Questions and Answers About This Blog

What is this journal all about?

This journal presents subjective, first-person reviews of 5K races and walks in Southern California, primarily the greater Los Angeles area.

Why?

There isn't always a lot of information out there about the various races, what they offer, and how they operate. I'm sharing my experiences in the hopes of helping others decide which races are right for them.

You're full of it. I went to _____ race and I had a great time/a horrible time! You are totally wrong in whatever you said about that race! Idiot.

Aw, I love you too.

Some 5Ks have thousands of participants. Each one of those runners and walkers has his or her own personal racing style and personality. What works for one participant may not work for another. With so many people, positive and negative experiences can and do happen within the same race.

It bears repeating that my reviews focus on my personal experiences. Not yours, not your Aunt Molly's, and not your Uncle Joe's. If you had a great time at a race that I detested, I'm really happy you were able to get something out of it. If you had a horrid time at a race I loved, I'm sorry that you didn't have a better day.

My opinions and experiences do not invalidate yours, and vice versa.

How do you know how many people ran the race?

I check the results and report the number of finishers. Of course, this number isn't perfect, and doesn't account for people who did not complete the race or bandits, but it's probably the closest one's going to get to an official number. If there aren't any results available online, I do my best to guesstimate based on observations at the race.

Why do you report the 10K/half/marathon numbers even though you only do the 5K?

Some races start 5Ks at the same time as other distances; others stagger the times. Still, more often than not, those participants will be on the course and/or using pre-race and finish line services at the same time as the 5Kers at one point or another. Therefore, they do influence the overall race experience.



Can I copy something I see in the blog?

No. Everything here is (C) 2012 - 2016 Run This Way. If I see this site's content copied anywhere, I can and will file DMCA takedown notices.

Who are you?

Someone with XX chromosomes who does 5K races in Southern California.

...and?

I know how to use a computer and have some command of the English language. I also have a scar above my navel. That's all you're getting.

Why?

Because my identity really doesn't matter here; my opinions do.

Can I friend you on Dreamwidth?

Sure, if it makes it easier for you to follow my entries. However, be aware that I don't friend back. That's just because I use this space to post my reviews, not to make friends and interact.

Why do you only run 5Ks?

Due to severe medical issues, 5Ks are about all I can take. No, that doesn't make me a wimp; it means I know my physical limitations and work within them.

Why are comments disabled?

Comments on this blog are disabled for three reasons. One, I don't want to open the floor to debates. Two, while I appreciate your readership, I don't really want feedback. Three, because I don't want to be bothered dealing with trolls. Yes, I know that you're not a troll, but until they come up with a foolproof filter to screen out online asshats, I will not allow comments at all.

How can I contact you, then?

You can't. Why would you want to, anyway?

What are your criteria for a good race?

See the blog post about that.

Why do you always add mass transit information to every race review?

Because believe it or not, some people in Los Angeles do use public transportation and they might like to get to the race, too.

L.A. Cancer Challenge

www.lacancerchallenge.com

Overview: One of the largest 5K/10K events in Los Angeles is also, thankfully, one of the friendliest and best organized. It's hard not to have fun at this race.

When: October 30, 2011

Where: The Veterans Administration grounds near Westwood and Wilshire (West Side).

Course access: the VA grounds are very easy to access. The Big Blue Bus 2, 3 and 4 stop on or near the VA on Wilshire and Bonsall; so do Metro 20 and Metro Rapid 720. It's only a five minute walk or so from the bus stop to the start/finish line.

Why: LA Cancer Challenge raises money for the Hirschberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer.
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Number of Participants: 1963 in the 5K; 508 in the 10K.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was at the VA the day before the race. This made it easy to do a "dry run" and make sure I knew how to get to the course. Everyone was friendly and they seemed to have the bib and T-shirt pickup stations organized well.

