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.

I'm really glad that the event organizers emailed us shortly after the race to explain what…read morehappened yesterday. I arrived about 10 minutes early for yesterday's 7:30 a.m. 5K start time. I was a couple blocks from Civic Park as I heard the race countdown. I ran the rest of the way to find nobody at the start - the time was already 2:04. They started early?! The beginning part of the course was really muddy so you had to go walking-speed slow, but I made up some of this time later, especially with all the wonderful encouragement I received along the track from College Park HS students. The kids volunteered to stand around the course with signs and words of encouragement, and even their school mascot at Walden Park! A giant purple falcon will make you RUN! I ran through the school yard, on the trails, up and down the Robert Schroeder Bridge, and finally, back to Civic Park. My ending time was 35:50. Minus the 2:04....33:46 - my fastest run in a long time! So, what happened? Some a$$hole drunk driver crashed earlier that morning in Concord (actually at the intersection where I live - which is notorious for fatalities and terrible accidents). The streets were closed and the 1/2 marathon was shortened by 3 miles, so they changed our start time to prevent the majority of both race's runners all ending at the same time. It was great to hear my name announced as I crossed the finish line and received my awesome medal. That's fun! And there was a photographer at the finish (as well as many others along the course.) Lots of awesome snacks and beverages were gifted to us, and McKinnon massage school students were there giving free (amazing) massages. I found a friend who flew into town just for the 1/2 marathon, gave her a hug, and went home to crawl back into bed. Wonderful, well-organized race - especially since they had to deal with rain-soaked fields and one stupid, selfish, drunk driver.

The race organizers really took the participant feedback well. The 2017 event was excellently…read moreorganized, with the turns clearly marked with course markers. Extra props for the RA's quick response back to my question about switching from a 10k to half marathon. They are really responsive!

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!

This is one of the races I go to every year. Sponsored by Eden Medical Center and produced by event…read morecompany Rhody&Co. I am always impressed how well the race is organized, how the runners have great energy and everyone prettybmuch has a great time. Every year there's always cool vendors and someone's company mascot. This year it was the Nesquik bunny who made me laugh as he boogied down with a granny! There's also a children's race for little ones.

Love this race. My family has been running this event for the past three years and look forward to…read moreit every year. Super well organized and lots of free goodies at the expo. The rolling hills on the 10k are tough but when you cross the finish line you feel like a super hero!

I will start out by explaining the need for better communication amongst the participants prior to…read morerace day. We registered through snail mail to avoid the processing fees, and a week later my check was cashed and that was the only way I knew they received my payment and registration! No email to confirm, so I had to email to verify a few weeks before the event that we were registered. It took a few days to get a response and when I did I was informed in fact we were not registered! I emailed back confirmig the date my check was cashed, then reply was sent back saying our registration was misplaced but they found it. Whew! But no other information is provided prior to race day, and that's frustrating to first timers as myself. Day of Event: I will say the preparation for race day was much more organized. We arrived at 5:45am and everything was practically set up, easy to retrieve your bib with plenty of friendly volunteers. I had to ask around a lot where to go, what to do, it was our first sprint triathlon, but everyone was helpful. There is a pre race speech given by past participants who were very informative and motivating! 400 yard swim: They break you up into age and male/females. Which I liked, easier to swim next to my fellow women especially when you may be in really close proximity. I hit a few people with my arms and legs but everyone was really friendly to my apolgies. The water at Shadow Cliffs I will have to say is DISGUSTING! Seriously, just walking to the starting point of the swim, makes me gag thinking about it. Gooeuy, seaweed type algae in between your toes that goes up past your knees when you step in it! The visibility in the water is zero, but the swim not bad physcially. 3 booeys that form a sqaure with the shoreline and easy to see. I had been training a lot in a lap pool and did one one open water swim, and was prepared for this portion of the triathlon. 11 mile bike: LOVED this route! A few hills, but overall a nice flat ride with pretty views of wine courntry in Livermore/Pleasanton. Traffic is blocked off and we get the road mostly to ourselves. 3 mile run: This was torture for me, it was hot, and there were a few more hills than I expected. But water is provided along the trail, it switched back a lot, but try to follow the chalked in arrows and you will be Ok. The finish line MC was awesome, saying your name and where you are from loud and clear with enthusiasm! I finished in 1hr 32 mins, I timed myself on my watch, but for $15 extra you can request a timing chip. I didn't make my goal of 1.5 hours but was pretty close, and didn't train too much, mostly only for the swimming portion. A check off my bucketlist, and it's local so have to be appreciative to OnYourMark Events to continuing this tradation of Sprint Triathlons in the area. Just wish for better communication and a better swimming location!

