OMG. This was the first time I ever did a run and I got the privilege to do it with two of my big…read moregirls and man it was awesome . We got VIP shirts which let us start the race earlier then rest which was cool. Mind you as you read this, I am not a runner. During the run, there were certain areas where they threw colored powder on you. Yes, it goes everywhere. When the race was over, they moved us to the stage area where there was a DJ. Which was awesome. He threw many things at the audience. Awesome race. Though, there was over 10,000 runners they raise a lot of money for children with cancers. Would I do it again yes in a heart beat! All I can say this is a memory I won't forget. Why, you ask? Because I did something out of my comfort zone and cuz I did it with 2 out of 5 girls (yes my daughters)

So many things wrong with this run. Not enough personnel along course. Cones and ribbon routinely…read moretipped over or taken away. Runners should have started first as they were a hazard in the dark. I question whether it was a 5K, my time was way too good. Only two black light powder stations and they were a mess of smell and dust. Parking lot needed attendants. The Hollywood Bowl lot is better and it is the worst ever, except for this. Water bottles a mistake, people left them littering everywhere and only one trash can. Hopefully no baseball games were scheduled for Sunday morning. The event organizers focus seemed to be on music.

come back number 4 (4 stars)…read more The route was slightly changed, and all for the better. Great start, but would've liked an earlier start, and great route. This year the finish was at the beach, much better than last year. Due to the problems at the Port of Long Beach, the medals were not delivered on time, and we were told that they'd be mailed to us. Oh well ... Already registered to run 2015

**Review for the 2017 half marathon**…read more Is there a spot for negative stars? It was so poorly organized it honestly felt like someone had just forgot they were organizing a race. So many red flags: The bib pick-up had a location change the day before that wasn't posted on their website. There was no signage or parking available unless you went into the residential neighborhood or paid the city fees. The expo prior to the event had one booth and the DJ was not provided an electrical outlet so they had to bring in a back up generator. They then did not have enough volunteers for water stations along the 13.1 mile path and did not set up any bathrooms. The bathrooms they did provide were right at the starting line and there was no one talking to participants about where to line up or any communication when the race was running late, leaving about 300 participants standing at the starting line for an hour before the police cancelled the race. The organizers apologized on Facebook yesterday but considering registration fees were around $85-115 this disorganization is unacceptable. This gives other half marathons a bad rap and I hope the organizing company refunds the participant fees and is not allowed to organize in SB again.

I'll write a more in-length review later, but for now…read more.. Super flat out-and-back course which was really nice but at the same time had some not-so-pristine moments (roadkill...stinky water treatment plant...stuff like that). THE MOST AMAZING post-race snack table ever! I mean seriously. Someone posted a picture of it, and it really deserves 6 stars. This race isn't getting 5 stars because: A) having to pay for parking (THANK YOU to the parking gate guy who worked with me when I couldn't pony up the full bill!) B) I had to pay extra to pick up my packet on the morning of. Not sure where the "VIP area" that was included in my $20 extra charge was supposed to be, but, either way I wasn't going to be able to drive from Lancaster to Ventura two days in a row to so the extra $20 was a necessary evil. C) The final mile was a mess. I'm chugging along trying to tell myself to just keep running, but the course at that point was on the beach path where people were just meandering. It was a struggle to stay in the game and keep focused while dodging strollers and random beachgoers. All in all, I might just have to do this race again next year!

Such a great course to run. Whether you're a seasoned runner or this is your first half marathon,…read morethis race is sweet. This is my second time running the Ventura half marathon, the course changed a bit to make it easier at the finished line. Now is mostly all down hill. Process of signing up is quick and easy. They are great at maintaining you in the loop on updates as the date gets closer. Parking at the fairgrounds was so close to the finish line and $5 was a steal. You get a nice shirt, medal, a bag and some protein goodies as your swag bag. Also, Nuun water and honey stinger where provided through out the run (at designated aid stations). Afterwards you can get your free breakfast ( waffles, pineapple, strawberries- just make sure they're not in your teeth before you take a picture like I did ) pretzels and beer, haha. Walk around some of the tents and visit with local businesses. Check out mile 26 for all your running everything. Photo ops, too. Get your BQ at the full marathon.