Course: Winding loop around the VA grounds. There were some interesting old buildings; otherwise, it was leafy, cool and pleasant. The course had one stop for traffic; otherwise, it was clear all the way through. There were a few hills, a lot of curves and some stretches of flat, open road. A band played near Mile 3.

Runners ran the gamut from serious runners to families with children who did a leisurely stroll through the course. Since the race was held just before Halloween, there were a lot of participants--both adults and children--who came in costume, but there were also a lot of folks dressed in regular running garb. In addition, there were also a lot of fundraising/memorial teams with banners who participated. Everyone was fairly laid back, and despite the huge crowds, politeness was the order of the day.

Chip timing: Yes, with a standard shoe tag. Split times were given.

Shirt: White with the LA Cancer Challenge logo in the corner. They had both men's and women's cut shirts, and they were made out of a wicking fabric. I liked my shirt enough to wear it at the race.

Swag: All finishers were given adorable pumpkin medals on purple ribbons. The LACC had what was possibly one of the nicest gift bags I'd ever seen, too. It was a reusable bag filled with all sorts of goodies, including Under-Armor wristbands, snack bars and hair gel.

Expo: Lots of freebies and fun activities from companies ranging from Coca-Cola to the LA Kings.

Would I Run this Race Again: Yes, hands-down.

Karhu 5K

Overview: The Karhu 5K was the sister race to the 13.1 Los Angeles half-marathon. It seemed that the race organizers treated the 5K as an afterthought, and it showed.

One of my major issues with this race was the lack of transparency and the inaccurate information. Changing the location to another zip code, and moving it from a busy municipal area to the hinterlands, really is a big deal. Runners often choose the race based on what they know about the course and their ability to get to the start line, after all.

My registration from active.com showed that the race was happening in Venice, going from the boardwalk to Windward Cicle. It wasn't. They showed really flashy medals on their website, but the 5Ks didn't get them. They didn't even have a chip mat at the start line. The indifference was apparent from start to finish.

When: January 15, 2012

Where: Dockweiler Beach, Playa del Rey

Course access: HA HA HA. Sorry, that was funny. The race was originally billed as being in Venice, which would have been easy to access. It was actually at Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo/Playa del Rey. There are exactly 0 buses that go to Dockweiler or anywhere within walking distance. I ended up taking a cab to the entrance and then walking a mile and a half to the start. There weren't any signs directing participants from either the path or the parking lot; I walked uneasily in the dark and looked for a crowd.

The race ended near Culver Boulevard in Playa del Rey. The Metro 115 ran there, but it was detoured significantly due to the race.
Why:
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Number of Participants: 331

Pre-race: Packet pick-up was at an Equinox gym in Marina del Rey. Everything ran smoothly.

Course: Parallel to the ocean, from Dockweiler State Beach to Playa del Rey. The course looped by a sewage treatment plant at one point...ugh! Other than that, it was flat, fast and had gorgeous views of the Pacific.

Runners seemed to be mostly adults, but there was a diversity of ages, shapes and colors. Everyone seemed fairly subdued, and I had to wonder if they were annoyed about the race conditions too.

Chip timing: Yes, with a Chrono-track chip that was attached to the bib. However they did not have chip mats at the start line, which meant that finish times were by the clock, and therefore inaccurate. In addition, they had neither split times nor a clock at the end for 5K finishers.

Shirt: Yuck. It was a standard white T-shirt with an aqua "move and groove" logo. I never saw anything with the logo or slogan anywhere else on the course or website, so it seemed to be something they'd thrown in at the last minute.

Swag: None, except for a coupon for a free beer. After a race like that, a drink wasn't a bad idea. Despite advertising a very cool medal all over their website, nothing was given to 5K finishers.

Expo: So-so. The one shining asset was the kiosk where they were giving out free massages. There were a few interesting exhibitors, but there wasn't a huge variety. There were a few food trucks, and there was also a special private tent for runners who had trained with a specific charity team.

Would I Run this Race Again: Not in a million years.

Note: my review of the Karhu 5K was also posted on Race Grader in an edited form.

