I ran this race in 2011 and 2012 (both 10K distances), and am signed up again for 2013 as part of…read moreTour de Fit, however, only for the 5K. This year they have added a new option, a 10-miler course. The weather has historically been very hot, and I had somewhere else to be this morning so I couldn't commit to a longer distance...so I did the 5K and opted for the participant's medal rather than upgrade to a technical tee. Also, the 5K course was quicker and avoided the Tower Bridge altogether (which I have had enough of at Biggest Loser 5K and Shamrock'n Half this year already, thankyouverymuch). The race start allowed for lining up according to pace but I didn't see any actual pacers or group leaders at least for the 10-mile folks. All distances (5K, 10K, 10-mile) started at the same time which was crowded. The first mile was fine, but coming back up the bike trail along the river was hard because the trail was so narrow. Add in jogging strollers and you could only have about three runners across with not much room to pass without going on the grass (river side) or gravel (train tracks side). Not much shade either. Thankfully after that downhill parallel to I-5, the 10K+10 milers and 5K runners split courses at the entrance to Old Sac (they went across the Tower Bridge while we hit the cobblestones up the hill again toward mile 3) and it was smooth sailing from there. One more U-turn loop and boom you were back at the finish line in no time! 5Ks are fun and fast, and good to sprinkle in between my halfs (halves). Cap City is ok by me. The 10-mile sounds intense.

I didn't enjoy the race because it was too hot. During the run, I felt sluggish. Yes, the weather…read morecannot be controlled, but I didn't particularly like the course. There were minimal amounts of shade. I kept looking into the horizon to see if there was any shade coming up for a bit of relief to little avail. The race starts/ finishes at Crocker Park. A part of the course was along the Sacramento River. On the other side of the river were railroad tracks. A train passed by and the kids waved to the conductor. Speaking of kids, there were a lot of them running in the 5k and not just the Fun Runs.

Packet pickup at Fleet Feet Sports Sacramento is always a cinch…read more First time runner at this event. 10th annual running, congrats to the 10-year finishers with their hubcab medals! The bagpipes before race start was a nice touch. Anyone who's run it 5+ years also got a special tech shirt. Parked in the neighborhood and walked to the park. Runners and walkers had entirely different starting areas/courses/times, as well as the 5kers. Proceeds directly benefit the American River Parkway Foundation. I frequently visit Ancil Hoffman/Effie Yeaw so am glad to support this organization! Wind gusts 20-40MPH, temperatures in the 80s. Great live bands along the course (taiko drummers, mariachi, etc.), out and back, mostly paved bike trails except one dirt/rock portion, river views. Plenty of aid stations, some inclines. Huge spinner medals! Over 5 inches in diameter, double thickness heavy feel, full color, double-sided, totally bling-worthy. Also a grey women's v-neck tech shirt with registration, a drawstring backpack, license plate vanity "Parkway Half Marathon Finisher" frame, and other coupons (Rubios), etc. ARP Half hats were onsale for $10. Post-race festivities were okay, got some Rita's Ice from Rita's Folsom booth, meat wrap, strawberries, cookies, beverages. Race photos by Captivating Sports Photos, results on Chronotrack/Capital Road Race Management.

I contemplated on doing the half marathon walk, but settled on the 5k. This was the 10th year of…read morethe race. I thought it was pretty cool that they gave special recognition to the half marathoners who have participated every year. Parking was surprisingly easy and we were able to park at the park. The race is relatively small in terms of participants, which is good as the trail isn't that wide. All in all, my friend and I enjoyed our Saturday morning here.

Background: The race is an annual event organized by Golden…read moreValley Harriers- a Davis running club. It's an international exchange race with their sister city, Inuyama, Japan and several runners from Inuyama came to run the race. This explains their race logo, which is the Japanese character for RUN in calligraphy. Money raised is given to local running programs including the local high schools. Used shoes were also collected for the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee. Parking was not an issue. It was a smaller race- less than a 1,000 runners. The registration was $27, which included a tech t-shirt. The race was held at the Davis Commons. Taiko drummers were present at the beginning of the race. The course was narrow at some parts, but I'm glad it was well shaded. Afterwards, Whole Foods Market provided runners with a light breakfast. Race results were posted shortly after the race as well as photos, which you can download for free. It was an enjoyable race overall.

