Beautiful event, I participated for several years. The organization is good and they resolve any…read moreissues very soon and efficiently. The course is not that hard so many different levels of athletes can complete it.

Labor Day 2014 started off great...beautiful coastal morning, sun shining, and a nice and light…read morecool breeze. I decided to register for this race for myself and two kids, as a way to bond and hopefully start a tradition of us finishing races together. We live in San Pedro, so thankfully there was no real commute. From our house, we got there in less than 10 minutes. The parking was great. We parked in the lot shared by The Grinder and a hotel. On our way to park, we noticed that many people parked either at meters on the street and in lots or parked in the same lot that we did. We arrived at 7ish and there was already a significant amount of people there. The atmosphere was great so early in the morning. People were excited, friendly, and chatting it up with those they knew and strangers, alike. The organizers got on the loud speakers and gave us all instructions, which I felt was helpful for all of us who had never done it before. The race promptly started at 8:05 and off we went. Of course there were full on olympic track stars there who took off and spanked us all. I did a combination of running and walking. I'm just now coming back after a long hiatus of physical therapy and reconditioning, so I didn't want to re-injure myself. In all honesty, there were way more walkers than runners. The majority of people seemed to be focusing on finishing, period, not necessarily winning. It was nice because there were people from all walks of life out there, all fitness levels, etc. There was even a woman out there with what I am guessing to be cerebral palsy, crutches and all, but she was doing it and we all cheered her on! The race was nice starting off. We began right in front of The Grinder at Harbor and 5th St. That initial climb up the start of the bridge had my cheeks quivering at the anticipation of the real hill that was coming. And I don't mean the cheeks on my face. Climbing that hill seemed eternally long... what helped to get over it was the slight cool breeze and the spectacular views. There was no water station or port-a-potties on the initial "going up" side. It would have been nice to at least have a water station, because I was dehydrated by the time I got to the water station on the other side. We even said that it would have been nice to have a second water station at the shaded underpass. Climbing back up on the otherside was a serious challenge. By then, it was getting really hot and that nice cool breeze that we cherished earlier was gone. I dont think I was ever as excited than to see that big blue arch coming up. We wanted to collapse in the grass along with others, but we were afraid that we may never get up again. At the finish line, they have timers set up to see how long it took you and we all received finishers medals. That was exciting and the kids were very happy to get a medal. We quickly went and grabbed water and they had oranges and cut up bananas for us. I was looking forward to the oranges, but they had just run out as we stepped up to the table. No problem. We noshed on the bananas and drank water. In all, if you asked me if I would do this again as I walked up that hill, I'd say HELL NO!!! After all, 5.3 miles is no joke, especially when it's hot, but now that I finished, yes I'd probably do it again. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I suggest preparing by going for long walks or runs if that's your thing, and include some hill training, so that you dont struggle too much on the inclines. :)

This event was organized by the same elite Spartan people who are extremely dedicated in training…read moreSpartan racers. WOD was very intense. It was held in Rynerson Park, Lakewood and more than 60 people have participated in this event. We climbed ropes, bear crawled, did more than 100 of burpees, did lunges with crazy distance, swing monkey bars, box jumped and spear throw. Anyone can sign up and it's definitely free! Just be ready to get wet and it's a 4 hour training.

Nice track, traction is the best I have experienced; ) I went on open practice Tuesday evening…read more Charlie gave the track race day prep, three coats sugary base coat. then later he gave it a coat of Root Beer; ) All this just for a practice day. You should bring a table, chair and pit light. I've been there twice and the track layout was changed up twice. Both times it was flowy and fast. They race on the first and third Sundays and open practice on Tuesday and Friday evening after 5 pm.

This racetrack is a big blessing to our family. I go here every single weekend with my son and my…read morewife. During our first visit we were welcomed by other racers and the owner very well. Since then, we go here to practice or to race. We enjoy this racetrack very much. If you are new to the RC hobby, please come over and visit. You will definitely love it. Definitely a 5 star!!!

This was my first year attending, and I'm so glad I came based on a tip from a colleague…read more The ticket purchasing, entry, and overall process ease was fantastic. I was able to park, get my tickets from will call, get through the entry, and set up my little spot in about 15 minutes, maybe less. The music is great... They certainly keep it coming and throw in a surprise or two here and there. They played Louis Armstrong trumpet at the event this year! As someone who used to play trumpet, this was such a treat to experience. Everyone is very mellow... The crowd doesn't get rowdy or obnoxious... Even though many are drinking and are in large groups. This is definitely a great event for families, a romantic date, and jazz lovers alike. It attracts a diverse crowd. I could not have thought of a better way to spend a lazy Sunday on Memorial Day weekend!

Every third Thursday, from February to November, Road Runner Sports in Costa Mesa hosts its…read moreexciting Adventure Run! Up to 12 mapped checkpoints in the surrounding area are revealed at the moment the scavenger hunt begins, offering free raffle tickets to those who check-in. But you've got to be quick! You've only an hour's time to hustle through as many checkpoints as possible before heading back to Road Runner Sports for the free raffle. Over $3000 worth of prizes await you, so scoring as many tickets as you can greatly increases your odds. And if you purchase an Adventure Run tech shirt, you'll snag double the raffle tickets at each checkpoint! Some of the checkpoints may be a couple miles away, but hitting them, as opposed to some of the closer checkpoints, awards greater numbers of tickets; so you'll have to map out your run. Wearing our shirts to double our prize, we scored 10 tickets each at the Newport Rib Company (0.8 miles) and 12 tickets each at a mobile location (1.6 miles). And it worked out for us, as we won three prizes, including a $50 Road Runner Sports gift certificate! Free Spartan Race registrations and NewBalance running shoes were also presented. Easily, I'd run for a free pair of running shoes. Sound like fun? It is! Register online: http://www.adventurerun.com. Oh...did I mention the free beer?

