Every fourth Thursday, from February to November, Road Runner Sports in Laguna Hills hosts its…read moreexciting Adventure Runs! Up to 12 mapped checkpoints in the surrounding area are revealed at the moment the scavenger hunt begins, each offering free raffle tickets to those who check-in. But you've got to be quick! You've only an hour's time to hustle through as many checkpoints as possible before heading back to Road Runner Sports for the free raffle. Over $3000 worth of prizes await you, so scoring as many tickets as you can greatly increases your odds. And if you purchase an Adventure Run tech shirt, you'll snag double the raffle tickets at each checkpoint! Some of the checkpoints may be a couple miles away, but hitting them, as opposed to some of the closer checkpoints, awards greater numbers of tickets; so you'll have to map out your run. Wearing our shirts to double our prize, we scored double the tickets each at Slaters 50/50, the "Wonder of Dinosaurs" (inside the Laguna Hills Mall), and at El Toro Park. (By the way, checking-in on Facebook prior to the race reveals the hidden check-in: on this day, it was to find the walking banana; but you had to also be wearing NewBalance!) Anyway, plotting our course on-the-go worked out for us, as we won--yet again--three prizes, sadly not a free pair of running shoes, but there's always next time!) I mean, seriously, who wouldn't run a few quick miles for a new pair of NewBalances. Am I wrong? Sound like fun? It is! Register online: adventurerun.com. Oh...did I mention the free beer?

The Adventure Run by Roadrunner Sports is every 4th Thursday of the month. They set up a little…read morerunners village in the parking lot and you go inside to check-in even if you pre-registered online. This month they unveiled a new RFID bracelet system that makes checking into spots along the map easier. Maps with checkpoints are emailed prior to the event so you can plan out your route. There are different checkpoints each month! Some checkpoints offer drinks or snacks so it's worth it to try to make it to each one. Last night there were 8 checkpoints and you can go at your own pace. I made it to 4 before running back to the starting point. You don't need to make it to every checkpoint but each checkpoint is worth a number of raffle tickets. You need to finish your run in an hour and make it back to the start in order to scan your bracelet and pick up your free beer. Last night's beer sponsor was Green Flash Brewing company and they had a grapefruit IPA and passion fruit beer on tap. If you buy an Adventure Run shirt, you get double the amount of tickets with each check-in. If you attend 3, 5, 7 Adventure Runs in a year, you get a small prize. Last night's prize was an Adventure Run mason jar mug. In the runners village, they have vendors serving snacks, drinks, and wares for you to try. You can even test-run shoes. Last night's shoe sponsor was Adidas. The cool raffle prizes at the end range from: free entry into local races, free shoes, free snacks, free drinks, free mugs, free water bottles, and free services from the checkpoint sponsors. You must be present to win. If you plan on waiting around afterwards, they have an after-party with even more raffle prizes at a local restaurant; last night they held it at CPK. Definitely bring a jacket since it cools down considerably after the sun goes down. I saw someone hanker down in the beer garden with a Tommy Bahama chair and blanket. This event is definitely fun whether you're a seasoned runner or just starting out. It's great for families too since it's open to all ages. There was a big turnout last night too. It's offered from April through October on the 4th Thursday of the month.

This is a wonderful event!! I visited the one in Santa Anna. You pre-purchase kit online. In kit…read moreyou received the lantern & felt pen to decorate, a battery operated tea light, deck of playing cards, deck of conversation cards (which proved to be a great way to pass the time), a fun scavenger type activity, plus all came in a handy back pack. There were a few venders & several food trucks. People put a lot of thought & heart when decorating their lanterns. Releasing them onto the lake at night (after 8pm) was so beautiful!!! I would highly recommend this!!

Do not waste your money!!!!! This is soooo unorganized and a waste of money. They don't move the…read morepeople along, so only the people that arrived way too early get a chance to be by the lake and send their 25.00 lantern placed in the water. Overpriced food trucks and about 3 craft booths. If yo really want to go, go for free and just watch the lanterns placed by other people who paid the 25. I did and I couldn't even get by the edge of the water. What a waste of my time and money. NEVER AGAIN. I feel sooooo taken. If I could post less than 1 star, I would.

