am the temperature was in the 60s and ramped up to the 70s in a flash with little to no wind (yet humid). Those in the earlier corrals likely had better weather conditions (and probably amenities, more on that later).

Course: Relatively flat with a few inclines but nothing major. Scenery was just so-so until near the finish line upon running through the Brandenburg Gate (that was nice). Some drumming for entertainment but not a whole lot (I prefer more upbeat music over drumming though).

Aid Stations: On-course refreshment included apples, bananas, water, warm sweet tea, and a mystery sugary drink (they called this “drink mix”, I had a sip and thought it had an odd taste). I had to devour apples and bananas as my lunch because essentially I didn’t finish until around 4pm. Not sure why they didn’t offer electrolytes or gels on course, those would be way more beneficial than offering tea which dehydrates. I also saw a bunch of gel packaging on the ground near all aid-stations which led me to believe that gels were offered at one point but obviously ran out for those starting in the latter corrals, but that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part of the race was the porta-potties. I’ve only used it once on course during the first half of the race, but all the stalls went out of toilet paper. Now, this being a ~48K runner race that it’s understandable for stalls to run out of toilet paper, especially for those starting in the last corral, but as a world major you’d think they have more supplies in stock or improve from prior years, but nope.

Crowd Support: Plenty of spectators throughout the course (crowd cheering on your name printed on the bib). Sidebar: the hotel I stayed at offered pasta party the night before the race, despite it not being within vicinity by any means (~30 min train ride to the race), so the city seemed committed to this event.

Race Finish: I thought the Brandenburg Gate was the finish line but apparently it was about 400 meters further out (I actually started walking after crossing the Brandenburg Gate, making a fool of myself before realizing it wasn’t the finish line hah).

Post-Race Refreshment: Bottled water, a few bite sized snacks, and a banana. Water and tea were offered at the finish area as well.

Swag: None. I opted for a poncho instead of a drop bag so if that’s considered as a swag then sure. Other than that nada. Any other items you’d need to order upon registration or buy at the expo (I bought the finisher shirt upon signup and picked up at the expo).

Final Thoughts: My performance was pretty bad considering this was a flat course, which I believe partly stemmed from the lack of fuel (i.e. electrolytes and gels) and the heat/humidity due to late start. Overall the production was disappointing considering this race being a world major per the points mentioned above (if it was any other regular race, I would have thought it was fine). On the other hand, it was an amazing feeling to run at a race where a world record was broken (Tigst Assefa broke the women’s marathon world record at 2:11:53, though she probably already started drinking her beer before I finished my 10k with the late start). It’s certainly a “must-run” race for marathoners based on its world major status, but other than that I probably wouldn’t run it again.

This race has been a long time coming because I originally signed up to run it in 2020 (which of course was cancelled due to the pandemic), so instead runners were offered a 75% credit towards a future race up through 2025. Decided to use the credit this year because who knows when the country will be in lockdown mode again.

Expo: Held at the convention center in downtown Vancouver next to the harbor Friday and Saturday before the race. I went Friday afternoon and parked at a nearby lot for $9 CAD (hourly rate); it would probably have been easier to use public transit instead as the expo was only a few blocks from a skytrain station. Gear check was only available at the expo meaning runners couldn’t check in their gear at race start which was a bit cumbersome. Luckily the temperature didn’t fluctuate much between race start and finish but if it did it’d have been a hassle to shed clothing (saw some runners carrying the gear check bags while racing).

Weather: Low 50s (Fahrenheit); sprinkled a little bit before the start of the race but quickly subsided. Perfect running weather (cloudy with little to no wind and not too hot).

Race Start: Signed up for the race shuttle at Patterson Station for about $7 CAD a few weeks before the race so I didn’t need to try to figure out the bus system early in the morning to get to Queen Elizabeth Park where the race began. Bus left at 7:15am sharp and got to the park around 7:30am (race started at 8:30am). Runners were given a Compass card for unlimited ride within 90 minutes to get to the race start, however since I signed up for the shuttle I used the Compass card after race finish instead to get back to my Airbnb.

