Ellen Lee's Staging Area

after the months of hard training & early morning wake up calls, running in the cold, heat, wind, rain, on pavement, on gravel, in mud (when it rained), all of my efforts paid off in modesto on march 11, 2018.

note that the modesto marathon isn’t just a marathon, it offers several distances, something for everyone:
1. full marathon
2. half marathon
3. half marathon relay
4. 5k

what i liked about this race:
-reasonable race entry fee, i paid $112 (incl. taxes) for the full marathon, and this was just 11 days before race day (late entry fee)
-pre race expo the day before, allowing runners to pick up their bibs, shirts, etc and figure out where to eat pre-race & post-race meals
-weather was perfect, about 43 & foggy at the start, no wind, and somewhere in the mid 50s & sunny when i finished (much warmer for others who finished later)
-dedicated pacers for most boston qualifying times (marathon), and common goal times (half marathon)
-mid-sized event, with ~600 marathoners & ~1200 half marathoners toeing the start line together
-course was pancake flat, with just 1 uphill & downhill ramp (which we had to cross twice, near mile 4 and again at mile 24)
-very accurate distance, according to my garmin, i ran 26.26mi which is pretty much spot on for the official marathon distance
-plenty of aid stations along the way
-friendly volunteers
-quite a few cheer stations, folks dressed up in costume, spectators cheering their loved ones, and even farmers who came out and shook their cow bells at us!
-a bright red, technical fiber short-sleeve t and a black fleece-lined zip hoodie
-the finisher medal was about 5 1/2″ long, which was the largest medal i’d ever received for completing a race!
-for those who bq’d (qualified for boston), we earned a fluorescent yellow tshirt with “I BQ’d at the Modesto Marathon” on the back and a bumper sticker
-since i placed 2nd in my age group, i was also awarded an insulated coffee cup…this was a complete surprise since i never expected to place at a large event!

what i did not like about this race:
-the course was not very scenic, and near the turnaround point (mile 14), it was actually quite boring, just looking at farm after farm
-would have liked more music along the course, especially after the full & half marathon split and the course emptied out a bit…there were a couple of music stations, but not many, and i would only hear the music for 5-10 seconds at a time
-average post-race food spread. i saw only some bars, mini-boxes of raisins, chocolate milk, clementines, and water (which was given out right after the finish arch). would have liked some heavier carbs, especially for the full marathon finishers…maybe bagels and bananas?
-there was electrolyte fluid (powerade/gatorade) available at the medical tent, which was inside and shaded, but i didn’t see any electrolytes at the finisher food area…this would have been helpful especially given the rising temps and hot sun

despite the minor shortcomings, i really enjoyed this event, and it will always hold a special place in my heart and my running career b/c i will remember modesto as the place where i qualified for the boston marathon, also known as the holy grail of marathons, the biggest/grandest of the world major marathons.

if you’re looking for a race to run a personal best or qualify for boston, look no further….sign up for the modesto marathon! 2019 is their 10yr anniversary which is sure to be the best yet!

i ran the oktoberun 5k in 2014 and 2015, but unfortunately was unable to participate last year (2016). i was so happy that i was able to fit this into my schedule for 2017, and more importantly, run the half marathon course, since this was one i had my eye on for a couple of years.

as always, the race begins & ends in downtown rwc, by the rcef (redwood city education foundation). despite a major heatwave, aka indian summer in late october, the temps actually cooled down by the morning of the race, and it was 51 & sunny, with little humidity just before the start. heck, i was COLD, for the first time in over a week, wearing gloves and a warm jacket during my warmup.

the haffie started at 730, and they were more or less on time, starting just a minute or two after the official start time, but i appreciated that they were verifying that traffic was clear on the course before officially sounding the horn!

since it was a cool, non-humid, non-windy day, with the sun only partially risen, i was able to quickly get into a good rhythm and stride and hit my target pace. there were plenty of water stations along the course, and they also had a halfway check point along the haffie course, to ensure that the half marathoners didn’t get lost or skip parts of the official course. i saw many volunteers on the course, directing traffic to ensure that all of us made the correct turns to stay on course until the very end. there were also some orange cones lining parts of the course.

since i was able to stay focused and patient, i maintained very even splits for the first 10 miles, and had enough energy to push the pace in the last 5k and and sprint across the finish line. did i mention i passed quite a few runners in the final 5k? great feeling, it was. i didn’t fully accept it until i crossed the finish line, but i ended up pr’ing, by a minute, and running 6 minutes faster than my previous half marathon last year.

although this was a certified usa track & field half marathon course, the actual distance ran (according to my garmin) was a tad bit long…i got 13.25mi, which is .14mi longer than the official course time. it inflated my finish time about about a minute, but it wasn’t a big deal, i pr’d anyway!

at the finish line festival, i was greeted with kona water, bananas, noosa yoghurt, kind bars, beanitos bean chips, snack factory apple sticks, and bobo’s oat bar bites…this was quite the spread, and i was quite impressed by these offerings (as were the other runners).

sat october 28th, 2017 was a magical day for me, and now i can say that i ran my personal best half marathon in my home town!

great event, superb organization, flat course, friendly volunteers, delicious & healthy food & beverages at the finish line…what more could i ask for?

one of the leaders in my run club suggested that we do this race as a group/team to show our support for the mountain view firefighters. i didn’t need any extra incentive to sign up, since i was sold on the race beneficiary.

for this event, there was a choice of 2 distances:
1. 10k (6.2 miles)
2. 5k (3.1 miles)

i chose the 5k only b/c i had been on a short running break following the completion of another race.

the pros:
-REASONABLE race fees, $40 for either 5k or 10k. i paid $32 since our group had a discount code for the event.
-takes place at SHORELINE PARK, where you have unobstructed views of the bay. also convenient to 101 & shoreline blvd exit.
-fantastic RACE DAY WEATHER conditions, low-mid 40s and sunny, great for running a personal best!
-SMALL, local race, which meant no crowds and long waiting lines for parking, restrooms, etc
-CLEAR MILE MARKERS and chalked road signs for the 5k, as well as volunteers at the turnaround point (to ensure you don’t run further than you signed up for!)
-FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS assisting at the registration/information booths, handing out water at aid stations along the course, and handing out snacks at the refreshments’ tables post-race.
-FREE and EASY PARKING right next to the start/finish area.
-PORTA-POTTIES at the start/finish area, along with portable hand washing stations with soap, water and paper towels.
-VERY FAMILY FRIENDLY, perfect for families, small children, and strollers.

what you get:
*choice of PACKET PICKUP @ the downtown mountain view fire station the eve of the race or on-site the morning of.
*grey, cotton FINISHER’S TSHIRT
*custom designed SHOULDER BAG with fire fighter logo
*several AID STATIONS with volunteers handing out cups of water
*POST-RACE FOOD & DRINKS, including bagels, bananas, kind bars, coffee cake (compliments of hobee’s restaurant), ice cream (compliments of baskin robbins), life aid energy drinks, and water
*official RESULTS available immediately on-site, via tv screens and self-service laptops

bonuses for top finishers:
*medals for the top 3 men and women per age group for both distances
*customized glass trophies for the 1st male and female finishers for each distance, as well as top masters male & female finishers (age 50 and up)
*despite the slightly late start, i was quite surprised when they announced my name as the top female finisher in the 5k race. i got to take home a shiny, beautiful glass trophy and have my photo taken with the firefighters in the post-race awards ceremony.

the cons:
-the advertised start times were 0900 for the 10k and 0915 for the 5k. however, by the time i got to the start ~906 or 907, it appeared that the 5k race had already begun, several minutes early! i wasn’t alone as a handful of other runners were just as confused, and we all started a few minutes late.
-the 5k was a bit long, as my garmin read 3.18 miles immediately after crossing the finish line. i pretty much knew that i wasn’t going to pr on this course, but it would’ve been nice to have at least a few seconds shaved off for a correctly measured distance.
-my friends who ran the 10k told me that parts of the last mile were confusing/not clearly marked/directed and many of them ended up running more than 6.2mi, therefore having inflated finish times.

