Run This Way

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

When: October 27, 2013

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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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.

However, the race this year had some serious crowding issues. Some of the lawns were blocked off and there were a lot of bottlenecks. It was extremely tough to get through the throng to the start line. The course also seemed a lot more crowded, too, and remained as such all the way through.

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.

Post-Race: My gripe with the post-race is the same with the pre-race...the crowding. It was almost impossible to get through the crowds by the finish line.

Runners: About 2000 in the 5K.

Chip timing: Yes, with a chronotrack tag on the bib.

Shirt: Unisex purple cotton shirts; very pretty.


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

Expo: Small, but had some great booths, including Coca-Cola and Yelp.

Would I Run this Race Again: Yes.

http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=478702

Overview: Run for Her is a mega-event that supports ovarian cancer awareness and treatment. Unlike the EIF Revlon Walk or Komen, Run for Her is a homegrown Los Angeles affair that raises money specifically for a major LA hospital, Cedars Sinai. This endears me to Run for Her in a major way. It is efficiently organized, has a very friendly, laid-back vibe, and is extremely enjoyable.

When: November 11, 2012

Where: Pan Pacific Park, near the Grove.

Why: Run for Her raises money for Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Program at The Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute--specifically for ovarian cancer research, awareness and treatment.

Course Access: Metro buses that ran along or stopped near Fairfax and Beverly included the local 14, 217 and 218, the Rapid 780 and the DASH Fairfax. The DASH and the Metro local 16/316 also ran along 3rd St. at the bottom of Pan Pacific Park. The bottom line was that even with the street closures in place for the race, there was some accessible mass transit both before and after the event.

This honestly was exactly the same as last years' run - pleasant, overall. They had the Cedars-Sinai blood mobile and free flu shots available this year, as well as free massages and blood pressure screenings at the expo. Everyone got teal shirts - smart of them to eliminate the white ones that nobody really wanted.

The one thing that detracted from this year's run: the large amount of donation solicitations I began to receive from Cedars-Sinai. Look, I get it, you need donors. You figure that since I signed up for the race I am interested in helping your cause. Yes, it's true, but it doesn't mean I am ready or able to donate anything else to you other than the race fee/fundraising done for the race. Sending me letters every few weeks pleading with me to keep donating really doesn't inspire me to do so. I'd be reluctant to participate in this race again without an opt-out of marketing.

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!

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.