One of my favorite community events. As an Alhambra resident, Alhambra HS XC Coach, and with a…read morechild at Alhambra HS, I take great pride in the varied community events that regularly take place. The Alhambra Pumpkin gets bigger and better every year. I have built a relationship with some of the coordinators and am happy to promote within the running community every year. What's better than starting your Sunday morning with a brisk 5k, then partying in the beer garden with hundreds of your neighbors while we listen to local musical talents? (pst, the answer is nothing). The pumpkin run offers something for everyone. From racing a 5k or 10k, to a kids run, beer from our local Ohana Brewing, food/drinks from local farmers market, kids costume contest and so much more. Always a good time. They've improved the course distance. I'll keep coming back every year!

Fun event during Halloween dates.. Very organized with such…read morea great vendors around the Farmers Market. I run the 5k with a friend and 1k with my friends daughter.. Recommended it whole family can do it.

This was my 4th half marathon and my 1st with RunDisney. I've run 10Ks with RunDisney before and I…read morehave to say that for the most part, they have very well run races. For the price you pay, they shut down the streets of Anaheim, get you into Angel Stadium, have chEAR squads every other mile, water/powerade every other mile, and rare Disney/Marvel characters in the park during the course. For instance, as we ran by King Arthur's Carousel, the 7 dwarfs were riding it. When was the last time you saw all 7 in the park at the same time? Yeah, I thought so. We also ran by Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America. I know the whole point of these races is the fact that it's for fun and it's great to have the opportunity to take a photo with your favorite characters, but it's also a long distance run. Because of the Santa Ana winds yesterday, I was not going to just stop and wait 20 minutes to take a photo with Thor. I kept on going and my legs are sore today as a result. What I did enjoy was the run by the bike trail with all the Marvel cosplayers lined up to cheer us on. It was great! Also, kudos to the men and women in 1940's retro Army uniforms a la Agent Carter cheering participants on too. Thanks to all of the volunteers who had to wake up early just to hand out water in the freezing, windy temperatures. And a big shout-out to the thousands of runners who ran yesterday in blustering winds. I was so determined to finish despite the winds, that I completed it in personal record time. I was disappointed that they shut-down the finish line expo due to high winds. We did pay a lot of money for this and we were instead ushered out of the area as soon as we finished. We didn't have a safe area to meet up with loved ones and that's really a shame.

It's all worth the $200! Why not? It's Disney's first THE AVENGERS HALF MARATHON and I wanted to be…read morepart of the epic event. Thousands of runners joined and there was an overwhelming huge cheerers including all of the Disney characters. My PR for HALFS improved so there you go!

Bayou Country is a themed land at Disneyland that was once called Bear Country and Critter Country…read more It was renamed Bayou Country after Splash Mountain was reimagined into Tiana's Bayou Adventure. It is located in a small part of Disneyland and includes the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride and the Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes. There are a couple of gift shops and Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree for dining. The themed land itself really didn't change much after Tiana's opened other than the sign with the name change.

Did you know this land has changed names more than any other land in Disneyland? Before bayou…read morecountry it was critter country, bear country and even Indian village before that. Though it's changed through the years, I've adored the wooden carved signs by Raymond Kinman. Truly remarkable and a highlight of this area of Disneyland as it adds to the theming. Definitely check out this area as it's home to Tiana's Bayou Adventure, delicious eats at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree, and even sweet treats at Pooh Corner.

This is my second year participating in the Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend. Last Year,…read moreI did the half marathon, this year, I did the 5k! Disneyland's Halloween Half Marathon was from September 4-7 at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim California. This is the second year for the Halloween themed runDisney event. Next year though, the runDisney event will not occur due to the planned construction at Disneyland Resort There are a few different events that are hosted. 5K - (Friday) - Theme was Ursula the Sea Witch 10K - (Saturday) - Theme was Cruella de Vil Half Marathon - (Sunday) - Theme was Maleficient If you complete both the 10K and the Half Marathon, you received the special Pain & Panic Challenge medal! There is also the kids races and the yoga session! Each distance does receive it's own themed medal! Bib pick-up was at the Health and Fitness Expo at the Disneyland Hotel. You could pick up the bib, pre purchased merchandise, and shop at the expo hall between September 4-6. I ended up buying [2] pairs of Disneyland Halloween themed brook shoes and several Halloween runDisney shirts/pins! Logistics: On the race day for the 5k, I arrived around 4:15 at the Mickey & Friends parking structure. From there, I went through the security check. The 5k started inside Disneyland. There are a variety of different corals for the races. I started in the last corral, but luckily, I was able to get two different character pictures in the race! The weather was perfect too! It was around 65 for race morning. The race started at 5:00 A.M, but by the time I started at my corral, I didn't pass the start line until 5:25 A.M. The 5k went through both Disneyland and California Adventure theme park. The race ended towards Goofy's Fly school in DCA. The race was amazing. It was all decorated for Halloween. Before you started the race, there was a pre-show, lights, and some fireworks! It was such a amazing time!