Course: Not sure where I got the impression that this was supposed to be relatively flat, but boy was I wrong. My Garmin showed a total elevation gain of 2,258 ft which was even more than Big Sur and that was completely insane. However the course was scenic and provided a great snapshot of the city from a tourist perspective, passing by UBC, Stanley Park along the notorious Seawall, and finishing in downtown Vancouver.

Aid Stations: Water at every station although for the first 10 miles or so I didn’t see much electrolytes offered (Nuun; or maybe they ran out? No clue). Gummy gels were offered at Miles 8 (13km), 13 (21km), and 19 (31km).

Crowd Support: Spectators were consistent throughout the race (crowd cheering on your name printed on the bib). Great vibe.

Post-Race Refreshment: Bottled water, energy bars, a banana, two small bags of chips, and a turkey sandwich.

Swag: Short sleeve tech shirt, a pair of gloves featuring the race sponsor (BMO), and a reusable gear check tote bag. The medal design was pretty random with a tiger looking animal on the back. Not sure if it represented Vancouver’s mascot of some sort?

Final Thoughts: Ran nonstop up ’til around Mile 23 when the pain around my lower back and thighs became excruciating. Pacing groups included a run/walk option which was rare. Overall this was a good race (advertised to be the biggest marathon in Canada) but it was much hillier than expected at a total elevation gain of 2k+ ft.

Signed up for this race last year since I was planning a trip to the Yosemite National Park but it was sold out by early this year. This was my first race with VR but the race always seemed to fall on mother’s day weekend annually.

Bib Pickup: Held at the Recreation Point Campground in Bass Lake which was not easy to find; thought I got lost for a while due to the lack of cell reception in the area but turned out I wasn’t (ended up arriving at around 6:30pm before bib pickup closed at 7pm; the expo supposedly closed at 6pm, but there were still race merchandise available for purchase when I got there). Race fee included a technical t-shirt, an eco-friendly collapsible cup, and free photos (although I only saw two photographers on the course), overall a bit expensive considering it’s a half but understand they also have to cover costs for shuttle buses etc.

Shuttle: This year they offered shuttle pickup/dropoff at the new Oakhurst hotels which I heard were built in the last year or so. I wish the organizers provided more information as to how often the shuttle buses were being dispatched (every 20 minutes or every hour)? I asked during bib pickup but the race crew weren’t sure. This would have saved us from waiting in the cold before race start, although this year it wasn’t that bad (around low 40s) but they did provide gear check to drop off your jackets before the race start so that helped. Hot chocolate and coffee were provided prior to race start as well.

Course: First 5-6 miles were on rough dirt road as advertised. I got injured the week prior to race so I was extra careful in navigating through the uneven surface but saw a few runners almost tripped. Most of the more scenic views of the Sierra National Forest were during this section of the course which was unfortunate because I felt like I spent too much time watching my steps versus enjoying the scenery. The next 4-5 miles or so were on the notorious downhill paved road where in some cases we were running next to some abandoned logs of dead trees. The final 3 miles made up of small rolling hills which was tough especially after running downhill immediately prior. My watch recorded 0.7 miles more than the official marker but it could be due to me weaving through all the trail obstacles.

Crowd Support: Some around Bass Lake in the last few miles but virtually none in the first ten miles or so which was understandable due to the remoteness of the earlier sections.

Post-race goodies: Chocolate milk, banana, and some vegan snacks. For water you’d have to use that reusable cup you got from the start so the zero waste policy was taken very seriously. Got an email saying they were short on medals due to supply chain delay but luckily I was able to get one upon race finish.

Final Thoughts: After race finish I had to ask around to find gear check as the whole setup was hidden behind the trees which I found odd, wouldn’t it be better to make it more visible for runners? While the production seemed solid overall, I wouldn’t do this race again considering it seemed to have been touted by most as a PR race yet almost half of the race was on a rough dirt trail, essentially negating the time saved from running downhill. Also, throughout the whole race the only timing maps were at the start and finish; I understand why they wouldn’t put one at the 5k mark due to the rough trail but felt they could have at least added a 10k one during the paved downhill section for official timing.