My third year running the Labor Day races, but the first time at the 10K distance! My running buddy…read morewon two comped race registrations from a Whole Foods raffle so she asked me to join her in the 10K. I always love the tech shirt designs and the race organization in general. The construction of the Davis Commons parking lot was a drag, with the race start/finish moved from its original spot by Bath and Body works. I didn't have a good view of the taiko drummers or hear the announcer recognize the runners from Japan. The 10K started before the 5Kers but the start lineup by pace was still crowded along the bike path. Garbage truck ahead of us on the residential route along Cowell was...challenging olfactory-wise, as was the stretch past Albany where the birds nest and...defecate. However, the new solar apartments was a nice way to cross Drummond to get over to Willow Creek Park. I'm kind of sad we didn't use the I-80 pedestrian overpass from there though. Volunteers were amazingly peppy. The 5K leaders totally passed me up before the course split. I was pretty slow paced since by the time I crossed the finish line, the kiddies were lined up for the start of their race. D'oh! The Whole Foods-provided breakfast (yogurt, cereal, fruit, etc.) never disappoints, as well as coupons for 2 for 1 deli sandwiches or a free box of Popsicles. I didn't win the random bib number raffles though. A good way to spend the holiday...getting up early to drive to the city I work in, to run 6.2 miles...haha.

Octobrewfest is a smaller race that started and ended at Sudwerks. I haven't ran in months, so I…read moreknew it was going to be a struggle. There's 2 miles, 4 miles, or 10k option. It started at 6:00 pm, so it was still hot outside. I hate running in the heat. After crossing the finish line, you're rewarded with a solo cup finisher medal and a cup of beer. There was a band that played music while people hung out as well. One thing that makes this event unique was that they had a beer scented race shirt. I thought it was kind of cool, even though I'm not fond of the smell. Make sure you don't get pulled over wearing the shirt, or you'll have some explaining to do!

I have a soft spot for any local races that take me to Land Park, it's a great course. Fast and…read moreflat loop, with minimal vehicle trafficking, nice trees (allergy sufferers, come prepared), and lots of parking on race day - just be mindful that the park is shared with regular visitors and patrons of the Zoo, Fairy Tale Town, Funderland, and the golf course. I first ran the Race for the Arts a few years back after seeing an ad for it at my local Bel-Air grocery store (one of the sponsors). I especially liked that the race benefitted California nonprofit performing, cultural, and visual arts organizations and school music, drama, and art programs. I have an even bigger (deeper?) spot in my heart for arts-related events. Growing up in the CA public school system, I totally remember having Fine Arts & Music Education, opportunities for visual and performing arts and general exposure to drawing, painting, animation, dance, theater, multicultural shows, art galleries, museums, even the Symphony. I definitely wouldn't be who I am today without the arts in my early life. I may be a scientist by day, but still have to have that creative outlet - cake decorating, painting, custom canvas shoes, attending local theater/musical performances, Argentine tango, you name it. But back to the race itself: registration came with a cotton shirt (bold design!) and the 5K run/walk was $25, although you could also separately make a pledge donation directly. Many races use this Land Park course, and this is their 30th+ time holding this race so they sure know what they're doing with respect to number of port-a-potties, cops to direct car traffic, volunteers, etc. Again, a fast and flat race course with clearly marked mile signs and early enough in the morning not to get too warm (August in Sacramento, remember). The post-race art festival was fun; I entered a few raffles like one for the Davis Musical Theatre Company, and Light Opera of Sacramento. Kid and family-friendly race for sure.

This year was the 13th annual race for the arts, it's high time it got a review. The race for the…read morearts is a fun 5K run/walk that "raises funds and awareness for California nonprofit performing, cultural, and visual arts organizations and for school music, drama, and art programs." Whether you want to support the arts or physical activity, this is the perfect race. Well organized, over 1000 participants this year, making it a cozy fun race. Many people like to dress up (a lot of ballerinas) and it appeared a lot of people chose to walk it. Runner or walker, the course is a perfect backdrop for both. Set in the beautiful scenery of tree lined Land Park, the shady course winds its way back to the finish line where music and people cheer you on. So get up early, burn off some calories, and support your local art programs. The only reason that it didn't get 5 stars is because the shirt this year is literally the world's ugliest design. For a race that benefits art programs, couldn't they have a more artsy shirt?

I have done Eppie's Great Race for the past 3 years and I'm already planning for my 4th year. I…read morealways like doing this triathlon because I'm always trying to beat my PR and my team PR each year. There are three legs-- run, bike, and kayak in that order. The only leg that has water station is the running portion so bring water for all other legs. The run and bike course is fairly flat. There are only 3 hills and one downhill on the run course. This is a race for any age and any athletic level. Since there are team options, it's really fun doing this with friends. Let's talk about the medal. This is what makes races worth it, right? The medal has been getting significantly smaller and smaller each year. The design has completely changed since the past 2 years and is just a simple white small medal. The medal was given BEFORE we completed the race and was in my race packet this year. The glory of the medal is not as significant anymore. I like receiving my medal as I cross the finish line. Shirts also got more plain and thinner material. For a race that can cost up to $400 for a team, I'm a little confused on why they cut costs on medals and shirts. I have always done a team triathlon but I'm planning to do ironwoman next year. This race may just passed but training begins already for next year!