Race for Success

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.

Rose Bowl 5K

Oveview: The Rose Bowl 5K would have been lovely, but it was overshadowed by a lot of logistical and organizational issues. Hopefully they can clean these up in future years.

When: January 22, 2012

Where: the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena.

Course access: They run shuttles to the Rose Bowl for games...but not for races, apparently. Pasadena Transit doesn't run in the mornings, either. The closest bus was the 267 on Lincoln and Orange Grove. To get to the race I ended up taking the Gold Line to Memorial Park and then grabbing a taxi for about $12.
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Number of Participants: 309 in the 5K; 330 in the 10K; 716 in the half-marathon (all sharing the same facilities)

Pre-race: NO NO NO. They had the most disorganized, inefficient setup I'd ever seen at a race. Packet pickup took close to an hour. The volunteers who were working in the booth seemed to be a bit clueless--some weren't handing out goody bags; some neglected to tell the racers where they'd stashed the timing chips; some were mumbling and contradicting themselves.

There was a kerfluffle with the T-shirts, too: they ran out of certain sizes, and then the shirts altogether, in the booth. All they could offer me was a small, and with my Dolly Parton build, that wasn't going to work. I asked if they had men's shirts. They didn't. They offered to send me a shirt later, but given the gross incompetency I'd seen, I wasn't sure I trusted them to actually do it. I took the small shirt, figured I could give it away, and moved on.

Just to the left of the booth was a table with a stack of shirts, both men's and women's, in various sizes. Why exactly didn't they have these shirts in the booth? It will forever be a mystery. At any rate, I was able to exchange my small shirt for a larger size on the spot.

Course: Around the Rose Bowl, in a loop. Flat and fast, for the most part. However, the race organizers did absolutely nothing to keep the course clear of non-registered runners. As a result, runners had to dodge joggers with dogs, random people dipping in and out of the course, and at one point, an asshat running backward.

The race did not have a gun start or any sort of countdown: when people started moving across the start line, a lot of runners were bewildered and taken off-guard.

The saving graces of the Rose Bowl 5K were the finish, which took runners right into the stadium and onto the football field; and the other participants. The 5K, 10K and Half-Marathon shared the same finish line, and the announcer did a great job of congratulating everyone as they came in. There was a lot of support: as runners went through the chute at the end of the race, those who had already finished shouted encouraging words and cheered for them. I was buoyed up by a man who yelled "FINISH STRONG!" Runners were allowed to sit in the Rose Bowl seats, walk across the field and take photos, all of which were really cool.

Runners: A very diverse cross-section of adults and youth. There was a lot of camaraderie and there were also a lot of runners who stood around complaining and commiserating with each other. They cheered for random strangers at the finish line!

Shirt: The shirt was just gorgeous. It was the prettiest one I've ever received at a race: a shiny, technical short sleeved shirt in a women's cut in a very dark maroon color. Additionally, the back had the Rose Bowl and Pacific Sports emblems, and that was it. It was nice to get a shirt that did not have a zillion and one advertising logos plastered across the back. I know they're necessary to fund the races, but it was still nice to get a respite from them.
Swag: A gift bag with some coupons and energy bars. They had a very pretty Half-Marathon medal but nothing for the 5K. *shrug* They didn't advertise a medal, so no worries there.

Expo: Very, very small.

Would I Run This Race Again? No...not for a little while, anyway. The disorganization at the start, plus the issues on the course, really detracted from the race. However, I'm hopefully going to check in with this event again in a few years to see if things have improved. Once everything is in order, the Rose Bowl 5K is going to rock.

Note: my review of the Rose Bowl 5K was also posted on Race Grader in an edited form.

