Run This Way

Overview: The Angels' official 5K returned for another strong year. Special props to Angels' starting pitcher Hector Santiago, who not only got up at the crack of dawn for a Q&A before the race, but stuck around for over an hour afterward to give out medals and pose for photos with fans. Hector's wonderful! The Angels traded him to the Twins over the summer (BOOOOOO) and I'm sure I am not the only fan who thinks that his gracious, kind spirit will be sorely missed around Angels Stadium.

When: April 9, 2016

Where: In and around Angels Stadium in Anaheim.

Course access: Was a bit wonky this year. Technically, the Amtrak/Metrolink station is right at the edge of the Angels Stadium parking lot, so it should have conceivably been easy to access the 5K, as it was in 2014 and 2015. Alas, Metrolink decided to do track work this weekend, and as a result, there were no trains at all to or from Anaheim. Amtrak did not replace the 6:15 am train with a shuttle bus, so if one didn't have access to a car or rideshare, they were not going to get to the race. I ended up taking an Uber.

Why: The race provides funds for the Angels Baseball Foundation, which does community outreach.
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Number of Participants: 3677 finishers.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was available on either Friday or on Saturday morning before the race. It was painless; the issues they had with rude staff last year were nonexistent this time around.

Course: The course was flat and fast, winding through the streets around the stadium. There were some cutouts of current Angels players around the parking lot for photo ops. The big draw with this race was that the course also went into the stadium and onto the field. Runners got to go all the way around the warning track from the 3rd base line, past home plate and the dugouts, and out again through the 1st base side.

What made this better than last year is that the ushers did not try to rush or shoo participants out of the stadium, as they did in 2015. That's important. Most people are not going to have many chances to walk on the warning track and past home plate in a Major League Baseball stadium...that moment is important.

Chip timing: Yes, with chips on the bib.

Shirt: The 5K shirt has not varied from year to year, for the most part. It's still an awesome tech fabric t-shirt with the race logo in the upper left.

Swag: A voucher for a ticket for a future Angels game (participants could choose among several dates) and a wonderful medal. For the second year in a row, the medal was a spinner! This time, the spinning component was an Angels baseball jersey that had the team name on the front, as per usual, and "5K" on the back.

Expo: Once again, the Angels 5K has a pretty sweet expo, with lots of stuff. :) 

Would I Run this Race Again: Yes! I am glad they worked out the issues from 2015.

Overview:  A race themed to Dia de los Muertos in Downtown Los Angeles.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a huge tradition in Mexico as well as many parts of the Southwestern USA, including Los Angeles. It's a time to remember and pay respect to one's deceased loved ones with altars that not only pay tribute, but share life stories, among other traditions. In Los Angeles, people of all ethnic backgrounds and religions honor Dia de los Muertos in one way or another or attend events.

When: October 31, 2015

Where: Olvera Street, El Pueblo de Los Angeles National Monument, and numerous museums and historic sites and many Mexican shops and restaurants. Olvera Street hosts Mexican cultural events throughout the year, such as altars for Dia de los Muertos, multi-night processions for Dia de Los Muertos and Christmas, and Aztec dancers. 

Course access: Olvera Street is across Alameda St. from Union Station. One can't ask for it to be any easier than this. The Metro Rail Gold, Red and Purple lines stop at Union Station; so do Metrolink and Amtrak trains; BoltBus and Megabus, the Silver Line, and numerous bus lines from Metro, BIg Blue Bus and other carriers. Major lines that stop at Union Station include the Silver Line, Metro Rapid 704 and 733; Big Blue Bus's Rapid 10 (during the week only) and Foothill Transit's Silver Streak.

Why: Proceeds to the Olvera Street Merchants Association Foundation.

Number of Participants: Unclear, but roughly 4000. Chip timing was optional, so there wasn't any final count of participants.

Pre-race: Aztec dancers performed before the race began. There was also a runners' altar, and participants were invited to bring items for it.

Packet pickup was available for several days at a festival, but was also open on race morning. It was fast and painless.

Course: An out and back course down Main Street into Chinatown, and then over one of the bridges. Along the way there were Mexican dancers and mariachi bands performing.

Chip timing: Totally optional, and available with an extra charge.

