This was my first time running the Santa Hustle. I found out about it through Groupon and decided…read moreto throw in one last race for the year. Packet pick-up: Nice and easy at the Buena Park Mall. You got your bib on one side of the table and went to the other to get your sweater. They warned people that the sweaters ran small and let people try them on. I thought about getting a small and there was no way I could fit in it. Goodies: They gave you a bear and a hat. I did not wear them while I ran. My goal was to try and place in the top 3 to earn a medal for the 5k. Participation medals were not given out. Plus the beard ran a little small. It was fun seeing everybody wearing their red outfits. Race: There was a 5k and half marathon. They need to be a little more clear on the start. Some 5k folks started because it seemed like they were supposed to go and it was for the half marathon race or 10k, it's been a while. You got to run out of the parking lot, into Knotts, back out onto the street and into the parking lot. It was cool to run into Knotts. They had chips and candy at the end with water. I'm used to bagels and bananas, and aside from that there wasn't much else. There were some booths, but not as many as other races. Cool things: They brought out two reindeers, so that was fun. Weather: Cold! For CA it was cold. It was below 60, so I had a hard time warming up.

This was my second 5K in several months and this one was pretty fun. The Santa Hustle had 2…read moreoptions, a 5K and a half marathon. Half marathoners received a special medal and a voucher for free admission to Knotts Berry Farm. I really wanted a medal, but knew there was no way I could do a half marathon. A 5K is just my speed, especially the fun run variety, where there's a silly theme and people come with friends and family to just have s good time. A word to the organizers...consider giving the 5K people a medal too...even if it's smaller. I'd gladly pay more for the entrance fee to get a medal! Back to the event itself...things I liked: it was very well organized. I liked the emails sent out by the organizers spelling out the details of the event (i.e., parking map, packet pick up map, etc.). I opted to pick up my packet the day before to avoid the crowd the day of. It was an easy process and took about 5 minutes. I loved the dri-fit hoodie that I got with my packet. Very high quality and super cute. The only "bad" thing about the hoodie was that it ran very small. I ordered a women's large and it fit more like a medium. My friend's hoodie ended up being too small for her so she couldn't use it and ended up giving it to her daughter. You also received a Santa hat and beard to go with your hoodie. Like the hoodie, the hat was small (or maybe my head is just way too big?). In any case, I had to use an extra Santa hat I had at home which fit better. Not a big deal but just be aware of the size issues here! Other positives: Parking was free and painless. All the volunteers working the event were friendly and would cheer you on as you made your way through the course. They generously gave out choc chip cookies, M and M's, water, and powerade as we sweated away...which is a total exaggeration. We didn't break a sweat at all as we leisurely strolled the entire 3 plus miles. That's the fun thing about this type of run...you can stroll, run, sprint, whatever. At the finish line, we were handed bottled water and a granola bar. Oh, and I really enjoyed the holiday music playing throughout the course. The volume was just perfect and helped get us in the holiday spirit. Some mild disappointments: I wish the after party was on site. Instead it was offsite at a Farrell's restaurant. It was sort of anticlimactic to finish and not be able to immediately gather with fellow Santas to celebrate, cheer and dance. The other 5K I did a few months ago had an onsite after party with a dj, stage and music and it really made a difference in keeping the excitement going for a bit longer. Also the start line prep was sort of uneventful as well. They just had an announcer guy telling us when to line up, when the thing was starting, etc. At the other 5K I did, the start line area was sort of a mini event, with music, several guys throwing swag out to the crowd, getting everyone fired up and excited. I have to say, these pre- and post- run details make a huge difference in the overall fun factor. I still had loads of fun, though. Happy Holidays!

Man how can you be a runner from LA if you haven't done the LA Marathon the one and only LA…read moreMarathon. From start to finish this a party regardless of where it ends. This is a tough course especially now that it ends at Avenue of the Stars with the last couple of miles being rolling hills but don't fear LA got you. I always enjoy this marathon but sign up early so you don't have to pay a crazy fee. I also get the refundable insurance just in case I learned my lesson when I got injured and had to walk most of the marathon in 2023. This has to be my favorite Road running race!