I completed the July 2018 Tri for Fun as my first triathlon and it was a great experience. I can't…read moreimagine a better sprint distance triathlon for the first timer and/or beginner. The event was well organized, well staffed, had plenty friendly volunteers, and was chipped timed. Post race results and pics were made available immediately after the event and showed your times in each of the 3 disciplines and the 2 transitions. Very useful info for future events and training. The water was warmer than most pools and I never felt cold while swimming in just shorts. Check-in was quick and easy and the morning participant meeting was informative and clarified any questions you might have about the course. Easy parking and decently clean bathrooms. Great event and highly recommended. Liked it so much, I am planning on doing the August event and this time with my wife.

A major marathon that occurs in mid-March, and starts at 7am (National Anthem gets played 10 min…read moreprior) and is meant to be finished by runners in 3-6hrs. The main hub is set up in Snow Park, which sees an influx of vendors, stage setups, port-a-potties, fencing, the whole setup in short. Love the energy it brings to The Town!

I think it should be a requirement for runners to volunteer at a water stop before actually…read moreparticipating. I don't think it will kill them to run a couple more steps to throw away their water cups. I never realized how annoying (and maybe a bit inconsiderate) to see cups on the ground when there's a trash can next to it until I started volunteering for running events. Okay, so that's my rant... Now about the run. Cat N. and I both thought it was a pretty good event with lots of major sponsors. I came to realize this after crossing the finish line and being handed a Smart Water and not Arrowhead or Kirkland, wow! There were also free Jamba Juice, Pop Chips, Honest Tea, Bear Naked and many more! And of course, free chocolate and champagne! Definitely loads of freebies. You also get a medal and champagne glass for finishing, and my favorite, ALL participants get tech shirts. It's very different since most running events only give out regular T-shirts for 5K runners and save the dri-fit shirts for half and full marathoners. But just FYI, the shirts run a little small and short. I'm regularly a small, but I got a medium. Cat N. is usually a medium, but got a large. We both agreed that this will be an annual thing for us. And BTW, it's not only for women, but men are eligible to participate as well.

I'm from Alameda and the starting line is less than a 10 minute drive from my house so I may be…read morebiased about this race since I didn't have to wake up at an ungodly hour to run like I do for most races. I've only gotten an opportunity to do the 5K but I'm really hoping to do the half-marathon one day (it always coincides with the San Diego Rock & Roll, though, and SD is typically where I am in the early summer). But the 5K was great, weather was sunny (which I don't mind for a 5K but for a half, that could be a problem), and the course was extremely flat. The cause is great and as a woman, it's always empowering and nice to run these types of races! It's also nice that it's a small race too--registration is relatively cheap and you don't feel too overwhelmed by the crowds. The only downside for me was that not a lot of people were cheering. More neighborhood spirit please, Alameda!