Rocking it at Irvine Regional Park continues Rock It Racing's awesome trail racing challenge: The…read moreRock It Fall/Winter Series! Concentrating my efforts more on upon the trail this year and less upon the asphalt, I lace up--even if it means shortening my distances, even if it means muddying up a pair of Brooks, and even if it means trudging through uneven stretches of trees and bush with sometimes no other runners in sight. However, that's the beauty: getting away from the city streets and getting back to nature. Rock It Racing offers four very cool trail runs: Caspers 5k/12K, Whiting Ranch 5K/12K, Irvine Regional Park 15K/5-Miler, and El Moro Canyon 6K/10-Miler. Running at least 3 of the 4, qualifies you for the special Rocky Series Award, plus a stylish ​Rock It Racing trucker hat! I'm down! (While I've finished the Series and already snagged my very cool Rocky Series Award and trucker cap, I'll be sure to complete all four runs anyway, ending at El Moro Canyon next month.) Mostly flat, without the inclines you'd come upon at Caspers and Wilding, Irvine Park was my third Rock It race (I ran the 5-mile) and it was a blast! Like the other races, there were times when the trail narrows to single lanes, but that's part of the intrigue, part of the beauty. Navigating through groves of heritage Oak and Sycamore trees, you'll find the course a little challenging at times; however, the variety of landscape--Irvine Regional truly is beautiful!--serves, if anything else, as an enhancement to your run. I love it here.

Great event to celebrate the 4th of July. Great post-race pancakes for all participants, and they…read morehad a lot of games afterwards for the kids to enjoy!

The 38th annual YMCA Run in the Park for 4th of July was so much fun!! Everyone showed up in their…read morered, white and blue to show off some I Love USA vibes!! It was awesome!! There was a dog costume contest and I even saw a dog that got spray painted!! The pick up for our event package was for the weekend prior to the event or the morning of the event. The YMCA had their friendly young volunteers behind stations to help you navigate their gymnasium. It was simple. Locate your runner bib number, go tell them the number and then grab a backpack. My only concern here is that they actually didn't check my ID or have me sign the waiver that was mentioned online. Good thing I didn't get injured, right? :P And another silly thing happened where they gave me a doggie bag instead of the human bag. Luckily for them I don't like pancakes so I didn't care for the breakfast ticket and my cousin has three dogs so they were excited for those treats! On the day of the event they blocked off the YMCA parking lot, so most people parked on the streets. That was quite a hassle. The trail itself was very narrow and it made it difficult to get through the crowd and cut people off. At some people we made a U-turn to run back into opposing traffic. The worst thing about the trail was how there were some really smelly parts. Some guy actually threw up cause it smelled THAT bad! Doing a 5K on 4th of July with my cousin and our friends might become a tradition, but honestly I wouldn't want to come back to this specific event. I like how Laguna Niguel doesn't get too hot during the early morning hours, but I'm not a fan of the trail itself.

El Toro makes for a beautiful run!…read more Tour Del Toro, organized by the Boys & Girls Club Program in Lake Forest, welcomes cyclists, runners, and walkers alike to participate in either a 25-mile/50-mile ride or a 5k/10k Run, each race just as colorfully scenic as the others. Touring through the heart of South Orange County, each course winds not only through the neighboring hills and canyons, but in and around the Lake Forest Sports Park & Recreation Center as well. Including 57 acres devoted for active use and 30 acres for passive use and open space, the Sports Park, standing as the Tour's start and finish. really is amazing--heavily populated and fully appreciated by its residents. I'd won a free 5K run from Road Runner Sports' Adventure Run, and although I really enjoyed the 5K, I would definitely opt for an extra 3 miles and run the 10K next year instead. The 10K's course, which at first ran through the Sports Park, also headed toward the hills, just a bit north. On such a beautifully sunny day as this, extending my run into the green would have made for an even better trek. But, again, this run entirely supports the Boys & Girls Club in Lake Forest; I'm always on board for something like that. It's always fun to step outside and get some exercise, and when doing so helps kids, applause is in order. Great job, Tour Del Toro! See you next year!