The experience of running in the LA Marathon was both unbelievable and unforgettable. The entire…read morecity showed up to support runners like myself in a way that felt downright transformative. Every mile was packed with supporters, live music, drag queens, and grab and go grub, so the energy through all 26 miles was amaze. The race itself was also thoughtfully organized, with friendly staff and signage throughout the entire race. My only quam is that after the finish line there was around a quarter mile walk to refuel and get to bag check. Although it's only a quarter mile, it did feel like an eternity on shaky lactic acid legs. With that said, I'm absolutely going to run it again next year. Only love to you LA (hearts)

Review #1500 My +1…read moreand I made the early morning trek from south OC to Alamitos Beach in order to cheer for the Special Olympics World Games triathletes. We met with Jennifer T. for our Yelp goody bags while meeting up with fellow Yelpers. We made our way down to the beach as they started the first portion of the triathlon: swim. We were amazed and inspired by these athletes as they swam, biked, and ran to the finish. We were at the finish line as Noah Dellas (Team USA) became the first person to ever win a gold medal in Triathlon at the Special Olympics World Games. It was fantastic and the energy was amazing. All eyes were on the top medal finishers and it was great to see Team USA take home gold! Thanks to Yelp LA, Katie B., and Jennifer T. for setting up cheer squads for the Special Olympics. Congratulations to all the athletes and I wish them luck in the rest of their events this week. There are Special Olympics World Games events happening around LA all week, so check them out as it has been a while since LA has hosted an Olympics.

My second Half…read more Supporting the Special Olympics, especially with respect to the upcoming 2015 World Summer Games in Los Angeles, made me feel great. But just getting out-of-doors and into the crisp, early morning air, just being surrounded by other early risers anxious to rack up some mileage is motivation enough. You see, what I've found is that morning people, they're different: they're more courteous, more polite, encouraging. Morning people smile, and they have no reservations about offering an abundance of "good morning's" to those around them. This scenic run--in the heart of downtown Long Beach, along the Shoreline Marina and across from the majestic Queen Mary--it was a good morning as well, completely as expected: exhilarating, fun-filled, refreshing! But really, this race had no choice. I mean, we ran ocean side, up and down sandy Alamitos Beach, with many other runners, bikers, and walkers also enjoying the smiling sun and the fresh ocean air. Added, this race was very well organized: streets were blocked off and monitored by the Long Beach Police Department, parking (a $10 fee) was directly adjacent to the expo and early check-in, water stations were manned and frequent during the race, and medical stations were positioned, prepared, and even mobile! (It was very cool to race along Shoreline Drive without a car in sight.) The effort put into this event was evident, and easily this will be a run I look forward to again next year! My final time -- 02:52:35 My place -- 102 out of 131 runners, 9 of 11 in my class. =]

In benefitting Train 4 Autism and the Culver City Education Foundation (CCEF), this race--now in…read moreits second year--certainly garners strong support! Along with the gracioius donations and heavy sponsorship, runners raised (at the time of this writing) upwards of $59,000. That's big time! And that's what great about getting involved. I mean, you don't have to actually run. You can walk. You can jog. You can "wog," if you like. But the point is that you are getting some exercise, and you're doing it for a worthy cause. (Running for charity is tax deductible, by the way.) Like I said: you could, of course, run. I did. In fact, this chip-timed 10K was my fastest to date: 1:04:44.6. However, there were many others who took a more relaxed approach: they walked, took their time. And on this morning here in Culver City, it was a beautiful morning to do just that. By the time that the 5K began at 8:00am (and the 10K a half hour later) the sun was already shining down upon the Washington Blvd. course, and the temperature was just pushing the upper 60's as runners took their marks. This out-and-back course is flat and fast, and the 10K is a double loop. Generally, I don't favor loops (I prefer scenic stretches) but the run is fun, and it's certainly social: over 1,200 devoted, shoe-laced participants registered, and hundreds of applauding spectators were there in support. Nice job, Culver City! You should be proud! =]

