The Palo Alto Moonlight Run is an annual event held near the City of Palo Alto Baylands Athletic…read moreCenter. It is usually run in Late September or Early October and coincides with a full moon. As you can guess, it is run at night, under dark conditions, only by the light of the moon. There are actually 3 parts of the event: a 5k Walk, a 5K run, and a 10k run. Plenty of families and amateurs participate, and the gathering is more than just a race. There are a lot of booths and other smaller festivities going on in the nearby baseball field hosted by sponsors of the event. The run itself goes around the Palo Alto Baylands area, including around the local airport. This is a very fun event, though probably not for the hyper-competitive runner, as the trails are narrow, and since people are running in the darkness, you have to be careful not to trip over things. Exercise caution in the early parts of the race when the crowd is bunched up. A lot of kids run the event (and they often beat me...), and times are accurate and computerized. It is run like an official race, but I advise not to take it too seriously. I like running the 5k, but may upgrade to the 10k next time. Aside from that, it is a unique and fun event. I rate it highly because it has a pretty dedicated following, has something to offer for multiple people, has local flavor, and is pretty neat to run in the dark. Hope to see you out there!

A great twist on the usual 5/10k. It's fun to enjoy the bay, lit up by the harvest moon and glow…read morestick necklaces. Pros: -T shirts are long sleeved. This past year they were super soft and yellow. -Hobee's always provides coffee cake and oranges. Nom, nom, nom. -Bring glow in the dark necklaces & bracelets! One vendor provides them for free, but they do run out early in the evening. -Dogs and strollers are permitted on the walk. Cons: -If it's a warm evening, you'll need bug spray! -The start of the race always gets bottle necked. -You might have to park far, far away if you arrive later for one of the runs. The parking situation improved for me the last couple of years, but I always walk. -There was a freak thunderstorm that came out of no where in 2011. Can't really fault the organizers for that one.

***4.5 stars***…read more awesome inaugural event that celebrates the spirit of the woman! although i did not have the opportunity to run this inaugural race in palo alto, i did spend time volunteering before the event, checking-in runners, assigning race bibs, handing out goodie bags and tshirts, as well as after the event, handing out water bottles and congratulating runners as they crossed the finish line. volunteering is, in itself, extremely rewarding as you are giving your time and energy to a cause knowing that you will not be receiving anything in return. for me, i got the best thing, which was that warm, happy feeling inside, that i did something good, and that i made people happy. the actual course started at the trail head to the palo alto baylands nature preserve, a beautiful part of the peninsula where many runners, walkers, and bikers can be found on any given day. the course is flat, with a few small inclines, and combines packed gravel/dirt and paved asphalt surfaces. sadly, this trail will close for the next two years due to renovation, but we were lucky to be given this last opportunity to participate in an event here. as a runner, if you registered for this event, you received the following: *woman-cut tank top (different from the usual tshirt that most races give out, the tank was very cute and very feminine) *yellow reusable bag with a small zippered compartment inside (great for groceries!) after crossing the finish line, there was a "night market" which offered: *post race food, including sandwiches, greek yogurt, luna bars, water, electrolyte drink *a "bubbly bar" for participants over 21, with a choice of bellini or mimosa...nothing beats a glass of champagne after a hard workout! *free table massage *free manicure or polish change *"esprit de she" apparel for sale *cocktail lounge style tables and decor my only concern about this event was the parking. as a volunteer, i came very early and had no problems finding parking, but those who came later in the day, even those who arrived an hour before the start of the event, struggled to find parking, as we volunteers had to answer many questions about where participants could park, whether a particular lot was legal or not. overall, it was a wonderful turnout for this event and the organizers did a terrific job in organizing this event. i hope they have this event again next year, and i hope to be on the other side of the timing mats next time, as a participant. congratulations to everyone who crossed the finish line today! power to the she!

The Palo Alto Esprit De She 5k was an awesome 5k run! I felt the warmth of girl power just being…read morethere with all of those women! They had a ton of girlie booths (manicure/massage/girls on the run) in addition to the usual sports drinks and energy bar setups which are typical of running events. That really made this one special for me! My friend and I finished in time to enjoy the sandwiches that they had out. They fed us well and gave us two drink tickets. We loved the wine and mimosas! It was one of the better spreads that I've seen at a running event. The Athleta tanks fit nicely and the event was well organized. I look forward to running this again. POWER THE THE SHE!

