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Mermaid Series

3.9 (23 reviews)

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Finish line
Katherine C.

126. Loved the Mermaid Run! I ran the 5K and had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere for this run was very encouraging and supportive. Prior to this, I ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon, so it was refreshing to see a smaller, more intimate crowd. The race course for the 5K was mainly flat, and there was a water station during the second mile. Volunteers were very proactive and enthusiastic. After the race, they served bagels, muffins, and fruit, so you have an opportunity to stuff yourself. You get a cute pendant at the end as well. I was surprised to find out that I placed 1st in my age category. I never win anything, but now I feel motivated to run more 5Ks in the future! __________ My 2¢: - Pick up your packet beforehand. You will thank yourself later for not having to wait in a long line on the day of the race. - If you want to save yourself from another long line and $5, park near Alvarado Niles Road and Quarry Lakes Road. It is a ten minute walk from Quarry Lakes, but if you are going to run a 5K (or more), this is totally doable. - Take pictures before you run. You will look much nicer. - Get there early!

Race medal and necklace
Steph F.

Thank you Yelp East Bay for the free race entry for the Mermaid Half Marathon. With less than a month to train, I was just happy with finishing. It's been a couple of years since I ran this race but a couple of things have changed. You now receive a race medal in addition to a necklace when you finish and parking is now free! Thank you Mermaid Series! Packet pick up took place the day before at the Sports Basement in Campbell or on race day. I picked it up the morning of the race. I didn't what to weather-wise but we lucked out having nice, cool, and dry weather. Thankfully, it didn't start raining until after I finished. The Mermaid East Bay run features the Sirena 18 miler, a half marathon, 10k, 5k, and mermaid dash for the little ones. Since it was mother's day weekend, it was so cute seeing mothers and daughters running together. I think younger runners under 18 paid half the price of regular adult runners which sounds like a great way to get your kids running with you. This would be a good race for first timers because there are less runners and it's less packed. The race took place at Quarry Lakes in Fremont and the course is relatively flat on dirt and paved roads. Follow the color makers that match your race bib to know where to go and listen to the volunteers for directions. The rain the day before helped make the dirty paths softer and easier to run on. There isn't much shade here so I was happy the weather was nice and cool. I remembered how hot and sunny it was the last time I ran this race. The el niño rains this season helped make the scenery better this time around. More green and less dry brush. The water stations were spread out pretty well and many stations even had gels and energy bars. When you finish the race, you can pick up your post race food consisting of bagels, bananas, strawberries, mandarin oranges, and juice. Overall, I enjoyed the race much more than the first time in ran it in 2014. It was well organized too. And to top off my day, I ended up getting a PR! Now on to celebrating mother's day weekend with my little one!

Christine T.

You can't go wrong with any of the Mermaid Series events. - unique finisher's hoodie - great finisher's necklace - mulit-distances to fit any runner's abilities On 5/7/2011, Mermaid hosted the 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon and the new Sirena 18miles (new distance) at Quarry Lakes in Fremont. Also a Mini Mermaid Run Distance 1.5 miles for girls ages 6-12. Make it a Mother's Day Tradition! Come out to the Mermaid Run on Saturday, May 7th to celebrate Mother's Day. The new location in Fremont features miles of trails around Quarry Lakes and the running path along the Alameda Creek Trail. The run is virtually flat making it an ideal course to kick up your heels and enjoy the sights.

View of lake 2-3 miles into the Half Marathon
Hurnan V.

