I think it should be a requirement for runners to volunteer at a water stop before actually…read moreparticipating. I don't think it will kill them to run a couple more steps to throw away their water cups. I never realized how annoying (and maybe a bit inconsiderate) to see cups on the ground when there's a trash can next to it until I started volunteering for running events. Okay, so that's my rant... Now about the run. Cat N. and I both thought it was a pretty good event with lots of major sponsors. I came to realize this after crossing the finish line and being handed a Smart Water and not Arrowhead or Kirkland, wow! There were also free Jamba Juice, Pop Chips, Honest Tea, Bear Naked and many more! And of course, free chocolate and champagne! Definitely loads of freebies. You also get a medal and champagne glass for finishing, and my favorite, ALL participants get tech shirts. It's very different since most running events only give out regular T-shirts for 5K runners and save the dri-fit shirts for half and full marathoners. But just FYI, the shirts run a little small and short. I'm regularly a small, but I got a medium. Cat N. is usually a medium, but got a large. We both agreed that this will be an annual thing for us. And BTW, it's not only for women, but men are eligible to participate as well.

I'm from Alameda and the starting line is less than a 10 minute drive from my house so I may be…read morebiased about this race since I didn't have to wake up at an ungodly hour to run like I do for most races. I've only gotten an opportunity to do the 5K but I'm really hoping to do the half-marathon one day (it always coincides with the San Diego Rock & Roll, though, and SD is typically where I am in the early summer). But the 5K was great, weather was sunny (which I don't mind for a 5K but for a half, that could be a problem), and the course was extremely flat. The cause is great and as a woman, it's always empowering and nice to run these types of races! It's also nice that it's a small race too--registration is relatively cheap and you don't feel too overwhelmed by the crowds. The only downside for me was that not a lot of people were cheering. More neighborhood spirit please, Alameda!

A major marathon that occurs in mid-March, and starts at 7am (National Anthem gets played 10 min…read moreprior) and is meant to be finished by runners in 3-6hrs. The main hub is set up in Snow Park, which sees an influx of vendors, stage setups, port-a-potties, fencing, the whole setup in short. Love the energy it brings to The Town!

Good Running Festival, good energy, good vibe. I missed the Inaugural running of this last year,…read moremade sure I was able to run it this year. This Race takes place in Alameda Point, basically your running through the vacant Alameda Naval Base. If your looking for big running crowds lining the streets for you, this is not the race for you. It's what I would call a runners race. If you're looking for a PR or just enjoy running for the sake of running, this is your race. Plenty of aid stations, and beer and food after, including a burrito, as well as music if you want to hang out for a while. I'll definitely be back next year!!

This is my very first Brazen Race and trail 1/2 marathon. It was awesome!…read more Brazen did a great job organizing the event from registration to the post race celebration. All the details were thought out. The 5K was entirely on paved trails, while the 10K and half marathon were about 50% paved trails and 50% fire trails. The 5K and 10K were out and back courses, while the half marathon for 2011 looped Lake Chabot. The half marathon was not for the faint of hearts. My GPS showed elevation climbs over 2,500ft! Every mile of the 1/2 marathon was a challenge. Especially mile 3 on the Live Oak trail. Intense incline for over a mile! Mile 8 was almost a free fall with a vertical descent for over a 1/4 mile. And finally, Mile 9 which ran along the dry river bed single track. After an intense course, it was nice to finish with great recovery food (fruits, bagels, pastries, IT-IT's ice cream and cheesecake!) Love the well designed dry-fit tee and finishers' metal. I will wear both proudly!

Despite having run in several races (10k, 10mi, and half marathon) over the past 18 months, I…read moredecided to try my first 5k at the Bad Bass. Brazen Racing has become my favorite race company, since they put on such organized races with great swag. This one was no different. Everything is on time and well-marked. As with any race, I'd suggest getting here early, that way you have time to park, get your packet, etc. The 5k had probably the fewest number of people who signed up, compared to the 10k and half marathon distances. Just so you know, the 10k and 5k distances were "just over" 6.2 & 3.1 miles (call them "ultra" 10k and 5k, if you will, haha). Once again, post-race refreshments were great, with bagels, granola, candy, all types of fruit, etc.

