The OC Marathon is truly one of the most fun weekends of the year! There's so much community…read moreinvolvement, positive energy, and support throughout the entire weekend. Gary, the race director, is an amazing human being who puts so much time and effort into making this one of the best races in Southern California. I'm lucky enough to get to participate in both Kids Run the OC, an awesome one-mile running event for kids, and the OC Half Marathon myself. Whether you're just starting your running journey or you're an experienced runner, I highly recommend signing up. The weekend is filled with fun, encouragement, and beautiful courses through some of the best parts of Orange County. With options including the 5K, half marathon, and full marathon, there's truly something for everyone!

05.03.2026 I ran this event about 5 years ago. But this time…read moreI am a spectator cheering on our peers at mile 12 for a half marathon. I had such a pleasant time cheering on all the runners. There was alot of police presence directing traffic. I parked about 1 mile away from my meet up. This marathon is awesome! Lots of people with a great running scenery. Definitely a great run for all the participants. I recommend this marathon event. It ended at the OC Fair. Lots of restaurants nearby. Traffic is a given. Every marathon has it. Kudos to this OC run! As a runner and spectator it was definitely a memorable experience. Good crowd control and great ambiance.

I was worried exiting the freeway at 7:00 am, the parking lot looked crowded and the exit ramp had…read morea long line. I still had to pick up my race bib for the 8:00 start. No worries though. Nice race t-shirts, lots of people. Fun race I did better than I expected, I wasn't able to train the last couple of weeks. The course goes through a bubble zone and inside the stadium concourse then onto the field! Water and fruit are at the finish line and lots of game booths! Very nice race!

2021 was the 2nd time to do this one for me. I think they…read morejust held it virtually last year due to covid. The participation was smaller than in the past, and so it was easy to distance ourselves during the run. It was around the time when things just started opening up again. We did it with a group of 4, with one of the group having finished chemo so we just walked it. After running dozens of 5ks to marathons and always with an eye on my personal time, I wasn't so sure about walking it but of course it had special meaning. Walking it is fine as the participants range from serious to walkers. This year, instead of finishing around the warning track in the outfield, we ran right by the dugouts so it was great. All the volunteers were friendly and it was nice going into the entrance of Angels stadium to use the restrooms and check out the team store before and after the run. The tech shirts were nice this year. We'll be back!

The Nanny Goat Ultra is a 12 Hour, 24 Hour, or 100 mile footrace around a 1 mile loop around a…read moreprivate ranch in Riverside, CA. Yes, an one mile loop! The race is open to solo runners or teams of four runners. Teams may be all women, all men, or mixed. The object is to complete as many laps as possible within an alloted 12 or 24 hour period. Any runner logging 86 or more miles in 24 hours may continue to 100 miles (with a firm cutoff at 28 hours). The course is flat, the footing is good (weather dependent), and the trail is wide enough to allow easy passing... Support is never more than a half mile away. Aides, spectators, and handlers can camp within feet of the course. The race will start on Saturday Morning at 8:00 am and will end on Sunday at 8:00 am Progress will be posted on the internet in real time. Race progress is by timing chip attached to your shoe. As you cross the timing trap your name and mileage is projected on the barn wall.... No guessing and no need to bring lap counters. There is ample parking, camping facilities, showers and toilets adjacent to the course. This is a wonderful race and I would highly recommend it for any experienced ultra runners or newcomers to the ultra community. for my full race report: http://thepedestrianrunner.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-2013-nanny-goat-100-unforgettable.html

I've run 111 marathons, but only two ultras. I found this race totally lacking in meeting my…read moreexpectations! First, the entry fee was $180. For that, I expected the royal treatment. It was definitely lacking! Everything about this race was to make money for the race directors!The shirt was cheapo cotton with no date. The medal was some necklace. It's unique, but no mention of the race or date. It's a promotional item donated to the director with a card to sell the lady's jewelry. If you finished 100 miles, you got a belt buckle. Everyone else received the generic necklace. My friends raved about the food. What food? Oranges, bananas, watermelon, peanut butter and jelly, all cut in microscopic pieces. There were half hamburgers, but every time I came around the table, they were gone! The course was dirt and some grass with huge ruts, which contributed to horrible heel blisters caused by the loose dirt. There was no mention to bring gators or any real information at all on the website, which was down most of the time. The ultra signup page had a huge photo of the money grabbing directors, but little else. The worse thing I saw that justified my suspicions about greed was when I watched a man fill the water jug with a dirty old hose. This sums up my feelings about this race - it's a dirty ripoff!