If you are looking for a really fun triathlon, Eppies Great Race is for you. It's at a fabulous…read morelocation, great energy and amazing people! This is the only triathlon that doesn't make you swim... " no swim triathlon." Lots of teams are out there. Lots of different age groups. So much fun!!!

It's a very well organized race that takes you through Folsom to downtown Sacramento right in front…read moreof the State Capitol. It's all road running and a lot of crowds cheering throughout the streets. It's also a Boston Qualifier and attracts a lot of fast runners to the "fastest course on the West". There are rolling hills starting after mile 1. The last "big" one up a bridge is at mile 20 and then it's a flat 5 miles through downtown. It's a net-downhill course but I'm not sure if I really felt that since the rolling hills really made me work for it. I also liked how they closed both sides of the streets so the road was wide to run. I love the expos. They have CIM clothes, gels, and other running gear. I got a shirt and Asics was offering free screen printing with an Asics purchase and had a few prints to choose from. I chose the one that said "CIM finisher". It was nice for them to offer this but the person who did mine put it on slanted so double check their work. The expo was on Friday and Saturday. I went on Saturday and a lot of the smaller sizes were sold out for the clothes. If you're in one of the more popular sizes and plan on getting some clothes, I recommend going there the day the expo opens on Friday. It's a point-to-point run so the finish line is 26.2 miles away from the start. Runners are not allowed to go to the start line directly and must take a shuttle. There area a few shuttles to choose from based on your location. I took the shuttle from Downtown Sacramento. The shuttles are school buses so nothing fancy but they are heated. I got there at 4:12 am and got on my bus at 4:28 am. At the start line, there is a convenience store that is open and mile long porta-potties. Since the shuttles depart early and everyone is just waiting around until the start at 7 am, I would recommend layering with clothes to peel off and leave to donate. You're just wandering and waiting from 5 am - 7 am out in the cold. I was really impressed with the aid stations. They were plentiful and well stocked. There are 17 aid stations, all with water, electrolytes, medical and porta-potties. 3 of those aid stations had gels and chews. The caffeine gels had too much caffeine for me of 100 mg so I brought my own caffeinated gels. They also have non-caffeinated gels so make sure to ask and double check if you prefer one over the other because it's not that clear when they give it to you sometimes. I started training in August. For 2024, the race began at 42 degrees and was upper 50's when I finished. The air quality wasn't that great in parts of Sacramento but was fine in Folsom.

This race cuts the county in half and prevents travel from one side of the river to the other,…read morewithout either driving all the way downtown and crossing on the freeway or using highway 49 and going around Folsom Lake. It needs to be rerouted. The bike trail, La Riviera Dr., American River Dr. anything but the route it has now.

Welp, it's November, which means total-gluttony day is just around the corner. :p…read more If you want a head start from all of the upcoming turkey trots, I recommend checking this run out! Very family-friendly (lots of kids!). A variety of courses. I did the 5k one and honestly it's one of the most no-fuss 5k courses that I've done. Fully paved with no major inclines/declines. No way to get lost with the very long straightaways (pretty much running a square). Will also say that there's no shade until halfway into the course; wouldn't recommend long sleeves if you sweat easily. Overall highly recommend for beginner 5kers, or even those who want to do speed run building in general! My only critique of this event is that there's no countdown at the starting point so the gunshot signaling the beginning of the run kinda seems to be a surprise lol. Parking is at Old Sugar Mill with Disneyland-esque parking arrangements (parking attendants guiding where to park). Best to arrive early to beat the parking traffic especially since there's only one lane to enter the lot.

I had hoped to run the half marathon but recurring tendonitis made me switch to the 10k. Then I…read moregot the flu so the 5k it was. Who knew the Sacramento area had wine country? The run itself begins at the Delta high school campus and winds through vineyards and fields. The volunteers and runners were friendly, much more so than Bay Area folks I must admit(and I think Bay Area natives are quite sociable having run in various cities). I wasn't fully recovered from the flue but I hung in there for my lovely medal and a breakfast burrito at the finish line. It was quite the drive but a memorable race.