Great 5k and 10k running events (5 stars)…read more The Culver City 5k and 10k events were in its second annual event to raise funds for Train 4 Autism and the Education Foundation for the Culver City schools. -Registration online was quick -Donations were welcomed -Confirmation was quick -Email information was convenient -Facebook info was very nice -Website was really really good with lots of useful information -Morning event was memorable -Bib pick-up was easy -Port-a-Potties centrally located -Pre-race entertainment was fun -Mayor's speech was a little dodgy, but what do you expect from a politician who doesn't run? -Start time was ON TIME for the 5k -Got back just in time for the 10k ON TIME start -5k route was flat and easy and did it in 25:44 -10k route was 2 loops and i ran with friends -Lots of cool runners -Finisher's medal was cute, and I got 2 I really loved this event since it reminds me of a small town feel with about 400 runners. Oh, after I ran both events, and got my two medals, one of the ladies gave me a strange look and asked why I had 2 medals. I told her that I had run both event and showed her both bibs - ha! ha! ha! I definitely would return next year for the 3rd annual Culver City 5k and 10k runs, and run both.

This is quite a very late review. This event happened on August 3, 2013. Created by the Runner's…read moreCircle and Historic Filipinotown Neighborhood Council, this was such a great 5K run with over 200 participants that benefited SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans). I have enjoyed this race because it was challenging. The downhills and uphills were awesome. A cute medal and tshirt were our rewards for participating. There was somehow a mini-fiesta afterwards but we did not stay. I will do such race again.

A free 2 hour workout run by the Spartan race group to give you a taste of what you can expect from…read morea spartan race. There were tons of burpees, squats, push up, lunges, & laps around the track. The workout was basic enough for fitness beginners to get through but also challenging enough for people at an experience fitness level. There were about 500 people on the football field at redondo high with 8 trainers/coach going around letting everyone know the next exercise coming up. After the workout they had a drawing & two people won a free Spartan race, there was an after party at the near by road runner shoe store with free beer & a $10 off coupon for anything in the store. For the large workout events like this is suggest showing up an hour before the start time since the check in process take a while. This event started at 9, we showed up at 8:30 & it took 50 minutes to finally get checked in, but then they ran out of shirts. But other than the long check in issue the workout event was a great time.

I have been telling my girlfriend about the World Famous Pumpkin Races for almost 2 years now,…read moreyesterday (10-28-2012) our schedules were finally right and we were able to go together. If you know about the Pumpkin Races chances are you are a local and know where to park, so no matter the crowd you will be able to find a spot to park your Beach cruiser, skateboard or your car. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the World famous Pumpkin Races and attempted to check-in and there was no World Famous Pumpkin Races on Yelp, THE INJUSTICE, and THE SHAME. What do you need to know about the Pumpkin Races is that it is all about the South Bay and the South Bay lifestyle. I will try and describe it for you. The Pumpkin Races take place on a Manhattan Beach Blvd a large hill that leads towards the Manhattan Beach Pier. There is a pumpkin festival where you can go and experience everything pumpkin. You can visit stands of the Surf rider Foundation, Ice Cream, Pumpkin this or Pumpkin that, you can enter a pumpkin to race same day, you can decorate your pumpkin instead a small village dedicated to sprucing up your pumpkin. The rules are very simple. You must build a pumpkin with wheels and the base of the pumpkin has to be natural and able to support the getup that you build, you can decorate your pumpkin in any fashion you want. You cannot weigh you pumpkin down so it will go straight or faster because if you are caught cheating you pumpkin will be moved to a body chalk outline and a referee with a Gallagher sized mallet will come out and smash you pumpkin into 1,000 pieces as the crowd cheers. If you get caught pushing off at the start of the race again your will pumpkin will be given a death sentence. The goal of the pumpkin races is to have your pumpkin go about 75 feet and hit the barrier first in order to move onto the next round. The barrier is protected by referees holding padding to prevent your pumpkin from hitting the barriers at top pumpkin speed. The referees are great who run this. They keep the crowd entertained and cheering prompting a sing along and dancing. The pumpkin races have an area for children to race and for adults to race, it is all about the fun, the pumpkin, racing and South Bay living. If you are in the area next year make sure you stop by and check it out and support local South Bay businesses.

