Definitely one of my fave 5k runs that I've done in NorCal so far! First off, the crowd here seems…read moremuch more lively than the ones at most of the other events that I've attended lol. Even many people were actually sporting the given branded tech athletic shirt.....loyalists here! As for the 5k run experience itself, a good chunk of other runners were destroyed by the steady but long slight incline that's less than a mile from the starting line lol. I continued running and with me being a slow runner I was a bit surprised that only a handful of people passed me after that first incline (course is out-and-back so net downhill closer towards the finish line). 5k course is purely running through downtown and the adjacent neighborhood. Overall wouldn't say that it's the best beginner 5k running course, but of course you can walk the whole way and still get a good workout!

Fun marathon and fundraising for the local educational system. Lots of people come out and it's a…read morebig event in downtown Petaluma that's been going on for 10 years. Come see Clo and enjoy a run for all levels. Moooove as fast as you like!

13.1 miles of beautiful views along the Bay Trail with 5k and 10k available too. This was my…read moreHusbands first Half so instead of Running my usual pace of just over 90 minutes I paced him. ++ Possitives ++ + Tech T-Shirt, Cinch bag and Finishers medal for everyone. + Good amount of Aid stations stocked with Water, Gatorade, Oranges and Power Gels. + Great group of volunteers at 2.5mi and 10.5mi markers (same guys).They seemed quite entertained by my singing to my Husband and skipping as we passed them at mile 10.5. Glad I made their long wait out in the cold a little more interesting. + Easy packet pick up on the day (if you got there early!). We got there 20 minutes into the 1hr pickup time slot and the line was only about 20 people deep which then grew to 60+. I heard a lot of people complaining they would not get to the start line in time. Here's a tip - If you're doing a Half Marathon get there at least 60 minutes before the start. + Groupon deal for entry ($69 plus fees). I would have been pissed if I paid full price though. -- Negatives -- - Wasn't a full Half Marathon. Measured by both my Garmin and my Husbands Nike App. Had I been in my ''Serious Runner'' mode this would have pissed me off immensely. We did notice that Volunteers were moving markers during the event.. Hmm.. - Disorganized course. It wasn't completely clear where you were supposed to Run, we had Runners coming at us head on and sideways, Volunteers standing in the middle of the pathway and we were even running with the 10k people at one point. Big mess! - They also had us run through a Dog park which was really weird and awkward. It was packed with people and Dogs darting about all over the course, add into the factor that after being attacked by a large Dog I'm pretty scared of them. My Husband lightened this by stating ''WTF, we have to run through Dog shit? If I wanted to do a shit / mud run I would have signed up for one''. Lol. - Post Run food consisted of a small Costco sized tub of Red Vines, some Popcorn and a few left over dry Bagels by the time my Husband and I got there. Considering the event time was stated as 7am -12:30pm you would have thought they would have food stocked until then but no. (we finished in under 3hrs btw!) I am so glad the vendors were nice enough to give me some drinks before we started. - No water at the finishing line. What?! - $10 Parking fee we wasn't told about. Luckily I carry cash at all times. - The same medals for all distances. Come on now, I think if you're running 10 miles more than someone else it's only fair you get a different medal. A half Marathon is a big deal ya'know... As this was this events first year I understand some things won't go completely to plan but the events director isn't completely inexperienced in planning these events, it's important to be prepared for things to go a little screwy. I got an email with a long list of all of the ''hicups'' they encountered including not having enough T-Shirts for all of the Runners. For real? The intent is to make this an annual event which at this point in time I don't know if I will do it again.

Ran the 10K, nice flat and paved path along the shoreline (Bay Trail), also not very windy,…read morealthough you could tell it gets windy out here. Pretty organized race, lots of good snacks after. The best thing about this race is the views, you can see Oakland and SF so clearly on a nice day. The race does start early, 7 for the Half Marathoners, 7:30 for the 5K and 10k runners, which is good to beat the heat, all in all, a good race!!!

