I've run both the half marathon and 10k in the past and had good experiences. Today's half was a big mess: 1) Course was VERY congested, mainly with SRLA kids. I'm all for encouraging teens to get into endurance sports, but there were a TON of them out there. 2) Aid stations just had water. One had watered down Gatorade, but it was just that single station. NO gels or gummies were offered at any of the aid stations. I've never run a half or full marathon with on-course nutrition this bad. 3) Food at the finish line was very limited - water, a few dry snacks. No electrolyte drinks, no fruit. Sorry - won't be back... read more

Parking: fairly easy as it was at the Fairplex. Plentiful amount of parking and organized. $10 for both Sat and Sun. It's nice if you do both the 5K on Sat and half marathon on Sunday. Packet pickup: either on Sat or Sun morning before the race. It was super helpful that I could pick up my shirt and bib the morning before the race since I had to work on Sat! Course: pretty hilly! If you are the type of runner who feeds on loud music and crazy spectators cheering you on, this race is NOT for you. The course is very quiet, serene, and only had one small two person live band. Since the course runs through Bonelli Park and some paths near Raging Waters, there weren't a lot of spectators. Fuel stations: water and Gatorade stations were maybe every two miles. I didn't like how they diluted the Gatorade. I want to taste Gatorade, not lemon water! The water also had a weird taste. They had a Cliff GU station around Mile 9. PRIZE: The half marathon shirt was pretty nice and comfy. I've worn it several times since the race to the gym! The medal is sparkly, heavy, and pretty =D Price: I paid $76 (processing fee included) during early bird registration. The race was in December and I registered in February. Verdict: I think there are better races that offer a nicer route for the price. I found the course to be a bit boring, especially since there aren't that many spectators. read more

Holiday Half Marathon & 5K - Dec 14 2014 race shirt and medal! - Races & Competitions Near Me

(25th Half, 2015) Beginning this year, the Holiday Half will be a yearly pilgrimage of mine...for many reasons. First, I love the snowflake medals! The Christmas season is up and running, people are embracing the spirit of giving, day after day Christmas carols are playing on the radio... I love it! So receiving snowflake medals--one for the 5k and another for the Half--fits right in. Plus, if you run both the 5K and the Half, you'll be awarded the Golden Snowflake Challenge medal! Three medals, two races, one weekend. Second, the Holiday Half is part of the CA Half Series. If you've been chasing one of those medals--whether for four, seven, ten, fifteen, or twenty races--the Holiday Half is included, so you'll be one step closer. Third, upon running the Holiday Half Marathon three years in a row, you become a member of the Penguin March Club! (I want that medal!) And continuing to run the Holiday Half Marathon consecutively, you'll receive a different Penguin March Club award each year: 3rd Year Lil' Blue Penguin Medal 4th Year Rockhopper Penguin Pin 5th Year Humboldt Penguin Pin 6th Year Macaroni Penguin Pin 7th Year Royal Penguin Pin 8th Year Gentoo Penguin Pin 9th Year King Penguin Pin 10th Year Emperor Penguin Pin Those running the Holiday Half Marathon six years in a row will also receive a quality hooded sweatshirt with the Penguin March Club logo. Participants reaching their 10th consecutive year will be named "Emperor Penguin" and will receive the ultimate Penguin March Club memorabilia! Penguin March Club members, by the way, receive discounts on future events and first notice about registration openings. I'm in! And last, even though the 5K isn't that thrilling (for the most part, it's a trip around Fairplex's parking lots), the Half is much more scenic: in and around Bonelli Park, along Brackett Airfield, and even a full throttle drag down the Auto Club Raceway. Really, it's a fun run! There's even snow at the start line. Yep, this Holiday Half is one I'll keep running, another reason to look forward to the Christmas season. =] read more

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Fun Run! Ran this last year and had to return a second year. But ... hills, hills, and hills. Yet I had lots of fun, fun, and fun! Hmm, not crazy about the 15 minute delayed start. Next time let's start on time. There was a lot of congestion at the finish line where water, snacks, and fruit were passed out. Next year? You bet ... check out the 2012 medal ... Yay! read more