Post-course food:  Yes, water and food were provided to the runners.They had animal crackers in cups, which was ridiculously fun. I was hoping for some Dia de Los Muertos food...something with sugar skulls, perhaps; or Pan de los Muertos, but alas, no. I suppose it's not totally necessary; Olvera Street is right there and they have fantastic Mexican restaurants and bakeries. 

Shirt: Blue cotton Day of the Dead-themed shirt with calacas (skeletons) running down Olvera Street. NO ads!! :D 

Swag: GORGEOUS finishers' medal with a calavera with gems. 

Expo:  Not really. There were a handful of booths in the square, but not a lot.

Grade: A!

Would I Run this Race Again: Yes! 

Overview: The inaugural music-themed Sunset Strip Half-Marathon/5K gave runners an opportunity to run along --as the name would suggest -- the Sunset Strip in the heart of West Hollywood. The race was impressive, particularly for an inaugural event.

When: April 19, 2015

Where: West Hollywood, starting and ending in the park next to the Library.

Course access: Bus service around WeHo was a bit screwed up by the street closures; the closest ones were the Metro 4 and 16, both of which were re-routed to go along 3rd St. 

Why:The race provides funds for the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation.

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Number of Participants: 575 5K finishers; 1729 Half-Marathon finishers.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was available on either Saturday or on race morning. One confusing thing was that the informational email indicated was that the packet pickup would close at 6:45am -- but the 5K didn't start until 7:30. A second disappointment was that they seemed to be running out of various sizes of race t-shirts early on. Despite these two issues, packet pickup was smooth, and the volunteers were nice as can be. 

Course: For the 5K, the course was an out and back from San Vincente to Sunset. The hill on San Vicente was extremely challenging, but as the race announcer said, at least it was at the start, and not the finish! The course went past numerous Sunset Strip landmarks, including the Whisky-a-Go-Go, the Viper Room, the House of Blues, Saddleback Ranch and Book Soup. There were numerous informational placards along the course that gave fun facts about various hotels and other buildings.

The course was well staffed with volunteers, who made sure the 5Kers knew where their course split from the Half-Marathon and turned around; and there were two fluid stations with water and Gatorade.

Timing: By Westtime, with disposable shoe D-tags. Finish line clock. Mile markers for Half; none for 5K.

Post-course food:  Yay! Runners were offered Gatorade cans, water, Kind bars, bananas, and bagels. There was also a beer garden and runners were entitled to a free drink. I didn't take advantage of that.

Shirt: A lovely long-sleeved, two-toned tech shirt. No logos! Whoo!

Swag: Great medals for both the 5K and Half.



Expo: Just a few things here and there, mostly sporting goods companies.

Would I Run this Race Again: Absolutely! I was very impressed by how organized, efficient, friendly and well-run this event was. This is what a race should be like!

Overview:  A friendly, low-key event in El Segundo, which has a well-deserved reputation for being the "Mayberry" of Los Angeles. It's a slice of small-town America that happens to be in Southern California! Unfortunately, this race was not as well executed in 2015 as it was in 2014.

When: March 26, 2015.

Where: El Segundo, starting in front of the High School on Main Street.

Course access: Beach Cities Transit bus #109 came close to the start line. The Green Line El Segundo and Mariposa stations were also about 1.5 miles away.

Why: The race is a major fundraiser for El Segundo's public schools.
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Number of Participants: 1223 finishers in the 5K; 134 finishers in the 10K. These numbers were slightly down from last year.

Pre-race:  Packet Pickup was held on Thursday and Friday at a local athletic club; runners and walkers could also pick up their stuff on the morning of the race. PPU was fast, friendly and efficient.

Course: The race started and ended on Main Street in front of the High School and park. The course led runners through both residential and industrial areas in El Segundo.

The major con on this year's course: the students. Schools in El Segundo encourage their students to participate in this race, and they do, in droves. Unfortunately, many of them have not yet learned race etiquette, and being on the course with the kids was a bit of a nightmare at times. I was behind a group of preteen girls who were throwing water on each other, and thus making the course slippery for anyone behind them. Not cool at all.

Post-Race Food: Unfortunately, the race followed the unacceptable trend of not feeding the runners. Nothing. No bananas, no bagels, nada.

Expo: There was an expo in the park next to the library, and across from the El Segundo High School, which featured mostly local businesses and organizations.

Chip timing: Yes, with chips on the bib, by Racewire. The snafu this year was that the chip timing didn't seem to work - the time reported was the clock time.

