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@RunSarahRun

Newport Beach, CA Raving since 2016 Active 5 years, 5 months ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):

    A Snail's Pace

  • Rave race:

    Fit Foodie & Insane Inflatable

  • Race that's calling my name:

    Just about any OCR or ones with a ton of free swag

  • I run because:

    I really like to eat… a lot. =D

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Future Races (1)

Race Distance Location Date Paid
5K Pasadena, CA TBD

Past Races (22)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
10K Los Angeles, CA Sep 23, 2018
10K Los Angeles, CA Sep 23, 2018
5K Silverado, CA Jun 16, 2018
10K Dana Point, CA Nov 23, 2017
Half Marathon San Francisco, CA Nov 5, 2017
10K Paris, France Sep 23, 2017
Sprint Fountain Valley, CA May 27, 2017
5K Newport Beach, CA May 6, 2017
10K London, United Kingdom Apr 17, 2017
5K Irvine, CA Feb 12, 2017
Sprint Chino, CA Jan 29, 2017
Half Marathon Carlsbad, CA Jan 15, 2017
10K Riverside, CA Dec 4, 2016
Half Marathon San Francisco, CA Nov 6, 2016
5K San Diego, CA Oct 22, 2016
5K Buena Park, CA Mar 6, 2016
10K Irvine, CA Mar 5, 2016
15K Las Vegas, NV Feb 28, 2016
10K Sacramento, CA Nov 14, 2015
10K Huntington Beach, CA Oct 25, 2015
5K Buena Park, CA Mar 8, 2015
5K Los Angeles, CA Nov 22, 2014

My Raves

Pros: - super affordable, even last minute (although the 5k did sell out before race day, so don't wait to register. 10k was still available). Under $25 for 10k. - … MORE

Pros:
– super affordable, even last minute (although the 5k did sell out before race day, so don’t wait to register. 10k was still available). Under $25 for 10k.
– good swag: tech shirt, single arm sleeve, cinch bag, tech running hat. If you get in line on the morning of the race, they were giving out: chocolately Bimbo snacks (tasty!), granola-y bar, bagel with cream cheese packets and jelly packets, clear (probably waterproof?) pouch for your phone with a strap that goes around your neck, and a nice Bimbo branded visor with built in sweat band. At the finish line, you get a bottle of water and banana. Since they had leftover bagels, they were giving them out by the sleeve! A full bag!
– fastest male and female win flight & hotel accommodations for two to Madrid, Spain to compete in another race.
– finisher’s medal for all
– Bib pick up the day before the race (easy, fast, hassle free, free parking, Saturday) or you can pick up on the day of the race (Sunday) without paying an extra fee
– flat, easy course, doable for all fitness level

Cons:
– Parking was $15 (expected for LA, but… see third ‘con’ bullet)
– Not a lot of vendors
– course was the absolute worse!!! They had you running up and down Figueroa, looking at the same car dealership, fast food chain and homeless guy. They also have 5k runners crossing through the 10k runners’ course (not safe at all).
– Very crowded, so don’t expect to PR

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Costs: If you sign up early, it's only $20 + fees. You'll pay roughly $25. If you miss it, not to worry. They have tons of 33% off codes they'll … MORE

Costs:
If you sign up early, it’s only $20 + fees. You’ll pay roughly $25. If you miss it, not to worry. They have tons of 33% off codes they’ll post on Facebook.
Parking is $15, which you can pay in advance at bib pick up. (VIP parking is more, but unnecessary.) Same day bib pick up is an additional $10. Mailed bib is an additional $25.

Really good race for beginners as it’s an easy course. You can skip any obstacles that you don’t want to do without penalty. (No burpees or time deduction.) The race also starts pretty late (9am for timed individuals and 10am for timed groups), which is fine because that means I get to sleep in. 🙂

Poor communication… I signed up almost an entire year in advance. Other than my receipt confirmation email, the ONLY other email I got from them was the afternoon before bib pick up time (which is the day before the race). There was no information on Facebook. (They were just posting discount codes to try to get more participants.)

Registration included a cheap white, cotton, gender specific T-shirt and finisher’s medal.

The live band was weak. They had zero freebies from vendors. In fact, the only vendors they had was a taco stand and $6 beer on tap.

DIFFICULTY
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Pro: - Much cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disney races - You get to run through a small part of the theme park - Really fun seeing everyone's costumes - … MORE

Pro:
– Much cheaper than Anaheim and Orlando Disney races
– You get to run through a small part of the theme park
– Really fun seeing everyone’s costumes
– The employees come out and cheer you on through the race
– Large finisher’s medal, gender specific tech shirt, small goodie box with snacks at the finish line + a banana
– Good customer service (especially by Laura Maria); she genuinely cares and want everyone to have a good experience

Con:
– Sucks being in the last coral and released super late to start your run because you miss most of the characters. They either remove the character completely or they tell you you can’t get in line to take pictures with them.
– Do NOT get the $42 Photo Pass. We only got pictures with two characters.
– This didn’t happen to me, but I’ve read that some people didn’t get their race shirts and they ran out of finisher’s medal so some didn’t get them at the end (but will be mailed to them later… still sucks though).
– Only one water station throughout the 10k, which was at the first kilometer. (I didn’t do the half marathon, so I don’t know if they had more water stations.)

