Daniel P.

This is a really fun 5K they call it the fastest race in the world cuz people go all out! I push hard every year and try to beat my last years time. Costa about 40 bucks and you get a shirt sunglasses and some other cool swag. If you haven't done you should do it!! It's only 3.2 miles and if you're feeling groggy like me I run all 4 races and turn it into a 20K. They call it The All Day 20K. Get off the couch and go run lol

Rami H.

Beautiful event that is filled with energy. I attended this year Carlsbad 5K Run event and was amazed with the number of people that came to participate and watch. It was a very organized event. Parking was not easy to find, but it was not impossible. People seemed to enjoy the event. I highly recommend it.

Maria C.

PR'ed with a 25:12. 15 seconds better from last year's PR. This year had a couple changes. I was a little hesitant about this year's race. I say this because they combined Male/Female 30-39 age groups. Even though everyone gets a medal, there is a "special" medal for those who are the "First 250" to cross the finish line. The past 2 years, I've been able to get the "First 250" medal. This year... Wasn't too sure since the brackets changed and I hadn't been training. Surprisingly, I placed within my division and was able to get that "special" medal! YAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Certainly a fast race. I really like watching and cheering on the other divisions. My division started around 840ish and it started to get warm with the sun peeking out. WEAR SUNSCREEN!!! Even though it may be cloudy and cool in the morning, by 9a, it is blazing!!! The expo is small but still cool to walk around to get free samples of Sport Beans, Bars, etc. Free beer at the end, but I passed since it gets crowded in the beer garden. I signed up for 2015 for $20. Let's see if I can keep this momentum going!!! Packet picked up was only Sat and Sunday morning. If you come on Sat, you'll get traffic and parking issues because the kids run on Sat. The packet pick up is actually 10a (not 7am like the email said). The kiddos are so cute!!! Wish I could have stayed for the diaper derby! See ya next year CB5000! ============================================================= STATS: Overall: 552 out of 1511 Division: 62 out of 278 Gender: 166 out of 755 Pace 8:07 Chip Time 25:12:00

Craig F.

The VIP experience... Carlsbad is a great place to run, and the Carlsbad 5000 was certainly no different. Registering the for the "All Day 20k" and knowing we'd be at the event for about five hours (the All Day 20k is 4 5K's run consecutively, about an hour at a time), we thought the Carlsbad 5000 would be an even better race if we also purchased the VIP experience. And we were so glad we did! First, the VIP package ($39 per person) allows for private parking, a lot directly next to the finish line. There's actually plenty of parking around the streets of Carlsbad, if you're willing to search and more than likely walk; however, having parking spaces set aside for you made us feel much more at ease. (Carlsbad isn't a big place, but a whole lot of people are on their way to the 5000, just like you.) Next, the Paon Restaurant and Wine Bar, located just between the start and finish lines, is your home base. Not only are there private restrooms--how awesome is that, right?--but there's also a private bag check, a private outdoor patio with comfortable seating and shade, and a buffet: scrambled eggs (although not the best I've ever had), bacon, sausage, fried potatoes, fresh fruit... A little pick-me-up between races never hurt anyone! Last, your VIP wristband may be picked up at the Health & Fitness Expo at the "VIP" booth on race day, but you won't be able to receive your parking pass on race morning; so, since VIP wristbands and parking passes are not mailed, you'd have to come to Saturday's Expo. Our number one reason for VIP was that Parking Pass, so we made the extra trip. It's kind of a hassle, but the rest of the VIP perks made up for it. And we will definitely be doing it again next year.

Amy K.

If you can run a 5k, the Carlsbad 5000 is a must to try at least once in your life. Billed as the "World's Fastest 5k", the race is open to competitors of all fitness abilities, and there are separate races for men and women, which are then divided by age into 40 and above, 30-39, and 29 and under. There is also a separate event for walkers. The first 250 finishers in each race receive a special medal. After the various races in the morning, the Elites get their turn around noon. This is your chance to see some of the fastest people in the world up close and personal. I've personally seen several world records set in the four years I've been participating. Plus, the way the course is designed, you can stand in one place and see your friends run by three different times. It's very spectator friendly, and you'll hear people cheering for you the entire time. After you race, you can enjoy the beautiful Carlsbad weather while savoring an ice cold beer in the complimentary beer garden. That's right, for the price of admission you not only get a goodie bag and t-shirt, you get two free beers! What a great way to spend a Sunday.

Diana S.