Shirt: A retro logo on a hunter green t-shirt, very similar to 2014's design.

Swag: Unlike last year, there weren't any goodie bags. Runners received a drawstring bag and a finisher medal. Unfortunately the medal wasn't quite as nice as the 2014 edition, but was still appreciated.



Would I Run this Race Again: Yes, but I hope that they return to their 2014 form.

Overview: Generic Events' nascent Downtown Los Angeles Turkey Trot had its second outing in 2014. There's still some work to do.

When: November 27, 2014 (Thanksgiving morning).

Where: Downtown L.A., starting and finishing at Grand Park in front of City Hall.

Course access:  The start and finish line area was about a three minute walk from the Civic Center station on the Red and Purple Metro subway lines.

Why: Homeboy Industries, L.A. Regional Food Bank and Brooks and Brooks Foundation. Homeboy was on site selling pies, and there were drop bins for the food bank.
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Number of Participants: 2333 in the 5K; 1393 in the 10K.

For whatever reason - perhaps the hipster angle (the race actually sold trucker hats and American Apparel clothing *eyeroll*), there were a lot of assholes at this race. I don't know why, but it was the rudest race I'd ever been to.

Compounding this: the large number of people who thought it was cute to desecrate Indigenous attire and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. Here's a hint: if you wouldn't run a race in a Marines uniform or wear a fake purple heart because you think it's disrespectful, you should not be running a race in a war bonnet, war paint, feathered headdresses or an eagle feather. Period. It's really depressing to me to think that in 2014, people still feel it's appropriate to "dress like Indians."

Pre-race: Packet pickup was available on race morning, but it was chaotic. The actual packet pickup area was fine, but the t-shirt distribution area had been crammed into a small space by the stage. Everyone was packed in and pushing, and it was hard to see where the lines were. With all the space they had, this could have been thought out better.

Course:  The course wound uphill to the Music Center and the Disney Concert Hall, and then back down Spring Street for an out and back. On Facebook it was noted that the race distances had been incorrectly measured; the 5K was too long. The RD confirmed this.  

Both the 5K and 10K started late by about 30 minutes.

Post-Race:  Again: chaos. Runners had to fight through the crowds to get to the water/Gatorade table, and the only food offered was a banana. No bueno, guys. No bueno.

Chip timing: Yes, by Gemini Timing, with souvenir shoe tags that did not need to be returned.

Shirt:  Keeping in line with this year's "Turkey Strikes Back" theme, the cotton t-shirt featured the Turkey Trot's mascot stomping through Downtown LA, Godzilla-Style.

Swag: A large, generous medal.

Would I Run this Race Again: I liked it enough to give it another chance next year, but there is definitely a lot of room for improvement here.

Overview: One of Los Angeles's oldest and most beloved races, the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run celebrated its 37th year in 2014.

When: December 6, 2014.

Where: As the race name would suggest, Santa Monica and Venice, mostly on and around the boardwalk. 

Course access:  The start/finish area was a short walk from the Big Blue Bus #1 on Main St. and a longer, but doable, walk from the #3 on Lincoln Boulevard.

Why: Harvest Home for women and babies.
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Number of Participants: 1964 finishers in the 5K; 2600 in the 10K.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was available before the race; everything was fast and painless.

Course: The course started in Santa Monica by the beach, veered onto Main Street, went toward Venice, and then went onto the Venice Boardwalk. Runners stayed on the Boardwalk all the way back to Santa Monica, veered onto another side street and finally ended back up where they'd started.

One thing I absolutely disliked about this course: the section on the Venice Boardwalk was not closed. This meant that runners had to dodge street vendors, vagrants, tourists, skateboarders and cyclists as they were trying to complete the race. I know it's unrealistic to expect the Boardwalk to be closed, but the opposite isn't fair, either. If a runner had been at the back of the pack, they would have been totally confused about where to go, since nothing was closed or marked off.

Post-Race:  One more objection here: they really didn't feed the runners. We were offered water and a piece of (admittedly very good) fruit.

Chip timing: Shoe tags by Gemini Timing.

Shirt:  The SMVCR prides itself on giving what it calls the best shirt in racing, and they really were on the mark with that. Runners received truly lovely, warm, long-sleeved black tech tees with green accents. 

Swag: This was the first year the SMVCR gave finishers' medals, and they really were cute. They featured the artwork from the t-shirt. A cute Santa hat was also given out at packet pickup. 