Holiday Half Marathon & 5K - 2012 Medal - Races & Competitions Near Me

Awesome race! I did the 5K, so I can't speak on the half, but this was great. Parking was $10 which is a little steep for a race I'm only going to spend 30 minutes at, but what can you do. The "expo" and packet pickup was before the race. Since the 5K was on Saturday and the half on Sunday, the 5K participants picked up our bibs and shirts before the race. There was no Friday expo which I'm fine with. It's a smaller, local race and the expo wasn't much either. There were maybe 10 booths. It's nothing to complain about though since it is a small race, you shouldn't expect too much in that area. The race was run well. I quickly received my bib and shirt which was cute by the way! I headed back to my car to stay warm since it was 45 degrees and my fingers were nearly about to fall off. When it was time to go and warm enough I left my car and headed to the start line. There weren't too many participants and I can't say how many there were exactly, but it wasn't at all overcrowded. Everyone was respectful and gave enough personal space at the start line. There were no corrals so it was just the honor system on how fast you are, which actually worked out perfectly thanks to the announcer. He reminded the crowd to go to the correct places plenty of times. The race started 5 minutes late to allow for the race day registration participants to get to the start line which wasn't that big of a deal. The 5K course goes through the Fairplex parking lot so it isn't a very visually appealing course. Up until the first mile it was full of trees and some nice things to look at and run through. After the first mile it is all parking lot. 5Ks are quick and fun. This is a run/walk so feel free to bring your kids and family and walk the whole course if you'd like! There's a 1 hour 30 minute cut off for the race which is plenty of time to walk the course. The medal was really cute and I love how there were military men giving them to us at the finish! Thank you so much! I'll likely be running this event again next year, possibly the half to check out the course. read more

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I, for some reason, decided to do the inaugural "Golden Snowflake Challenge" which has you running the 5k on Saturday followed by the 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. Was it the really cool bonus medal? The great deal to do both? The lack of logic to drive from Valencia to Pomona at 5:45a twice in a weekend? Probably a combination of all three! If you want to know about the 5k, read the review from Chelsea B. from this weekend. It's flawless and couldn't be better written so I'm not going to try. I was beginning to question my decision for the 1/2 when the backlog to enter parking was caused by the buses carrying the SRLA kids. And once they got out, they are everywhere. Like ants at a picnic. Thank god they start 30 minutes after the rest of us or else it would have been a disaster. I only had one incident with one of their runners who cut me off, then stopped to walk, but it wasn't enough for me to condemn the entire group. The course is hilly but in a good way. I didn't feel like it was overly punishing and since this was a training run for me, I needed the extra work which I certainly got! Talked with lots of runners on the course who were friendly without the ego. Or maybe being a little further back in the pack changes how we approach these things! Volunteers were great, it was well organized and starting 5 minutes late is still within my acceptable limit. Which happened during both races this weekend by the way. $10 to park but I was able to park for free on Sunday (saved my stub) so at $5 a day I can live with that - and WAY cheaper than you'll pay in Long Beach. The expo had three solar companies and four others with timeshares which isn't really running related but the one booth that did, thanks for bailing me out with the Body Glide on Sunday morning. My post-race was a lot less painful thanks to you! With the trend for these huge half-marathons (Surf City comes to mind) I'm beginning to gravitate towards these smaller races which still deliver a great run with a bit of extra appreciation from the promoters. Hell yes I'll be back! read more

