Run This Way

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.

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.