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more I know this wasn't technically the annual Temescal Street Fair, but I don't believe the event on Sunday, October 25, had an actual name. It was referred to as a picnic which made sense if you took advantage of the neighborhood restaurants offering outdoor seating. Jamie W. and I did by having our first real outdoor dining experience together right outside of Daol Tofu & BBQ, a relatively new Korean spot that made an excellent Bo Ssam for two with tables that were properly distanced from each other. Even more than that though, this urban picnic offered us an opportunity to roam the neighborhood and take notice of all the ethnically diverse array of eateries at our own pace. I actually found the absence of mobile amusement rides, performance stages, and free salsa lessons blessings in disguise. This was held in response to Oakland's Flex Streets initiative, where restaurants and shops take over closed blocks for brief periods of time. During these challenging times, I welcome these picnics and hope more are scheduled. RELATED - Exploring Temescal? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2I0RAHj

This is a big Street Fair!! I decided to take BART here, a super convenient way to go, just get…read moreoff at MacArthur station, and it's literally around the corner. I also took my bicycle, lots of bike parking here also. Lots of food choices here, and I like how all the businesses in the area are open also for even more choices. There are 2 music stages, the one at the end had salsa going when I got there, with everybody doing the salsa. Lots to see, buy, and taste, I'll definitely be back!!!

Great course along the Embarcadero. Flat and fast, and the last two miles of the 12K are on comfy…read moregravel along the beach at Chrissy Field. Not the fastest or most serious running crowd. With the upside of low stress and less formality around registration, slightly disorganized start corral, etc. A little pricey at $75 for 12K on the day of. About 2,400 runners, so way more sane than Bay to Breakers. The other B2B is more competitive and more fun, but you can't beat the course and Marina Green is 15 degrees warmer than the OB end of Golden Gate Park, which makes for a more enjoyable post-race scene for runners.

Decided to do the sf original run series which includes 4 iconic runs of SF…read moreBay to breakers SF marathon The giants race and lastly Glide bridge to Bridge Relatively nice run by the Embarcadero to fisherman's wharf and aquatic park, then go up hill towards fort mason and then down hill all the way to Crissy field Marina to the finish line for the 5k run. The expo and after race concert are there too. PROS I liked this run, great views and scenery. The Glide booth had tons of giveaways. The lady there was piling the floss pick into my bag, there were also notepads, tee shirts and earphones. Also had my photo taken by Glide and photo can be seen online. Picked up my signed poster from the artist of the poster for the run at the Dignity health booth. Was happy to pick up my SF series medal and tee shirt at the booths. Shuttles were announced clearly for the return to downtown. The race started at 9 and the weather was way too hot to run. Would prefer an earlier start time like 8 or 8.30am to avoid the heat. CONS Wish they had some mile markers along the way, so i can pace myself and give it my all at the last mile but I did not know when that was, because there was no signage. Unlike other runs, there weren't a lot of food. I managed to get a protein milkshake, water, banana, tangerine and nuts. I guess it's better than nothing. Was disappointed not to get a medal for this run. Would have been nice to have the SF series medal as a bonus for doing all four, as well as a medal for the bridge to bridge run...disappointed. Even though bridge to bridge, it's not literally, because the race ends on the marina but you do get to see both the Bay bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. The material of the tee was cotton, not the same dri fit material of previous races. Overall, a great run to end the SF series. But should give out finishers medal anyway.

I love this race so much! Specifically, it's the course that is ABSOLUTELY perfect for beginners…read moreand advanced runners alike. It's been a few years since my last event here, but it's always a good one. There's ample parking, the grassy field is huge to support all the runners and event staff, like I said the course is the star, and post-race snacks are great!