despite these minor setbacks, i still very much enjoyed this event, especially since i got to take home a trophy for the first time in my running career.

thank you, to “its your race events” and the mountain view fire department, for putting on this great event. i would definitely sign up again for next year’s event!

keeping to my annual thanksgiving day tradition, i participated in a turkey trot this morning so that i could BURN some calories before CONSUMING lots of calories at this evening’s feast!

participants had a choice of three events to either run, walk or “trot:”: 5k , 10k, or half marathon (13.1 miles). i chose the 10k so i could get in about an hour’s worth of vigorous exercise.

the pros:
-BIB AND TSHIRT PICKUP the morning of the event. there was practically no line when i arrived at 8.20am
-IDEAL RACE DAY WEATHER, with low-mid 40s and sunny skies at the start. although it was very chilly when i first arrived, i warmed up quickly after the first mile or so.
-PLENTIFUL PARKING in the lot adjacent to the start/finish line and post-race refreshments area.
-several park BATHROOM STRUCTURES as well as five porta-potties available
-mostly FLAT COURSE with gentle inclines along coyote creek trail in hellyer county park. the foliage was beautiful as the trail was surrounded by trees with gold, orange, and rust-coloured leaves!
-different COLOURED FLAGS to mark each race distance (hung on tree branches and/or lining the trail), blue flags to mark “wrong direction”
-a wide array of POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS, which included pretzels, chips, candy, m&m’s, graham crackers, mini clif bars, oranges, and even pumpkin pie! they even offered hamburgers and hot dogs, something you don’t normally see after a race!
-FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS assisting with directing parking, bib pickup and registration pre-race, and handing out medals and refreshments post-race. i loved that two of the volunteers were dressed up as a piece of pumpkin pie and a whipped cream bottle, very creative!
-EARLY BIRD registration fees of $35, $40, and $45 for the 5k, 10k, and half distances, respectively. you can also save $5 if you choose not to purchase an official race tshirt.
-COLLEGE STUDENT DISCOUNT of 10% off the registration fee with valid student ID
-COLOURFUL MEDALS awaiting runners at the finish line!
-medals for AGE GROUP WINNERS, 3 deep in each 10-year category, i.e. male 20-29, 30-39, female 20-29, 30-39, etc. since i finished 3rd in my age group, i took home two medals today. 🙂
-CUSTOMISED TURKEY TROT COASTERS for the top 3 overall men and women finishers for each distance. since i was the 3rd female to cross the finish line for the 10k, i got to take home a coaster!
-TURKEY RAFFLE for 20 or so random participants. i actually won a turkey in the random draw!

the cons:
-since hellyer county park is one of the many county parks in santa clara county, there is a parking fee for each vehicle, $6, payable in cash to the ranger at the main gate.
-even though i arrived around 8.15, one hour before the start of the 10k, the line leading to the ranger’s gate was really long and i waited close to 10 minutes before getting to the front of the line. fortunately, i still had ample time to get ready and warmup for the race!
-while it was a nice course, the turnaround points could have been more clearly marked. although the 5k and 10k turnaround points were clearly marked with a cone and paper sign, my friend who ran the half did not see such a turnaround sign nor was she advised by the volunteer at the exact turnaround point that it was time for her to turnaround. she ended up running 13.6 miles, instead of the prescribed 13.1 miles for the half marathon.

for this event, i went home with 2 medals, a coaster, and a 10ish pound turkey! not bad for an hour’s worth of running!

overall, a great family-friendly event to kick off thanksgiving! thank you to the organizers for putting on this event! i am looking forward to participating in this event again next year!

this was my 4th time participating in the rock ‘n roll san jose half marathon, and 6th time attending the race (i came to cheer and spectate in 2010 & 2014). the course remains the same, as does the start/finish area, as well as the plethora of lives bands, cheerleaders, and other lively characters along the course. the volunteers were spectacular, handing out medals, water, and food at the finish line. and let’s not forget all of the volunteers who helped out at the expo and days leading up to the event, since a race for 20,000+ runners take a lot of hard work!

since 2015 was the 10th running of this event, participants received a special commemorative dri-fit tee (in both men’s and women’s cuts) as well as a heavy medal, with a big sparkly 10 in the middle. i cannot lie, one of the main reasons i signed up was for the special tshirt and medal!

the one negative aspect about this year’s event was the parking situation. having participated in this event for several years, i am accustomed to free, dedicated parking at the sap center. even if i arrive late, i still have a spot there, with a slightly longer walk. a few days before race day, i received an email stating that due to another event at the sap center in the afternoon, parking would no longer be available for runners in the adjacent lot. we would have to park at one of the city lots and pay $5 in advance, or find street parking, or take vta, or be dropped off at the start line. this was quite inconvenient and i know that many of my friends were not happy about this last minute change. i had my husband drop me off at the start line since i didn’t want to take a chance of not getting a parking space even with the prepaid parking pass.

aside from the parking snafu, i felt that the overall organization was very smooth and i didn’t even have to wait that long to use the porta-potty before the race!

3 years ago, i ran my very first brazen race in san leandro, and 3 yrs later, 8 brazen races later, i’m still running the same san leandro marina bay shoreline in an attempt to keep running my fastest on this flat, joint-forgiving course with cool and cloudy conditions.

this was my 4th year in a row running the summer breeze half marathon, and 5th time running this exact 13 mile out-and-back course. i will say, the organization, race directors, and volunteers remain superb, as do the well-designed finisher shirts and medals. however, i was a bit disappointed this year with the post-race/finish area food and race distance.

the post-race food/picnic area was moved a couple hundred feet, and after cooling down and stretching, i walked over to find only 1 table with food, and very few choices. the its its ice cream sandwiches had completely run out (meaning that some folks took more than 1 ice cream sammy) and i only saw bagels, pretzels, chips, oreos, and trail mix. this was 1/2, maybe even 1/3 of the normal offerings at a brazen event.

also, the half course seems to have grown longer through the years….when i ran this event 2 yrs ago, it was 13.04 miles (and this is the same year that i fan my fastest haffie ever), but last year it was 13.4 miles, and this year it was 13.2 miles. since i always tend to run the tangents (shortest path possible), i expect to come slightly under 13.1, but that has not been the case as of late.

i still love running the brazen events, and will likely continue to participate in their events, but i hope they bring back the usual post-race spread and measure the distances so that we aren’t running longer than necessary.

a couple of my running buddies had participated in this event in previous years and said great things about it, so i decided to give it a try. in addition to the usual foot races, there was also a carnival for kids at the finish line and all proceeds would benefit education for underprivileged children. i’m definitely a fan of an event that focuses on kids!

for this particular event, there was a choice of 3 distances:
1. half marathon (13.1 miles)
2. 10k (6.2 miles)
3. 5k (3.1 miles)

i signed up for the half marathon since i had a good experience running a half at hellyer park/coyote creek trail last year.

the pros:
-VERY REASONABLE race fees, $30 for the 5k, $35 for the 10k, $60 for the half if you register during the regular registration period. add $5 for late registration and $10 for day of the event (if not sold out).
-FREE and EASY PARKING at hellyer county park. the organizers were kind enough to include the usual $6 parking fee with registration so we didn’t have to queue up and pay at the main gate. just tell the ranger you’re there for the vibha race and they give you a dashboard ticket for the day.
-CLEAR MILE MARKERS for each race distance, in both miles and kilometres. seeing kilometres was definitely a first for me since i’ve only ever raced in the u.s. and all markers are done in miles.
-ACCURATELY MEASURED DISTANCE, as my garmin read 13.09 miles upon crossing the finish line which is pretty much spot on with the official half marathon race distance of 13.1 miles. yes, i ran the tangents which is probably why i came up slightly under, shaving seconds off my finish time!
-FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS directing runners in the parking area, manning aid stations along the course, and keeping the refreshments’ tables well stocked after the race. i especially appreciated one of the aid station volunteers who told me to just throw my cup on the ground and go on with the race and that she’d pick it up after me! that was helpful as i saved some time!
-LOTS of PORTA-POTTIES near the parking and start/finish areas. there wasn’t even a line just before the start of the half marathon and i don’t think i saw anyone else using these after i finished.