The race itself was great. The course is flat and very scenic with the ocean on one side. The pre…read moreand post events have the right mix of sponsors with my favourites being Zico, Celsius and the electrolytes booths. The big peeve this year is the start time of the 5k which moved to 11:00am, so with the starting waves, the actual start time is closer to 11:15. Problem with this late start time is the California heat in winter, which by noon is close to 29 degrees Celsius. If this had been summer, the temp around noon is closer to 35 degrees Celsius The time also kills the whole day (can't really do anything before the race and by the time the race is done and you are out it's close to 2pm. My suggestion is to bring back the earlier start time or at least have the latest start at 9:00am.

+ Love the many generous sponsors' freebies both on Expo day & on race day. Nutrients and…read morerevitalization galore! + Well marked race map provided beforehand. + Their website has an informative, detailed FAQ section. - Crowded, inefficient shuttle from HB Civic Center to the race event. Parking lot was overwhelmed and the line of 50+ runners moved slow. Despite its farther proximity from the race compared to closer lots like Pacific City mall, many still parked at CC cuz it's free. + Thankfully free residential street parking behind CC that morning. + Nice that they include DJs and music to amp up the ambience. - Not sure why the race start alley was fenced off. Made it hard and inaccessible to join the race once thousands of runners had poured in. + The entire trail was well marked and sectioned off. You never get lost throughout your run. Many traffic marshalls and volunteers present to help keep you on trail. + Good amount of hydration stations (water + gatorade) spread throughout the track. . The only additional supplements were GU chews. For the 1/2marathon, this station was only placed once, halfway through the track. -- SUPER crowded. Could not run my own pace cuz constantly struggling to shoulder past high concentrations of slow runners. Scored far below my goal time. - Sporadic congested runner traffic. It'd be nice if the slow ppl or walkers kept to the right to leave the left side for the joggers/runners. + Hundreds of spectators come to cheer runners on. - Some of the aid stations were ill-prepared or behind. Runners piling up and the volunteers were out of Gatorade or struggling to quickly fill the cups. - They didn't provide a map of the event area (gear check, sponsors, food trucks, bike lock, etc) - Even the workers/volunteers there didn't know where key spots were. - Event didn't clearly designate the bus pickup spot. The transportation map just vaguely designated bus pickup to be something like "on Pacific View Ave between 1st St and Beach Blvd". Turns out the exact bus pickup spot was at Pacific View Ave & Huntington St. Wish they told us this beforehand more clearly (and provided coordinates). - Should post a large flag/banner at that bus pickup intersection. - Even the traffic controllers weren't sure where the pickup buses were arriving. - The buses aren't labeled nor announced where they're going. - Event neglected to preinform us that the shuttle back doesn't go straight from the race back to the Civic Center. It detours to drop some runners off at Edison HS, which adds 10-15min to the bus ride. Had I known, I'd prob have sought nearer parking for the race and just biked the rest of the way. - They're slow to update their website photo link [https://www.runsurfcity.com/photos], despite photos already being out. - Lotta spam email, both before and well after the event. Lotta advertising too. For ~$200, I didn't expect the cons:pros ratio so high. Tip: pack amino gels/chews and your own hydration.

This race is super solid. It is the only "8K" or 5 miler I know of in Southern California. It's…read moregreat for people who don't feel a 5K is challenging enough distance but don't want to run extra long miles too. The course is a challenge though presenting a major uphill at mile 3 but also a series of rolling hills along the course. They open the race to an appropriate number of people so that you have enough space to run once you break away from the initial clump of people. The inclusions for this race is top notch. The race shirt, medal, and goodie bag are awesome. Being that it is hosted by the Brea Mall, the vendors that show up here are nearly unbeatable. There is not only your basic race freebies (bananas, liquid IV,water) but also pizza, desserts, and coffee at the post race hangout spot. I've had this race on my list for years and am very glad to be able to finally run it.