Expo: Centrally located across the street from the Oslo City Hall and the Nobel Peace Center. Packet pickup was seamless. Race entry included bib with timing chip and drawstring bag; I paid an additional 100 NOK for the race shirt as memorabilia.

Race start: held just outside the Expo; I couldn’t find the signs for bag check and had to ask one of the volunteers for directions. The bags were not held by the volunteers but instead they served as security guards to the area. In my opinion I prefer them checking in the bags instead of us organizing our own and walk in/out by ourselves for security purposes. There were only two waves for marathons (9:25am for elites and 9:30am for everyone else). Additional corrals would be helpful as it was a bit difficult to pace in the beginning of the congested race.

Weather: 20 degree Celsius with little breeze. A lot warmer than I expected in Scandinavia for the fall.

Course: A lot more challenging than expected. The course essentially repeated the half marathon course which made it a bit more predictable and lackluster. The race passed by Vigeland Park and downtown Oslo with never-ending rolling hills in 200 ft+ elevation. As a road runner, the worst part about this was running in a combination of asphalt/cobblestones/gravel which mirrors that of a trail race. I constantly found myself slowing down to keep my balance to avoid any injury. Saw someone running barefoot, kudos to him but ouch!

Aid Stations: Water/electrolyte at every station and bananas/pepsi at later stations. Red bull and coffee mixed with pepsi (weird combo) was provided at one point as well.

Crowd Support: Perhaps the best part about this race. Spectators shouted my name many times (printed on bib) with words of encouragement in Norwegian to cheer me on. Amazing people and great vibe!

Race Finish: Pretty standard with medal upon crossing the finish line as well as snacks/bottled water/bananas/bread.

Final Thoughts: My performance was disappointing due to cramps and lack of preparation for the course (combination of rolling hills and uneven running surface as described above), but the crowd support was definitely first class. This course is not PR friendly and due to the repetitiveness (running the half marathon course twice) I don’t recommend this race overall.

What could possibly go wrong with a race in paradise? Had high hopes for this race considering it’s one of the largest marathons in the world, but in hindsight I should have gone in with little to zero expectation.

Expo: Held at the Hawaii Convention Center, free trolley transportation was provided to/from Waikiki but my best advice is don’t count on it. The stops were not labeled at all so unless you spotted one of the trolleys with a huge sign that said “Honolulu Marathon Expo” on the road there was no way you could have figured out where the stop was. I asked a cop and some local ambassadors about it but they didn’t seem to have a clue. You’d think a race this big would be organized better.

Race Start: Utter chaos. Heard about the disorganized race start but was told by the production that corral placement would be better enforced this year – didn’t happen. The announcers said many times in English and Japanese that runners were supposed to line up according to their bib colors, but a race with no time limit meant you had walkers who were not trained on proper race etiquette lining up in the front such that they walked right off the bat, creating a huge backlog of runners. I ran the first five miles or so trying to weave through the sea of walkers. The only positive aspect of the race start was the fireworks and the bus that transported runners from Honolulu Zoo to the start line at Ala Moana (highly recommend staying in Waikiki for the race as the walk from my hotel to the zoo was about 10 minutes).

Course: Not too hilly at ~100 ft elevation. Start at Ala Moana, run through Waikiki in the dark and some multi-million dollar homes near Kahala Beach to finally finish at Kapiolani Park. Scenery was just mediocre, so it’s best not to get your hopes up.

Aid Stations: Water and gatorade at every station and three energy gel stations. The pre-race instruction noted that there was energy gel provided at Mile 24 but in actuality that was provided at Mile 22.

Crowd Support: Some but not to the magnitude you’d expect at a large marathon. Some goodies were handed out but they seemed to be catered to Japanese runners only (perhaps sponsored by the tour groups).

