Sarah Yefimov's Staging Area

I enjoyed this race, I liked that it took you through Modesto rather than the orchards. I like that you got to run through dry creek park and checked out the Virginia corridor for a block. The Modesto Marathon only touches on the orchards and is super flat. Peace Officers Memorial Run takes advantage of perhaps every hill in Modesto(there aren’t many) so that is a nice change. I didn’t pick up a swag bag, so I’m not certain of its contents. You got to run with your local law enforcement, and they run in full uniform! Ouch! But how great I that? I really liked the event as a whole, even afterwards, they had all the different units with their own booths and equipment. I’m talking underwater search and rescue, the bomb squad, the swat team, they brought the horses and the dogs. I personally think that it would be a nice adventure for the kiddos even if you aren’t running. I’ll definitely run next year.

This was their first year, and I felt like it was unorganized. I was told there would be energy gel at the turnaround, there wasn’t even an aid station. At the aid stations they did have, they offered water and a sugar free electrolyte drink, which I won’t drink, it makes me bloated… at the end, I think they had jelly beans at the last few aid stations, but that seems like a choking hazard haha… I’m really disappointed because they had chips on the backs of the bibs, but I did not get my chip time, only my gun time, which really stinks, because I like to go to the very back of the crowd when I start. All that said, I think I will go again next year. The run was nice and flat. There was only about 250 people running the half, so it wasn’t crowded at all, it was easy to get too and everyone was very friendly. Shout out to the ladies with the bananas! You saved me!