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Pros: - great for first time triathletes. Run was flat with clear signs. Bike path was flat, all straight except one U-turn, but short a couple of miles. Swimming was … MORE

Pros:
– great for first time triathletes. Run was flat with clear signs. Bike path was flat, all straight except one U-turn, but short a couple of miles. Swimming was at FVHS outdoor swimming pool, which is great for those that don’t want to do open water (no need for wet suit, no crazy currents)
– no special triathlon fee. I forgot what it’s called but most require a special membership fee that cost about $50 for a day, or more for the year)
– very affordable for a triathlon (I paid $65.84)
– included a finisher’s medal, canvas bag from their sponsor, small water bottle, cotton unisex tshirt, a packet of energy powder and gel
– although not a closed course, the volunteers helped press the crosswalk button, directed traffic and occasionally I saw vehicles pacing runners to ensure safety
– lots of muffins, fruit, water, etc. at the finish line (some were homemade too)
– bib pick up was smooth, easy, not crowded, etc.

Cons:
– the finisher’s medal completely different from what they said it would be, which was a huge disappointment because I had been waiting for over a year to earn the medal. I was told it’d be similar to last year’s medal (which had their logo & name of the race branded into a round piece of wood and wrapped in recycled bicycle chain). Instead, they gave out a cheap round medal with a bubble sticker on top. =(

Overall: small production, not super fancy, but went smoothly and is good practice for future, tougher triathlons

DIFFICULTY
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Flat course, not very scenic and extremely crowded. I'm glad I wasn't trying to PR. I saw several people fall during the 5k. Swag was alright. Soft cotton T-shirt and … MORE

Flat course, not very scenic and extremely crowded. I’m glad I wasn’t trying to PR. I saw several people fall during the 5k.

Swag was alright. Soft cotton T-shirt and a decent looking medal. The age group winners’ medal was very nice. On the back it says 1st, 2nd or 3rd place. First place had lots of color on the front size. 3rd place was made of a rose gold color. Very nice. These were distributed almost immediately after the race. It was nice that you didn’t have to wait hours on end or wait for them to mail it to you.

Free beer was non-alcoholic. I didn’t try it but everyone I went with that did try it didn’t like it. Free Wahoo’s taco was from ONE truck with a single file line. Needless to say the line was just too long for 2300+ runners, so I didn’t bother.

Restrooms were fantastic (because they were clean and were NOT port-a-potties. They were the fair ground’s regular restrooms). Results were available instantly after the race, on laptops they had available.

Freebies at finish line: banana, Perfect Bars (but super small, like the size of your thumb), water, Gatorade and G2

Live band was good. Expo was a-okay. Everything (from registration to bib pick up to the actual race) went smoothly and quickly.

Parking was $8 on Friday and Saturday; $10 on Sunday. Bib pick up available on Friday and Saturday for all three distances, no extra fee for same day pick up.

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It's a wonderful way to see the inside of beautiful Regent's Park of London, UK! You'll see parts of the zoo, statutes, flower beds, lakes, etc. It's a great way … MORE

It’s a wonderful way to see the inside of beautiful Regent’s Park of London, UK! You’ll see parts of the zoo, statutes, flower beds, lakes, etc. It’s a great way to hit a few of the iconic point of interest in one shot. I do wish it was one large lap rather than three laps (and the mile markers start to get confusing if you don’t pay attention or have a running watch).

I like that you’re not forced to buy their shirt as part of the registration fee. It’s optional. Extremely reasonably priced. I believe I paid about $30 USD. I got a race bib, a medal and some chocolates at the end.

At a sub 11 pace, I was towards the very end of the pack. But that’s okay. As I always say “forward is forward” and it’s not about how fast you’re going but having the courage to start and the determination to finish. There was no expo; they had one water stop (near the start) which you’ll pass by three times. It’s definitely not as big of a production compared to the races in the US but it’s very efficient, safe and scenic. I’m glad I did it. Very easy registration and helpful organizers. If you have an international run on your bucket list or you’ll be there for “holiday” as they say (vacation), do it.