For me, medals are important. Ever since I'd received my first one back in 2014, I've continued to…read morechallenge myself, all so that I might drape yet another shiny medal across yet another medal rack. It's just that prior to 2014, I would have never thought I'd begin running, had never thought that I could. My medals, then, are accomplishment reminders, proof that when you set your mind to something, you can do it. However, with all of the runs I'd done, I'd always passed on Brea's 8K. The simple (and a bit selfish) reason was that there weren't finisher medals. I wasn't interested in race shirts and goodie bags, didn't care, really, for trucker hats or for post-race festivities. I just wanted a medal. I mean, running Brea is fine, and running with a great group of people for a worthy and applaudable cause is commendable. But selfish me wanted a medal. So when I saw that medals were included for finishers, I finally signed up. And I am glad I did. It was fun, close to home, and afforded easy parking right there at the Brea Mall. The medal was okay, but at least Brea's 8k had them. For me, it'll do. And I'll run again next year.

This is our second year of doing the Riverside Color Vibe 5K run. You sign up ahead of time for…read morethe upcoming event. In the case of the Riverside event, it happens on November 11, 2015. Next year it will probably be around the same date. When you sign up you can choose to purchase t-shirts, socks, and other clothing. Then you purchase color packs. This is where the fun begins. The whole idea of this run is to spread this color all over yourself and other friends while on a 5K run. By the time your a finished, you are covered in all kinds of color. The run is short. It is at a regional park and you are always kept close to the center of the activities during the run. Before the run starts, they have a stage set up with music playing and dancers. It kind of gets you into the mood of doing the run. This year lots of people were gathered around the stage. Color was flying everywhere. The color packets are non-toxic. They are made of corn starch with coloring added. During the run you pass by about 5 different color stations where people are throwing around the color. Each station is a different color. There was also a water station to get some refreshment. At the end of the run they have water bottles and other drinks to refresh. Because of the colors, make sure to place your cell phones in zip lock bags. Otherwise they will get color dust in all of their ports. Also bring towels for the car ride home. Unless you want colors in you car. It gets everywhere. This time someone threw color in my ear. It eventually came out. Once I got home, I took a shower and could see colored water going down the drain. It was a lot of fun and we will be going next year.

I did it :D my first half marathon, and I couldn't have picked a more magical way to do it than…read moreRunDisney's Halloween weekend at Disneyland Most of my training happened on the treadmill, which honestly taught me a lot about consistency and mental endurance. I followed the official RunDisney training program from their website and trusted the process--even when life was busy and motivation was low. Race morning was early (very early), but the energy, costumes, music, and Disney magic made every mile worth it. Running through Disneyland in the dark, then heading outside the parks with rolling hills, the heat that I did not prepare for was challenging--but unforgettable. These are the things that really helped me: 1. Enlist a buddy to do it with you. I somehow managed to persuade my oldest son to come with his mama. My son who is in his prime, who at the time just came back from officer training school (boot camp). He was jumping, singing, running circles around me during the race, yelling out motivational pep talks. It was kinda annoying and motivating at the same time. 2. Use the free pacers There are multiple pacing groups, and sticking with one helps you stay calm, consistent, and confident. It really helped to see a whole group pushing through. Being next them reminded me about Dory..."Just keep swimming... Just keep running!" 3. Arrive early + move up in your corral We arrived around 4:15 AM, which gave us time to settle in and get closer to the front of the corral--huge stress reducer. 4. Stay close to the start line if possible We stayed at a hotel near the start, walked over, and later met my hubby near the mall. Less logistics = less stress. 5. Go to the Expo on Day 1 Exclusive merch sells out fast (RIP glow-in-the-dark shoes). The expo is free, fun, and has lots of freebies. Pro tip: go again on the last day for sales. 6. Practice in your costume This is non-negotiable. What feels cute for 10 minutes may not feel cute at mile 9. I practiced in my Ursula costume a handful of times. I saw people ditching parts of their costumes. 7. Hydration is covered Water and electrolytes are provided on course. I didn't need to carry water, but some people prefer to--do what works for you. 8, Know the course You start inside Disneyland, then head outside the parks where the hills show up. Save your energy for those miles. 9. Pictures Make sure your number is visible. Photos come free with it. There a a good number of photo opp in the parks. Unfortunately we couldn't stop since we were the last coral. So we did "passing" video shots. You should practice doing this. 10. Volunteers The volunteers outside of Disney were awesome! Seeing the signs, hearing the encouragement, and grabbing the sweets helped a ton. Soak it in and it will keep you motivated I discovered that I hate running long distance. At the same time I also realized I like doing it at Disney and after the race I told my son lets do the Dopey Challenge next. Where you run the 5k, 10 k and half marathon all in the same weekend. Of course my sweet son replied, "sure thing mom as long as your paying." This race reminded me that you don't have to be perfect--you just have to..... "just keep running, just keep running, running....running". If you're thinking about doing a RunDisney race, especially your first half marathon, do it. Train smart, trust the plan, and soak in every magical mile.