Yay. My first ''race'' since I completely jacked my Knee up 4 months ago! Ok, so it wasn't my usual…read moreHalf Marathon but still fun nonetheless and a great event to celebrate my Birthday. The event organizers did a really good job and setting this event up and getting the word out with lot's of residents of Mountain House getting involved with delivering flyers, myself included. Packet pick up the Friday before was a breeze and with entry we also got ourselves a nice Tech shirt. Sadly the shirts come up huge. I went for the smallest Woman's size possible (a Small) and It's so big I could fit two of me in it. I usually go for XXS or XS so it would be nice to have those sizes as option for future years. Race day was well organized if a little behind schedule. The turnout was pretty impressive with around 250 people taking part with people coming from all over the East Bay to take part, lot's of which were ''serious'' Runners like myself. The course was a great choice of location - on my beloved Mountain House Creek Trail and was marked out with arrows. However, at the end of the trail around mile 1.80 was a little confusing as there were two sets of arrows and I went following the wrong ones, going off course and having to double back on myself (Boo. Lost some time there). One Aid station was placed along the course along with 2 groups of singers at various points to encourage people and singing Christmas Carols. Post race had lot's going on - Refreshments supplied by some of the local businesses (Hot Chocolate, Coffee, Fruit and Bagels), someone dressed as Santa on hand for photo ops and a couple of the sponsors. Home Team Pest Defense were giving out Water Bottles for finishers and lollipop rings and Prime Nutrition giving out goodies in return for Burpees / Push Up Combos - 15 got you a water bottle and 25 got you a T-Shirt. Naturally I carried on my workout and did 25 for the T-Shirt. All finishers also got a medal and additional ones given to age group winners, which most of the age groups were a whopping 10years! * Personal experience * After jacking up my Knee 4 months ago and being in Therapy and resting since then I wasn't all that confident in Running but with a Taped and Braced Knee I went for it as an early Birthday present to myself. The race went really quickly and I placed 1st in my age group and 2nd out of all the Women. Woohoo! I missed out on 1st Woman by like 5 seconds but kudos to the lady that beat me, she put up a good race. This injured oldie just isn't as fast anymore. This was the first ever Jingle All The Way Run for Mountain House and really was a great start to what I hope will be a yearly tradition. It was great to get out and meet the community as well as a few of the people from the Mountain House Running Club I recently became part of. Happy Holidays!

This run is a nonprofit event that benefits local schools. Approximately 180 people ran in 2015,…read moremaking it a great race to focus on running instead of the logistical headaches that larger events bring. The course starts at Central Park with a northerly departure down Central Parkway. The course makes an abrupt U-turn into a sidewalk bottleneck that prevents passing. The course then opens up as it follows the creek and its surrounding open area uphill to the southwest. The grade is slight but after a quick start, holding pace through the third kilometer is a challenge. The race finishes with a descent down the grade on the opposite side of the creek for an easy finish. Information on the race (e.g., map, start location) was difficult to find in advance, doubly so as someone else registered me. The event website wouldn't take my safety waiver and I was unable to generate a barcode for my daughter. This created some concern that was alleviated the next day, as the race is small enough that one can simply pick everything up in the morning. I'll be running this again next year. BELOW is a URL to 2015 times: http://app.lap.io/event/2015-jingle-all-the-way/results

Overall a really pleasant race in the Bay with gorgeous views of SF, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel…read moreIsland, and more. It's one of the better-organized races with very frequent water stations. It felt like there was one every 10 minutes or so with plenty of electrolytes and Gu. A sprinkling of friendly supporters that take you through the stunning views of the Bay and a neighborhood tour of some really nice houses. It's a nice-sized race where you have runners around you but it doesn't feel crowded. The Tiburon Half Marathon also has the sharpest race t-shirt I've gotten in all the Bay area races. Be warned though that there are a couple of very serious inclines that take the air out of you. That and the 7am start-time is pretty early if you're traveling in but you'll appreciate it since the sun comes on strong around 8-ish.