DIFFICULTY
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Pro: - nice spread after the finish line (Nutella, peanut butter, bagels, croissants, water, brown rice, grilled chicken strips, Red Vines, cookies, mini muffins, tortilla chips, salsa and bananas) - … MORE

Pro:
– nice spread after the finish line (Nutella, peanut butter, bagels, croissants, water, brown rice, grilled chicken strips, Red Vines, cookies, mini muffins, tortilla chips, salsa and bananas)
– three friendly vendors giving away free samples of juices and a yogurt drink
– easy bib pick up (day before or day of with no extra charge)
– finishers’ medal, timing chip

Cons:
– the 5k was actually a 6.1k (3.8 miles). I’m not typically one to complain about the exactness of the distance, but come on! That’s a huge difference! I was trying to PR and pushed myself until I realized the distance was way off.
– zero mile markers and one single water station that you pass twice. Fortunately I have a Garmin and I don’t really drink water when I run, so both of these weren’t a huge issue for me, but would definitely be for others
– terrible path (bikers and runners shared the exact same space at the same time, not safe at all), really muddy, ran through an ugly foresty area where we were required to trample tall weeds and branches, way more uphills than downhills
– the bike section of the triathlon were told they had to make 4 laps around the same small circle then hang a right… Lots of sharp turns for the bikers
– very ghetto finish line made out of a few PVC pipes. At least decorate it (no banners, no balloons, no music, nothing at all)!
– volunteers at the end were complete tracker Nazis. I’d rather hear ‘congrats’ and ‘good job’ than “Give me your tracker! Take your tracker off! I need your tracker! Return the tracker!” nonstop.

I definitely would not do this again or recommend it to anyone.

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1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

Great camaraderie by other Spartans. Don't be afraid to do this alone because a fellow Spartan is never too far to give you a boost. Most of the obstacles were … MORE

Great camaraderie by other Spartans. Don’t be afraid to do this alone because a fellow Spartan is never too far to give you a boost. Most of the obstacles were very doable. There were only two that I’d say were near impossible.

No one watches to see if you fill your bucket all the way up with rocks, do all 30 burpees for each failed obstacle, etc.

Obstacles:
Wall climbs (decent amount)
Hurl climb
Atlas carry
Sandbag carry
Bucket brigade
Over, under, through
Barbed wire crawl
Traverse
Cargo net
No foothole wall scaling (hold onto chain and move horizontally on A wall)
Tire flip
Monkey bars
Rigs
Spear throw
Weight drag
Hercules hoist
Mud (into 4 pits, then under a wall)
Slippery wall
Rope climb
Fire jump

DIFFICULTY
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PRODUCTION
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SWAG
3

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Yay: - free parking - relatively flat course (~3 small hills) - excellent community support (lots of random residents cheering) - lots of volunteers cheering and holding funny signs - … MORE

Yay:
– free parking
– relatively flat course (~3 small hills)
– excellent community support (lots of random residents cheering)
– lots of volunteers cheering and holding funny signs
– mile one’s water station has alcohol! I thought it was a myth but someone said it was real
– Gu was provided twice on the half marathon distance (not sure about full)
– love the two gender specific, long sleeve, tech shirts (moisture wicking). Got same size in both but one fit super big. They let me exchange my unworn shirt after the race was over.
– smooth bib pick up and layout of the expo
– good for beginners
– the brown paper bag they hand out to the runners was well done. Not chaotic and didn’t have to worry about them running out of bananas, etc.
– loooooots of port-a-potties along the way
– lots of live band playing music along the way
– distance specific medals
– quick posting finish time results and pictures
– after the race, the giant bib pick up tent had a bunch of heaters on! Awesome place to go and get warm and meet up with others

Nay:
– wasn’t as scenic as I was expecting, but perhaps my expectations were off
– would have been nice to be able to pick up my bib on the day of the race without paying an extra $20 fee
– expo was just okay. It would’ve been nice to have more vendors and free samples

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I got lucky with parking and was able to park super close and for free! The course was actually pretty nice and had variation. Much better than what I expect … MORE

I got lucky with parking and was able to park super close and for free!

The course was actually pretty nice and had variation. Much better than what I expect when I think of Riverside. =) There was a hill at the beginning and a hill at the end. I wore a short sleeved shirt and yoga capris. My face and hands were cold and numb. I wished I had worn some cheapy gloves.

It was well organized. The bib pick up was smooth & quick (and I was able to do this the morning of without paying an extra fee). The shirt was gender specific, moisture wicking and fit really well. The medal was pretty ginormous.

The expo at the end was really weak. Not much giveaways. The free food truck (you pick one out of the… four?) was A-okay!

I was really surprised that they were passing out Bloks (energy gels). There were two spots in the 10k that they handed it out. (My previous run, Golden Gate Half, didn’t even give out any energy gels… and that tends to be expected for longer distances.)

The volunteers and military people were good (keeping the runners safe and hydrated).

OH! I loved the free pictures too!!!