Race Finish: After crossing the finish line I was immediately given a shell lei as well as the medal. However, the finisher village was another chaos. There were no signs directing you to the proper area for prize pickup so after running 26.2 miles you had to drag your tired self to every tent looking for the finisher shirt and the infamous malasadas.

Final Thoughts: This isn’t a PR race. In addition to dodging people for the first five miles of the race, running in the heat and humidity is not something I am used to, so that put a damper on my time. In any case, if you want to check Hawaii off on the 50-state challenge then go for it, otherwise don’t bother.

My second women themed race this year (not intentional; race calendar worked out this way coincidentally). Men can participate but they are not eligible for category awards. Signed up for a half hoping to PR but failed miserably (to be discussed later):

Bib pickup: locations to pick up the packet prior to the race are not convenient for me personally. They only had three options (pickup at Title Nine in Berkeley, Palo Alto, and Los Gatos) for pickup prior to race day. Luckily they offered race morning pickup which was what I opted for. I have to admit it was a little bit stressful in the morning because I wasn’t sure if there was going to be a line going into Quarry Lake so I arrived an hour before race start, but luckily the process was seamless. Parking was free for participants and $5 for spectators.

Course: Mix of dirt and paved trails. Personally I am not a fan of dirt roads as it felt like I could slip any minute during my run. Slowed me down quite a bit at this race as I tried to be vigilant. There were also some inclines on this course which wasn’t expected as I was under the impression that it was supposed to be pancake flat (note to self: expect the worst and you will never be disappointed).

Aid Stations: Water and electrolyte at all stations. At the latter stations there were granola bars, gels, cookies, and chocolate. The offerings were pretty good considering the reasonably priced entry fee.

Crowd Support: Virtually none. This is a small local race with less than 200 people running for the half. It can be difficult to motivate yourself to run faster when you are running alone 90% of the time.

Goodies: Nice heather purple shirt, but wasn’t too impressed with the necklace and the generic medal. Would be nice if they print the distance ran on the swags. Oh and you also get a tote bag and a T9 magazine. As for post race food you get strawberries, cuties, bananas, and a bagel. I heard you can get a post-race massage too but I didn’t stick around too long after the race to look into that.

Final Thoughts: There was a tent with race merchandise for sale. Upon closer look you realized that they were selling prior year race shirts. Maybe this is the reason why distances and race years are not printed on the shirts so they can milk this as long as possible?

Overall I like the mermaid running community as the fellow runners and organizers were extremely supportive. My performance was terrible though because of the partial dirt course and lack of motivation during the run, but given the other positive aspects of this race as outlined above I might run it again (probably not the half but other distances).

The Sydney half marathon was the first half and oversea race for me. Having done a few full marathons, I thought this would be a walk in the park and boy was I wrong. Did not expect so many inclines for this race because I was previously under the assumption that this course was relatively flat. Weather was perfect with little to no wind and lots of sunshine. There wasn’t much entertainment on course, but the scenery more than made up for it. The city made a very good effort to turn this into a good experience for runners by ceasing all traffic on the Sydney Harbor Bridge during the run (unlike another race I’ve done where they’ve only allocated a few lanes for the runners on the bridge while cars were zooming by you on the other side) and free transportation for the entire day with show of bib during race day. Finishing at the Opera House was absolutely stunning and made this a very memorable experience for me. I hope to be back for the full next time when I visit again!

On a side note, there wasn’t much swag as half marathoners didn’t get a finisher shirt, but I can’t complain much since we still got a leg massage post race in the recovery village (long wait though)!

Didn’t know what to expect going into this marathon as I never ran an official race before this one, but I figured since it was Disney couldn’t be that bad right? Turned out I had a blast! Officially transformed me from a non-competitive runner to a marathon believer. Course was relatively flat but too much time was spent running in between the parks/ESPN area where the views weren’t anything special. Luckily the live entertainment and characters on course more than made up for the lack of scenery.