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

Getting together for a great cause benefits everyone. As a participant, I felt good that I was able…read moreto contribute and have fun at the same time. I did not come here expecting a good workout because I was here last year. Long lines greeted me as I walked through the gate. Unlike last year, lines were not segregated based on the first letter of your last name. Unlike last year, registration went digital; I find the process work flow incredibly inefficient. I was in line for over 20 minutes. No lines whatsoever for obtaining your "Dirty Girl" shirt. Everyone crowded around which left volunteers at the table oblivious to who is next and so forth. I got my # at registration check-in and now I have my shirt, but where are the pins? At another table!!! The pins should be at registration or at the shirt table. Checking in my gear and chocolate bundt cake went w/ ease and I am happy that I went through 3 security checkpoints to make sure I grabbed my personal belongings, not anyone else's. I did not utilize the "free beer" ticket but yes, you get a free beer after the "race". Waves start every 15 minutes. Nobody checks to make sure you belong in the wave or not. It was too crowded that my friend and I waited at each "obstacle" which is very irritating. I know this isn't a competition however, give me a challenge, yo. My friend and I were the only ones that were running, BTW. I faced my fear and climbed the rope/fence thing. I am petrified of heights but w/ some encouragement from my friend and because I did not want to look like a pansy, I did it. The slide wasn't fun - I got scared and someone pushed Emmalouise! At the bottom was fun because we tripped and almost fell. Portable restrooms available though I did not use it. I did change and somewhat wiped myself in the wheelchair accessible portable potty because it is bigger. Good thing I have wipes and hand sanitizer on me at all times otherwise I would have taken my chance and change in the back of a tent. If you donate your shoes (after the run), you get a free pair of slippers. I did not use the shower facility nor did I enjoy carnival-like foods - I hate to admit that everything smelled delicious though but seeing as how I worked out to Insanity and P90X prior to this, I was hungry but wanted something on the healthier side. The best part about this event was that I got a chance to hangout w/ one of my best friends. Her husband, Steve followed us throughout the course to take pictures and videos. She told me the surprise he got for her as a birthday present and I in turn told her about Craig. She was one of the few that warned me that my previous relationship wasn't balanced. After reading emails about my newfound relationship and hearing me talk about him in person, she said, "He's the one for you". Exchanged baked goods is the ritual. She baked me chocolate chip cookies, double chocolate chip cookies, and quadruple chocolate brownies. I baked them my chocolate bundt cake. The exchange made it all worth it after the race, haha.

Having done this event last year I was somewhat disappointed with this one for a few reasons:…read more - Didn't seem as well organized. - Over sold the entry spots - Did away with 2 of the best obstacles from last year. Myself and Tram did this event together for the second year running and where I did have a fun time I mainly put that down to the great company I was in. Firstly packet / bib pickup lines were long. Last year was a simple 2 minute wait in line but this year required stopping at 3 different tents to collect everything- 1st just for your number, 2nd for your TShirt and the 3rd for pins to attach your number to your shirt. It would have made a lot more sense to do all of this at one station and increase the amount of lines. Bag check was easy and I did like that when collecting your items after the race there were multiple volunteers checking that you have got your own bag and not someone else's which is reassuring. As for the race itself, waves go every 15 minutes but they don't check you are in the correct one so in theory you can go whenever you want so if you turn up late there's no fear of missing out. The course was fun, definitely not a workout in my eyes but a relaxed jog with a few obstacles in between. For a ''mud run'' I don't think there was enough of it though, it was well past the first mile before we even encountered our first mud pit. There were lines at each obstacle too which meant a lot of waiting around, one of them we were waiting for about 20 minutes so the event was definitely over sold. The event is raising money for a great cause which I appreciate and understand the organizers are trying to raise as much money as possible but when it starts to affect the experience of attendees there's a problem. The last wave goes at 1pm and given the amount of people I think having them go later (maybe until 4pm) would be a huge improvement. Maybe even have it as a 2 day event to make maximum money for the charity. There was post race refreshments available - hot dogs, burgers ect and each participant got a token for a free Beer which neither Tram nor I used. The portable restrooms were on site but pretty nasty even by 10am. None had tissues (lucky I had wipes and stuff in my bag) and water to wash your hands was almost completely out too. The shoe donation station was near the changing area and this year you were given a pair of Flip Flops for donating. They take each pair, clean them up and give them to people in need. As for the ''showers''. Definitely an experience. This is one thing they did improve on from last year. Instead of a few little spurts of water where you couldn't wash more than your feet and calves there were dozens of hose pipes. Yes, the water was again freezing but at least I didn't leave the event with mud in every crevice! I did have a good time but glad for the LivingSocial ($65 for entry for 2 instead of the $100 each!) and not sure if I will do it next year.