I like how you can pick up your bib and shirt the day of the race. For most people who ran this race, they probably drove from LA, and it may take up to more than an hour one way just to get here. So basically you just have to drive here, do the expo, do the race, and drive back and you're done. The expo wasn't really newsworthy, maybe a few freebies like clif bars, and some random booths that sold clothes and nutrition, but nothing big like the LA Marathon expo. And parking was $10 at the Fairplex, but that's ok since it is fairly secure, and I didnt have to worry about finding random street parking. Pretty easy coming in and out of the parking lot. The course didn't have any real memorable spots. Sure we ran around a lake and part of a race track, but I didn't get any "wow" factor. The only good thing I remembered were the hills, not really challenging, but they did mix up the monotony of the lack of scenery along the course. Not a bad a course...but not the best either. I mean...I'm only in Pomona once in a blue moon, so it would have been nice to experience something "Pomona-like" along the course. Well, whatever, I'm here for the run, and that's about it. I didn't pay for scenery, but if you're reading this and you were expecting something really cool along the course, well...now you know. But everything else was satisfactory. Volunteers were super cool, aid stations were appropriately placed along the course. I like the Holiday theme, so there were hundreds of runners in their favorite Christmas costumes. And post-race nutrition giveaway was satisfactory. The snowflake medal is unique and fits well with this December half marathon. The online price for this event was very reasonable since you get a fair amount of amenities, so if I'm home for the holidays next year and so forth...I wouldn't mind doing this again. Good job Pomona! Note to self: 1:45:21 in 2014 read more

Third half marathon DONE and with a new PR!! Yes the course is rather hilly, but I actually run Bonelli Park every other weekend with my running club (SoCal Pacers... check them out!) so I felt like a BOSS powering up those hills when everyone else was walking. There are a lot of SRLA kids, but they start half an hour after everyone else and I personally think it's a wonderful cause and some of the littler ones are so cute! Oh and they're fast too - they caught up to me and whizzed past me at the 5K mark. Lots of water stops and unlike at Long Beach, they still had Kool N Fit AND all of the Clif gel flavors when I got to the stations! There aren't a ton of spectators which is unfortunate, probably because with the fairplex and the park, you don't really go through a lot of residential areas. My parents and dogs came out to look for me, but the map on the website wasn't very clear and I accidentally told them we would be running in the opposite direction. Oh well. Other than that, parking is $10, but it's good for both Saturday and Sunday and you can park in just a few minutes unlike at Long Beach (can you tell I'm hating on LB? lol). Cute shirt and snowflake medal. Definitely a race to check out! read more

I really like this course. Having run races all across the pacific northwest, this is one of the top 5 favorites courses. I love running through the park and along the speedway. What I don't like about this race is that it has started late the last two years I have run. Late start races are a pet peeve. read more

Ran the 2015 Holiday 5K and Half Marathon and had an awesome time! The race was well organized and everything went smoothly. The parking was easy (as long as you parked early), the route for the half marathon was scenic, and the medals were gorgeous as usual! I did the early registration for the Golden Snowflake Challenge where you run both the 5K on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. There were other perks as well including a free massage and beer for the half marathon. They also have a costume contest and everyone has cool Christmas-themed costumes. This year's costume contest winner dressed as Olaf. Will definitely participate again next year! read more

Holiday Half Marathon & 5K - 2015 Holiday Half Marathon and 5K medals - Races & Competitions Near Me

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Shaved off a few minutes from my previous half, and that was quite an accomplishment considering all the hills in this one! The event was sorta well organized, but there were a LOT of kids.. like thousands, that don't know or care to follow runner etiquette which was kinda annoying (they're the Students Run LA group, but they start 15 min after everyone else does).. They should have their own section or at least more organization with these SRLA groups separate from the regular runners. Aside from the SRLA kids, it was a nice race. scenic and serene with the lake and going through Raging Rivers all dried up was an interesting view. The finish line festival wasn't too bad either, stage entertainment and beer/food trucks available. Though they did run out of complimentary beer for the finishers by the time I got there (and after I had paid for mine, they opened it up again - of course!). Would I do this particular half again? maybe, maybe not.. it's not a for sure thing for me. read more