what you get:
*choice of PACKET PICKUP for bib, tshirt and goody bag at sunnyvale sports basement 2 days before the race or road runner sports in campbell the day before the race. for those who couldn’t attend either, they could arrive to the race early and pick up their packets on site.
*white, cotton, FINISHER’S SHIRT with a colourful vibha dream mile logo
*navy blue, drawstring GOODY BAG filled with discounts to local retailers
*several AID STATIONS with volunteers handing out cups of water, there were at least 7 aid stations that i counted for the half marathon which was more than sufficient and very much appreciated on this very warm day.
*customised VIBHA DREAM MILE MEDAL for each half marathon finisher – nice perk considering we paid almost twice as much as those who ran the shorter distances.
*TONS of POST-RACE FOOD & DRINKS, including assorted bagels, peanut butter, fruit preserves, cream cheese, sliced bread, bananas, water, coffee, and tea. there was also a line for a full plate of indian food! i skipped this line since it was quite long by the time i got there.
*SPONSORS including sweet tomatoes and ginny bakes passing out muffins, cookies, and granola bars at the finish area.
*AUTOMATED EMAILS with your starting time, split at the turnaround point, and official finish time. gotta love technology!

the cons:
-since the aid stations were not listed on the website, nor were they marked on the course maps, i had to ask 4 or 5 volunteers before someone could tell me where exactly the water & aid stations were. even though the 5th volunteer (after doing some digging herself) told me that the stations were at miles 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, she was wrong as this is not where they were. based on my garmin, the stations were located at approximately 1.6, 2.9, 4.4, 6, 7.9, 9.5, 11, 12.3 miles, respectively. it was a bit challenging to time my water and electrolyte intake since these did not match what the volunteer told me, and i also had to think/calculate the aid stations after the half marathon turnaround point. i think it would be helpful to list these aid stations on the map for future runnings of this event.
-this course was also not very scenic. although we ran through hellyer county park/coyote creek trail, i basically saw one tree after another, after another.
-around mile 11, the half marathon course merged with the 10k course, and around mile 12, all three courses merged together which created quite a bit of congestion especially on such a narrow trail.

i was pleased with my strong finish, as i managed to pass quite a few runners in the second half, and wound up placing 4th in my age group (missing the podium by 25 seconds) and 8th female in the half marathon.

thank you to vibha for putting on such a well organized event!

i ran the half marathon in 2013 but did not run in 2015 since i had signed up for another half marathon a couple weeks later. however, i did come and cheer two of my running buddies who were both running the half.

one of my friends was running this for the first time and pr’d on this flat course. my other friend came close to a pr, but still ran a strong race. i saw them near the end and snapped some photos. we later met at the finish line area and took more photos.

i appreciated that they kept the finish area at a large, grassy park, which made it easy for folks to hang out, stretch, and enjoy their goodies. i saw a great variety of post-race snacks including cookies, trail mix, salted pretzels, bananas, and water, perfect for refueling after 13 miles.

the finisher medal was extra big and blingy, suitable for a diva! volunteers had handed out boas and tiaras along the course, in bright pink, and many of the ladies wore the pink tutu that was given out at the pre-race expo. the schwag was blinged out and fitting for an event like this.

if my schedule permits, i’d want to sign up for this event again in 2016, even if it’s just to finish and have another blinged out pink medal!

i participated in my 8th brazen event yesterday which took place at quarry lakes in fremont. this race is titled the “western pacific” b/c the western pacific trail was used to transport gravel for construction of the western section of the transcontinental railroad back in the 1800s when trains were frequently used to transport cargo for longer distances. although trains no longer run along this trail, we, runners, can now haul ass hoping to hit a personal record on these historic, yet very flat trails!

for this particular event, there was a choice of 4 distances:
1. full marathon (26.2 miles) 7.30am start
2. half marathon (13.1 miles) 8am start
3. 10k (6.2 miles) 8.30am start
4. 5k (3.1 miles) 8.45am start

i chose to run the half marathon since i’d been training hard and going long, and wanted to see if my hard work would pay off and result in personal record.

the pros:
-GREAT RACE DAY CONDITIONS at the start, around 55 degrees with overcast skies when the gun went off
-MARATHON is a certified usa track and field course and can be used to qualify for other marathons such as the boston marathon which requires a time qualification on an officially certified course
-STAGGERED START TIMES for each of the 4 events to avoid congestion at the start and along the course. despite some overlaps in some of the course routes, and some narrower sections along the course, i actually never got stuck behind someone or felt congested which was great!
-PACERS for both the full and half marathon, holding coloured signs on a stick with estimated finish times and wearing fluorescent coloured shirts to make it easy to follow them
-COLOURED FLAGS to mark each mile (a different colour for each race distance to avoid confusion)
-FLAT and FAST course on crushed dirt/gravel, with a small portion on paved road
-FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS directing runners in the parking area, manning aid stations along the course, handing out medals at the finish line, and keeping the refreshments’ tables well stocked after the race
-FREE and EASY PARKING inside the quarry lakes regional park dedicated lots which were right next to start/finish area (note that the free parking was only for those participating in the race, if you came for another event on this day, you still had to pay the $5 entrance fee)
-LOTS of PORTA-POTTIES near the start/finish area as well as access to several park restroom structures (wait time was no more than a few minutes pre-race which was great!)
-COMPLIMENTARY BAG CHECK near the start/finish line, with volunteers to guard your belongings until after the race. parking was so close to the start that most of us just left our belongings inside our trunks, but it was nice to know that there was another option available just in case.

what you get:
*choice of PACKET PICK-UP @ sports basement in sunnyvale the two days prior to the race or on site pick up the morning of
*BLUE, DRI-FIT RACE TSHIRT with a logo of a steam locomotive to commemorate the western pacific trail (shirt is optional, so if you don’t want the shirt, you can save $5 off the registration fee)
*FULLY STOCKED aid stations every 1-2 miles with water, electrolytes, gu gel packets, salty snacks…quite an impressive array of offerings for an aid station!
*BIG MEDAL with a locomotive, displaying event name and date (option to engrave name and finisher time on back for an additional fee)
*AGE GROUP FINISHER MEDAL if you were one of the top 3 finishers in your age group. despite a disappointing finish time, i still ended up placing 3rd in my age group and took home a “bronze” age group medal
*TONS of POST-RACE FOOD & DRINK, including it’s it ice cream sandwiches, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, cheesecake, bagels, peanut butter, nutella, rugelach, goldfish crackers, pretzels, potato chips, trail mix, mini muffins, gummy bears, jelly bellies, cookies, coconut macaroons, water, and electrolyte drink. best part is that the food never ran out!
*SPECIAL VENDOR on site sharing free samples….the muscle milk vans were parked near the finish area.

the cons:
-the half marathon course was slightly long, as my garmin read 13.22 miles for the haffie, which is a bit longer than the official distance of 13.1 miles
-the 5k course was measured as a 3.2 mile course, which is slightly longer than the official distance of 3.1 miles (read: harder to pr on this 5k course)
-most of the course was not shaded, and since it was sunny with temps in the low 60s by the time i finished, it made for a very hot run
-the finishers’ chute leading up to the finish arch had a couple of sharp turns on an incline which made it very difficult to sprint to the finish, which many runners like to do

although i did not do my best, and certainly did not finish anywhere near a personal best, i still enjoyed this event and thank sam, jasmin, the rest of the brazen staff and volunteers for organizing another fabulous race.

since i enjoyed this race so much last year, mainly due to the rabbit on the medal and all other race memorabilia, i decided to sign up again this year, along with several other friends.

i picked up my race packet at sports basement sunnyvale the day before the race, and upon seeing the official race shirt with a logo of the white rabbit from alice in wonderland, i immediately regretted not purchasing it at the time of registration, but was told that i could arrive early at the race and purchase one on the spot, provided they had extra shirts to sell and in my size!