Wow I'm really surprised no one has yelped about this 5k in Palo Alto considering this was their…read more8th Annual run. Running of the Bulls 5k Fun Run is a cute concept where they have elite runners dressed up in bull/cow outfits and they have a delayed start and end up running with you on the 5k. The more you pass the more chances you had at getting a prize. This race was inspired bull-running in Pamplona, Spain. This year's Bulls 5k event is a fundraiser for A Foundation Building Strength. Last year it was for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Its great that they have a different charity to support every year it seems. Its a very small race and the idea stands with you get what you pay for. Registration is 25 bucks and 30 bucks on race day. I was able to save 5 bucks by using a code which makes my funds go straight to my fundraising for Team Challenge which is raising money towards Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Packet pickup was that morning at 8AM. The race started at 9am. Let me tell that rain ruins everything! This year's race was on Mother's Day and it was just pouring. When the race started the rain went away but the damage was done with wet and slick roads and huge puddles that got my pants and shoes soaked! With our registration we got a unisex t shirt with the logo and sponsors on and a goodie bag filled with 2 fliers- one for Boot Camp for Moms and for another race coming up in Mountain View and a sample of Gu. So yeah not much there. No timing chip although you got to see how much time had passed by the end. So it obviously may not be super accurate to your time but it was fine. There was also a photographer snapping photos at the finish line so I hope they post those up. I love getting pictures from races in action. You started at the parking lot of the high school, went on a trail by the school, in the Palo Alto neighborhood, and finished on the track. Def a nice neighborhood for sure. Not enough volunteers to direct you where to go but enough to not get lost. I love when there are more people cheering! No water stations and even in the end I didn't see one.. only a station with a long line of people waiting for the sponsored drink. I most likely wouldn't be doing this one again but glad I got a run in before Mother's Day brunch, even if it was in the rain.

Fun family run, not too many runners. It was fun trying to weave through all the puddles on the…read morepath but a fellow runner fell onto me yanking out my ear buds and dropping my MP3 :( Overall, its a great run for not so serious runners...like myself I couldn't help but to laugh when the runners dressed as bulls and cows would race by saying "good job!"

Perfect community 5/10k run to support Mountain View fire department! All proceeds go to Mountain…read moreView fire departments random acts of kindness; Where firefighters give back to families, children, and other community members in need. All registered participants were given a shirt and tote bag! This is a very small race and extremely community oriented. It had a perfect route alongside shorelines baylands making the run serene. It is nice because it is not overly crowded. Since there are not very many participants they award first through third place for all ages groups by 10 years for both male and female categories for the 5 and 10k. They also had a raffle sponsored by Google! Last but not least they had a kids run! All of the kids received medals for participating :) At the end the giveaways were fruit, starbucks, kind bars and fitaid drinks. If you wanted you could also get an ice cream sponsored by Baskin Robins! Next year I will be back :)

I ran in this year's 3rd annual race to support Mountain View Firefighters Random Acts!…read more Plenty of free parking available. Picked up my bib early on the morning of the race, no issues. Nice and easy trail with visible mile markers and enthusiastic volunteers ensuring that we go the right way. Two water stations along the 10k trail. It's a small race so we shared the trail with other park goers, but wasn't a problem unless there was a larger group of runners passing by. The trail felt a little too small for all of us then, but that didn't happen too often. Lots of great post-race goodies. I looooved the Noosa Mates and the Bobo's Oat Bar. The fitter goody bags were awesome. They seem to be very similar to the lululemon reusable bags and they have encouraging and inspiring notes on them! I really like the technical shirt. Most shirts that I get from races nowadays feel cheap, but the material of this shirt is very nice. They ran out of small women's shirts at the race, but had xs which ran big so it fits perfectly! Results were available within 24 hrs, but I have yet to see photos. I'm planning on running this race in the future!