"Rocky Ridge" Half Marathon: Fun, with Magic Sponges & only Minimal Loss of Brain Function…read more Okay, okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. I was pretty much conscious for the entire race, and completed the half marathon without resuscitation or medical intervention. Yes, yes, I admit I laid on the ground at Aid Station 3 for a few minutes, but I was just relaxing. Plus, I wasn't trying my hardest. The Rocky Ridge half marathon takes place at Las Trampas Regional park. It's a brutal course, with tons of elevation changes--especially this fun area called "Del Amigo Trail." I'm still having nightmares about Del Amigo. The Brazen Racing team did an excellent job at coordinating this event. Signing up was easy and the course was well marked. There were multiple Aid Stations, well staffed and supplied with anything you could possibly need. The paramedic was waiting at the Finish line, which was encouraging. All the people were super encouraging. There were ice cream sandwiches and all kinds of fun treats at the end of the course. My favorite memory is of mile 9.5. Just before crawling up a steep, hot, asphalt road, they have a bucket full of water and sponges. By that time I was sort of delirious, but regained partial use of my faculties after a few drenchings with the sponges. I tried to bring the bucket with me, but they forced me to give it back. Anyway, the race is still sort of a blur. I don't know how I finished, but I'm pretty sure there was something in those sponges.

Terrible communication etiquette.Signed up for a race.Been trying to get in touch with anyone for…read morelast two weeks.No response to multiple emails.Hope the races they organize aren't as disorganized.Not sure why they even have a 'contact us' page if it all just a black hole.

This fun, on the small side, pretty much flat half marathon was a pretty great experience. I ran…read moreit for the first time this year (2009) and managed to PR by a large margin. There were only about 500 runners, and while the course wasn't particularly scenic, I had a good time overall. Here's the break down of my review: Organization -- 5 stars: The course has lots of volunteers along the way to shout out your time at the mile markers and to make sure you don't go off course (not really an issue, but still nice). At mile 10 you join up with the 5k runners, of whom there are MANY, at which point there was a separate lane for the half marathon runners. That part was especially appreciated. The sweat bag check in at the start was also very helpful, because I got pretty cold after the race and it was nice to be able to put on a clean, dry jacket. The race is a point to point course, and a shuttle was provided back to the starting line. A couple of snafus: There were mile markers missing at miles 1 and 10, which was a little frustrating. Also, the post race snacks were pretty meager. If I run this race again, I'll definitely put a sandwich in my sweats bag. Crowd support -- 4 stars. There weren't heaps and heaps of people watching, like at other races I've run, but there were enough people out there who were excited to see us run and grateful that the proceeds of the race would go to support the San Ramon school district. Course -- 3 stars: The course winds through residential areas of Danville and San Ramon, which is pretty dull, especially considering the number of races on the Bay Area that run through awesome, gorgeous terrain. That said, the race entrance fee is relatively low, and the course is flat and comfortable to run. Like I said, I had a great time running this race and I might do it again next year.

I've now only done a few runs, but this one seems to be on the low end of organized compared to…read moreothers. I used to do the Primo's Run when I was a tiny little kid. This I why, during my "let's become a runner" phase (which I continue to stay in now that I've gotten the hang of it) I decided to come back and give it a try as an adult. I arrived early, having researched the parking situation and seen that if I needed/wanted to leave right after I run (which I did), I'd have to park fairly far away from the actual event. I parked and hesitated a moment, wondering if I should bring my things with me (water bottle, snack, gear bag for my extra clothes... it was cold that morning!) and went ahead and brought it with me. I was early, so no thanks on freezing while I wait! I get to registration and receive my packet. I could already see that there was confusion within registration lines and there was no labeling or guidance whatsoever. I asked about gear check, to which everyone looked at me like deer in headlights. I even asked the woman who appeared to be guiding people into the registration lines, and when she gave me the same look and said she'd ask... well... she went right over to the same woman I had already gotten NO answer from. Sweet. No gear check?!? Seriously? I volunteered at a 10k of under 1000 participants, and even we had a gear check. It was really shocking to see that they didn't provide anything for runners to leave their things in a safe place! I fortunately found a volunteer who shall remain nameless who kindly hid my things under the table where she was stationed, and I was able to leave them there until I finished the race. Overall, it's a run for a good cause. Will I be back? Maybe. For nostalgia sake, or maybe for the 1/2 marathon if I can work myself up to that for next year!