Would I Run this Race Again: Yes.

Overview:  A race themed to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim major league baseball team, endorsed by the Angels.

When: March 29, 2014

Where: In and around Angels Stadium in Anaheim.

Course access: Luckily, the Amtrak/Metrolink station for Anaheim is in the stadium parking lot. Just as luckily, Amtrak ran a 6:15 train from Union Station, and I believe there was a very early train from the San Diego direction, too.

Why: The race provides funds for the Angels Baseball Foundation, which does community outreach.
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Number of Participants: 3712.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was available on either Friday or on Saturday morning before the race; it was well staffed and seamless.

Course: The course was flat and fast, winding through the streets around the stadium. There were some cutouts of current Angels players around the parking lot for photo ops. The big draw with this race was that the course also went into the stadium and onto the field. Runners got to go all the way around the warning track from the 3rd base line, past home plate and the dugouts, and out again through the 1st base side.



Chip timing: Yes, with chips on the bib.

Shirt: The Angels 5K had one of the nicest race shirts I've ever received. It was red tech fabric, it fit well and it had the Angels logo on one side.

Swag: A voucher for an upper deck ticket for a future Angels game and an awesome medal.

Expo: Large, with a lot of swag. As the photo above shows, items brought home from the expo include snacks, fruit, a pinata, wristbands and keychains, a reusable bag, a softball stress squeeze ball, pencils, toothbrush and paste, and more. They also had OC Slush handing out free ices - yum!

Would I Run this Race Again: Yes! It was well organized and lots of fun.

Overview: The OC Fair 5K is a fun run through the fairgrounds.

When: August 4, 2013.

Where: The O.C. Fair, located in Costa Mesa, Orange County.

Why:  I don't think this race benefitted anyone but the O.C. Fair or the O.C. Marathon. I could be wrong, though.

Course access: It's Orange County, and mass transit isn't really their bag. The transit that is provided for the fair doesn't run in the mornings, either. While a few OCTA buses run through the area, for the most part, if you didn't have a car, have a friend with a car or stay in the area, you were SOL with this one.

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Number of Participants: 1676 recorded finishers.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was available on race morning, and was quick and painless. More bathrooms for the runners would have been nice - not all of the bathrooms were unlocked.

Runners: More serious runners than I anticipated, but a lot of folks who were truly there for a fun run.

Course: The course started in the parking lot, but most of the race took place inside the OC Fair. It's a very different experience to see the fair when it's completely deserted. The highlights of the race were several "Detours to Fun." Runners could play two midway games, go on the giant EuroSlide and take a photo onstage at the Pacific Amphitheater - all for free.

There was a 1:30 time limit on the course, which seems like a lot - but when you're stopping for 15 - 30 minutes for each detour (there wasn't any line for the EuroSlide; there was a VERY long one for the Pacific Amphitheater)  that adds up. Late runners discovered that there wasn't any water for them at the finish line.

Chip Timing: Yes, with a shoe tag that was yours to keep.

Shirt: A very soft, distressed blue t-shirt without any advertising logos. I didn't like the cartoon on the back that slammed overweight people, which will mean that this otherwise lovely shirt will be relegated to the pajama drawer unless I can find a way to doctor it out. No, it's not about being "politically correct." It's about having respect for ALL people, including those who are heavy.

Swag: A very nice, very heavy medal on a beautiful satin ribbon. The goodie bag contained a free ticket to the O.C. Fair, some samples of sports gels and Advil, and a lot of snacks. I was very excited that several of the snacks were soy-free, so I could actually eat them.



Expo: Small, but included some nice stuff, like free Hubert's Lemonade.

Would I Run this Race Again? Sure.

www.lacancerchallenge.com

Overview: The L.A. Cancer Challenge is a huge, albeit consistently friendly and fun, race.

When: October 28, 2012

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: 2259 in the 5K; 486 in the 10K.

Pre-race: Packet pickup was at the VA the day before the race, or on race morning. 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 chronotrack tag on the bib.

Shirt: Thin cotton men and women's cut t-shirts in a glorious shade of purple.


Swag: Reusable bags filled with goodies; a finisher medal with a smiling pumpkin. Very cute.