L.A. Big 5K

http://www.lamarathon.com/event/la-5k/

Overview:If you've ever wanted to partake in the excitement of the Los Angeles Marathon--without actually doing those 26 miles--the LA Big 5K might be for you. This race, considered a warm-up for the Marathon, is run by the same organizers and uses the same start line. It is a shining example of how to piggyback a 5K on a larger event and make everyone happy. The organizers clearly did their best to make sure that the Big 5K was a singular, special race, rather than something that was just tacked on to the Marathon. For instance, the 5K had its own special logo and design scheme.

When: March 17, 2012

Where: Dodger Stadium

Why: The L.A. Marathon's official charities in 2012 were ThinkCure! which fosters innovative cancer research, and Students Run L.A., an empowerment and running program for at-risk middle and high school students in Los Angeles. The Marathon also had many official charities, ranging from Girls on the Run to the American Cancer Society to Kitten Rescue. Runners were allowed to join these charities' official teams to fundraise for them.

Course access: The Metro 2 and 4 buses stopped at Sunset and Innes, and from there it was about a 10 minute walk to the stadium. They did not have good signs directing people to the packet pickup or expo, and a number of us ended up wandering around the stadium for considerable periods of time, trying to figure out where to go.
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Number of Participants: 2650

Pre-race: Packet pickup was at Dodger Stadium--not the most convenient place to access--so I opted to collect my bib and chip on the morning of the race. Lines were long, but seemed to be moving. Food and drinks were available both before and after the race, so runners could grab some water or a banana before they started.

Course: A loop around Elysian Park and back to Dodgers Stadium. There were a few challenging hills, a really beautiful lane lined with palm trees and a lot of wide open roads. Since it was raining there wasn't much to see, but on a sunny day, I'd guess that this would be a lovely course with nice views.

The 5K used the same start line as the LA Marathon (just a day earlier!).

Runners: A very diverse group with lots of serious runners, families, young children, and novices. Some folks were there with fundraising teams and wore matching shirts. A lot of runners were using the 5K as a warmup for the Los Angeles Marathon the next day, so they were all business. Since the race was held on St. Patrick's Day, there were many people in green, including some who went whole hog with costumes, shamrock socks, leprechaun hats and bright wigs.

Everyone was fairly polite and easygoing, with a few exceptions. For instance, at the start line, I was standing near a woman with a dog. Since I'm allergic to dogs, I moved. She moved next to me again. I moved again. So did she. I finally ended up walking all the way to the other side of the path to get away from her (I got further toward the front, so perhaps I should have thanked her).

Chip timing: Yes, via chronotrack chip attached to the bib. They did have split times, but due to the rain, the clocks at miles 2 and 3 were covered up when I passed them. The one at the finish line was running.

Shirt: Grey short-sleeved T-shirt. Very thin fabric, but nicely designed.

Swag: Finishers received a square medal on a blue ribbon. The medal was specifically designed for the 5K and had the LA Marathon logo on the bottom, indicated the latter's involvement with the former. There weren't any goody bags, but I picked up an LA Marathon bracelet from Big 5 Sports at the Expo.

Expo: The Marathon expo was fairly extensive, with vendors, photo op stations, food trucks and freebie distributors. Due to the rain, it was fairly empty. I loved the table which offered free gourmet cupcakes. 5K runners could go into the packet pickup area for the Marathon and take pictures with the Marathon photo ops, pick up a Marathon program, buy gear and escape the rain.

Would I Do this Race Again? Yes. I just hope it's not raining next time.

Never Land 5K

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/tinker-bell-half-marathon/

Overview: The Never Land 5K, a night race through the theme park, was the first event in the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland, operated by RunDisney. It was an exciting, whimsical event, with typical Disney "magical moments."

The one major drawback to this race was the price: at $100, the Never Land 5K was more expensive than many half-marathons. It was also double the price of the Disneyland Family 5K, held in September. The reason for this was likely to be the "Twilight Ticket" that was included with the registration, which allowed admission to one Disney theme park after 4pm during the Half-Marathon weekend. I'd seen complaints about this online: for Annual Passport holders, the Twilight Ticket was a bit of a waste. I also have an AP, so in 2013, I'd appreciate it if the Twilight Ticket was optional.