Just when we were in the swing of having them back, they're gone again. With the upcoming…read moreconstruction, it was announced there were not going to be anymore races for the foreseeable future here on the West Coast. This was the last race on Feb1 as the 5k and 10k took place the prior days. From what I gather from others, this can take many years to come back. I believe this was a new half marathon course at least new to me since the Star Wars Half days. This course was very refreshing, the stretch of it on Anaheim Blvd, running past the Packing District and the Ducks ice rink. The good thing about the "out and back" parts is seeing if you can spot the "balloon ladies" if it's a concern or maybe friends who run at a different pace or checking out their fits. I appreciated the DJ's and bands out there. They brought the energy! Everything was just so cute with the "It's a Small World Theme" but maybe I'm biased because I happen to love the color purple as in the bib, medal, and long sleeve tech t-shirt. It delighted me to see several runners dressed in this theme because I'm not creative enough to assemble my own costumes. PhotoPass photo opportunities were inside the park and some at the reunion area. These digital photos are included in registration and show up in the app same day. I must say the finish line replica photo op in the reunion area was a time consumer in the hot sun. Powerade was the electrolytes on course. I was wondering how they were able to get the taste and concentration consistent to realize they were being poured from the plastic bottles. Not too much to sample or any freebies at the expo if you compare that with other major race expos. The post-run snacks are not much nor memorable unless you count that nacho-like cheese from the box. IYKYK Yes, you pay a pretty penny just to participate but only you put a value on this experience. I would say if you're a Disney fan and have the means, to just do it one time for the experience but that dream has run out luck on this coast for now.

I ran for froyo! My friends and I thought it would be a fun race to do. For about ~$40, we ran…read morethe Froyo 10K in OC. It was held at Irvine Meadows which is really close to my neck of the woods. We checked in to receive our race bib, Dry-fit hat, and Froyo race sunglasses on the day of the race. Parking was $10 per car and carpooling was encouraged. We could have checked in a little later but it was fine to wake up bright and early to get our blood pumping for a run. The 10K started at 7:45 am and the 5K started at 9 am. Check-in started at 6:45 am for the 10K. My boyfriend and I arrived around 6:50 am and parked. The course was supposed to be mostly flat but there were a few decent hills on race day. It was a different course than on the website. Instead of mapping it out so it wasn't boring for the 10K runners, we ended up repeating the 5K course. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent run but the course was a) longer than 10K, b) boring because we ended up running the exact same lap over again, and c) they did a bad job of coning off the street when there was a car coming down the race course, albeit slowly with hazards on. There was plenty of water along the race course which I'm sure everyone was grateful for and there were porta-potties at the beginning of the course. In the middle of the race and at the end, we got to run through water misters, which would have been ideal had it been warmer out but because it was cool and overcast, it wasn't necessary. We finished under the finisher arches, handed a medal in the shape of a spoon, and given a bottle of water. Then we made our way over to the frozen yogurt area, you are given a choice of one flavor of yogurt and up to three toppings. I opted for the original tart with granola, almonds, and Oreo crumbles. They held a short recognition ceremony for the overall fastest runners and the first runners in each age group, giving out golden spoons to the qualifiers. Overall, it was a great way to start the weekend! 3.5 stars.