Wow! It seriously amazes me what both my mind and body can achieve. I entered this run simply with…read morethe intent to complete just because it was different to the usual flat Half Marathon's. With an injured knee I didn't expect to even place but ended up walking away with another 1st place medal under my belt. Happy Days! This event was 3 different races: Half Marathon - Very Challenging 10 Km - Challenging 5 Km - Easy Registration: I registered online which was pretty easy, however due to the time on their website being set forward by a few hours I was charged more than I should have been. It's no big deal though as it wasn't a huge amount, just something to keep in mind for future events. Packet pickup was available the day before or on the day, I opted for on the day and upon arrival discovered it was a fraction under 1 mile from the parking so before I had even started the event I had done almost 3 miles. The Course: The Half Marathon course was indeed a challenge. Not so much the incline's and decline's but the course. With the exception of about 2% of it which was tarmac road it was all dirt, rocks, sand and mud so being very agile was a must. One wrong step and you could seriously injure yourself and on some parts of the trail end up falling down the side of the Mountain into a ditch (There is no real definition of a Mountain but given the height many will class Castle Rock as one as it reaches almost 3,000 feet). This run confirmed something to me and that was I seem to excel at uphill running, downhill however is not my friend. With the uneven surface and loose rocks downhill is a real challenge not to loose your footing. Teamed with a knee injury the impact was incredibly painful in some parts. My advice - don't play the bad ass if you have an injury. Around mile 6 was when it hit me, the track became very narrow and went from uphill to very steep downhill and took you off into woodland where you were going over rocks, tree stumps and vine. I honestly thought I might have to pull out at the next aid station and had to limp for around 2 miles until the Aspirin kicked in letting a couple of people overtake me. The views were however worth it. From the top of Castle Rock you could see for miles, it really was breathtaking in more ways than one. Aid Stations: There were just 2 for the entire course and were located at 2.6 and 7.1 miles stocked with water, sports drink, snacks (Cookies, Chips, Trail Mix ect) and energy gels. Post Race: Post race awards were given for various age groups along with drinks and snacks for everybody to refuel. Drinks included Soda (no Diet or Zero. Boo!), Sports drink and chilled water with snacks of Cinnamon Rolls, Brownies, Chips, Trail Mix, Candy, Cookies and Orange slices. Nothing really took my fancy and it would have been nice to have some Banana's for everybody as they're both my pre and post run snack of choice. I could have probably fought somebody' for a Banana and chilled glass of Milk or Bowl of Greek Yogurt, instead I had to wait until I got home. T-Shirts: These are quite nice, I did like the Red color but would have loved a Pink one like last years. II'm just not sure of the quality as once I finished the run I noticed that mixed with sweat (I know.. sexy, right?) the color had ran and turned the white straps of my Camelbak pink to match the rest of it. Would I do this race again? Hell yeah! It was a good event, well organised and clearly marked out.

Been to 5 men's basketball games here... it's a great place to watch a game! There isn't a bad seat…read morein the arena. They have lots of in game challenges and dances. The courtyard is a great place to go before the game, with great pizza and pulled pork sandwiches. The prosciutto and arugula pizza was really tasty. Go gaels!

Great spot to watch top notch NCAA basketball…read more Only a little bigger than a high school gym, you're close even standing above the top row. Tix are cheap for most games. Parking is easy, too.

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. **…read more I know this wasn't technically the annual Temescal Street Fair, but I don't believe the event on Sunday, October 25, had an actual name. It was referred to as a picnic which made sense if you took advantage of the neighborhood restaurants offering outdoor seating. Jamie W. and I did by having our first real outdoor dining experience together right outside of Daol Tofu & BBQ, a relatively new Korean spot that made an excellent Bo Ssam for two with tables that were properly distanced from each other. Even more than that though, this urban picnic offered us an opportunity to roam the neighborhood and take notice of all the ethnically diverse array of eateries at our own pace. I actually found the absence of mobile amusement rides, performance stages, and free salsa lessons blessings in disguise. This was held in response to Oakland's Flex Streets initiative, where restaurants and shops take over closed blocks for brief periods of time. During these challenging times, I welcome these picnics and hope more are scheduled. RELATED - Exploring Temescal? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2I0RAHj

This is a big Street Fair!! I decided to take BART here, a super convenient way to go, just get…read moreoff at MacArthur station, and it's literally around the corner. I also took my bicycle, lots of bike parking here also. Lots of food choices here, and I like how all the businesses in the area are open also for even more choices. There are 2 music stages, the one at the end had salsa going when I got there, with everybody doing the salsa. Lots to see, buy, and taste, I'll definitely be back!!!