A great event with something for everyone. This year I wasn't in the best shape, so I opted for the…read more5k walk/run. A nice course around the sports park, finishing with a fun expo that included a bicycle safety rodeo for the kids, and an indi race car (which my son thought was pretty cool!). The year prior I did the 25 mile bike ride, which was a nice, challenging ride. From what I was told the 50 mile course was fun this year, and the more difficult 50 mile course was exceptional for those advanced riders looking for a real test of fitness and stamina. I wish I could have done the 10k this year, heard the trail into the hills was a welcomed change-up from most courses in the OC area, which are typically dominated by concrete and pavement. I will say it's definitely a newer event, so the only downside is that they are building up participant numbers. If you are looking for an event with huge crowds, this isn't for you. But if you're looking for a day outside for the whole family and all fitness levels, then Tour del Toro is an event I would definitely come out for. And I'm always down to support the Boys and Girls Club.

The Laguna Hills Memorial Day 5k 10k Half Marathon is held annually to honor the United States…read moreMarine Corps Dark Horse Battalion. I believe this was the 18th year! You can definitely see how excited everyone was about it in Laguna Hills. This was the first year I signed up with my cousin and our friends and we definitely want to make it our annual tradition. The weekend before the event, we had the option to pick up our registration packets at Road Runner between 11am and 4pm. I came by early on Saturday to look at the merchandise at Road Runner but their worker bees were very rude in telling me I was too early. Their loss because I was going to buy a bunch of stuff. The volunteers for the event was nice though. They were very quick and helpful with the id check and waivers. We got our bibs and tshirts for the race. These bibs are fancy with gps chips implanted to help you track your time and probably so you don't cheat off the path. On the day of the event we were all awake nice and early and we lined up at the start line before 7am. The event was a bit disorganized in the aspect that the runners and walkers were all in one group making it very difficult to weave through and cut off the slower crowds. The route was blocked off by local police and there were plenty of non participates cheering on the whole time. Everyone showed their love for America with their Red, White and Blue. Before we knew it we were at the finish line!! Woo hoo!! It felt amazing!! We even got medals for our hard work!! Yayyyyyy!! After the finish line, there were many volunteers passing out water, protein water, juice, bananas and oranges. There were many event booths set up for the participants to enjoy after their hard work. There was a shuttle to take us back to the start point, but my cousin and I wanted extra fitbit steps so we passed on the shuttle and walked back to the car. It was so much fun!!