I'm so excited that there is a running event near by from now on(I hope). It was a small race but…read moreI'm sure it will grow. Running route was pretty nice. I hoped there was a sign for 5K & 10K split - I had to ask other runners where to go. I don't live in Tracy so the verbal instruction given at the start line didn't really help much. I could have given 4 stars but I really hated waiting to get my bib. It would have been faster if I registered on site. Well... I know it will improve. I'm happy with the event! I can't wait for next year with some improvements!

The Shamrock 5k took place during the Dublin St. Patty's Day weekend celebrations. It was…read morewell-organized, even though it rained the day of the event. Runners gathered on Dublin Blvd. and took off down a course winding through the streets of Dublin and back onto running trails. After the run, participants were able to enjoy live music and other St. Patty's Day fun. Free snacks and drinks were available, and many booths were set up for the festival later in the day. Runners were given shirts and ribbons for finishing. I would definitely be a part of this event next year. Fingers crossed for better weather!

Organized and fun! Locally popular .Dig the cooler weather time of the year and know some of the…read morerunners. It's not too crowded,marked and organized well.....a lot like the Humbug 5k road race up the street sort of speak......well,in the same neck of the bay anyway.Fun race and will do it again to improve PR as well! I recommend.!

I did my first walk with the March of Dimes for Babies this year. I was able to walk with my…read morefamily (and they werent registered walkers). The walk is free even if you do register. I was able to raise over $400 for babies and families in need. The walk itself was a brisk 3 mile walk around Pleasanton with plentiful pitstops for water and encourgement from the volunteers. When you cross the finish line there are at least 200 people cheering for you (yea hate to say all the yelping and good eats has gotten me out of shape.. so yes we were one of the last to finish) They served free lunch and breakfast for all partcipants. Breakfast was a variety of bagels with individually packaged cream cheese, option of apple or orange and coffee or water. Lunch was Adelle's Sausage, chips and cookies. It was a fun day indeed. I will definately walk again next year! You should too!!

Hhmm.. can't say I was overly impressed with this event on the day…read more Packet pickup the day before was pretty good, a lot more organized then the Fremont event in February yet still needs a little work for next year. Reason being that during registration we had to choose our TShirt: Male / Female in XS, S, M or L. I selected Female XS yet when I went to collect at 1:30pm (pickup was 12-5) they had completely ran out of that size. Whole idea or choosing your size beforehand was so that you get the correct one. Luckily they had XXS and as that was the same size I got for the previous event it actually worked out in my favor but I'm sure it didn't for other runners, especially those that came later in the day. As for the event itself I really think they cheaped out, maybe because double medals were awarded for those that also took part in the Fremont event and most of the money went on getting those made. There are minus stars for: - The guy calling people for their awards didn't really know what he was doing. I came 2nd in my age group yet he called me as being 3rd with somebody else's time (doh) and I overheard others saying that their time was wrong too. All of the timing was done by SVE Timing via chips on the back of our bibs and we were able to check them ourselves on the computer system so I've got no idea how he got it all so wrong. - Limited guys doing the massage. Just 2 guys for over 1,500 people! They were great though and the same people that did the Fremont event. I loved my leg and ass massage by the same person that did it before. - Post race food was sparse. I was among the first to complete the Half and by the time I had a quick restroom break and massage (about 30 minutes total) all that was on offer was Orange slices and half a cold Burrito. I overheard people in the 5k saying that they had Muffins, Donuts and Banana's too. Damn! I could have pulled somebody's arm off for a Banana! I feel bad for those that finished after me and the organizers need to get their priorities right. Those that did 3.1 miles got a feast of all the good stuff where those than done an additional 10 miles got scraps. - Did not receive the ''Branded Chamois Finishers Towel'' that was promised on the website. - I did not see an engraver as advertised. Maybe I completely missed it in my pain filled haze but Hubby and I did do the rounds twice looking for it. As for the race itself it was mainly flat as promised (yay!) yet lot's of it was gravel. I hate running on gravel, the uneven surface doesn't make for easy running then add in all of the dust it's an Asthmatic's (me) nightmare. As suspected running with an existing knee injury and sore foot I didn't place where I did before but I came pretty damn close! Went from 1st to a not too shabby 2nd with being just a few seconds faster. First place beat me by just 50 seconds. Frustration! Race rundown: Start: Hella cold...Let's to this!!! Mile 1: What.. Already? 6:30mins. Good start. Mile 2: Uuurgh gravel *chokes* Mile 3: Woohoo. Endorphins kicked in. Feeling good. Mile 5: Hmmm, Steve should be starting his 5k soon. Somewhere between mile 6 and 7: Ooooh, is that a FroYo shop? Hmm, probably not open for another 4 hours *sigh*. Rough mile 7.5: Ow ow ow knee pain. Mile 8-9: Not a good section of the race for me :( Just passed the 8mile marker my knee buckled beneath me followed by a searing pain, tears and vomit. Luckily the extra Ibuprofen I had with me played their part and I hobbled to mile 9 where I managed to pick up pace thereafter. Roughly 9.5 mile: Damn! Seems my watch timer resets at 1hr. Mile 10: I'm getting too old for this sh*t. Mile 11: ADRENALINE!!! Mile 13: Almost there! Need to pee!! Mile 13.050: Where the feck is the finishing line?? Some nice guy then points me in the right direction. Mile 13.1: Hallefuckinglujah.. where's the restrooms? Shortly followed by me collapsing in pain. Booo. So yeah... an ok event. I probably won't do any more organized by this group. They have a habit of really miss-selling the registration.