This was my first half marathon experience, and I definitely do not think it will be my last! I had been running recreationally as my go-to cardio exercise (max 5-6 miles), and I finally decided to challenge myself with a half marathon. The Mermaid Series Half Marathon definitely proved their mission in empowering women to run and to "find [their] happy pace!" Pros (+): - The email updates leading up to the race were detailed, informative, and motivating. From weather updates to google hyperlinks, the race organizers included everything you needed to know! - Race packet pick up was easy and painless. Just go to Sunnyvale's Sports Basement's Summit Room (near the back of the store) and line up in your race denomination. Next, they will direct you to pick up your shirts. You can look at shirt samples for sizing, and if you think the shirt you ordered will not fit, they usually can exchange after the race the following day. The event usually over orders a few extras, so don't fret! - Post-race activities were so much fun! Not only was there an abundance of food (bagels, strawberries, and bananas -- the line moved fast and sorry, no men allowed!), there was also a fun photo booth where you get to print out your photo and have one sent to you. There were also wonderful samples of new Lunabars, as well as a massage tent! - Plenty of parking spaces. - Lots of portapotties at the start of the race. - Flat course with a few small inclines -- perfect for a first timer! - Great encouragement along the course from runners and volunteers in the form of high fives, thumbs up, and kind words. Cons (-): - The line to get into the park was worse than I had thought! I arrived at the entrance around 7:30, and was fretting that I would miss the start of the race at 8. The parking guys were trying to get everyone in as fast as possible, however, and didn't collect the fee if you were just going in to drop someone off. They directed my friend to the starting line, where I just hopped out, with 5 minutes to spare! (Of course, this won't be a problem for those who actually woke up on time... Next time, I will definitely wake up earlier!!!) - Minimal shading along the course. Much of the latter half of the race, the sun is right in your eyes. (Warning: Fremont can get pretty warm at this time of year.) - Not much of a crowd throughout the race. Race thins out at the end and you are running by yourself. - Not as many water stations along the course towards the end. - Narrow trail, so with people turning around, people going towards, bikes, and resident dog-walkers etc can be a bit crowded. - The kids' run is towards the end of the path, so watch out -- don't want to run them over! - The scene towards the middle / half of the race is dried brush -- not very exciting, but perhaps you are more absorbed in finishing rather than enjoying the scenery at this point. All in all, this was a great first experience! This Mermaid Run was a good stepping stone towards the rest of my running career, and really gave me something substantial to work towards. I would encourage everyone who is interested in a healthy challenge to sign up and go for it! :)

Inspiring motto!
Sylvia K.

Where were the chocolate chip pancakes??? haha After reading the reviews from runner from the previous years, my friends and I were expecting post-race pancakes. But perhaps it was too troublesome, so they switched to bagels from Posh Bagel this year. The mermaid theme is really cute and the slogan "Find your happy pace!" is awesome. Their marketing team = genius! I love that they are about women being empowered and confident and no matter what your level of ability that we can all be healthier and more fit and still have fun doing it! You had the option of signing up for the 5k, 10k, half-marathon, and the sirena18 (an 18 miler in case a half is not enough but you're not quite ready for a full). I registered for the 10k. They stagger the start times of each event with the 18-milers going first, and then the half marathoners 30 minutes later, etc. The start for all four events was the same path, a very narrow sidewalk-ish area. It got really congested in the beginning, so for like the first half mile it was hard to pass and I ended up having to do it on the adjacent grass or the stepping off of the curb. But after the half-mile point, it goes less crowded. The beginning of the course was scenic because you see the lake, but there are also parts that are less scenic. The course kind of got confusing because at some parts you turn around and are going back in the same direction, so I wasn't 100% sure if I was going the right way or if I somehow ended up in the half-marathon course. Fortunately, I didn't make any wrong turns. There were mile markers and I remember one volunteer holding up a sign that said 10k with an arrow pointing straight and another volunteer right next to her holding up a sign that said half-marathon turn left. The event was well-organized and the volunteers were great and encouraging. Post-race, you get a finishers necklace and food! So again, I thought it would be choco-chip pancakes, but this year they were bagels - still good. Needed to replenish with carbs!! Plenty of schmear options plus fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, bananas), muffins, and orange juice. YUM. And there were also exhibitor booths too - Luna Bar was giving out free samples, Zico coconut water, and some bread company that was passing our pb&j. There was also a photobooth there and they printed enough for the whole group plus you could email yourself a digital copy of your photo at their iPad stations. I was also able to exchange my race shirt at the event. When I picked up my bib and shirt at Sports Basement, I tried on one of the sample shirts they had out in Medium and I was swimming in it (get the pun?? mermaids? swimming? haha... never mind). I asked if I could exchange it right there, but the lady told me I'd have to do it at the event to see if there were any extras. There were and I was able to get a size small. Woohoo! Run happy!

Pretty lake in park area

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Review Highlights - Mermaid Series

! This Mermaid Run was a good stepping stone towards the rest of my running career, and really gave me something substantial to work towards

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SSi Racing Team - Newly renovated Mobile Racing Simulator and Go Kart hauler!

