My 11 year old came in FOURTH overall in this flat,organized and fast race around the Shark…read moreTank....aka HP Pavilion. The course is clear and marked well.The only thing that could improve this organization's event is A) more directive folks by the 5k and 10 k split and B) the pacer signs,they need one more for a 7.00 minute or 6.00 minute and under group given the size of the participants,there were some 6-7 minute average mile time runners to justify one more group! Thanks guys-it was fun! A good race and easy to access for parking as well!

i was looking forward to this event all summer long since it was heavily advertised as the…read more"sweetest" run where you'd be rewarded with a cup of froyo upon crossing the finish line. it would be the first ever frozen yogurt run in san jose, and the bay area for that matter, and my friends and i were super excited to participate in this inaugural event. on what would be one of the hottest days this summer with a forecast of 97 F in san jose, my friends and i, along with 2000 or so other participants, trekked downtown to the arena green, hoping that we would all finish the race before it got too warm. a tall order for a race that had a start time of 9am. normally, i'd be rejoicing for a race that started later = extra sleep time! but today, i was secretly wishing that the race started at 7 or 8, when it was cooler outside. what i liked about the race: +reasonable RACE REGISTRATION FEES as i paid $40.45 for the 10k race, early-bird group rate for groups of 4 or more. the 5k was a few dollars less. +the ORGANIZERS were very prompt in responding to all of the emails that i sent before race day +very FAMILY FRIENDLY as i saw many families, children, and strollers at this event +VOLUNTEERS were very efficient in checking folks in on race morning, handing us our goody bags and bibs, directing us on all turns during the race (there were a lot), manning the aid stations, handing out medals and bottled water at the finish +complimentary BAG/GEAR CHECK at the start/finish area +lots of PORTA-POTTIES at the start/finish area; thankfully, i never had to wait for one, which is rare at a large event +STAGGERED START TIMES for each wave of runners, based on estimated pace (a group was released every couple of minutes to avoid congestion on course) +CLEAR SIGNAGE to distinguish the 10k and 5k routes when the 5k participants split off towards the finish chute +free cup of FROZEN YOGURT WITH TOPPINGS at the finish area, perfect for such a hot day! +unique SCHWAG including a medal in the form of a swirl, a dri-fit hat with race logo, a green drawstring bag, and coupon for free frozen yogurt at yogurtland +in addition to the usual overall and age group AWARDS, they also had awards for best costume, fastest stroller, and fastest frozen yogurt eater! what i did not like about this race: -REGISTRATION PROCESS was a bit unorthodox. since i signed up my group of 5 as one transaction, all of the tickets were put under my name and i had to email each of my friends with the individual tickets/bar codes. -since everything was under my name and email, i was the only one RECEIVING UPDATES re the race, so each time an update was sent out, i had to forward them on to my friends...the week of the race, they had multiple updates, which made for a busy week for me. -there was no PRE-RACE BIB AND PACKET PICKUP so we had to arrive at the race early, line up, and pick up our goody bag and bibs. -BIB NUMBERS were not assigned in advance, so after picking up bibs on race morning, we had to use our smart phones to register our bibs with our name, age, and gender in order to be eligible for age group awards...i have never had to do this for another race! -while there was dedicated PARKING at the SAP center parking lot a block away, we had to pay $5 per car. good thing i carpooled with a friend! -no race T-SHIRT for this event....something that almost every race offers in this day and age -UNINTERESTING COURSE which took us around downtown san jose where we only saw buildings -MISSING MILE SIGNAGE along the course....i only saw the mile markers for mile 2 and 3 -10k COURSE was two loops of the 5k course, so in addition to seeing the same boring buildings twice, i also saw mile markers 2 and 3 twice -INCORRECT COURSE MEASUREMENTS as the 10k was about 5.74 miles long, about 1/2 mile shy of the official 6.2 miles for a 10k. i believe the 5k was about 2.88 miles, which also falls short of the official 3.1 miles for a 5k. while this led to all of my friends crossing the finish line with great times, we knew that these times did not reflect the true 10k distance which was a bit of a letdown. -the BOTTLED WATER at the end of the race was warm, which is not ideal esp for such a warm day....~75/80 degrees at the time -the POST-RACE FROYO was great, but the pre-packaged cup of froyo was a bit hard and the texture was closer to ice cream vs froyo and the small cup wasn't filled to capacity...i'd say it was approximately 4 ounces of froyo per cup/per participant. they also ran out of one flavour well before everyone had finished running/walking. -aside from froyo, there was NO OTHER FOOD offered at the end, no bagels, no bananas, nothing. -RESULTS were not physically posted anywhere onsite and you had to keep checking online for them to be posted, which was several hours after the conclusion of the event. although i really like the concept of a froyo run, some details definitely need to be ironed out before they hold a second running of this event.