Some people carve pumpkins…read more Some people build cannons and catapults and launch them as far as they can. And then some people mount them on wheels and roll them downhill like it's a soapbox racer or an entrant in Bring Your Own Big Wheel. The good folks of Manhattan Beach are of the latter school. The Pumpkin Races are fun, more family-oriented. I would say it's a novelty just for the kids, but it's more a city tradition, as silly as it seems to outsiders. The official rules state that you must create a vehicle using one pumpkin and individual axles, no Tonka trucks or other store-bought chassis, no engines, pyrotechnics, or explosives. The pumpkins are released down hill with gravity doing all the work. No pushing allowed. Cheater vehicles get smash by the referee using a giant wooden mallet. Some people cheat almost specifically to get smashed or just because it's funny to see a pumpkin suddenly pop out booster rockets and propel down hill. They know they're not going to win, so why not have fun and let the mob chant, "Smash it! Smash it! Smash it!"

This really was a once in a lifetime experience. We were credentialed Special Olympics volunteers…read moreand worked 4 separate dates during the World Games. We were in and around McCarthy Quad and Healthy Athletes tents and festival at USC conducting a Special Olympics Athlete Survey. In only 4 days, I met more athletes, coaches, translators, trainers, family/friends from around the globe than I ever have in any period of time during my life. It was an absolutely fantastic way of helping to collect important info from these incredible athletes. Working beside my son was so much fun, and watching his patience and ability to work with the athletes to complete the surveys brought me so much joy. Seeing how so many of the athletes were so appreciative to have their voices heard and participate in such a special, first ever to be done, survey was heartwarming. As an athlete myself having the opportunity to meet and speak with so many fascinating people from so many different countries, even despite the very obvious language barrier that presents itself when working any global event, was very rewarding. I would not take back those 4 days for anything in this world. I also believe it was such a great experience for my son to take part in during his summer vacation. Teaching our children to give back and how to make an impactful difference from a young age is extremely important. Here are some of the countries I had the pleasure of working with: Puerto Rico, Barbados, Canada, USA, Egypt, Finland, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Peru, China, Namibia, Nigeria, Spain, Denmark, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Brazil, Kenya, Dominica, Morocco and more. Out of the above listed countries I have only traveled within Canada, Spain, and Morocco so meeting so many people from so many other countries was so much fun to experience in my hometown. I'd highly, highly suggest choosing Special Olympics as a positive forum to give back to. It's such a rewarding experience and the athletes absolutely love every minute of your support, encouragement, smiles and high fives! So fortunate to have been a part of this experience.

Since hearing that LA was going to host the Special Olympics World Games, we were excited about…read moreattending. We weren't able to attend the Opening Ceremony though. From the news coverage, it looked like we missed an awesome event. Would have loved to see the parade of nations! The next day, we made up for it by going to the LA Convention Center (South Hall) for the table tennis, badminton & bocce games. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/special-olympics-world-games-los-angeles-2015-los-angeles#psiATaFSJcjNUchi_TioFA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/special-olympics-world-games-los-angeles-2015-los-angeles#ynjHuKa2fyAK7fi7vQZspQ http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/special-olympics-world-games-los-angeles-2015-los-angeles#kCh7v4I8wNeS564inlmAYw (Sidenote: My husband loves table tennis and plays tourneys at work. Team Name- "Big Paddles, Small Balls") All three sports were in divided sections in the hall. Plenty of room for all the spectators & participants. Had fun mingling with the athletes & delegations from all over! Sat with Moroccans at the table tennis games surrounded by team members from Senegal, Mongolia, Egypt, Qatar, Bangladesh and other countries. Chatted with a coach from Curacao while my husband was in the Toyota game booth line to win a special edition water bottle. Toyota also had a display car that everyone was invited to help decorate. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/special-olympics-world-games-los-angeles-2015-los-angeles#x-DjqWs99iVSKMwWq2GZng I added this in for my city's guests from Germany. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/special-olympics-world-games-los-angeles-2015-los-angeles#n9z-ZHSYZ0Fs5tAcleApWw Some lovely folks from the UK were kind enough to explain the game of bocce to me. Since it was Sunday, we found free street parking 3 blocks to the east of the venue. There were also lots priced from $5-$15 nearby. Foodwise, there was a cafe in the hall which had some pretty decent offerings and a Groundworks organic coffee stand on the same level. I love Groundworks and scurried right over for a blended iced coffee. Admission- free! Here's the homepage for the event- http://www.la2015.org/ And, the schedule (venues, games & entertainment)- http://www.la2015.org/schedule The games are on until August 2nd. Come cheer on the athletes and welcome the delegations to our wonderful SoCal!