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Nice view as everyone said. It was my first half and I was intimidated as heck by the notorious SF hills but it really wasn't that bad! I'm sad that … MORE

Nice view as everyone said. It was my first half and I was intimidated as heck by the notorious SF hills but it really wasn’t that bad! I’m sad that I probably won’t be wearing the shirt. The sleeves are an awkward length (doesn’t reach wrists, ~3″ too short… and I have T-rex arms!!!). The plastic water bottles were meh. I got a Muscle Milk and stale Kind bar. They were out of bananas!!! I finished 10 minutes after the average finish time so it’s not like I was a straggler… Oh well.

DIFFICULTY
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SCENERY
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SWAG
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This is probably my favorite run from the ~12 or so that I've done. Beautiful scenic route Easy, flat course (some bottle necks here and there) Free photos, finisher's medal, … MORE

This is probably my favorite run from the ~12 or so that I’ve done.
Beautiful scenic route
Easy, flat course (some bottle necks here and there)
Free photos, finisher’s medal, fun
Lots of friendly vendors with generous HEALTHY samples for you to try and take
Only complaints: no bag check (and no warning about it) and some really aggressive runners (but that’s not the run’s fault)

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Knotts/Snoopy is no longer partnered with Renegade & Speech and Language Development Center, so if you missed it in 2016, it's over. (Now they are partnered with Six Flags.) Overall, … MORE

Knotts/Snoopy is no longer partnered with Renegade & Speech and Language Development Center, so if you missed it in 2016, it’s over. (Now they are partnered with Six Flags.)
Overall, easy run. 5k people run through Knotts Berry Farm. 10k people run through Knotts then out into the city streets. Peanuts characters were there to take pictures with you. Cute finisher’s medal and their famous pies are at the finish line. Decent number of vendors and freebies.

DIFFICULTY
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Good swag (moisture wicking hat, sunglasses, finisher's medal, frozen yogurt), advertised as flat but there was a massive hill that we had to do twice, not very scenic, photographer lost … MORE

Good swag (moisture wicking hat, sunglasses, finisher’s medal, frozen yogurt), advertised as flat but there was a massive hill that we had to do twice, not very scenic, photographer lost tons of pictures (run advertised free pictures)

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By far my favorite finisher's medal! It's gorgeous, detailed, big but not gaudy, etc. Registration also comes with a gender specific jacket with the option to have them stitch on … MORE

By far my favorite finisher’s medal! It’s gorgeous, detailed, big but not gaudy, etc. Registration also comes with a gender specific jacket with the option to have them stitch on a picture of the location on the chest area for free. Definitely a jacket you’ll wear again and again. They also give you a cheapy draw string nap sack that will fall apart within a few minutes. I was disappointed that there was no expo or after party as advertised. The actual course was just okay. They did have give out some chocolates at three points during the run. The cup of melted chocolate and items to dip was delicious. Not a race I’d do again but once is good.

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COUCHES for you to rest throughout the course, silly Blerches that chase you, Yetis that pose for photo ops, etc.! They also serve delicious cake along the course and bacon … MORE

COUCHES for you to rest throughout the course, silly Blerches that chase you, Yetis that pose for photo ops, etc.! They also serve delicious cake along the course and bacon covered marshmallows drizzled with chocolate syrup before the run. Awesome swag! Long sleeve, moisture wicking shirts (gender specific YAY), cute stickers, tattoos, sweat band, etc. Also was so fun to meet The Oatmeal (Matt Inman) the day before to get his autograph, cartoon drawn by him, photo, etc. and see him in costume during the run. One of my favorite runs!

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You run along PCH and then U turn back, but you can't see the beach from the path, which was disappointing. The gender specific, moisture wicking shirts were nice. The … MORE

You run along PCH and then U turn back, but you can’t see the beach from the path, which was disappointing. The gender specific, moisture wicking shirts were nice. The finisher’s medal was alright. Not much else to say about it… kind of boring.

Disclaimer: I’m a local, so when I run on the beach, I’m literally next to the sand. This race was not.

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Easy, flat run but bottle necks here and there. Some runners are very aggressive and will push or curse at you. Loved that the Peanuts characters were out and available … MORE

Easy, flat run but bottle necks here and there. Some runners are very aggressive and will push or curse at you. Loved that the Peanuts characters were out and available to take pictures with you. You get a cotton Tshirt, finisher’s medal and slice of pie.

DIFFICULTY
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Lots of vendors and freebies Very family friendly Lots of cheerleaders and various groups supporting, clapping, cheering Not very scenic (you run around the parking lot) Several guest stars including … MORE

Lots of vendors and freebies
Very family friendly
Lots of cheerleaders and various groups supporting, clapping, cheering
Not very scenic (you run around the parking lot)
Several guest stars including AC Green

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