1st time to do this race and I really enjoyed it. Great organization at the beginning and ending…read more The only part that needs improvement is the t-shirts. Upon picking up the bibs, we were not given a t-shirt. The race, there's a 5K and a 5 mile. Of course at the finish, the 5K runners got first dibs on t-shirts. I did the 5 mile and was able to get my t-shirt, but my friend wasn't able to get her t-shirt size, they ran out. She was pissed. I recommend either 2 things to avoid having upset or angry runners. 1- give the t-shirt on the day they pick up their bib 2 - have 2 different t-shirts, one for 5K runners and one for 5 mile runners. These shirts should be given at the finish in exchnage for a bottom section of the bib. This will ensure runners receive the correct shirt, correct size, and only One. Just a thought......

This is the 2nd year that I've ran the San Jose Giants Race. I ran in 2012 and 2013, both 5 mile…read morerace. I plan to run this race again in coming years. Overall, I like this race route and the race is well organized. The last quarter mile is running into the San Jose Giants stadium. At the end of the race, you get your race dri-fit shirt and race medal, plus the usual post-run snacks and drinks. Exiting the stadium there was a line to take a picture with the 2010 and 2012 San Francisco Giants World Series trophies. A++

I've had great experiences with previous Brazen Racing events in the past, and the Western Pacific…read moreHalf Marathon was no different. Though Brazen Racing organizes trail runs which can be grueling, the Western Pacific was fortunately a mostly fast and flat course. The route began at Quarry Lakes, followed the Alameda Creek Trail, and returned to Quarry Lakes. The path was mostly gravel with some pavement. There wasn't much to look at along Alameda Creek considering the drought we're in, but the lakes and hills of Quarry Lakes were beautiful. Parking for the event was free, and the lots provided ample parking. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to walk over from the parking lot to the start line, which is a few minutes' walk inside the park. If you're aiming for a certain time, there are pace runners you can follow. I didn't follow one myself, but my boyfriend did and found his to be incredibly friendly and supportive. I also saw and passed several pace runners and their group, and they were all so positive and helpful. Thanks to their inspiration, I actually aspire to be a pace runner someday to help others! Race photography was provided by volunteers at several points throughout the race and at the finish line. The quality for some of the photography on the course wasn't very good, but I still appreciate the free photos, which you could find online and attain for free. You just have to search through the tons of pictures they have. It helps to wear colorful clothing that stands out. Brazen Racing's medals are always big and shiny, so that's definitely a plus. At the finish line, they also always have a smorgasbord of food including trail mix, crackers, cookies, pretzels, chips, fruits, cakes, pies, and ice cream. They really know how to make a runner happy! There were also some sponsors giving away bottles of protein drinks and Zico. I'd highly recommend any Brazen Racing event, especially one that's flat like the Western Pacific!

