Run This Way

http://do.eifoundation.org/site/TR/RevlonRunWalk/LARRW?fr_id=1080&pg=entry

Overview: One of the largest walks for women's cancer research and awareness, this event, held in both New York and Los Angeles, draws crowds in the 40,000 range. Despite the hordes of people, it's reasonably smoothly run, friendly, and enjoyable.

When: May 7, 2011.

Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, venue for the 1932 and 1984 Olympics.

Why: The walk raises money for the Entertainment Industry Foundation. The EIF is nearly 70 years old and funds major initiatives for cancer and diabetes treatment, awareness and research, among other projects.

Course access: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was served by numerous Metro bus lines. Metro 40 and 42 ran along MLK Jr. Boulevard; the local 204, the Rapid 740 and 754 and two different DASH lines traveled along Vermont. When the Expo line opens, the Coliseum will be within walking distance of the Exposition Park stop.
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Number of Participants: About 30,000. Yes, you read that correctly.

Pre-race: EIF had a number of packet pick-up locations off site, so the crunch at the event wasn't severe. One thing I noticed, and thought was ridiculous: the check-in volunteers did not have rosters, so they needed the registration emails before they would issue bibs. I saw a lot of runners and walkers frantically scrambling to find copies of the registration emails on their smart phones.

While it is a really good idea to print out your confirmation email and bring it with you, it's a bad idea to make it the only proof of registration. There should have been a list to check names against, as there has been at every other race I've ever attended. How did they even know who showed up and who didn't, without a list?

Runners: Women of all ages, shapes and sizes were well represented, as were cancer survivors. Men, families and older individuals and friends were also present. There were large contingents of fundraising and company groups, tribute groups, etc. While there are a handful of serious runners, this is really an event for walkers. The course was very crowded and everyone moved at a leisurely pace. It was a day to have fun, not to try to beat the clock.

Chip Timing: None. This was really a fun run/walk, with the majority of participants choosing to do the latter.

Shirt: A white shirt with red EIF/Revlon logo and lettering. Nothing to write home about, in all honesty. They're having a shirt artwork contest this year, so hopefully the 2012 offering will be an improvement.

Swag: A goody bag with some coupons, little giveaways and a full sized pink Revlon lip gloss or lipstick. Every finisher got a gold medal on a red ribbon. Now, being in the Olympic stadium and getting a gold medal...one could enjoy that. :) There were also special gifts for cancer survivors, including colorful hats at the start line, roses at the finish, and a photo tent.

Expo: Lots of health awareness companies, hospitals and cancer foundations came to the Revlon Walk, as well as some other fun and interesting vendors. There was a pink fire truck, too. :)

Would I Run this Race Again? Yes!

Overview: A popular race in Westchester/Playa del Rey, Race for Success draws a strong local crowd. It was organized well enough, but the rude runners detracted from the event for me.

When: May 21, 2011

Where: The campus of Loyola Marymount University in Westchester, near LAX.

Course access: The Big Blue Bus #3 stopped outside Loyola Marymount; from there it was a 15 minute walk to the start area. There weren't any signs marking the path for pedestrians.

Why: Race for Success is a fundraiser for area schools.
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Number of Participants: 668

Pre-race: The packet pickup was held at the Howard Hughes Promenade near Culver City.

Course:A loop around LMU. The campus was lush and green and fairly pretty; at one point the course took us onto a bluff overlooking Playa Vista and Playa del Rey, and the views were spectacular.

Runners: Race for Success attracted a crowd that is primarily comprised of families with children. The race raised money for Westchester and Playa del Rey schools, and many of the students turned out to participate. The problem was that the kids didn't have any manners, and their parents weren't much better. The kids were shoving other runners out of the way, cutting people off and basically acting horribly. It was annoying at best and unsafe for everyone at worst. There wasn't a lot of camaraderie, nor was there a lot of support for the runners.

Chip timing: Yes, with a shoe tag. I don't remember seeing split times, but there was a clock at the finish line.

Shirt: A white cotton shirt with a colorful Race for Success logo. Nice enough.

Swag: The gift bag looked nice, but I didn't get one. They only had 500; if you didn't get to packet pickup early enough, you were SoL. At the race they did have a large number of cobalt blue mugs from the Howard Hughes Promenade on a table, free for the taking.

Expo: The expo was the nicest feature of the race. They had a lot of local Westchester-PdR-Marina del Rey businesses, which made them different from the usual generic race expo. Goodies abounded.

Would I Run this Race Again: No. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great, either. The unruly kids on the course were a problem, and the overall race was kind of bland.