I run a handful of races a year, ranging from 5ks, 10ks, and Half Marathons. The boyfriend is an…read moreavid cyclist, but was interested in trying a 5k, so we opted to do the Pleasanton 5k since it was one I hadn't done before. We registered less than a week before the event. The packet pick-up was fairly easy and stress-free. However, when I registered, I signed up for a WOMEN'S MEDIUM t-shirt. Seeing as how they gave the option for men or women, I assumed I would be getting a shirt fitted for women. WRONG. They were unisex cotton t-shirts, so my medium sized shirt was way too big, and they wouldn't let me exchange it for a small. I also wish they would give the option to upgrade to a technical t-shirt for a fee like a lot of other races offer. I run A LOT, so I use those tech shirts A LOT. I never wear those cheap, stiff cotton shirts for anything other than housework. The start times and locations were well organized. There seemed to be plenty of parking as long as you don't wait to show up until the last minute. Bathrooms were relatively plentiful between the port-a-potties and the park bath houses, but the bath houses ran out of toilet paper in the ladies rooms very quickly. The guy at the start line was speaking through a megaphone rather than a mic/loudspeaker, so it was difficult to hear any instruction he was giving. One of my biggest pet peeves in races are those gosh-darn jogging stroller buggy things. I get this is a 'family fun run' and I applaud anyone who won't let kids stop them from exercising, but those stupid strollers are dangerous, and a lot of the people running with them don't seem to know runners etiquette. So if race organizers are going to allow them, they need to have a separate start time for strollers, and they need to be IN THE BACK where they can't run over peoples' feet or cause an accident. Some people did this on their own (thank you!) but others went right up towards the front and created a hazard for those trying to get around. The course was very flat, and the 5k was completely on pavement. This is a super easy run--I set a new 5k PR by a couple of minutes. The volunteers consisted mostly of high school kids who really didn't look too happy to be there. I don't really blame them--If I were 14, I wouldn't want to be up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday to watch people run and direct foot traffic, either. But a little more enthusiasm would have been nice. THE MEDALS ARE CHEAP. I've run some 5ks where they were giving out some really nice medals, but these ones are pretty crappy. I don't know about the Half Marathon medals, but these ones are a thin circle of flimsy metal with a sticker on them rather than any engraving or paint. Nowhere near the "First Class Medals" they advertised. And ditto on what Emmaloousie B. said: Where's my freakin' "Branded Chamois Finishers Towel"?? They did have some good post-race freebies. I know this race is only in its second year, but they still have some work to do. I *may* come back next year for the Half, but I'm not making any promises. Off to the Wildcat 10k.