SSi Racing Team

5.0(13 reviews)
11.0 mi

I was researching for go karting teams around the Bay Area and SSi was mentioned several times so I…read moredecided to give them a try. The team is a family run operation with Jason being the head coach (also a semi-pro racer) and Maria handling all the logistics. I booked an arrive & drive session for their 100cc kart at Sonoma Raceway and the entire experience far exceeded my expectations. The kart was in immaculate condition and fine tuned specifically to my build; I met with them a week in advance to do measurements to ensure proper fitment, which was a first for me. Jason and his crew were giving me solid advice throughout the day, answered all my questions, and even gave in-depth guidance on taking the next steps with purchasing my own kart. You can absolutely see the care and passion they have for this sport and how they want to help you progress into a better driver. Although their main focus is driver development through SIM training, they are truly devoted to helping you grow as a driver and ensure you have a fun time.

We hired SSI Racing team to come out to our office for filming. The staff was great! Maria, Jason…read moreand Carlos helped out staff moving the Go Karts around for particular shots, they let the cast and crew have fun with the simulator in the trailer. I would love to join them on the track one day. Thank you so much for your outstanding customer service!

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SSi Racing Team
SSi Racing Team - Mission Control for mobile simulator

Mission Control for mobile simulator

SSi Racing Team - Driver coaching with Formula 4 driver Kyle Loh

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K1 Speed Santa Clara - Rain or shine, every day is a good day for racing at our indoor track!

K1 Speed Santa Clara

2.5(957 reviews)
14.4 mi

This place is awesome! I go t to meet a nice guy who raced me which I had no idea that we were! The…read moreworkers are nice and friendly!

Where do I begin... called a total of 3 times to clarify information and possible scenarios before…read moredriving up 2-3 hours to celebrate a buddies birthday and have some fun. Unfortunately we only had 7 so we couldn't do the 8 person reservation. I called to get info about wait times (I understand that they can't give me an exact estimate so I told them give me worse case scenario) and I was advised that the group of 7 could have some long wait times so we opted to just come up with 3 of us. Upon arrival, place was dead other than 2-3 staff members within sight. We asked the individual behind the counter some basic questions being first timers at that location, we ended up purchasing 2 races and we received 1 for free because it was Tuesday and that was just a deal they had. After they took our money they said "well it could be about 30 minutes until you all race" which we responded saying that it's totally fine we will hangout thank you. Well since we had 30 minutes to kill why not buy some arcade credits and mess around (very mediocre arcade at best). After we purchased arcade credits, about 15 minutes went buy another employee came up to us to let us know that if we wanted to race we would have to wait till about 4:45-5pm because a group rented out the facility and there's just nothing they can do. Keep in mind when we purchased our races, 2:23pm to be exact, we got told 30 minutes. Somehow between multiple phone calls to confirm before the long drive and the day of upon arrival purchasing our races not a single individual let us know about this possible booking. ALSO no we did not show up before this group event, they were already there. Which in their defense the employee giving us a refund said "well we are not allowed to tell people about bookings". Great totally understandable I run a business my self and I understand private information etc. however the lying of race times, letting us wait for a bit and following up with "if you don't take the refund we will give you 2 extra races" well thanks but I find it hard to believe we got the full reasoning behind the situation... also to add more context, no we weren't those customers causing issues, being overly loud, or causing any sort of issues. Civilized beings and in return got a pretty S*** end of the stick. K1 speed its self is great but this location is ran by some individuals that have zero interest in making the experience rememberable. K1s slogan "Arrive and Drive" they have printed on their business cards left out crucial information. Arrive and drive past. Keep your money and spend it with a business that will give you the proper attention. Not asking to be treated like royalty. Just some common decency.

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K1 Speed Santa Clara - Our all-electric go karts are the fastest in the industry and can reach speeds of up to 45 mph!

Our all-electric go karts are the fastest in the industry and can reach speeds of up to 45 mph!

K1 Speed Santa Clara - Our indoor track will challenge veteran racers and amateurs alike!

Our indoor track will challenge veteran racers and amateurs alike!