upon arrival race morning, i parked and immediately headed over to the registration tent to find that they had quite a few shirts for sale, and quite a few in my size as well. i loved that they had a woman’s cut shirt, which is more fitted and flattering than the men’s cut shirt, which is just a traditional t-shirt. the fabric was a stretchy cotton/polyester blend which ensured a snug fit and comfort to the wearer. they also had the hi-tech tees available for those who prefer the lighter, non-cotton material. note that purchasing a shirt on the spot is $10, as opposed to just $5 if you opted to include a race shirt with your registration fee, but they did accept both cash and credit card which was much appreciated.

as with last year’s event, there were 3 distances to choose from, the half marathon, the 10k, and the 5k, all of which were runner and walker friendly. they even had a special hiker start for the half marathon, for those who planned to walk the entire 13.1 miles or require about 3 hours to complete this distance.

i again chose to run the 10k and since my garmin device was actually working this year, i can report that the actual distance run was 6.14 miles, pretty close to the official 6.2 miles for a 10k event. and it was the same fast course as last year, with some gentle rollers and dips thrown in along the way. the fact that it didn’t rain this year ensured that i could run a traditional race, vs a “muddy buddy” or “tough mudder” event, running through puddles, and mini rivers, and muddy patches.

volunteers were terrific as always, directing participants in the parking area, manning the aid stations along the course, handing out medals at the finish line, and restocking the refreshments at the finish pavilion post-race.

i loved this year’s medal more than last year’s, b/c the face of the medal bore the white rabbit, in a little blue coat, in position to run, and the lanyard holding the medal had clocks all around, as well as the name of the event. very clever, and cute idea, and my favourite brazen finisher’s medal to date!

as an added bonus, since i finished 1st in my age group, i got to take home a 2nd medal, one that bore a gold frame with the index finger pointing a “1.”

and now for a few negatives….

-as with last year, we had to pay $6 to park on hellyer park’s property, and despite the fact that i arrived almost 1 1/2 hours before my event start time, i still had to wait in line to pay, and that line stretched all the way outside of the main park gates.
-none of the official park restrooms was open, so the 1000 or so runners were relegated to the porta-potties. although there were quite a few scattered throughout the parking areas and near the start/finish line, i felt that the lines were longer than last year since i couldn’t use the structures, which i know provide several extra stalls. i actually saw one guy with his back turned, going against a wall b/c he just couldn’t wait! sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, right? 🙂
-the refreshments area was pretty big, but for some reason, moved as slow as molasses! a majority of the 5k and 10k runners had already finished running, as well as a small handful of half marathoners, but the line barely moved…i might have walked about 5 feet toward the tables in 5-10 minutes, and was only able to get some water. i gave up waiting for the actual food, which included chips, cookies, cake, pretzels, and its-its ice cream sandwiches, since i actually had to leave for another engagement after. i felt that the volunteers should have kept these lines moving faster, and i suspect the culprit was small children who needed extra time choosing or reaching for their post-race food. this was a huge downer for me since brazen usually does a terrific job keeping the refreshments’ line moving quickly so that all runners can refuel as soon as possible after racing.

aside from these few points, i still very much enjoyed this event and will likely sign up again next year so that i can add another rabbit medal and tshirt to my collection!

thank you, sam, jasmin, and the brazen team for putting on yet another terrific event!

this was my 5th brazen event and i continue to be a happy runner in their events! this event was also my first official trail run, as i typically run flat road races or non-hilly trail runs (cuz i like to run fast!)

for this particular event, there was a choice of 3 distances:
1. half marathon (13.1 miles)
2. 10k (6.2 miles)
3. 5k (3.1 miles)

i chose to participate in the 10k since it was my very first time on a hilly, more challenging course.

the pros:
-surprisingly fast course, with rolling hills (none of which was that steep)
-beautiful, scenic course in coyote hills regional park with views of the bay, the rolling hills, and greenery! yes, much of the grass was actually green following the rains we had in december!
-staggered start times (every 15 minutes) for each of the 3 events to avoid congestion at the start
-flags to mark each mile for each race distance, distinct flag colours for each race to avoid confusion
-friendly volunteers directing runners in the parking area, manning aid stations along the course, handing out medals at the finish line, and keeping the refreshments’ tables well stocked after the race
-dedicated FREE parking at devry university with complimentary shuttles to the start line (both to and from the race)
-lots of porta-potties at the start/finish area as well as access to restrooms at devry university, right by the parking lot. there was no wait for the restrooms at devry, since it was still very early, but there was a 5-10 min for the porta-potties by the start line, still not too bad considering how long i’ve waited at other races!
-complimentary bag check/bag drop at the start line, with volunteers to guard your bags until after the race

what you get:
*choice of packet pick-up @ sports basement in sunnyvale the two days prior to the race or on site pick up the morning of
*dri-fit, women’s cut, v-neck finisher’s shirt (shirt is optional, so if you don’t want the shirt, you can save $5)
*FULLY STOCKED aid stations with water, electrolytes, gu gel packets, etc (i didn’t see everything but each table looked very well stocked!)
*BIG medal with a coyote face logo, displaying event name and date (option to engrave name and finisher time on back)
*TONS of post-race food & drinks, including it’s it ice cream sandwiches, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, elephant ears, mini bagels, peanut butter, rugelach, peanut butter filled pretzels, regular pretzels, potato chips, trail mix, gummy bears, chocolate milk, cookies, gu gel packets, jamba juice samples, water, and electrolyte drink. best part is that the food never ran out!
*complimentary table massage at the finish line, with senior interns from life chiropractic in hayward (the wait was 15-20 min, but totally worth the 5 minutes they spent on my back and legs)

the cons:
-LONG wait to board the shuttle pre-race, almost 20 minutes even though i arrived at 8am (75 minutes before my race began)
-even LONGER wait to board the shuttle after the race, heading back to devry university. i actually timed the wait at 50 minutes!
-bag check actually took at least 10 minutes despite the fact that it was meant to be a quick bag drop. will have to keep this in mind for future events.

although they had 8 dedicated shuttles, i didn’t feel that they were adequate for the number of runners (and spectators) who needed transporting. i would recommend having more shuttles to bus runners to and from the event next year, but other than that, this was another fantastic event and i look forward to participating in more brazen events this year!

this is an annual race that takes place on or around halloween (depending on which day of the week it falls upon). this year, it happened to be the day after halloween, so costumes were still fresh for race day!

for this event, participants had 3 distances to choose from:
full marathon (26.2 miles)
half marathon (13.1 miles)
5M

i chose the 5 mile distance since this course had the fewest number of inclines and hills.

the pros:
+TINY event, with just over 200 participants between the 3 distances
+FAIR REGISTRATION PRICES only $40 for the 5M, $45 for the half, and $60 for the full when registering in advance. $5 less if you skip the race shirt.
+FREE PARKING just outside vasona lake county park. most of the side streets were empty on saturday morning, so it was easy to find parking.
+BIB AND TSHIRT pickup the morning of the race, with only a few minutes wait
+CHALLENGING COURSE in my opinion, since all distances had rolling hills and inclines, the half and full climbing all the way up to the lexington reservoir/st. joe’s hill!
+LOTS of AID STATIONS throughout the course, all stocked with water, electrolyte drink, and salty snacks
+VARIETY OF POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS, which included fresh fruit, clif bars, salted tortilla chips, graham crackers, trail mix, peanut butter filled pretzels, muffins, and candy. since it’s that time of year, they also had pumpkin pie! yum!
+CUPS for the water and electrolyte drink jugs at the finish. props to the organizers for not giving out bottled water and using recyclable paper cups!
+LOTS OF FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-race, manning the aid stations on the course, handing out medals at the finish line, and preparing/re-stocking the food at the finisher’s area.
+COSTUME CONTEST post-race, which featured many very creative costumes worn by children and adults.
+CUSTOMISED FINISHERS’ MEDAL for all runners who cross the finish line. i liked the purple and green logo, very fitting for the day after halloween!
+AGE GROUP FINISHERS’ MEDALS for the top 3 men and women per age group, per distance. i finished 2nd female, and 2nd in my age group, so i walked away with an extra medal.