***3.5 stars*** i…read moreparticipated in the inaugural summer scamper in 2011, as well as the following year, but have not been able to work this event into my schedule the past two years. this year, i signed up early, with my run group, as we decided to participate and support lucille packard children's hospital together as a team. i love that this event focuses on kids, and even has a kids run in addition to the main distances. for this particular event, there was a choice of 2 distances: 1. 10k (6.2 miles) 2. 5k (3.1 miles) children between the ages of 3 and 10 had their own kids' fun run, broken down as such: 1. ages 3-4, 200 yard run 2. ages 5-6, 400 yard run 3. ages 7-8, 600 yard run 4. ages 9-10, half mile run the pros: +VERY REASONABLE race fees, $30 for the 5k and $35 for the 10k. since my group was registered as a team, i saved an additional $5 on registration. +FREE and EASY PARKING on stanford's campus, in the lot directly across the street from the registration and finish line festival area (which was just a couple minutes walk from the start line) +FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS directing runners in the parking area, manning aid stations along the course, flagging runners to ensure that we stayed on course, and keeping the refreshments' tables well stocked at the post-race festival area. +LOTS of PORTA-POTTIES by the start/finish line as well as the festival area. we also had access to the proper restrooms at the stanford track which was where the kids' races took place. what you get: *choice of BIB AND TSHIRT PICKUP at campbell sports basement two days before the race or fleet feet sports menlo park the day before the race. for those who couldn't attend either, they could pick up their bib and shirt at the registration tent the morning of the race. *teal, DRI FIT FINISHER'S SHIRT with a white summer scamper logo *VIRTUAL GOODY BAG, emailed to all registered participants the week of the race, with discounts to local retailers *several AID STATIONS with volunteers handing out cups of water *customised SUMMER SCAMPER MEDAL for each child who crossed the finish line at the kids' race. these were super cute and i know that all of the kids loved these special medals that were made exclusively for them! *TONS of POST-RACE FOOD & DRINKS, including assorted bagels, bananas, oranges, KIND bars, and water. *SPONSORS including lyfe kitchen, farm hill, kind water, kombucha, offering samples of their food, including chocolate chip cookies, mango salsa, kale salad, date bars, flavoured water, and kombucha shots. *lots of FINISH LINE FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES, including games, more food, and opportunities to win prizes from local sponsors the cons: -race started 5 minutes late. both the 5k and 10k were supposed to start at 8am sharp, but they did not begin announcements until this time which delayed the start til 8:05am. -courses were not marked properly. when comparing the official 5k course from the website to the course charted out by my garmin watch, the routes did not match and i could see that one section was missed, shortening the course by roughly 0.27 miles, which is about 9% of the distance for a 5k. my friends who ran the 10k with a garmin system reported that they ran about 5.75 miles, almost 1/2 mile short of the official 6.2 miles for a 10k. -i only saw the mile 1 marker along the course, but nothing beyond that....it made me wonder whether this was intentional or perhaps i just didn't see the mile 2 and mile 3 markers. -there were lots of short, sharp turns along both courses, making it necessary to slow down frequently -although i was given the small size tshirt that i signed up for, the shirts were all unisex, and mine was far too big for me. it was even too big for my husband who normally wears a small or medium sized tshirt. it would have been nice to offer both a women's cut shirt and men's cut shirt for proper fitting. -no finisher medals for 5k & 10k participants, only the kids' races since the course was marked short, i ended up with a terrific 5k finish time, one that i knew was not possible given my current running abilities. i still ended up finishing 2nd in my age group, and 12th female, which surprised me considering the fact that nearly 2000 participated in the 5k, with more than half of these being women. i did not walk away with an additional medal or prize since there were only awards for the top 3 overall men and women per distance, and winner for each age group. but i still enjoyed the awards ceremony since the announcer did a good job and many teams and kiddies took photos on stage after. overall, a well-organized event, but i hope they make the necessary corrections to both the 5k and 10k courses for next year so that the distances are as accurate as possible.

Participated with a team of seven friends in the second annual Packard Summer Scamper this past…read moreweek! It was my first race, and I commend the volunteers, staff, and organizers for having a very smooth and well-organized race, making it quite enjoyable! Signing up, registration, packet pick-up, and pre-race communications were all seamless, and the course was well-marked and had plenty of volunteers showing us the turns. I only have two minor quibbles - first, there was a last minute change in course from what had been posted. Granted, it was a very minor change and was due to construction closing off some paths, but this made the course non-USATF certified, and probably a tiny bit shorter than 10K. Second, the spacing of the two water stations on the 10K wasn't great - the first one was pretty close to the beginning, and there was a significant distance between that one and the second (and final) water station. A more even spacing would be beneficial. Overall, though, the race was a ton of fun - the post-race expo was also tremendously organized, with plenty of food, vendors, etc. The 5K and 10K were staggered (and run on different courses, for the most part) so there wasn't great congestion, and they also have fun runs for kids. The run is very welcomgin for runners or walkers of all levels - there were walkers, runners, and even people with strollers there! Something for everyone, and the event supports a good cause!

another awesome event organized by the local japanese community! the 3rd annual run for japan took…read moreplace yesterday, sunday, march 10, on the eve of the 2nd anniversary of the tsunami in tohoku, japan. the marketing was a bit delayed this year, so i didn't hear about the event until just a few weeks ago. fortunately, i was free yesterday and didn't hesitate to sign up. once again, they offered two distances: 8k run/walk and 3k walk. one of the reasons i love participating in this event is that the volunteers and staff members really come to honour those who were lost and make it a point to spread the word and encourage others to write messages of hope, send their prayers, and give donations to the victims of this tragic disaster. since the event was announced so late, there were no timing chips available, and the event was completely FREE! how often do we get to run a FREE race that includes everything from race bibs to course markers to aid stations to fully stocked refreshment tables post-race? not that often! i think my favourite post-race snack was the calbee snap pea crisps! did i mention the post-race massage? thanks to dr. michiteru koike and staff, we were able to enjoy free table massages after the race. i want to thank all of those who came out to organize and assist with the logistics of the race. i am quite amazed at what they were able to pull off in just a few short weeks. and the turnout was also fantastic as many families came to run, walk, and cheer during this event. i look forward to participating in this race again next year!

Truly a well organized and well sponsored race! A true fun run with piles of willing helpers and…read moredrones of people who want to honor folks and have fun! In this case,the detailed review someone left is not possible to beat and certainty expresses my feelings completely.It was a great little run with a vibe of true unity of purpose and pleasure!~ Go run it next year!~ :)