"Summer Breeze, makes me feel fine..."…read more I've forgotten how great smaller, local races are. Are all Brazen Racing events like this? Because if so, I need to run in some more! I think Ellen L's review really sums up everything I love about this race: Extremely organized, hassle-free bib pickup morning of the race (I got there at 7:45 AM and got my half marathon bib within 2 minutes...if you're doing a different event, however, you may want to get there earlier), free parking at start/finish, the fact that the start is also the finish, perfect weather, no race congestion (even though some parts of the course are narrow, I never had to slow down because of traffic nor did I have trouble passing other runners), free post-race photo downloads (everything is uploaded online so you can download/print yourself), and the best fuel stations and post-race food goodies ever! I was seriously shocked at how much food and goodies there were!!! Ice cream sandwiches? Fig newtons? Cookies? Gummy bears? Bagels? Watermelon? The list could go on, I'm not kidding you!!! If you're looking to PR in any of the 3 distances offered here, this is the course to do it. I do zero hill training and I usually run on a treadmill or on extremely flat terrain. If you're doing the half, the toughest part is the fact that there are only 5 aid stations and the middle three are at the 3, 6.5, and 10ish mile marks. So you definitely need to plan and hydrate/fuel yourself accordingly. I normally don't need water at the pace I was going until the 6 mi mark and some calories at the 9-10 mi mark, but because of the relatively long gaps in between stations, I forced myself to stop to get water at mi 3 and gummy bears at the halfway point. And the planning paid off as I did indeed PR this race! :) In sum, one of the most enjoyable races I've done in recent years and one I'm hoping to continue running in the years to come. A big thank you to all the volunteers helping out at the aid stations and taking photos of us runners!

First off, I'm not a runner. I do not run for recreation or fitness, I prefer other cardio with…read morechoreography. Having set that premise, this was my FIRST half marathon and I finished sub 2 hours! I ran it with my ultramarathoner friends and it was a wonderful experience. Great support from the locals throughout the route. Weather was overcast and cool. We came early for parking which is free on Sunday. Gear check had the most amazing volunteers and even when the organization system failed, they still had smiles on their faces. Please come and create your own adventure.

Review #3001 Cross…read morecountry meets are good---running for 30 minutes---1 hour etc Cross country is good..running with groups is good..because humans have to run This generation---YMCA 5k Turkey Chase! Berkeley was nice to visit---it's always a positive place--weather is good---fall is nice---campus is grand---fun to run and be out in a community

Such a special event. It truly brings out the best of SF culture. The creativity is different…read morelevel. The costumes are the tip of the iceberg--a Bad Bunny Super Bowl recreation, piñata people with bats to hit and get candy, a massive black ball of trash bags that you roll down the Hayes hill. Tortillas flying over your head while the anticipation of the race builds. Amazing community cheering you on throughout the race. A Super Mario station set up in the Height, a car wash station you run through, beer bongs hanging from windows in the Hayes, trampolines and water guns, music blasting everywhere, a rainbow from Playa in GGP, and the most beautiful art pieces scattered throughout GGP. This is truly the best way to tour SF. And if you can't run the whole way, don't worry. So many people are simply walking and having fun. Very child friendly. A special experience for the whole family. A must for every San Franciscan.

My first time at B2B and I've already secured my ticket for next year…read more It looked like majority of people walk this race. I was in corral E (A being the first) and so maybe that's why?? But I did also pass many people wearing A, B, D corral letters who were taking it easy and just walking. It's more of a parade/festival than a run. I think that is a huge draw for the crowds, especially those with a disability or older folk. Walking is still movement, and I love that this is just a fun excuse to get out and move with the crowd, see parts of the city that you usually don't see, and party your way down to the ocean with the Bay Area community! The vibes were immaculate! I loved the Biofreeze zone, getting sprayed down with menthol-y goodness at mile 5. The spectators are awesome--I got a tiki drink, a can of red bull, hit a bunch of Super Mario blocks to power up, saw Kermit the frog and his puppet friends, Loraxes and racoons partying in the streets, a silly human pitstop, and the med tents got me covered with extra SPF. Luckily I didn't notice anyone "way too drunk" and messy, like I've seen some old reviews mention. I did notice security asking people not to drink on the course, but it seems the sidewalk stop is fine, just don't run on course with alcohol? Water guns will get you feeling fresh again. Plenty of water stops along the route. **The porta-potties however need to extra toilet paper or someone to bring extra toilet paper. Also hand sanitizer or wash stations would help a lot. Now that we've been through COVID you would have thought the organizers would taken this part into consideration.*** The shirt and medal is so cute, designed by a local artist. Although I really wish they would make a sun shirt long sleeve style next year to protect us from the sun! It's as challenging as you make it to be. You can run the entire thing, or walk it with friends. Because there is so much to see I didn't feel the distance. I regularly ran 5k before this so if you're not used to moving you might be sore the next day! Do be aware that quite a lot of people run nude, not kid friendly/NSFW. Just like that, we could see the ocean, the finish line. Can't wait 'til next year!