K1 Speed Santa Clara - The dining area inside our Paddock Lounge

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The dining area inside our Paddock Lounge

Club Sportiva - Showroom bar

Club Sportiva

4.8(223 reviews)
14.4 miNorth San Jose

We recently hosted our company party at Club Sportiva, and I felt compelled to share our experience…read morefor others searching for the perfect corporate event venue. As someone who plans large company events while juggling a full-time job, I know how stressful it can be to find a space that checks all the boxes: an impressive venue, efficient and friendly staff, ample entertainment options, and reliable vendor connections for everything from catering and music to photo booths, balloons, and even stylish furniture. Club Sportiva delivered on all fronts. Working with Emma, their Event Specialist, was an absolute pleasure. She is a true professional--organized, responsive, and incredibly flexible, even when we needed to make last-minute changes. Emma coordinated seamlessly with all our vendors on the night of the event, managed her team with ease, and regularly checked in with me to ensure everything was running smoothly. She stayed until the very end, making sure every detail was handled and that I, as the planner, could actually enjoy the event too. We hosted over 250 guests, including families with children, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. In fact, the only complaint I heard was from a child who didn't get one last turn on the car simulator before their parents said it was time to go! Club Sportiva was the perfect choice--elegant, well-organized, and versatile. They helped us plan an unforgettable, fun, and well-executed event within our budget. Emma's expertise and hands-on support made a world of difference. As someone who has planned many corporate events, I can confidently say that working with Emma and the Club Sportiva team was a rare and exceptional experience--and her level of service comes at no additional cost. That kind of value is priceless.

This location in the heart of Silicon Valley was perfect for our Non-Profit Charity Organization…read morecelebrating its 50th Anniversary. The staff truly catered to our requests and did so mindfully as our budget was super tight. Our celebration had live music, delicious food, we used their sound system and projected a short video on their screens. The place is spacious, modern and great set up. This place has great potential for almost any event you wish to host and the staff will help you realize your plans. There were no surprises at the end of the event!

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Club Sportiva - Lots of room for Dancing

Lots of room for Dancing

Club Sportiva
Club Sportiva

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Western Pacific Half Marathon - half marathon bib, finisher's medal, and 3rd place age group medal for 2015 western pacific race

Western Pacific Half Marathon

4.2(5 reviews)
0.1 mi

I've had great experiences with previous Brazen Racing events in the past, and the Western Pacific…read moreHalf Marathon was no different. Though Brazen Racing organizes trail runs which can be grueling, the Western Pacific was fortunately a mostly fast and flat course. The route began at Quarry Lakes, followed the Alameda Creek Trail, and returned to Quarry Lakes. The path was mostly gravel with some pavement. There wasn't much to look at along Alameda Creek considering the drought we're in, but the lakes and hills of Quarry Lakes were beautiful. Parking for the event was free, and the lots provided ample parking. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to walk over from the parking lot to the start line, which is a few minutes' walk inside the park. If you're aiming for a certain time, there are pace runners you can follow. I didn't follow one myself, but my boyfriend did and found his to be incredibly friendly and supportive. I also saw and passed several pace runners and their group, and they were all so positive and helpful. Thanks to their inspiration, I actually aspire to be a pace runner someday to help others! Race photography was provided by volunteers at several points throughout the race and at the finish line. The quality for some of the photography on the course wasn't very good, but I still appreciate the free photos, which you could find online and attain for free. You just have to search through the tons of pictures they have. It helps to wear colorful clothing that stands out. Brazen Racing's medals are always big and shiny, so that's definitely a plus. At the finish line, they also always have a smorgasbord of food including trail mix, crackers, cookies, pretzels, chips, fruits, cakes, pies, and ice cream. They really know how to make a runner happy! There were also some sponsors giving away bottles of protein drinks and Zico. I'd highly recommend any Brazen Racing event, especially one that's flat like the Western Pacific!

