Haley Woods's Staging Area

Summary:
This was my first Ragnar, and fortunately I was with a team that had a fair number of Ragnar alumni who did a great job preparing me and the team for the race. Overall, I enjoyed it, and would 100% do another one (or two…or three). That being said, the fact that I had such a good time was down to my team and the killer ladies I ran with more than the Ragnar organization.

Legs/Course:
To start, the race did a good job breaking up the course into varied legs so that stronger runners could do more hills and longer legs, while leaving opportunities for the less experienced runners to participate in a distance they were comfy with. I think the range was between 10 and 23ish miles per person. There were a few changes pre- and mid-race that added or subtracted miles on a couple legs, but nothing unmanageable.

As for the course itself, it was pretty rolling – even the awful hills weren’t as bad as they could have been. I think the highest elevation gain was 1200 ft, but it was over the course of 6ish miles. It was also gorgeous – a lot of woods and rivers to run beside.

Exchanges:
The exchanges were well spaced, and pretty clearly laid out for the transitions between runners. The main ones (where you would switch from van 1 to van 2 or vice versa) had the most amenities, including at one point, a place to sleep & take a hot shower (best thing ever!) and another had a miniature horse (shockingly effective for boosting spirits after 24+ hours of running & being awake). The main ones also usually had somewhere to grab some food which was really nice. Nearly all the other exchanges were staffed by the best, most friendly volunteers, and had ample, super clean port-a-potties. That’s right. A long distance race with clean toilets. Amazing.

The Rest:
At one point in the race (1am) our team was delayed at of the chutes because the next exchange wasn’t yet ready. This was a real bummer, especially since there were exchanges further away that opened earlier, but you couldn’t get to them since the previous one wasn’t open yet. Yes, we were flying (nobody did a good job estimating their average 10k pace) but it still seems like a massive oversight on the organizers part, and really took the wind out of the runner on that leg.

For a few of the legs there was totally inadequate signage – one of our girls ran about 4 miles without a single sign in her direction, while another had to run against those slower than her, and had to let each and every one of them know that they were going the correct direction, she was just on a different leg. She was not happy about having to shout at people for 4 miles. Understandable.

I’d also add that the post race was pretty shoddy – the fact that you get one pizza for 6+ people, and no free beer is ridiculous considering the cost. And the shirts, while lovely soft cotton, were pretty basic.

Lastly, the race does not seem to encourage camaraderie between teams because of the wonky timing. It would have been nice to get to know other people who are crazy enough to do this race. Instead, you start out with people in your pace group, but as you pass other teams, there’s really no consistency around who you’re running with. There was also a lot less van tagging than I’d heard there was previously…not that I didn’t do my part 🙂

Brazen, per usual, put on a fantastic race Thanksgiving morning! Even though I arrived only 15 minutes before the race began, there was no sense of needing to rush to grab my bib, and I was able to grab a fairly good spot at the starting line. The set up was well-organized, there was a sufficient number of bathrooms, and pre-race emails were helpful and clear.

The start of the race seemed a little delayed, which was fine since everyone was just there to have fun. Based on the responses to the question “who’s run this before?” it seems like this is a popular repeat race for people (myself included!) If I’m not mistaken, this race sells out, so it’s a good idea to register early if you can. Plus it’s less $.

I especially appreciated that this year there were explicit instructions in the pre-race email to keep children towards the back of the starting line. There were far fewer young’uns at the front than in previous years, making getting on the trail a lot safer and easier. That being said, there were some pretty fast kids!

Brazen is also apparently really great about being flexible with those of us who don’t pay attention to which race we register for. I thought I’d signed up for the 5K, so that’s what I ran. When it turns out I’d registered for the 10, they were super chill about changing my status and adjusting my place accordingly. Thanks guys!

Finally- the medals this year were awesome! They’re always good, but they went a step further this time with Thanksgiving-themed medals for age group awards. Instead of the standard 1st, 2nd, and 3rd that they give out at every event, the turkey trot ones were in the shape of dinner plates. Adorable!

Having run the 10k version of this course in December, I opted for the shorter, easier 5k this time to avoid summer heat. It was a fun, fast run over a pleasantly rolling course. Lots of kids at the starting line which was concerning, but the pack spread out pretty quickly, so it ended up being okay – no one got run over 🙂

The usual excellent swag and production by Brazen, and a generally great race!