i participated in my 8th brazen event yesterday which took place at quarry lakes in fremont. this…read morerace is titled the "western pacific" b/c the western pacific trail was used to transport gravel for construction of the western section of the transcontinental railroad back in the 1800s when trains were frequently used to transport cargo for longer distances. although trains no longer run along this trail, we, runners, can now haul ass hoping to hit a personal record on these historic, yet very flat trails! for this particular event, there was a choice of 4 distances: 1. full marathon (26.2 miles) 7.30am start 2. half marathon (13.1 miles) 8am start 3. 10k (6.2 miles) 8.30am start 4. 5k (3.1 miles) 8.45am start i chose to run the half marathon since i'd been training hard and going long, and wanted to see if my hard work would pay off and result in personal record. the pros: -GREAT RACE DAY CONDITIONS at the start, around 55 degrees with overcast skies when the gun went off -MARATHON is a certified usa track and field course and can be used to qualify for other marathons such as the boston marathon which requires a time qualification on an officially certified course -STAGGERED START TIMES for each of the 4 events to avoid congestion at the start and along the course. despite some overlaps in some of the course routes, and some narrower sections along the course, i actually never got stuck behind someone or felt congested which was great! -PACERS for both the full and half marathon, holding coloured signs on a stick with estimated finish times and wearing fluorescent coloured shirts to make it easy to follow them -COLOURED FLAGS to mark each mile (a different colour for each race distance to avoid confusion) -FLAT and FAST course on crushed dirt/gravel, with a small portion on paved road -FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS directing runners in the parking area, manning aid stations along the course, handing out medals at the finish line, and keeping the refreshments' tables well stocked after the race -FREE and EASY PARKING inside the quarry lakes regional park dedicated lots which were right next to start/finish area (note that the free parking was only for those participating in the race, if you came for another event on this day, you still had to pay the $5 entrance fee) -LOTS of PORTA-POTTIES near the start/finish area as well as access to several park restroom structures (wait time was no more than a few minutes pre-race which was great!) -COMPLIMENTARY BAG CHECK near the start/finish line, with volunteers to guard your belongings until after the race. parking was so close to the start that most of us just left our belongings inside our trunks, but it was nice to know that there was another option available just in case. what you get: *choice of PACKET PICK-UP @ sports basement in sunnyvale the two days prior to the race or on site pick up the morning of *BLUE, DRI-FIT RACE TSHIRT with a logo of a steam locomotive to commemorate the western pacific trail (shirt is optional, so if you don't want the shirt, you can save $5 off the registration fee) *FULLY STOCKED aid stations every 1-2 miles with water, electrolytes, gu gel packets, salty snacks...quite an impressive array of offerings for an aid station! *BIG MEDAL with a locomotive, displaying event name and date (option to engrave name and finisher time on back for an additional fee) *AGE GROUP FINISHER MEDAL if you were one of the top 3 finishers in your age group. despite a disappointing finish time, i still ended up placing 3rd in my age group and took home a "bronze" age group medal *TONS of POST-RACE FOOD & DRINK, including it's it ice cream sandwiches, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, cheesecake, bagels, peanut butter, nutella, rugelach, goldfish crackers, pretzels, potato chips, trail mix, mini muffins, gummy bears, jelly bellies, cookies, coconut macaroons, water, and electrolyte drink. best part is that the food never ran out! *SPECIAL VENDOR on site sharing free samples....the muscle milk vans were parked near the finish area. the cons: -the half marathon course was slightly long, as my garmin read 13.22 miles for the haffie, which is a bit longer than the official distance of 13.1 miles -the 5k course was measured as a 3.2 mile course, which is slightly longer than the official distance of 3.1 miles (read: harder to pr on this 5k course) -most of the course was not shaded, and since it was sunny with temps in the low 60s by the time i finished, it made for a very hot run -the finishers' chute leading up to the finish arch had a couple of sharp turns on an incline which made it very difficult to sprint to the finish, which many runners like to do although i did not do my best, and certainly did not finish anywhere near a personal best, i still enjoyed this event and thank sam, jasmin, the rest of the brazen staff and volunteers for organizing another fabulous race.

the proceeds for this run/walk event go toward a very good cause, so hubby and i signed up to run…read morethe 10k distance. note that you can also choose from 5k or 2mi distances. each course goes through a part of shoreline/baylands park so you get to take in some beautiful scenery while you run/walk. the pros: -since we did the early bird sign up with a special discount, hubby and i only paid $23 each for registration -mostly flat course, with a few small inclines -kid, walker and stroller friendly -easy parking in lot right next to start/finish area -staggered start times for each of the 2 events to avoid congestion at the start -lots of volunteers helping out, directing traffic for parking and helping runners/walkers stay on course -local vendors and sponsors on site, i.e. sunnyvale sports basement and road runner sports san carlos -perfect race day conditions, 57 at the start with overcast skies (which eventually turned sunny) what you get: *packet pick-up @ road runner sports san carlos the friday & saturday before the race *cotton finisher short sleeve t-shirt *lots of post-race food, bagels and cream cheese, bananas, oranges, vitamin water the cons: -no mile markers along the course (for any of the distances) so you never knew how far you had gone or how much further until the finish -no timers along the course, only at the start/finish line -no timing mat at the start, only at the finish, so unless you started at the very front of the pack, you lose some seconds/minutes (essentially, it's gun time, not net time) -for the 10k, the course was way too short. my garmin measured 5.45mi for something that was supposed to be 6.2mi, so it was disappointing. had i known at mile 5 that there was only 1/2 mile left, i would have kicked harder to the finish line. -for me personally, having skinny ankles was a disadvantage b/c the velcro timing strap came undone around mile 2, so i lost 10-15 sec turning around, picking it up (a fellow runner was nice enough to pick it up and hand it to me), and re-strapping it onto my ankle. definitely a good event and great cause, but i hope they mark the course more accurately the next time they hold this event.