The 12 hour long party aka the Dirty Dozen. If you're a fan of being active and sharing time…read morewalking or running, this may be the event for you. I signed up for the 6 hour version of the dirty dozen which is a 12 hour long endurance event hosted by Brazen race series. Participants are invited to create teams of up to 3 in visuals to take on completing laps on the designated course; teams with the most laps completed within the given time limit, are awarded prizes in their ranking order, the typical 1st through 3rd place. The event is well organized, well marked and well supported for the full duration, complete with plenty of food, music at the main exchange point/ staging area and a delicious meal at the end of your specific race. Participants bring in pop up tents, chairs and whatever you may need to feel comfortable while you wait for your turn as most participants are a part of a team and complete the 3, 6 or 12 hour event relay style. My friends and I signed up as we have friends in our running group who shared how much fun they had when they participated and they were not wrong. We were well supported with fuel for the course as they served a variety of traditional products like energy gels, energy chews and bananas but they also offered real food like pancakes in the morning, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fig newtons, salty treats oranges, water, energy drinks...the options seemed endless. When we were done with our six hour race, a beautiful catered lunch was served which included bbq meats, salads, cornbread Mac n cheese, lots of options of drinks, as well as chips, desserts including it's it ice cream sandwiches. The spread was the best I've ever seen as I'm used to running marathons and only being offered chocolate milk, a banana and maybe if we are lucky, an additional sponsor offer additional samples of products they want to promote to runners . This was amazing! The course was beautiful as it took you through some beautiful trails in a eucalyptus grove as well as waterfront views . When we were done, we were already talking about next year's plan. We are hooked and look forward to future events.

The 3rd Annual Polar Run and dunk - 2014. A 5k Run around Eagle Lakes resort followed by a ''dunk''…read morein the lake. What a fun way to start the New Year! Included in the registration is a T-Shirt and post race party complete with Champagne toast and various other Hot Drinks, Bonfire to warm up and party with Music and awards ceremony. * Personal experience: * Woohooo! First Runner over the finishing line! Uh yeah... rocked it. Coming off a severe Knee injury I am pretty darn pleased with my result, a long way off my PR but 3 months of no Running really damages your time. The event was fun. For the most part the course was well marked out with the exception of one part where I went off track and had to double back on myself. Thanx to the guy behind me that shouted me in the right direction! The course was gravel and mud with a few inclines and declines but nothing major and the views of the lakes was beautiful. Shame my Asthma was playing up and I was concentrating too hard on my breathing to appreciate it more. This was a timed event but there seemed to be a few problems with timing as instead of chips on the back of each bib it was all done by stopwatch and the ''official'' times given did not match what my Garmin told me. Hubby who was waiting for me at the finishing line said that one of the stopwatches broke meaning time was added. Boo. Post race there was Champagne, Cider, Tea and Coffee with Cookies and Orange slices for Runners and a bonfire to warm up after the optional lake ''dunk''. Happy 2014 everybody!

This is my very first Brazen Race and trail 1/2 marathon. It was awesome!…read more Brazen did a great job organizing the event from registration to the post race celebration. All the details were thought out. The 5K was entirely on paved trails, while the 10K and half marathon were about 50% paved trails and 50% fire trails. The 5K and 10K were out and back courses, while the half marathon for 2011 looped Lake Chabot. The half marathon was not for the faint of hearts. My GPS showed elevation climbs over 2,500ft! Every mile of the 1/2 marathon was a challenge. Especially mile 3 on the Live Oak trail. Intense incline for over a mile! Mile 8 was almost a free fall with a vertical descent for over a 1/4 mile. And finally, Mile 9 which ran along the dry river bed single track. After an intense course, it was nice to finish with great recovery food (fruits, bagels, pastries, IT-IT's ice cream and cheesecake!) Love the well designed dry-fit tee and finishers' metal. I will wear both proudly!

Despite having run in several races (10k, 10mi, and half marathon) over the past 18 months, I…read moredecided to try my first 5k at the Bad Bass. Brazen Racing has become my favorite race company, since they put on such organized races with great swag. This one was no different. Everything is on time and well-marked. As with any race, I'd suggest getting here early, that way you have time to park, get your packet, etc. The 5k had probably the fewest number of people who signed up, compared to the 10k and half marathon distances. Just so you know, the 10k and 5k distances were "just over" 6.2 & 3.1 miles (call them "ultra" 10k and 5k, if you will, haha). Once again, post-race refreshments were great, with bagels, granola, candy, all types of fruit, etc.