I run a part of this trail all the time (the flat part), so I knew going in that it was going to be tough, but the reviews all said that it was one of the best in the Brazen series. That being said, I was unprepared for how much hiking I’d be doing! Luckily I was in good company as many of the other runners were doing the same. As a side note, I’d recommend a hydration pack for this one, even if you’re unaccustomed to carrying one- you’ll be grateful for it by mile 4!

Overall, the race was one of the most beautiful in the bay (with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the view as you will be pausing to catch your breath!) Brazen puts on an awesome race, and this one was particularly good – the aid stations were fantastic and even had watermelon, which turns out is the best aid-station food I can think of.

For first timers, I’d advise reading and adhering to Brazen’s recommendations on handling the hills- walk the steep sections to save your legs for the flat/downhill bits. There were a few times I got passed by people running uphill, but they usually couldn’t then hold it together for the easier sections. Unless you’re a hill runner, you rarely make up in time what you lose in energy by running those steeper sections.

Like those before me, I’d recommend this race to other first timers! Just pace yourself, have realistic expectations, and enjoy the park. Oh, and one other thing- May tends to be super hot, but for some reason this weekend for the past few years has been blissfully cool. I’m not sure I would run this in warm weather since it’s a pretty exposed race 🙂

I’m so glad I chose the Victory Half as my first half marathon! Put on by Brazen, it was well organized, beautiful, and the medal is a fun addition to the collection.

The starting line was perfectly organized because of my new favorite racing accessory…pacers! There was very little jostling at the start for positions because people basically knew what times they were aiming for and lined up accordingly. I hung out around the 9:55 pacers for the first 4 miles. The women from Tri Valley Running Club were encouraging and considerate, making sure runners knew to pull to the side for oncoming bikes and other pedestrians. They also were very clear about what the pace was, and their pacing plan for the entire race. They even pointed out where the bathrooms were!

The course itself was gorgeous, with sweeping views of SF, the Berkeley Hills, and the Bay more generally. It was a lovely day, so I’m glad the race started early(ish) since it was pretty warm by 9am. The course was paved (or boardwalk) the entire way, though there were a couple stretches where you could choose to run on dirt/gravel to the side of the path. My favorite part was the Albany Bulb mini loop which was trail running and a little higher up for better views.

The post-race was also well organized, no surprise since it’s Brazen! There was chocolate milk, naked juice, plus the usual, excellent food spread. As for the race times postings, this was the first race I’d been to where they were spread out enough that there weren’t hoards of people crowding the board, making it possible to check out your performance at your leisure.

As a final bonus, the Mountain Hardware employee store was opened to those who showed their bib on Sat/Sun. They have awesome stuff for crazy low prices- I just wish I knew beforehand so that I would have brought more cash! But an awesome perk nonetheless 🙂

We had a spectacularly cold December/January, and that’s mostly what I remember- there was ice on the grass! However, the race was once again well organized, though the location (Lake Chabot) means that parking can be a bit of a chore.

I enjoyed the two other Brazen races I participated in, and while I enjoyed this one too, there was a huuuuge difference with this one. I quote, “courses include rolling hills that are mostly runnable”. This is patently untrue except for a) the 5K and b) Ultrarunners. Once the course leaves the pavement, it’s all hills, all the time. I tried powering up the first three, before realizing I had another mile+ of crazy-steep hills. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was walking that s***. (Okay, there were a few gentlemen of superhuman ability who may have managed it). Luckily we’d had a break from the rain, so at least the hills (mountains?) were navigable. Considering Brazen generally doesn’t cancel for rain, I don’t know that the race would have been doable in wet and slippery conditions. It was pretty hairy going downhill as it was!

Other than that though, the race was fun (my attitude is likely more favorable since I managed to place) but the course was tough enough that any inclination that I had to do the New Year’s Day race was crushed by the end (New Year’s Day race is the same course.) Swag was excellent as always, and the race instructions, both by email and day-of, were clear and sufficient. My final addition would be that any guidance for people on where to line up at the starting line would be greatly appreciated. Once again, huge bottleneck at the start – there were walkers and joggers at the front of the line!

This was my first running-only event, and I was pretty happy with how it went. Instructions were super clear, both in the emails preceding the event, and during the event itself. The course was well marked, and the stations were easy to navigate. I didn’t stick around for the awards (too bad- I would have got one!) but then again, it was Thanksgiving and I had pies to bake!

The only area I saw for improvement would be to clarify how starting lines should be organized for participants. There were a lot of younger runners (think tweens) and first-timers in the front, which caused a pretty significant backup off the starting line.