the cons:
-paying $6 for parking inside vasona lake county park, if you could not find parking outside the park gates
-confusion on the course. i expect a 5M race to be exactly 5 miles, but the official results posted the course at 4.8 miles, and yet, i got 4.93 on my garmin, so i’m a bit unsure that the pre-planned distance was supposed to be.
-9am was the start time for all 3 distances. given the narrowness of the trail, it was difficult to start at the very front and not lose any time since this event was gun-timed. would suggest staggering the start times going forward.
-few restrooms. i saw only 1 proper restroom structure with 3 stalls (for the ladies) and 2 porta-potties. before the race, i had to use the restroom twice, and each time, ended up waiting a while until it was my turn. would suggest more porta-potties next year.
-no mile marker signage. although the turnaround for the 5M was clear, with a volunteer ensuring that runners turned around, i never knew what mile i was on, unless i looked at my garmin.
-wrong year on the finishers’ medal! when i asked the race organizer, i was told that there was a printing problem, and everyone ended up with a 2013 medal instead of a 2014 medal. whoops!

while not my favourite zoom event, the organizers still did a pretty good job, and i applaud all the volunteers for coming out early on a cold, rainy, saturday morning to set up the aid stations and everything else so that we runners could have a good experience.

i had seen ads for this event in years past, but always had a conflict so could not participate until this year. still being somewhat new to rwc, i was eager to participate a race in my hometown since there aren’t too many of these!

for this event, participants had 2 distances to choose from:
half marathon (13.1 miles)
5k (3.1 miles)

i chose the 5k since i knew that i wouldn’t have enough time to train for the half.

the pros:
+MEDIUM-SIZED event with about 1200 participants between the 2 events
+FAIR REGISTRATION PRICES only $30 for 5k since i signed up during the early bird period. $60 for the half marathon.
+BIB AND TSHIRT pickup the weekend before and the day before at various locations along the peninsula
+LONG SLEEVE DRI-FIT SHIRT with the “OktobeRun” logo. i appreciated that they had both men’s/unisex fit and women’s cut available.
+FREE PARKING by the yacht club and other office complex parking lots which were a quarter mile from the start line
+FLAT course, i don’t think there was a single incline in the 5k course
+CLEAR MILE MARKER signage at every mile, also clear signage for the 5k turnaround so that we would not run longer than the specified distance!
+ACCURATE distance, at least for the 5k, since i got 3.1 miles on my garmin! kudos to the organizers for getting it right!
+STAGGERED start times, 8am for the half and 8:15am for the 5k to avoid congestion
+SEPARATE non-overlapping courses for the 2 distances so there was never any confusion or question of which course we were on
+VARIETY OF POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS, which included bagels, orange slices, bananas, coffee cake, NESTLE chocolate milk, KIND bars, and QUAKER granola bars.
+CUPS of waterr available at the finish. props to the organizers for not giving out bottled water and using recyclable paper cups!
+LOTS OF FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-race, manning the aid stations on the course, and handing out refreshments at the finish line.
+VERY SHORT DRIVE from home, only b/c i live in rwc….i don’t think i’ve ever been able to say that it took me 6 minutes to drive to the start!

the cons:
-i only saw one restroom structure near the start, and the line for the women’s room was quite long. i later saw that there were only 2 stalls inside. certainly not enough for a race of this size.
-5k course was not that interesting except for a small portion that ran alongside the bay (i’m told the half course was much more scenic)
-there was a runner with a stroller at the very front and partway into the race, it was a bit difficult for me to pass this runner. strollers should always be near the back so that faster runners, and runners without strollers, may be able to pass freely
-while the half marathon finishers received a medal at the end, there were no medals for the 5k finishers. it would have been nice to have even a small medal as a 5k runner, and i certainly wouldn’t mind paying a few extra $$ to have a medal for this distance (hint, hint to race organizers for next year)

since i had been traveling, i hadn’t had the time to properly train for this event, so i did it just for fun. to my surprise, i ended up finishing 10th female, and 3rd in my age group, so i walked away with a customized fleet feet sports glass. thank you fleet feet for sponsoring this event and providing some cool prizes to the top finishers! and thank you to the other sponsors and race organizers for putting on such a great event!

overall, i think this was a very well-organized local event and i enjoyed running along the port of redwood city, a place that i’d never even been to until this past weekend! i’m looking forward to running this event again and will definitely sign up for the half since it runs along a bigger portion of the bay!

i first ran this race 3 years ago and very much enjoyed the event, but was not able to participate the past 2 years. fortunately, my schedule allowed me to return to los gatos and participate in this event this year.

for this event, participants had 2 events to choose from:
half marathon (13.1 miles)
10k (6.2 miles)

i chose the half since it was the distance i ran 3 years ago and i’d hoped to better my time this year! i guess 3 is my lucky number, b/c i beat my time by 3 minutes!

the pros:
+GREAT RACE DAY conditions, about 59 & cloudy at the start which was awesome for july (sun did not come out until about 1 1/2 hours into the race)
+MEDIUM-SIZED event with 1000 or so total participants, most of whom were local runners
+BIB AND PACKET pickup party 2 days before the race at running revolution in campbell and on the eve of the race at athletic performance in los gatos, both of which are near the event site. if you couldn’t make either one, you could pickup your packet the morning of near the start line.
+at least 3 different areas with PORTA-POTTIES near the start line, along with portable soap and water dispensers. lines weren’t too bad pre-race.
+FREE PARKING at los gatos high school, either by the track (right next to the start line) or at the front of the school (just a couple blocks away)
+AWESOME PACERS! i saw signs ranging from 1:30 to 2:15 and know that these volunteers gave their time and efforts to helping many of us achieve our goals for this race. i want to especially thank my pacer, linh, who paced the 1:50 group for keeping us entertained and motivated throughout the entire course, especially the last stretch going up the hill!
+SCENIC COURSE from mile 5 to the end along los gatos creek trail and heading up to the lexington reservoir area, decent amount of shade while on course!
+CLEAR MILE MARKER signage at every mile, except for 13 since it was the final turn before the finish line
+VARIETY OF POST-RACE REFRESHMENTS, which included bagels, cream cheese, bananas, plums, nectarines, and strawberries. they also had snow cones this year, which was a nice bonus since it was very warm after the race!
-LOTS OF FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-race, manning the aid stations on the course, directing traffic (especially on some potentially confusing turns) and handing out medals and bottled water at the finish line
-$50 for half marathon if you did early bird registration, $65 if registering closer to the event date. very reasonable considering what you get in return.
-UNIQUE JUNGLE RUN FINISHER’S MEDAL with a tiger on it!
-DRI-FIT SHIRT with a big colourful tiger on the back (matched the medal this year!) i especially appreciated the fact that they had both women’s cut and men’s cut tshirts this year.
-JUNGLE-THEMED TOP FINISHER PRIZES. while i didn’t place at this event, i did get to see some of the awards ceremony and the unique “jungle-themed” awards that were presented to the top finishers, including a totem-pole-like plaque and small tiger statue.

the cons:
-not really an ideal “pr” course since this course has many rolling hills, is net downhill for the first half, and net uphill for the second half, with a steady incline from miles 10-11.5 (when legs are very tired)
-first part of the half marathon (up to mile 5) was a bit boring since we ran along residential streets
-while mile markers were present at every mile, i found that most of them were a bit short of the actual distance, esp since my garmin signaled each mile completion after i passed the official race markers. i also got 13.04 miles at the end, which falls slightly short of the true half marathon distance of 13.11 miles.

overall, a very well-organized local event and a great excuse for visiting los gatos, one of the nicer towns in the bay area that i rarely visit since it’s a bit of a trek for me. i hope to be back next year for this event and attempt to beat my time again!

i participated in the go green st. patrick’s day race on the eve of st. pat’s in 2014, which was my first time as a participant in a moshan productions event. although i had read some fair to average reviews for this event, i decided to sign up anyway, since my friend had already signed up and we’re both seasoned veterans of los gatos creek trail. no podium for me this time, as i finished 5th in my age group, and was the 10th female finisher.