The July 21st Adventure Run in Costa Mesa was just as fun as the the June run! I met new friends…read moreand saw people I met in June. I ended up winning the in store raffle prize which shocked my socks off because I was packing everything in and getting ready to throw the towel in at the time I heard my name being called! What a surprise it was to find out I won the mother load of prizes!!! Thank you Roadrunner Sports for the great Adventures you host and thank you Adidas for the free pair of shoes I won with all the other items in my prize!!! I can't wait to run the next adventure in September. August I will be taking a class that goes from 6p-10p Mon.-Thurs. see you in September!

Purchased two day pass, first day was like an indoor Comic Con convention, packed and long lines…read morefor everything. Day two outdoors, pretty location but having purchased VIP tickets expected more than what we got! The only difference was being able to sit, if you could find a spot. Long lines for everything and a lot of stalls closed early having run out of stuff. One would assume the following math, how many VIP tickets sold and multiply portions by that number plus 1 or 2 at minimum. Also, VIP expectation was a larger pour per serving. Due to long lines two 2oz pours did not equate to cost of ticket. I wasn't only one voicing disappointment. All that being said the people watching was enjoyable. So much Botox and lip filler

The festival was so much fun! I wasn't planning on going, but I just happened to see a flyer with a…read moreSublime cover band. The bands name is "40 Ounces to freedom". They played a lot of great songs and band seemed to enjoy the crowd. There was a Foo Fighters cover band that played a tribute song to "Soundgarden". I did get some nachos that were very surprisingly tasty. I didn't have enough time to enjoy the event since I got there late. I will be sure to be there next year!

*chomp* *gulp* *slurp* Food...Drinks... from many of the…read morefood greats and some drink lounges Feb 7 kicked off the first Bottoms Up event of the year at Newport Dunes, and from what I heard of the OC Weekly staff, they're itching to have another one every few months throughout the year. Parking at the Newport Dunes is decently expensive at $10, or for free if you're willing to park along Back Bay drive and make the 8 minute walk across their GIGANTIC parking lot. You have 3 presale options: $15 for all you can eat, $35 for 15 alcoholic drink samples, and $55 for VIP entry, unlimited craft drinks, and a little OC Weekly goodie bag. We went the $55 option, which was surprisingly worth it. Not really for the VIP line (we had instant entry, but the normal line looked to be about a 15 minute wait an hour after the event began), or for the goodie bag (which had OC Weekly chapstick, a Resowater hangover drink, an ounce of Deep Eddy Vodka, a beer koozie, and some coupons), but because the specialty drinks in the VIP lounge were unlimited, and were FAR superior to the drinks provided inside. Is that worth the extra $40? Only if you're a good drinker and you greatly prefer mixed cocktails over beer and wine (which I do). In the VIP area, the Boathouse Collective, Tempo Urban Kitchen, Kitsch Bar, Red Bar & Lounge, and Anapelco's Cafe each had a dedicated bartender constantly mixing their two specialty drinks, for a total of tasty cocktails you could choose from. The VIP area also had slightly nicer plush chairs to sit on, which were typically occupied by SEVERELY drunk Newport girls, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your worldview. We found them absolutely hilarious. If you wanted libations inside, you had many spots to choose from. There were about 35 different liquor, beer, and wine companies, each providing you either a shot (if liquor) or about a 4 oz pour (if beer or wine). Every time you imbibed a libation, they would mark off a spot on your drink card. 15 was more than enough for most people, but if you wanted more, other fellow guests were willing to give away their extra drinks once they've had their 3-4 drinks. Many of the restaurants also gave away cocktails, like gin & juice or kamikazes, without counting them against your 15 drink total. So it wasn't hard to get a buzz on. If you were seriously hurting for a drink after blowing through your $15, the middle area has a cash cocktail bar for about $8 a drink. It was completely empty all afternoon. The food was AWESOME though. Like most events of this type, there were LONG lines at a few tables, absurdly short lines at other tables, and in the last hour of the event there were slim pickings. We got there about an hour into the event, and were able to try everything. By far the stars of the show were the chicken and waffles at Iron Press, the sliders at Rudy's, the clam chowder at Woody's Wharf, and the chicken wings at A&O. I absolutely adored the spicy cole slaw they provided with the chicken and waffles. Everyone was super fun and OC Weekly provided a few of the obligatory group events. Live band music, a photo booth area, giant jenga, cornhole toss...and everyone was super friendly. All in all, well worth an afternoon with friends.

I've been coming to this track for 20 years. The BMX community here is stellar. Tammy the track…read moreoperator and Jeff the track official are wonderful people who genuinely care about the sport and the people.

A great raceway park for adults and children, both boys and girls, race their BMX bikes. Entrance…read moreis free for spectators. Racers vie for prizes and trophies. Good clean fun and great exercise for the bikers!