So coming into this race I didn't know much about the meaning of this race. I knew it was for…read moreMemorial Day. And that was plenty for me. Having lost friends and family in service. It means more to me than just another shopping day. So running with them in mind was deep enough for me. I'll be honest. I had not ran prior to this 5k since hurting my knee again. But I felt good. Probably since I had just walked 5 miles two days prior. I was going to do the 10k. But reality kicked in. It's in Laguna Hills. Hills being the key word. So I went with the 5k. I registered late. Not sure if I was the last to register online. Since there was only about 5 mins left when I registered. I was waiting for the confirmation email to come in. I showed up at 5:50. Since I needed to get my bib number and shirt. And check in. I want sure if they would have me on the list or even have a tshirt for me. But they did. And I registered just 5 1/2 hours prior to check in on the day of the race. I was shocked. I was ready with my phone out with the confirming email and all. But all they needed was my id and my signed form release. Just incase. I got my bib number and moved down to get my shirt. Which I wore proud. There were numbers of volunteers. Young and old. The kid who gave me my shirt might have been 9-10 years old. But he knew his job great. He saw the corner of my bib and said he gets an xl shirt. And handed it to me. Then he tore the corner off. The start line was a bit sketchy. Everyone lined up together. 5k 10k half marathon. So when we took off it was hard to maneuver around slower people. Or it was hard for people to maneuver around me. The race was great. There were people lined at the edge of the road cheering you on and waving American flags. It was very patriotic. There was water stations along the route. They had police blocking the road we running on. It was a great race. Fun and a great cause. This race Honors the US Marine Corp Dark Horse Battalion. A battalion that was ambushed in Afghanistan. I talks about how survivors made it and how the hero who gave all for his fellow brothers in arms. They have a grand marshal every year. Honoring a fellow vet. A survivor. The family of members were there. And I saw many service men running and veterans running for friends they lost. Also family members who lost. It was bitter sweet as people rolled into the finish line. Most people waited as the last runners came in. People cheering strangers on. It was great. The end of the race had many volunteers again giving you water your medal fruit and directing you in the right direction. They even had a dinosaur roaming around. The race ended at Fosil park. There were many different booths. They a humvee they had soldiers Demonstrating their guns riffles. You could climb up on their vehicle. You could see that war is not a game. It's real life. There were many other booths. Some with lots of free goodies. Others promoting other races in the future months to come. One of the booth/stage they honored the fallen service men and had a bagpiper playing. Though there was still racers coming in. It was very thoughtful and well taken in. I was very happy I had ran the race and proud to have been a Part of this. I will comeback and run it again. Last few items. There was a kid race and diaper dash. Which ended up being great. A must see. Check out my video on that. 2 toddlers battling it out to the finish line. Also they had buses running back and forth to take you back to the Laguna Hills Mall where we started from. I really want to thank all that helped put this on and all the service men and women that are out there everyday. And mainly those that stayed behind. For others to go home. Always remember that Freedom isn't Free.

In November, I went to a small obstacle run with my friends for the first time. I was a little…read moreworried about whether I would not be able to finish it without prior physical training. Fortunately, it was not as difficult as I imagined. There are also many families who went together, even young kids. If it seems too difficult, you can choose to skip it by yourself. It is actually quite tiring to be able to walk through the whole process, but it is very fulfilling after the completion. After the race, I immediately signed up for 2022! Although it is advertised as free on the website, there is actually a $15 insurance fee and the cost of parking at that time. It is recommended to meet up with your friends first and carpool there to save parking fees. 11月與朋友們一起去小型障礙路跑初體驗，本來有點擔心平時沒訓練，體能上會不會承受不了，還好並沒有想像中的難，也有很多一家大小一起來玩，有很多的關卡如果看起來太困難，也是可以自行選擇略過的，主要能走完全程其實也是挺累的，但完成後非常有成就感，一結束之後馬上又報名了2022年的！雖然網站上宣傳是免費，但其實還是有$15的保險費用，以及到時候停車的費用，建議可以相約三五朋友一車去這樣可以省停車費。

First time doing anything like this. Terrain race is a 5k, which is roughly 3 miles. This event is…read moreadvertised as "free" but technically it's not. Once you registered, your required to pay $13.95 for TERRAIN RACE Participant Event Insurance and Venue Fee - One Day Event Insurance and Venue Fee do each person. Plus $20 parking and $5 to pick up the packet if you cannot pick up the day in advance. The obstacles courses are spaced far from each other, not sure if it's because of Covid. But there was only a few of each obstacle which meant long wait times. A lot of times, the wait was so long that people just skipped to the next. Pros - fun event to do with family and friends - there's a water station throughout the 5k - there are 10-12 different obstacles courses (monkey bars, climbing up a rope, crawling through tunnels into a net area of mud, walking/running through a patch of mud, Multi rig area to swing, running up and down hills, swinging from rope to rope, climbing up a wall, jumping over a wall, etc. - you walk away with swag (metal for participation + shirt) Cons - Misleading ad suggesting limited time only free registration which was offered for an unlimited time! - Hidden fees - $13.95 for event insurance and venue fee, $5 fee if you can't pick up your packet the day before - $20 parking in a dirt lot - clearly no organization - the long wait times for the obstacles. The structures can only accommodate limited amount of people at a time - definitely not Covid friendly. - not too many food vendors at the event. There was a energy drinks, beer/alcohol station, and possibly a burger truck Takeaways - it was fun but I probably wouldn't do this race again.