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Future Races
Personal Bests (3)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Pacific Half Marathon, 10K & 5K | Marathon | Fremont, CA | Apr 29, 2017 | 4:32:49 |
| Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose | Half Marathon | San Jose, CA | Sep 27, 2015 | 1:45:45 |
| Santa Run Silicon Valley 5K | 5K | San Jose, CA | 2013 | 23:15 |
Future Races (0)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Paid |
|---|
Past Races (5)
| Race | Distance | Location | Date | Result | My Raves | My Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Pacific Half Marathon, 10K & 5K | Marathon | Fremont, CA | Apr 29, 2017 | 4:32:49 |
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| Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose | Half Marathon | San Jose, CA | Sep 27, 2015 | 1:45:45 |
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| Santa Run Silicon Valley 5K | 5K | San Jose, CA | Dec 14, 2014 | |||
| Santa Run Silicon Valley 5K | 5K | San Jose, CA | 2013 | 23:15 |
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| Santa Run Silicon Valley 5K | 5K | San Jose, CA | 2012 | 25:17 |
Western Pacific Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
Great choice for a first marathon
Western Pacific Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
I turned the dreaded 5-0 in April, and instead of buying a sports car, I had decided to stave off midlife crisis angst by running my first marathon. (Previously I … MORE
I turned the dreaded 5-0 in April, and instead of buying a sports car, I had decided to stave off midlife crisis angst by running my first marathon. (Previously I had never run further than 14 miles.) I picked the Western Pacific and signed up in January based on recommendations from friends and the fact it was scheduled in April close to my birthday and not far from where I live.
Since this is my first marathon, I don’t have a ton of experience so please take my ratings with that in mind.
Pros:
* Scenic course, very flat, not too complicated a route
* Excellent aid stations — well-stocked, and staffed with friendly and enthusiastic volunteers
* Pacers really helped
* Free photographs from the site after the race
* Fewer than 200 runners, so plenty of room on the course
* Excellent selection of food and drink and snacks at the end of the run
Cons:
* Not a ton of shade over most of the course, and it became a very hot day before too long
* I’m not much of a morning person so I don’t mind a late start, but the 7:30am marathon start time meant that the heat of midday really was a factor
Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose
Parking disaster
Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose
This is my first half marathon (have run several 5ks and 10ks previously). After a barrage of e-mail recommendations, I bought a prepaid parking pass for the expo at packet … MORE
This is my first half marathon (have run several 5ks and 10ks previously). After a barrage of e-mail recommendations, I bought a prepaid parking pass for the expo at packet pickup on Friday, for $5. On race day on Sunday, despite arriving at the recommended time, there was a huge line of cars, that eventually revealed the garage had filled long before. The garage workers were rude and terrible communicators. This may be less the fault of the race organizers than the venue, but it took more than an hour to deal with the parking. And I ended up having to pay more elsewhere for parking and almost missed the race.
Everything else was fine. The numerous musical acts along the way were inspiring, there was plenty of water and Gatorade along the route, and the t-shirt and medal and post-run water and snacks were all fine.
I was a bit put off by the constant e-mails beforehand trying to upsell for VIP this and premium that, and the official photos were even more expensive than I expected.
Also, the data from my GPS (both phone and watch) as well as the friends I ran with was that the course was closer to 13.3 miles than 13.1. But your mileage may vary. (HA!)
Santa Run Silicon Valley 5K
Very fun holiday-themed run
Santa Run Silicon Valley 5K
Well set up, very festive. There's absolutely nothing like running with thousands of Santas. Downtown San Jose, right near Christmas in the Park. Lots of runners (and they have awards … MORE
Well set up, very festive. There’s absolutely nothing like running with thousands of Santas. Downtown San Jose, right near Christmas in the Park. Lots of runners (and they have awards for top three finishers) but also lots of walkers/strollers. Some very creative festive costumes.