just finished the 10K trail run! Here's my race recap: The event had a lot of sponsors and vendors,…read morewhich made for a fun atmosphere to walk around before and after the race. The post-race Bear Garden event was a nice touch. One of the highlights was the variety of options for runners, including a half marathon, 10K, 5K, and a kids' 1K, as well as a riding event. The post-race refreshments were great, with six or seven drink options and a few different food choices. The race medals were also really nice. As for the course, it was a dirt trail with loose dirt and some sandy areas, which made it challenging. However, what really made it tough was the amount of dirt I was breathing in while running. One thing that would have been helpful was more aid stations - there was only one on the 10K course.

Not only a cycling event, but a running/walking/jogging/skating event as well, Finish the Ride and…read moreFinish the Run are set in the midst of beautifully scenic Griffith Park, extending as well to the Park's surrounding areas. What's great is that this event welcomes such a diverse population of cyclists and runners: 9-, 20-, and 35-mile bike routes, and a Half Century for those so inclined; and a 5k, 10k, and Half for any and all else. And it is perfect to open this event up as much as possible, as it is truly a movement to not only keep the streets of California safe for everyone, but to also encourage everyone from all ages to be more active. Cycling this event seems, then, to be even more important, and it's one that I'll surely be doing again next year.

All runs are generally for charity, so I run…read more Even better, the iCureMelanoma 5K was in Fullerton and very local, so I ran. As far as the event, I was actually pretty impressed with the abundance of vendors: Medii Kitchen, Zpizza, Snail's Pace, Sports Clips, Mother's Market & Kitchen, The Butchery, The Vitamin Shoppe, and Chick-fil-A, to name very few. Why, even S.W.A.T. was there in support! And the goodie bag, completely full: CeraVe, Eucerin, and Dove samples; and coupons for Hopscotch, Matador Cantina, The Vitamin Shoppe, Wow! Nutrition, TLC Mobile Spray Tanning, Medii Kitchen, The Butchery, Snail's Pace, Muscle Milk, etc. (The list lengthens.) It seemed as though the locals really pull for this event, really stand by it. Pride, you know? And that's the beauty: everyone coming together in support of a cause. Again, why I run. There are two 5K runs, by the way: the "Competitive" and the "Open." If your mile is 9-minutes or less, you are welcomed to run the Competitive. Everyone else--including strollers, walkers, and kids--race the Open an hour later. In between runs, you're not only afforded extra time to enjoy the event's freebies (Mother's Market's kale salad and The Butchery's BBQ chicken were delicious!) but there was also a dove release ceremony--very beautiful and touching--families and friends releasing doves in the name of hope. The run was refreshing as well: beginning at Laguna Road Elementary School, hopping onto the Juanita Cooke Greenbelt & Trail, and then looping around Laguna Lake before heading back. I had never before explored this area of Fullerton, so the run became somewhat adventurous. After now having been, I'm certainly returning. So, then, why the 3-star? Again, I run for charity. And if only a T-shirt comes with registration, that's fine. If there are no medals, fine. My problem, however, is that this event promised "medals" for all finishers. Again, that's great. But you cannot promise medals, and then distribute tags (see photo): http://raceshed.com/coupons/icuremelanoma-5k/. The medals, if they're offered, make such a difference: that's why they're called "bling," right? Runners are so proud of them. But upon the heals of such a great event, one for such a worthy cause, the tags--the ones touted as "medals"--were disheartening. I would rather the event had possibly called them "awards" instead, or maybe not even had them at all. I would have been happier to not have expected anything. It just wasn't the memory I wanted to leave with. That said, Fullerton, this was a fun run! But let's not stop there. Let's have another! My time: 31:08. Overall place: 11.9% =]

For the last two years my husband and I have journeyed down to southern CA for a one day 5K event:…read morethe iCureMelanoma 5K in Fullerton. This fundraising event holds a special place in the hearts of my family. We lost my cousin, Erik Halonen, to melanoma in 2014, the first year we participated in the run. That same year our cousin Staci took 1st place for women in the competitive run. They have an early competitive run, and then a walk/run that starts an hour after that. No matter which time you're run begins, be sure to get there early because parking is limited (pssst - carpool if you can!) Lots of vendors are passing out samples and coupons and sunscreen. Dermatologists will also schedule free cancer screenings for registered participants the day before the event. Everything about this is geared toward a healthier today AND healthier tomorrow. The run was well-organized and finishers receive a medal as they cross the finish line. It was a lot of fun and we look forward to participating for many years to come. Registered teams also get custom shirts with your team name. Go,Team Erik! xoxox We love and miss you everyday.