for this particular event, there was a choice of 3 distances:
1. half marathon (13.1 miles)
2. 10k (6.2 miles)
3. 5k (3.1 miles)

i chose to participate in the half marathon, since my friend was also running this distance, and price-wise, i thought this was the best bang for your buck @ $65.

the pros:
-scenic course along los gatos creek trail, starting at vasona lake, passing through campbell park, heading north to san jose, and turning back to vasona lake
-good amount of tree cover throughout the course
-staggered start times (every 5 minutes) for each of the 3 events to avoid congestion at the start
-white sandwich boards to mark each mile for each race distance, distinct flag colours with arrows on the trail for each distance to avoid confusion
-accurately measured distance for the half marathon. i got 13.14 miles on my garmin, which is pretty much spot on. actual half marathon course = 13.11 miles.
-aid stations with water and electrolyte drink for all distances. half marathon actually had 7 aid stations, roughly every 1.5-2 miles, which was great (some even had power bar gels)
-friendly volunteers directing runners and manning aid stations along the course, and handing out medals at the finish line
-tons of free street parking near the start/finish area by vasona lake

what you get:
*choice of packet pick-up @ sports basement in sunnyvale the two days prior to the race or on site pick up the morning of
*goodie bag with protein supplement and kind bar samples
*green, long sleeve, dri-fit, finisher’s shirt available in both men’s and women’s sizes (women’s shirts were cut a bit slimmer)
*green and gold medal with a pot of gold, which also doubles as a bottle opener! medal was given out to finishers for all distances
*dri fit beanie hat for half marathon finishers
*post-race food & drinks, including bananas, oranges, chips, power bars, kind bars, vega sports drink and water.

the cons:
-for those who were unable to secure free parking on the neighboring streets (or didn’t know about this option), parking inside vasona lake park is $6 per vehicle.
-insufficient number of porta-potties. i attempted to line up and use the porta-potties a second time before the race start, about 10 min before the gun would go off, and the line was just ridiculous. i believe i counted about 14 porta-potties, and the number of finishers was a bit over 1000. not the most ideal ratio of runners to porta-potties.
-within a few minutes of starting the half marathon, we were misdirected at the turn at the top of the hill. to make matters worse, the gate that should have been opened for this turn wasn’t even opened until all of the runners made a mad rush for it and the volunteers realized their mistake!
-for the half course, there were a couple of sharp 180 degree turns which necessitated slowing down, one at the midway point (approx. 6.5 miles in) and one near mile 13 (toward the finish). as a seasoned runner, i do not like sharp turns at the very end b/c that is when i kick it into high gear and sprint toward the finish line.
-no entertainment along the course. during the last few miles, it was actually very quiet along the trail and i ran several long stretches without any runners around me.
-i felt that there weren’t enough high carbohydrate foods at the finish line, which is most essential especially for the half marathoners. perhaps bagels and pretzels could be added next year?
-they ran out of beer before many of the half marathoners finished! my friend finished around 2:15 and when she walked over to the beer tent, they were completely out! i know that many more runners came in after her and also did not get their cup of beer. there should be enough ale flowing until after everyone has finished and had a chance to have a cup!

overall, i thought moshan did a good job with this event, but i feel that there is definitely room for improvement. the swag was good, but logistics could be improved. will i run this again next year? guess you’ll have to wait and see!

i’d participated in zoom running events in the past and generally enjoyed racing these events. the main reason i liked these events is b/c they are local, and smaller in terms of number of participants.

for this event, participants had 3 events to choose from:
half marathon (13.1 miles)
10k (6.2 miles) – i chose to run this distance
5k (3.1 miles)

the pros:
+late race start so that folks who were up late celebrating the 4th of july watching fireworks or at a party could sleep in a bit! start times varied from 9:00-9:25am depending on which distance.
+small, local event with only a few hundred participants, which meant no congestion at the start and finish (and shorter waits for the bathrooms!)
+bib and packet pickup the morning of the event. there was no line when i arrived (about an hour before my distance started)
+4 unisex bathrooms right at the registration tent, and another 4 bathrooms about 0.2 miles down the parking lot. all of these had working toilets, toilet paper, clean, running water and paper towels which was much appreciated. some had soap, others did not.
+easy and plentiful parking in the lot adjacent to the registration pavilion which was also right next to the start/finish line and post-race refreshments area.
+mostly flat course with some short rolling hills/underpasses that intersected with the alameda creek trail.
+different coloured flags to mark each of the four race distances (hung on tree branches and/or lining the trail), also, blue flags to mark the wrong direction (i.e. if you’re running blue, you’re off course),
+a wide array of refreshments after the race, which included salty party mix, peanut butter filled pretzels, chocolate chip muffins, tortilla chips, potato chips, candy, trail mix, m&m’s, graham crackers, clif bars, and watermelon. they also had water, soda, and electrolyte fluid available.
-friendly volunteers assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-race, manning the aid stations on the course, and handing out medals at the finish line
-fair registration fees of $35, $40, and $45 for the 5k, 10k, and half, respectively. you can also save $5 if you choose not to purchase an official race tshirt.
-college student discount of 10% off the registration fee with valid student ID
-customized medals on yellow and blue ribbons awaiting runners at the finish line!
-additional medals for age group winners, 3 deep in each 10-year category, i.e. male 20-29, 30-39, female 20-29, 30-39, etc. since i was second in my age group, i walked away with 2 medals.

the cons:
-since quarry lakes regional park is an alameda county park, there is a $5 parking fee for each vehicle.
-while quarry lakes is very pretty, there was not a lot of shade and tree cover. with a late start on a warm summer day, this made for difficult race day conditions regardless of which distance you ran.
-the 10k course, in particular, was not marked as clearly as it should have been, as many of the lead runners for this distance were misguided and ran in the wrong direction for a while before they were instructed to turn around! unfortunately, these folks ended up placing lower than they should have. 🙁
-i was not a fan of miles 4-6 in the 10k as these few miles had many sharp turns which resembled switchbacks on a mountain, and parts of the trail were very narrow with tall grass and weeds which made it difficult to maintain my current pace or speed up.

although i ended up finishing 2nd in my age group, 2nd female, and 2nd overall finisher (male/female), i was left wondering if maybe i would have finished at a lower standing if the course was marked properly and those who were in front of me when the gun went off had taken the correct course and finished earlier. so the usual excitement of finishing near the top wasn’t present since i wasn’t sure (and still am not sure) if i was truly the 2nd place overall finisher.

overall, just an ok event. i’ll likely sign up for another zoom running event in the future, but not sure if i’d run quarry lakes again in the summertime, and less likely to run the 10k if it’s the same course in the future.

this was my first time participating in this event, and i did so for two reasons:
1. it’s super close to where i live (i’m talkin’ a 6 min drive!)…i probably could have run here as my warmup!
2. proceeds benefit 3 schools in the palo alto school system:
+barron park elementary school
+terman middle school
+gunn high school

for this particular event, there was a choice of several distances:
1. 8k (4.97 miles) – open to all
2. 1 mile – open to all
3. 1/2 mile – 3rd, 4th and 5th graders
4. 1/4 mile – K,1st and 2nd graders
5. 200 yards – pre-K
6. 100 yards – challenger and special needs

i chose to participate in both the 8k and 1 mile, with a 2 hour break in between these two events.

the pros:
-PERFECT race day conditions, low-mid 50s and cloudy at the start of the 8k @ 8.30am.
-relatively flat course that originated a few blocks from barron park elementary, looped around the barron park neighborhood of palo alto, and ended back at the school
-free and easy parking at gunn high school (5 min walk to staging area with packet pickup and bag check)
-relatively small event, so the start line and course were never crowded, and i never had to squeeze my way in between anyone
-separate start times for each of the 6 events
-large posters to mark each mile of the 8k race
-spot in terms of distance (4.97 for the 8k and 1.00 for the 1 miler)…my garmin was off by just a few 1/100’s of a mile b/c i didn’t always run the tangents
-friendly volunteers directing runners along the course, calling out splits, handing out cups of water at the aid staion, and managing refreshments at the end
-lots of neighbors, parents, friends, and other supporters cheering for us throughout each course

what you get:
*17th annual juana run? logo cotton t-shirt
*lots of post-race food & drinks, including bagels, coffee cake, bananas, fruit-flavoured water and regular water. food was plentiful throughout the entire morning, so participants in all distances had a chance to partake in post-race refreshments.
*FREE active release technique to ease any post-race tightness and pain
*FREE gait analysis for those who wish to have their running form analysed
*FREE pancake breakfast for all 8k participants (yes, hot pancakes with butter and syrup!)