When: January 27, 2012. This was a night race, and the first wave started at 10:30 pm.

Where: The Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Orange County.

Why: Disneyland's races benefit the Anaheim Community Foundation, which helps families, seniors, children and and adults with many issues; and the City of Anaheim. I really liked that the beneficiaries of the 5K were local residents.

Course access: The race was held at Disneyland, so it was accessible by Metro bus 460, the Disneyland Express from LAX, OCTA bus 43, various shuttles and more. After the race, transportation was a problem. The last 460 bus of the evening went back to Downtown LA at about 12:20, but some of the connecting buses and trains shut down before then. The Disneyland Express stopped running at 10:30. During the other events of the Half-Marathon weekend, Disney offered free shuttles to and from various pickup points at hotels around Anaheim.
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Pre-race: The packet pickup was at the Expo at the Disneyland hotel. Fortunately, one could go to the Expo on the same night as the race, so two separate trips to Disneyland were not required.

Disney's pre-race festivities included an appearance by Tinker Bell, who flew over the Castle. Fireworks were also on the schedule, but had to be cancelled due to high winds.

There were several corrals/waves, which were self-assigned. Each wave was treated royally, with confetti canons and a special sendoff from the Emcee.

Course: The course started in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle, wound through most of Disneyland, crossed over to California Adventure, and ended at Paradise Pier. There were several forays backstage, through areas that are normally verboten to visitors. There were also photo ops with Disney characters, floats from the Soundsational parade, and whimsical mile markers. It would have been very tempting to just meander through the course and spend a few hours taking pictures! At the end of the race, Paradise Pier was awash in color.

The course itself was almost entirely flat, but had a lot of corners and winding paths. There were announcements made over the PA to warn runners any time the course changed directions.

Runners: The Tinker Bell races were geared toward female runners, and women of all ages, shapes and sizes were well represented. There were also men of both serious and casual running styles, families, and older people. Many runners of both genders opted to wear costumes. It went without saying that there were numerous runners dressed as Tinker Bell or Peter Pan. There were also many who chose to wear costume pieces, such as glittery wings and tutus. Many children participated, but not as many as I expected. I'm guessing that this was due to the late hour, the price, and the fact that Disney also held a full contingent of (much less expensive!) Kids' Races later that weekend.

The course was so crowded that it was more of a power walk than a race, but almost everyone was polite. After the serious runners broke away at the beginning of the first wave, most people just meandered along.

Chip timing: None. This was strictly a fun run. RunDisney did give split times, however, so you could check your own pace. Technically, a 16-minute mile pace was required, whether you were running or walking. However, given the huge numbers of people at the race, given that the pace requirement didn't start until the last runner had crossed the start line, and given that the last wave started almost a half hour after the first, I think that one would have needed to fall way, way behind to get swept. I wouldn't have pushed it, though...getting swept from a race at the Happiest Place on Earth would have been a bummer, to say the very least.

Shirt: White short-sleeved T-shirt with the Never Land 5K logo in vibrant color.


Swag: Everyone received a gorgeous finisher medal: a full color vinyl medallion on a midnight-blue satin ribbon with the race name and date. Some people complained because the Disney 5K races get these vinyl "medallions" instead of medals made out of metal, but I was not in that camp. I thought the medallion was beautiful, well crafted and a wonderful finishing prize.

I also want to mention the bib, which was a work of art in itself: the same midnight blue with stars and personalization. For the goody bags: there wasn't much, in all honesty. There was a big race program, but the GEAR bag only included an energy bar. About two weeks before the race Disney sent a link to an "online i-gift bag" with promotional offers; this would seem to be the wave of the future.

Expo: Lots of vendors offered running gear, from shoes to iPod holders, and reasonable prices. There were also free lectures throughout the weekend with RunDisney experts, including Olympian Jeff Galloway.

Would I Do this Race Again: Yes. Without question.