This was my first time running the Santa Hustle. I found out about it through Groupon and decided…read moreto throw in one last race for the year. Packet pick-up: Nice and easy at the Buena Park Mall. You got your bib on one side of the table and went to the other to get your sweater. They warned people that the sweaters ran small and let people try them on. I thought about getting a small and there was no way I could fit in it. Goodies: They gave you a bear and a hat. I did not wear them while I ran. My goal was to try and place in the top 3 to earn a medal for the 5k. Participation medals were not given out. Plus the beard ran a little small. It was fun seeing everybody wearing their red outfits. Race: There was a 5k and half marathon. They need to be a little more clear on the start. Some 5k folks started because it seemed like they were supposed to go and it was for the half marathon race or 10k, it's been a while. You got to run out of the parking lot, into Knotts, back out onto the street and into the parking lot. It was cool to run into Knotts. They had chips and candy at the end with water. I'm used to bagels and bananas, and aside from that there wasn't much else. There were some booths, but not as many as other races. Cool things: They brought out two reindeers, so that was fun. Weather: Cold! For CA it was cold. It was below 60, so I had a hard time warming up.

This was my second 5K in several months and this one was pretty fun. The Santa Hustle had 2…read moreoptions, a 5K and a half marathon. Half marathoners received a special medal and a voucher for free admission to Knotts Berry Farm. I really wanted a medal, but knew there was no way I could do a half marathon. A 5K is just my speed, especially the fun run variety, where there's a silly theme and people come with friends and family to just have s good time. A word to the organizers...consider giving the 5K people a medal too...even if it's smaller. I'd gladly pay more for the entrance fee to get a medal! Back to the event itself...things I liked: it was very well organized. I liked the emails sent out by the organizers spelling out the details of the event (i.e., parking map, packet pick up map, etc.). I opted to pick up my packet the day before to avoid the crowd the day of. It was an easy process and took about 5 minutes. I loved the dri-fit hoodie that I got with my packet. Very high quality and super cute. The only "bad" thing about the hoodie was that it ran very small. I ordered a women's large and it fit more like a medium. My friend's hoodie ended up being too small for her so she couldn't use it and ended up giving it to her daughter. You also received a Santa hat and beard to go with your hoodie. Like the hoodie, the hat was small (or maybe my head is just way too big?). In any case, I had to use an extra Santa hat I had at home which fit better. Not a big deal but just be aware of the size issues here! Other positives: Parking was free and painless. All the volunteers working the event were friendly and would cheer you on as you made your way through the course. They generously gave out choc chip cookies, M and M's, water, and powerade as we sweated away...which is a total exaggeration. We didn't break a sweat at all as we leisurely strolled the entire 3 plus miles. That's the fun thing about this type of run...you can stroll, run, sprint, whatever. At the finish line, we were handed bottled water and a granola bar. Oh, and I really enjoyed the holiday music playing throughout the course. The volume was just perfect and helped get us in the holiday spirit. Some mild disappointments: I wish the after party was on site. Instead it was offsite at a Farrell's restaurant. It was sort of anticlimactic to finish and not be able to immediately gather with fellow Santas to celebrate, cheer and dance. The other 5K I did a few months ago had an onsite after party with a dj, stage and music and it really made a difference in keeping the excitement going for a bit longer. Also the start line prep was sort of uneventful as well. They just had an announcer guy telling us when to line up, when the thing was starting, etc. At the other 5K I did, the start line area was sort of a mini event, with music, several guys throwing swag out to the crowd, getting everyone fired up and excited. I have to say, these pre- and post- run details make a huge difference in the overall fun factor. I still had loads of fun, though. Happy Holidays!

A free 2 hour workout run by the Spartan race group to give you a taste of what you can expect from…read morea spartan race. There were tons of burpees, squats, push up, lunges, & laps around the track. The workout was basic enough for fitness beginners to get through but also challenging enough for people at an experience fitness level. There were about 500 people on the football field at redondo high with 8 trainers/coach going around letting everyone know the next exercise coming up. After the workout they had a drawing & two people won a free Spartan race, there was an after party at the near by road runner shoe store with free beer & a $10 off coupon for anything in the store. For the large workout events like this is suggest showing up an hour before the start time since the check in process take a while. This event started at 9, we showed up at 8:30 & it took 50 minutes to finally get checked in, but then they ran out of shirts. But other than the long check in issue the workout event was a great time.