Another run in the books! #4 of #12. Let me start by saying that the run itself was great, however the registration and bib pick up was a bit chaotic and can use some improvements. For online registration, I guess there was some issues folks had. I was one of them because I was in the "wheelchair" group and supposed to get a Men's XX-Large shirt. Yea....but luckily enough, I was able to change my registration to the correct stuff. Emails leading up to the event was spot on: where to park, times the runs start etc. Picking up the bib was a nightmare. No distinct lines, the signs to where you needed to pick up your bib was eye level so folks wayyyy in the back trying to figure out what "line" (it was basically a cluster f...) couldn't see. On top of that to find your bib number, there was a table on the side where you first had to look up your name, get your bib number than wait in the designated line. There was no staff out there informing people of the process. To make matters worse, they had the Junior 5000 bib pick up lines form by alphabetical order, but when it changed to the 5k pick up...it was numerical. So folks standing in the M line now had to find out where they had to stand by their bib number instead. It was just mass confusion. Next time, just stay consistent with either A-Z pick up or #'s. The starting line was okay. They corralled everyone by different times and ages. However my run was not supposed to start until 8:30-9am which is really late in the running game and it was getting warm already. most folks ran in whatever run was coming up since there was not much bib/corral checking. The run was along Carlsbad Village and the 101 so you got the nice calm of the ocean breeze. There was some gradual but not too steep hills. At the end, the medal was nice since also is a bottle opener and they had plenty of refuel and recovery goodies at the end.

Chel R.

This review is actually for the Junior Carlsbad held on Saturday April 2nd. Beautiful Carlsbad on an overcast morning made for a perfect 200/500 yard dashes to 1/2 mile and 1 mile run for hundreds of children ranging from 2 year olds to 12 year olds. Entertained by the emcee, Willie Buchanon (also a former NFL player for the Packers & Chargers) the event was indeed memorable. With live DJ's pumping up all the eager beavers as they await at the start line for the bull horn, it was an exciting and exhilirating experience. They also had a live band performing. Numerous game booths. And booths that provided and encouraged children to get active. They also had a funnel cake truck, but we opt to not GO there! Damn! It wasn't easy to walk pass it but ish all good. We had plans on heading out to Old Town SD for some real grub later! HA! I love attending races throughout the year, in different communities. I love unity among people. I thrive in exposing my children to become active in something they enjoy whole heartedly. And I am a strong believer in supporting community base events aside from my own. Congratulations to all of the participants! What an accomplishment. A job well done indeed.

Jeanette S.

This is my first year running the Carlsbad 5000, and I just love this event. The race itself was very organized. The only downfall for me was during my packet pick-up. I guess I made the mistake of going on Saturday rather than Friday. The expo was located in Carlsbad's little town off of Carlsbad Village Road and Roosevelt St (Next to 83 Degrees restaurant). Traffic and parking was horrendous, and the crowds were overwhelming due to a ton of small streets being blocked off. Once I found parking, picking up my packet was relatively easy. There was a separate booth for bibs and another booth for tech shirt pick-ups. Being that this was my first time entering this race, I opted for a size small, but was hoping to exchange it for an XS the day I picked it up; however, I was told that I wasn't able to do any exchanges until after the race. As far as race day, my hubby and I drove all the way from Paradise Hills, so we both decided to be there by 6:30am even though our race was scheduled to start at 8:30am. Highly recommend arriving early to nab a great parking spot. Not being familiar with the area, we basically followed traffic and ended up finding parking in an open church lot that was located near a park and bathroom (can't remember the street name, but we turned left off of Carlsbad Village Drive). I was elated that we just happened to park near a public restroom because I dreaded having to use porta-potties. Parking was a big deal to my husband because, like I said earlier, we weren't familiar with the area, Saturday's expo pick-up was a hot mess, and parking information on the website only stated open street parking throughout the area. RACE: I read this was the "World's Fastest 5k" and was expecting to set my first PR ever. I'm a newbie, so I was aiming to complete the course in 30 min. The course circles around the town and through Carlsbad Blvd that offers runners a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. Because this race was dubbed the "World's Fastest 5K", I thought it was going to be pretty flat, but I was wrong. There were a few hills that I didn't expect. My race bracket (ages 30-39) started around 8:45am, and by then the sun was out and I was getting hot. There were a ton of spectators and volunteer cheerleaders, which made the race even more motivating for me. There was a big difference in this race compared to the other two races I've ran thus far. Rather than everyone running together in their assigned corrals, you would run only in your age bracket separately from others. This eliminated congestion and overcrowding. Each bracket race was 35-40 minutes apart from each other. This organization allowed us to watch other brackets race, which was pretty cool. Another great positive for the CB 5000 was that I practically saw no walkers...woohoo!!! It just made running this course at your fastest pace much easier. Note To Self: Do not wear long sleeves even though it's cold in the morning* COOL NOTE: Personalized medal engraving offered after the race for $20. STATS:================================================================== Chip Time: 30:52 Pace: 9:56 Age Bracket: 30-39 Division: 155 out of 266

Zoe Z.

I love the street faires they are so welcoming and friendly, I try to atttend all of the Ones in san diego county.

Phoebe C.

Pretty fun! I think I am officially gonna retire from half marathons and strictly do 5k's. The reasoning? It's cheaper, much shorter, more enjoyable, and way more freebies! Win for all. Only thing I didn't like was the late start time. Mid 20s heat started at 9:30 so by race time it was already sweltering hot. The course starts behind downtown Carlsbad and loops around the highway. There is a nice beach view for a hot minute. And then you're done and can stock up on bars galore.