Expo: Lots of freebies and fun activities from companies ranging from Coca-Cola to the LA Kings. The Expo seemed scaled down from last year, and it also seemed that a lot of booths packed up and finished before the end of the 5/10K. This year they offered free massages, which made up for some of that. :)

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

http://www.abuse-assaultservices.org/victory.html

Overview: A shining example of how to run a large race. VfV is a fun, friendly and really well organized event!

On a personal note, it was really heartwarming to me to witness the turnout and supportive nature of the participants. Sexual abuse and rape are horrific experiences, there's a lot of victim-blaming out there, and it can all isolate a survivor. Seeing the community come together to not only acknowledge abuse but to actively support survivors, acknowledge their trauma and raise funds to help them, was inspiring and wonderful.

When: April 15, 2012.

Where: Lake Balboa Park in Encino in the San Fernando Valley.

Why: The event raises money for CATS, or the Center for Assault Treatment Services at Northridge Hospital Medical Center. It is the Valley and Santa Clarita's only 24/7 program for sexual abuse victims. CATS provides supportive services ranging from offering victim advocates at forensic examinations to counseling and other outreach activities.

Course Access: The race was a five-minute walk--if that--from the Woodley station on Metro's Orange Line Busway. Extra points: CATS mentioned this on their website's "directions" page! :)
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Number of Participants: 1786 in total. There were 1225 participants in the 5K and 561 in the 10K. The announcer mentioned that the 2012 event broke previous attendance records.

Pre-race: VfV had a lot of tables set up for packet pickup. Here, again, were really good examples of how to troubleshoot and manage a huge race. The check-in was next to the help desk was next to the goodie bag/shirt pickup was next to the bag check. You could float from one table to the next in order, instead of wandering around, trying to find each thing you needed.

For some reason my bib was not there. No problem. They had me fill out a bubble scan sheet, they handed me a new bib and chip, and by the end of the race, they'd matched it up to my existing registration information and verified me. Smooth, painless and stress-free. A representative from Prime Time was waiting by the Finish Line to verify information. That, my friends, is how the pros handle problems...bravo CATS and Prime Time.

Another nice thing was that the Expo and the food tent were open before the race. This made it possible for us early risers and long commuters to get some nourishment before setting off on our run.

Runners: The runners and walkers were very diverse. Men, women, children; people with dogs (boooo. I am not in favor of dogs on race courses for various reasons), women with jogging strollers, hardcore runners, leisurely walkers. A fair majority of people were walking.

Course: This was perhaps one of the most picturesque courses I'd ever run. It wound around bucolic Lake Balboa park, so the scenery included the lake, waterfalls, a stream, ducks, and beautiful park.

My only issue with the course was that in a lot of places, it was way too narrow. There was at least one point where there was a significant bottleneck, and runners who were trying to do a competitive race ended up actually running in the mud to get around the walkers. Any time you needed to pass someone, you had to do that. This might be remedied in the future by making sure runners and fast walkers are in corrals at the front.

Chip Timing: Yes, with a standard shoe tag. At the end of the race they even had buckets you could stand on so a volunteer could cut your tag off for you. Mile markers were present; split times were not. There was a clock at the finish.

Shirt: A white shirt with the CATS logo and purple ribbon. A little cluttered, but cute. The CATS' logo is a child's drawing of a cat. For this event, they give the cat some red running shoes. Adorable.

Swag: I was somewhat stunned--in a good way--by the amount of truly useful stuff I brought home from this race. There were two goody bags which included things ranging from a band-aid holder (still in my purse, and very handy) to a can of healthy cream soda a really high quality pair of gloves.

The race also offered a very cute finishers' medal with a border of bronze stars and a center with the sneakered CATS cat on a purple background. The purple medal ribbon can be detached from the medal for use as a lanyard, if desired.

Expo: The Expo was especially interesting because it included a lot of businesses and groups that were local to the Valley. Some had to do with counseling and other health services; some were food companies I'd never seen at any other race. Everest College, in Reseda, sent out an entire team of massage therapists to offer free table massages. And let me tell you, those MTs were good at what they did; in less than five minutes they'd worked out the kinks in my legs. In less than 15 I was feeling much more relaxed and pain free. There were tons and tons of freebies ranging from bracelets to orange juice. Panera, El Toro and Ben & Jerry's, among others, were on hand to give out free snacks.

Would I Run this Race Again? Yes, in a hot second. This was a fantastic event for a worthwhile cause. I am already looking forward to the 2013 race.