the cons:
-no chip timing for this event, so finish times are based on actual gun time. must line up at the very front if you want to have an accurate time.
-no early packet pickup option. must arrive at race site early to pick up bib, t-shirt and goodie bag.
-since i ran in two events, i had to line up twice to get both bibs since they handed out the bibs in segments

BONUS:
since i placed 1st in my age group for the 1 mile event, i was awarded a juana run? duffle bag, which is very spacious, great for carrying all of my running gear, accessories, snacks and water bottle!

this was a terrific event organized by those affiliated with the three aforementioned palo alto schools. the success of the event was due to the help of parents, teachers, students, and especially, the volunteers.

definitely great for families with children since there is a distance appropriate for everyone. since it wasn’t a large, highly populated event, it definitely had that sense of “family” that i really like.

keeping to my annual thanksgiving day tradition, i participated in a turkey trot this morning with a couple of friends so that we could BURN some calories before we CONSUME lots of calories.

i really wanted to avoid the larger races, i.e. the 20,000+ turkey trot in downtown sj, so when i found out about this event, i immediately signed up. the location was at hellyer county park along the coyote creek trail, a place where i had never run before, or visited for that matter, so i was quite excited about tackling a new course.

participants had a choice of three events to either run, walk or “trot:”: 5k , 10k, or half marathon (13.1 miles). i chose the 5k since i hadn’t raced this distance in a while and i wanted to see if i could improve my time since the last time i ran this distance (maybe over a year ago?)

the pros:
-bib and packet pickup the morning of the event. no line when i arrived at 6.55am.
-perfect race day conditions, mid 40s and overcast at the start, low-mid 50s with increasing sunshine at the end. although it felt very chilly when i first arrived, i warmed up quickly after the first mile or so.
-easy and plentiful parking in the lot adjacent to the start/finish line and post-race refreshments area.
-mostly flat course that touched coyote creek trail and some of the neighboring trails in hellyer county park. the foliage was beautiful as the trail was surrounded by many trees!
-different coloured flags to mark each race distance (hung on tree branches and/or lining the trail)
-a wide array of refreshments after the race, which included pretzels, chips, candy, m&m’s, graham crackers, brownie bites, clif bars, oranges, and even pumpkin pie! they also had water, soda, and electrolyte fluid available.
-friendly volunteers assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-race, also handing out refreshments post-race
-fair registration fees of $35, $40, and $45 for the 5k, 10k, and half distances, respectively. you can also save $5 if you choose not to purchase an official race tshirt.
-college student discount of 10% off the registration fee with valid student ID
-colourful medals awaiting runners at the finish line!
-medals for age group winners, 3 deep in each 10-year category, i.e. male 20-29, 30-39, female 20-29, 30-39, etc. since i finished 2nd in my age group, i took home two medals today. 🙂

the cons:
-since hellyer county park is one of the many county parks in santa clara county, there is a parking fee for each vehicle. while the race organizer’s website advertised a $5 parking fee, it was actually $6 when we arrived at the main gate. it would have been nice to know this in advance.
-while it was a nice course, the turnaround points could have been more clearly marked. i ran the 5k and was expecting the turnaround point a bit sooner (based on what my garmin said), but instead, it was much later than anticipated. of course, i also spent some energy worrying and wondering whether i had missed the turnaround and would end up running more than 5k. a friend of mine who ran the 10k was completely misguided on where that turnaround was and ended up running the incorrect distance since the volunteer did not communicate properly.
-the park bathrooms near the start line were not accessible (due to an electrical issue), and unfortunately, there were also no porta-potties available, so we runners had to find a bush or some other “natural” means of taking care of our business. about 1h 20min after the start of the race, a few porta-potties were being delivered, but by that time, many of the 5k and 10k participants were finished and on their way out (if not long gone). this was absolutely inexcusable, not having accessible restrooms for nearly 500 participants and their family members/spectators.

overall, i didn’t have a bad experience, i mean, i did get my morning workout in, but i wouldn’t exactly call it a good experience either.

my biggest recommendations for the race organizer’s, should they choose to hold this event next year, would be to ensure that there are restrooms/porta-potties readily available well before the start of the race and to ensure that volunteers are properly directing runners especially near the turnaround points.

i appreciate this annual turkey trot, since it is a smaller-scale local event in san jose whose proceeds benefit the bret harte middle school booster club.

participants had a choice of two events to either run, walk or “trot:”: 5k or 10k. i chose the 10k so that i could have a more intense workout.

the pros:
-choice of bib and packet pickup the day before or the morning of (the latter was helpful for me since i live a bit far from this event).
-perfect race day conditions, mid 40s and sunny at the start, low-mid 50s at the end. although it felt chilly when i first arrived, i warmed up quickly under the sun.
-mostly flat course that touched los alamitos creek trail and some of the school’s neighboring streets. beautiful foliage at this time of year!
-correctly measured course, which is much appreciated given the number of short/long races out there. i got 6.23 miles on my garmin which is very close to the official 6.2 miles for a 10k.
-free and easy parking in the school’s parking lot which was also right next to the start/finish area. participants could also park along the residential streets next to the school.
-race started next to leland high school’s track, so we were able to warmup and cooldown before and after the race
-restroooms available at both the track house and main school building
-flags to mark each mile in the race, which were pretty accurate
-friendly volunteers directing runners along the course and handing out water
-low registration fee of $15 per adult (early-bird registration) or $20 (standard) or $25 (day of registration). cost does not include a t-shirt, which is an additional $10. i appreciated having the option of purchasing a t-shirt to save some money on the registration fee.

the cons:
-while it was a nice course, i did not appreciate that the second half of the 10k shared the same course as the second half of the 5k. by the time the faster 10k’ers (like myself) got to the halfway point, we had to share the very narrow trail with the 5k walkers, strollers, pets, and small children which was very frustrating since it was hard to maneuver around them and move ahead. even though i was constantly shouting “on your left, runner behind you” most of the walkers simply ignored me. it would be nice if walkers could be educated about this bit of running etiquette for the future to allow less congestion on a shared trail.
-for the 10k course, there was a section that was unclear and not marked properly, so the runners in my pack were uncertain whether that was the turnaround for us or whether to continue. even though there was a volunteer standing on the course, it would have been easier, better if that volunteer had a sign that we could see from a distance to avoid confusion and stopping to ask for directions. i heard that some thought this was the turnaround point and ended up only running 5.7 miles vs the full 6.2 miles. this created some confusion and difficulty in sorting out the official results and race winners.
-there weren’t many refreshments at the end, just some water, coffee, and pre-cut bagels. as a frequent participant in local area races, i’m accustomed to seeing some fruit, electrolyte drink, and wider variety of post-race refreshments

this was definitely a good race for families and individuals alike. it was nice to see a lot of runners dressed like turkeys or wearing turkey hats, as well as the school mascot on the course.

my biggest recommendation for next year would be to split the 10k and 5k courses into completely separate courses so that the 10k runners aren’t forced to slow down behind the 5k walkers in the 2nd half.

overall, a very well organized race. before i begin this review, i want to thank the race organizers and volunteers for making this another successful event! as a two-time participant in this local event, i was again very pleased with the outcome. my feeling is that there was a larger turnout this year which is great; more proceeds to benefit lucille packard children’s hospital!

early packet pickup was on fri 6/22 @ fleet feet sports, menlo park, and the pickup process was seamless. the official pickup time block was 2-8pm, but they were ready well before then, since i arrived around 1.45pm and was able to pickup my bib and tshirt. i was in and out in under 5 minutes. this was much better organized compared to last year, when i waited in line for over 30 minutes.