Damn, Tricia E. got it down! I also ran the half marathon today and shaved 3 and some change minutes off my time for a new PR! Some things will be reiterated, but I have a few new things to add. Pros: -I agree with Tricia in that it was well organized and there were lots of water stations that kept me hydrated throughout the entire race. -After crossing the finish line they gave out great tasting granola snacks, bananas, and water (standard practice, but DAMN those granola bars were bomb). -The course was not as painful as I imagined it would be. I looked at the altitude map prior to the race and I was a little apprehensive. I thought it was going to be just like the Laguna Hills Half with monster hills. I felt like most of the uphill sections were gradual, with some steep downhills. The course is scenic and the trees provided lots of shade, which made it a cool (temp) run. -Hardly any crowding. I also experienced the "cow herding" at the LB marathon and now I've come to the conclusion that it's better to do these smaller/less popular runs because there is a lot more space, goodies, water, and love to go around! Mmhmm. -Packet pick-up day of race starting at 6 am! I don't think this was a possibility in any other race I've run in LA or OC county. It's always been the day or two before. Either way, it was very convenient for me and everyone else I knew lived more than 30 minutes away from Pomona. -Student's Run LA started 15 minutes after the regular start time. I appreciated this because 1. a lot of them run fast(er than me) and 2. As one of my friends said, "some of them were little shits!" [Note: He got cut off a few times and I, too, experienced a few incidents of runner disrespect (oh no he didn't!). However, I will clarify that this isn't a SRLA problem, just a "16 and under" problem. The SRLA kids are just easier to point out because they all wear shirts that say SRLA. In the races I have run, the worst offenders are like 13 or those with "elite" complexes that aren't really elite. But to end on a happy note, SRLA is a fantastic program that provides so many benefits to the kids in the community! I wish I had started seriously running at that age.] Room for Improvement: -I don't think this is a possibility due to the way the fairgrounds are set up, but I really wished there was a drop off area. I asked if there was and the man said no and giggled, so if find out later that there is a place...I'mma find him and smack the mustache off him! -Sigh...$9 for parking and there weren't even any attendants to help direct traffic, only people taking your money and making sure you didn't park in preferred/handicapped section. I don't think there were any fender benders, but there easily could have been! Also, as people left, having attendants would have helped too. Why? Because this shit happens: To the guy who sped down the lane meant for cars coming INTO the Fairplex, while the rest of us patiently waited in line to leave... F U! I know that Benz is just a lease that you're probably defaulting on! -Did the expo have to be that concentrated? Even though my legs were glad that everything was in close quarters, there was also lots of people clustered right after the finish line and surrounding the expo and it was just like I was Christmas shopping. Too crowded. There's so much room at the Fairplex to spread everything out! But I'm just a runner, not a race organizer. Other: -I said GD, GD, it was cold! I did not take of my sweats until the last 15 minutes before we started. Of course, for the race this was great, but brrrrrrr before the race it was painfully chilly. -I only saw around 20-30 spectators/cheerleaders throughout the course until the end. I wish the course were more accessible for them, because their encouragement really helps. -The volunteers, especially at the water stations, were great. Kudos to them! read more

I've ran a few marathons before but this is my first half marathon. First I liked that you could pick up your bib during the morning of race(or day before if you choose) as many of the other races have you going to a separate expo event on a different day. I am very familiar with the Pomona Fairplex so it was fairly easy to get there and find the parking. Parking is ten dollars and covers both days of the event(5K is on Saturday). I arrived very early so finding a spot was a breeze and then I was able to quickly pick up my bib in the expo area which was held outdoors. The race took me through some familiar areas that I see when I attend the L.A. County Fair but also other areas that I have not seen before. Because this is being held in the fairgrounds area there is hardly any spectators along the route(save for some family members staged along the way rooting for their runner). There was a good amount water stations along the way with enough volunteers and supplies. Mile 9 or so featured the Clifs gel which was a nice boost to have at that point. And oh, this was the most amount of SRLA runners that I have seen relative to the overall amount of regular runners(they seemed to be everywhere). Overall I enjoyed my time at this event. There were plenty of Jolly runners in their holiday outfits. The course was nice with some beautiful scenery along the way and the whole thing was well organized and easy going. Pretty sure next year I will go for another run here. read more

2015 was my first time doing this and I'll be back next year. I loved how festive it was and how so many people dressed up for it. The bling is beautiful, especially the Golden Snowflake. I enjoyed the half marathon route around the lake, and as it wasn't going to be a PR run for me I stopped to take pictures. There were definitely a good amount if hills but they were more rolling than killer hills. The race was well organized. It was the first race I've been to that had flushing toilets! (These things matter sometimes)! Thank you so much for a great weekend. See you in 2016. read more