First time running it, a few thoughts: - swag is…read moreridiculously sparse, but oh well - while they announce a "bucolic course in the hills of SLO", get prepared for 2/3rds of the course to be on the road with other cars passing by (people in the area love their trucks, it smells every time a car passes by). A decent 2-3 miles is on an access road by Highway 1, with the noise etc. People with sensitive lungs/avoiding to work out where there's car pollution should be aware of this - hydration stations 2, 3 and 4 ran out of cups. Runners were offered the option to lift the giant water bottles and drink out of it - super hygienic. C'mon people, paper cups are cheap, you know how many runners have signed up, and hydration is too important to be fuddled with!! - they "ran out of beer" when I arrived at the finish line (runners were still arriving for another 30-40 min after me). Another false claim in the confirmation email "enjoy a beer at the finish line", and again, it's not that hard to know how many runners there will be that day. I don't think I'll do this race again. The scenery is more appealing to me than city races, but it's really poorly organized. There are waaay better organized races in similar settings - including Mexico by the way (valle de guadalupe).

Just ran the City to Sea Half Marathon yesterday and I thought the organizers and event staff did a…read morefantastic job. 2012 brought in a record number of runners with City to Sea clocking in at 2500+ participants. This is a point-to-point race that starts in downtown SLO and brings you through stretches of rural backroads, beautiful coastal roads with scenic ocean views. The course is relatively flat with a few gentle rolling hills starting at mile 5. There are numerous fuel and hydration stations and excellent course support throughout. The pace groups were very helpful (they run at 15 minute intervals) and really kept me on target with my finish time. Runners can enjoy live bands, wellness and nutritional information and a delicious full breakfast catered by Scotty's Bar & Grill (grubby breakfast burritos) at the finish. There is a convenient bag drop and pick up station and a shuttle service to bring you back to the start. The pre-race expo included a variety of top-name vendors, great specials (my Nike LunarGlide 4's and Mizuno Wave Precision's were 20% off) and featured a few of the latest brand new designs in running gear (liked the ear bud/sunglasses). The race packet included a very nice gender specific techincal fabric shirt, which I will get a lot more use out of than one of those big baggy unisex t-shirts. The registration fee is one of the lowest you'll find -- while most half-marathons are priced at $100 +, the City to Sea is very nicely offered at $65 - 75. If you haven't been to this race, I highly recommend adding this one to your race list. A 5K and a Kids Run are offered as well. There is something for everyone to enjoy at this beautiful event.

I know there is a Yelp for the Amazing Race Los Angeles...but need Amazing Santa Monica Race…read moredeserves it's on little piece of History... How do you describe spending your hard earned money on something that will drive you insane? yelling at others? pissing you off? making you run all around town? talking to strangers...? having people asking you what you are doing.....having a MIME Touch you as your running around in Venice Beach and you !@??#$!# at him...not knowing who he is...or your teamate telling one of the people giving you clues listen here we are really busy right now looking for a clue we can't help you! That was all part of the Amazing Santa Monica Race...that took just about a grueling 5 hours to compete....during the process you don't know what to expect... Bob was a great host, comedian, commentator, etc.... The only downside is the Santa Monica version is pretty new so we didn't have a ton of groups competing...positive side our team wins a medal cuz not enough groups are competing!! Okay 2nd isn't 1st...so I'm still upset! Try it...it's tons of fun!

Santa Monica Amazing Race was THE most fun activity I have done in the greater Los Angeles area in…read moreover the 2 years that I have been a resident. It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, see the local scenery, and get a light exercise in (depending on how competitive you are). By far worth every penny for the 3-4 hours of sheer entertainment, puzzle solving, and team bonding. The host, Larry, was a true delight making the experience all the more fun and memorable. A MUST DO activity for anyone in the area or visiting! I'll definitely be signing up for the LA race soon.