as far as the actual event on sat 6/23, there were more than enough parking spaces, all of which were very close to the start line (choice of covered parking structure or open parking lot). stanford university parking is free on the weekend, another bonus.

i participated in the 5k event again this year, and here’s what i thought:
1. well-organized start, 5k’ers took off 10 minutes after the 10k’ers took off to allow for a less congested start
2. separate course from the 10k this year, so we’re not all packed in together
3. dedicated aid station, i felt one was sufficient for the 5k distance
4. lots and lots of volunteers directing participants, to ensure we were following the correct route, and also volunteers guiding traffic to ensure everyone’s safety
5. lots of food and drink at the finish line/post-race expo, much more than last year. CPK even came out with pizza, sandwiches and salad! i also saw pinkberry with frozen yogourt.
6. a kids area, with fun activities for kids while they waited for their kids’ races to begin
7. plentiful porta-potties this year; even though i went just a few minutes before the gun went off, i didn’t have to wait in line, which was great (last year, the lines were much longer, i suspect due to fewer porta-potties)
8. beautiful course, passing through many of stanford’s key landmarks

the few things i did not like this year:
1. the course was different from last year and involved many more turns and corners this year. more turns make it harder for those of us who are running fast and trying to get to the finish line asap. i liked last year’s course better.
2. the course was not marked properly. mile 1 came approx 0.9 miles (according to my garmin) and mile 2 came approx 1.85 miles. also, there was no mile 3 marker, which made the final mile and change feel like it lasted a long time.

i love the mermaid events b/c they really cater toward everyone, regardless of ability/experience. for this particular event, there were 4 distances to choose from: 5k, 10k, half marathon (13.1mi), and sirena (18mi). you could walk, run or stroll in any of these events.

i chose to participate in the half marathon distance since i wanted to train hard and push myself.

the pros:
-mostly flat course in quarry lakes area
-women only (absolutely no men allowed in this race)
-strollers and dogs allowed
-easy parking in lot right next to start/finish area
-staggered start times for each of the 4 events to avoid congestion at the start
-flags to mark each mile for each race distance

what you get:
*packet pick-up @ sunnyvale sports basement the day before
*mermaid run women’s cut tshirt with a cool design
*silver finisher necklaces handed out as soon as you cross the finish line
*lots of post-race food & drinks, including chocolate chip pancakes!!
*cute mermaid branded merchandise for sale at the event (adult, kids and babies’ clothing)

the cons:
-parts of the course were not properly marked, especially when i compared with my garmin device. overall, the course was slightly long, so i actually ran in excess of 13.1 miles.
-water/aid stations were not properly mapped out in the pre-race handouts. since i had studied the aid stations very carefully so that i knew exactly where i could grab water, i was disappointed that some were sooner than anticipated and some were spread out further. there was once stretch on the course where we went several miles without a single aid station (and it was getting quite hot outside). other participants also made the same comment.
-a very long line of hungry women, waiting to get their hot pancakes and syrup 🙂 for this event, i do wish they had separate lines for the different race distances, as those who ran either 13.1 or 18 mi would need to eat more quickly (eat more) than those who ran the 5k/10k. i actually got a bit lightheaded while waiting in the long line for pancakes.

i was quite surprised that i wound up finishing at the top of my age group for the half marathon, as i slowed down quite a bit toward the end (legs and lungs getting tired). they awarded me with a case of zico coconut water and a box of luna protein bars, which was awesome. all of the age group and overall prize winners (for each race distance) were awarded with awesome prize packs from the event sponsors.

overall, this was a terrific event, well-organized and family friendly.

in 2011, the early registration fee was $85 (+small surcharge for registering online). this was only my 3rd full marathon, but it was the most organized and friendly of the large races that i had run to date, and still is, in my mind, the best large marathon that i have run in my running career.

my husband and i stayed at one of the official race hotels, which was about 15 min drive from downtown sacramento, not too far from the finish line. this hotel had a special discount for CIM runners and was also on the bus route for the official bus that would transport runners to the start line in folsom on race morning.

the race was on sunday morning, but i arrived friday nite so that i could have an extra day to adjust to the weather, the terrain, and have a full day to spend at the expo. the expo had your usual vendors, with promotions for future races, as well as race memorabilia, and seminars with keynote speakers. i attended quite a few of the seminars so that i could pick up any last minute tips on nutrition, hydration, clothing/equipment, pacing, and mental strategies during the race. i also met one of the pacers for the 4:00 group, which was the group that i planned to run with the next day.

on race morning, my bus came at 5.15 on the dot, and i was actually the last one to board since i arrived in the lobby at 5.14. it was about a 40 min ride to the start, during which time i tried to sleep a bit more (since i’d been up since 3.30 to eat my pre-race meal), but the race day jitters prevented me from actually sleeping! upon arrival, runners were allowed to remain on the bus until 10 minutes before the start time which was nice since it was heated on the bus; very important considering it was about 30 degrees outside and the sun hadn’t risen yet!

the starting area in folsom had a bag dropoff, a ton of porta-potties (lines weren’t too bad either!), water, and pacers holding signage indicating goal finish times. before i knew it, i was warming up with some stretches, and heading to the start. the gun went off at exactly 7am and off we went! there were many aid stations along the way, and each had cups of water and electrolyte fluids available. the friendly volunteers did a great job of holding out the water cups without getting in the way. all of the mile markers were very big and visible, so there was never a doubt where i was along the course. i loved the curtain of the brick wall at mile 20, indicating that i would have passed the point at which most runners “hit the wall” and bonk (slow down, fatigue, etc).

the last few miles were run in the downtown sacramento area and this is where i saw a ton of fans and entertainment and signage, cheering us on since we were nearing the end. i didn’t see him, but my husband was at mile 25, snapping away on his camera as i passed by. my pacers were awesome, as they kept at exactly the right pace throughout the 26.2 miles, and were super encouraging, esp toward the end when my legs and back were starting to fatigue.

as i turned the corner to the finish line, i actually sped up and sprinted across the finish mats, shouting with glee and excitement, as i had come in just under 4 hours….3:58:58 to be exact! after collecting my medal and mylar space blanket (to keep warm), i saw my husband and cried b/c i was so happy about achieving my goal which was 2 years in the making!!!

the finish area was spectacular, as we ended right by the state capitol which has a christmas tree at this time of year and many holiday decorations. after taking my official finisher’s photo, i went to the medical tent to ice myself since i was very very sore after my almost 4 hour effort. i then went around to refuel myself with chocolate milk, water, tomato soup, pancakes, and whatever other treats they had. the tomato soup was my favourite since it was a chilly day and this hot, comfort food hit just the right spot! they also had dedicated changing tents, one for male, one for female, for those who wanted to change without using the porta-potties (a bit tighter in space).

despite the very cold day, with visible frost on the ground, this was a special, and very memorable day for me as i broke the 4 hour barrier. i wholeheartedly thank the race organizers for putting on an extremely well-organized race on a great course (net downhill and mostly flat), with awesome pacers and perfect weather!

i highly recommend this as a first-time marathon course or anyone who wants to pr!

this is an awesome event to participate in, whether you’re a runner, walker, veteran, 1st timer, adult, child or infant. there are 2 distances to choose from: 10k and 5k, and you can run or walk either of these courses.

i ran the 5k in nov 2010, and i remember it being a great event. we also had terrific weather, a beautiful, clear, sunny day, to boot.

the pros:
-flat course in crissy fields with views of the golden gate bridge & bay
-women only (absolutely no men allowed in this race)
-kids only race (it’s really adorable watching the little girls race)
-strollers and dogs allowed
-easy parking in presidio/crissy fields (esp on sunday morning)

what you get:
*packet pick-up @ presidio sports basement the day before
*overland shoulder bag & sf mermaid run women’s cut tshirt
*silver finisher necklaces handed out as soon as you cross the finish line
*lots of post-race food & drinks, including chocolate chip pancakes!!
*cute mermaid branded merchandise for sale (adult, kids and babies’ clothing)

the cons:
a very long line of hungry women, waiting to get their hot pancakes and syrup 🙂

this was a terrific event, well-organized and family friendly. if i still lived in sf, i would definitely participate again.