Event Date: 03/30/2008 This small hometown half marathon was…read morea perfect training ground for my upcoming Santa Cruz run. The course consisted of 13.1 miles of residential streets and valley roads with several rolling hills. The start and finish line was at the San Ramon Dougherty Community Center and organized by the city and local residents. This was its second annual half marathon with nearly 1,000 participants making it a perfect start for first timers and heavyweights like me. This was cool because I was able to work on my pace and breathing without being distracted by elite runners. I was able to stay focus and really concentrate - getting into the zone and testing my limits. I did really well the first six miles. My past injuries didn't resurface. My momentum stayed consistent. And my thoughts of the Santa Cruz Half Marathon were in motion. Once I reached the ninth mile, I started to run out of gas. The fear of fatiguing out was upon me. I took a short pause, fueled up (gel pack), and finished up at 2:35. Not bad considering that this had several tough hills. After crossing the finish line, I was totally surprised that they had finisher medals! OMG! I totally stoked! Moments after the adrenaline faded away I fatigued out and felt a sharp pain on the arch of my right foot. I suffered a minor injury that's going to take my off my feet for three days. Now I got two weeks left before Santa Cruz and a bottle of Motrin to ease the pain. Thanks Omar T. for joining me at this event. This was his first half marathon and he kicked ass. Onward to Santa Cruz my brotha!!! Notes: All flat course. No. Inclines ranged from 15-25. Running shoes: Merrell Overdrive Continuum Timing chips: No Restrooms: There was only one portable at the seven mile marker Water stations: Two. Will do this event again next year? Yes. It's a great warm up to future events, but wear long compressions (spandex). It's cold as hell when you "Run Like the Wind" in San Ramon.

I was very disappointed! This time they were not organized at all! They started late; Parking was…read morehorrible, there were bunch of obnoxious people leading before the race started. And worse of all, I didn't get the T-shirt size that I wanted. I look forward to this event every year. But unfortunately, this year, it wasn't what I was hoping for, at all! And this is not going to stop me from participating next year! Thank you!

2013 was the 4th annual Concord Police Association's July 4th "Stars and Stripes" 5K. I am so glad…read morethat I chose a hometown event that supports the Monument Crisis Center (http://www.yelp.com/biz/monument-crisis-center-concord) for my first 5K! The event was well coordinated with good communication by the planners before and after. It was especially nice that we could pick up our bibs and such the day before. The volunteers, of which there seemed to be a ton, were all extremely supportive and helpful. Since the course goes mostly through neighborhoods (with streets closed) it was also nice to see so many people outside their homes, cheering everyone on. A special gratitude shout out to the family who were standing outside their house at the top of a big hill on the route, pumping disco hits and offering to hose us down. You, my fellow Concordians, are wonderful people. After completing the 5K, we stayed in Todos Santos Plaza, grabbed our usual spot on the patio at EJ Phair and enjoyed the parade. One area for possible improvement... The event continues to grow each year (there were over 600 people registered this year) so it would be nice if they added wave times to pace out the participants, especially to get the runners in front of the walkers. I'm looking forward to participating again next year!

At the end of every 5k my husband and I hold hands as we run through the finish line. (Ok, I know,…read moreI know...cheezy...but I love it.) This was the first 5k my husband and I have run where our names were called as we crossed the finish line together. It was so cool to here the announcer say: "And here come Amy and Casey (P) from Concord". We met our goal of completing another 5k, once we'd only registered for the day before. I found out about the 5k in my hometown a few days before it was to take place. I didn't mind paying the higher entry fee (it was still only $30) but it did mean we couldn't pay $7 extra for the nicer, non-cotton shirts. We did still get a goody bag filled with tons of great stuff! Thanks to all the nice sponsors. The CPD organized this event. If you missed the online registration deadline, you could still register in person at the police department the day before the event. I sent my husband to do this and he said it was an easy process. On the morning of the 8am run (Happy 4th of July), we parked at Todos Santos Plaza and listened to the clear voice of the announcer over the loud speaker. We even saw the A's mascot: Stomper!! Then 3-2-1.... we were off! We ran a mostly flat course around Concord near the downtown plaza, high school, and John Muir hospital. A BART driver honked and waved at us as the train flew by. It was so much fun. The water station volunteers were friendly and many of the police men and women that stood with volunteers around the course cheered us on. We walked and ran and enjoyed watching the families around us. A 40 minute finish wasn't very competitive, but we were just there to have fun. Some people brought dogs, which were not allowed. And we also saw lots of strollers, which were allowed. So it was definitely a family event, and the no-dog rule wasn't really enforced. Saw some kids on scooters as well. After the run we bought breakfast for a $5 per plate donation for two pancakes and two sausages and a juice. A parade followed the 5k at 10 am, so we had to wait around a while for that to start, but it was nice out and we talked with other runners and families. Thanks CPD for helping to organize this event. We heart Concord.