Very well organized event, been running for 9 years now. I…read morewill recommend for any runner who enjoys a friendly neighborhood 5K or 10K races in Santa Clara County

Son of a Run Charity…read more5k/10k/Kids Run/Walk/Shashay presented by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) that's been held annually since 2014 on the beautiful Santa Clara University campus. While not the biggest of the SVLG's three races that they hold annually--the Turkey Trot draws in 20k runners alone!--it is still just as fun. Pre-Covid, this race used to draw in 3-4k runners and was growing every year, but since covid, they've had to go virtual for two years and this year's return to a live race only drew in ±1,400 runners. Regardless of the turn-out, it's still a good time and for a good cause of raising money for children's charities. The race organizers always take care of the runners with plenty of snacks, drinks and even a chiropractic booth! Def check them out in the future by keeping up with their IG page @heartsolesrunsv

I've done a lot of races in my lifetime. This little 5k has great heart. The amount of community…read moresupport is incredible. So many people were out there cheering us on but in addition to that, there were tables of water bottles, goodies to eat, sprinklers to run through, a bubble machine and musical performances! The event is timed (chip on your bib). If you sign up early, registration is pretty inexpensive and it includes a shirt. No medals but it's for a good cause (education). There is also a little festival at the end with lots of vendors and there is also the weekly farmers market next door. I would definitely do this race again next year. So much fun!

Raises money for schools…read more Quick easy ~3.1 mile run through Willow Glen neighborhood. Great vendors and fresh cut fruit and fresh made pancakes. Wonderful people, food, and purpose.. Online registration is super fast and easy. When you're done, hit Cafe San Jose or Bill's and get a mimosa! Enough said-

Post Race Update:…read more 3.5 stars This is is a first time event they still need to work out a few of the kinks. PROS: ~ Late 11am race start so you can sleep in. ~ All you can drink beer for you and your buddies that cheered you on at the finish line. ~ Free Chipotle burrito to eat post race or pick up a fresh one a few days later. CONS: ~ Race started 5 minutes late ~ Course was a bit confusing. When runners were coming back in they had to cross paths with the slower running still going out on the course. It got a little hairy with dodging people. ~ In the very beginning of the course you have to cross an intersection. Police actually stopped runners and let cars through. Not cool! I'd do it again next year as long as they made a few adjustments. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just signed up for this race. It doesn't start at the usual 8am but instead allows you to sleep in have some breakfast, read the paper, and then make your way to the start line by 11:00am. What's even better..... by the time you finish the race, it's lunch time and you get a free Chipotle Burrito and beer from Gordon Biersch. There's a 5k and 10k distance course that take you along Guadalupe River Park Trail. This event is kid-friendly and family fun. Check it out..... I'll update after I cross the finish line.

3rd year in.This is a fun run that now is USATF certified!…read more It's flat,fast and they offer a big pancake breakfast right after.The medals are awesome and the sponsors are plentiful ,local and most useful.The people running and organizing this have offered raffle prizes before for registering and are enthusiastically working for a good cause! The bib pic ups are in more than one location and date,the course is clear and simple and policed with enthusiastic neighborhood support as well! We support it,run it and endorse it.I will offer help to gain momentum for this race as the organizers put a lot of effort inputting it together and hope and need community cohesion to make this an awesome local yearly event! Let's go to it at 9.00am and run for the fun and support of it! :) Go Longhorns!~

The employees were very kind and polite. The food was amazing! My only complaint is my lava cake…read morewas cold and my chocolate was frozen.