i participated in my 8th brazen event yesterday which took place at quarry lakes in fremont. this…read morerace is titled the "western pacific" b/c the western pacific trail was used to transport gravel for construction of the western section of the transcontinental railroad back in the 1800s when trains were frequently used to transport cargo for longer distances. although trains no longer run along this trail, we, runners, can now haul ass hoping to hit a personal record on these historic, yet very flat trails! for this particular event, there was a choice of 4 distances: 1. full marathon (26.2 miles) 7.30am start 2. half marathon (13.1 miles) 8am start 3. 10k (6.2 miles) 8.30am start 4. 5k (3.1 miles) 8.45am start i chose to run the half marathon since i'd been training hard and going long, and wanted to see if my hard work would pay off and result in personal record. the pros: -GREAT RACE DAY CONDITIONS at the start, around 55 degrees with overcast skies when the gun went off -MARATHON is a certified usa track and field course and can be used to qualify for other marathons such as the boston marathon which requires a time qualification on an officially certified course -STAGGERED START TIMES for each of the 4 events to avoid congestion at the start and along the course. despite some overlaps in some of the course routes, and some narrower sections along the course, i actually never got stuck behind someone or felt congested which was great! -PACERS for both the full and half marathon, holding coloured signs on a stick with estimated finish times and wearing fluorescent coloured shirts to make it easy to follow them -COLOURED FLAGS to mark each mile (a different colour for each race distance to avoid confusion) -FLAT and FAST course on crushed dirt/gravel, with a small portion on paved road -FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS directing runners in the parking area, manning aid stations along the course, handing out medals at the finish line, and keeping the refreshments' tables well stocked after the race -FREE and EASY PARKING inside the quarry lakes regional park dedicated lots which were right next to start/finish area (note that the free parking was only for those participating in the race, if you came for another event on this day, you still had to pay the $5 entrance fee) -LOTS of PORTA-POTTIES near the start/finish area as well as access to several park restroom structures (wait time was no more than a few minutes pre-race which was great!) -COMPLIMENTARY BAG CHECK near the start/finish line, with volunteers to guard your belongings until after the race. parking was so close to the start that most of us just left our belongings inside our trunks, but it was nice to know that there was another option available just in case. what you get: *choice of PACKET PICK-UP @ sports basement in sunnyvale the two days prior to the race or on site pick up the morning of *BLUE, DRI-FIT RACE TSHIRT with a logo of a steam locomotive to commemorate the western pacific trail (shirt is optional, so if you don't want the shirt, you can save $5 off the registration fee) *FULLY STOCKED aid stations every 1-2 miles with water, electrolytes, gu gel packets, salty snacks...quite an impressive array of offerings for an aid station! *BIG MEDAL with a locomotive, displaying event name and date (option to engrave name and finisher time on back for an additional fee) *AGE GROUP FINISHER MEDAL if you were one of the top 3 finishers in your age group. despite a disappointing finish time, i still ended up placing 3rd in my age group and took home a "bronze" age group medal *TONS of POST-RACE FOOD & DRINK, including it's it ice cream sandwiches, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, cheesecake, bagels, peanut butter, nutella, rugelach, goldfish crackers, pretzels, potato chips, trail mix, mini muffins, gummy bears, jelly bellies, cookies, coconut macaroons, water, and electrolyte drink. best part is that the food never ran out! *SPECIAL VENDOR on site sharing free samples....the muscle milk vans were parked near the finish area. the cons: -the half marathon course was slightly long, as my garmin read 13.22 miles for the haffie, which is a bit longer than the official distance of 13.1 miles -the 5k course was measured as a 3.2 mile course, which is slightly longer than the official distance of 3.1 miles (read: harder to pr on this 5k course) -most of the course was not shaded, and since it was sunny with temps in the low 60s by the time i finished, it made for a very hot run -the finishers' chute leading up to the finish arch had a couple of sharp turns on an incline which made it very difficult to sprint to the finish, which many runners like to do although i did not do my best, and certainly did not finish anywhere near a personal best, i still enjoyed this event and thank sam, jasmin, the rest of the brazen staff and volunteers for organizing another fabulous race.

Coyote Hills Half-Marathon - 2013 Medal

Coyote Hills Half-Marathon

4.1(14 reviews)
3.7 mi

As with any Brazen event this was a great course to run. Beautiful views of the bay, a few hills,…read moremainly trail and with lot's of aid stations along the way. I hadn't ran this course before and seeing other reviewers mention the hills I was quite excited at some hill running but then looking at the course map the hills really are not all that big, at least for someone like myself who is an incline Runner. That said they were enjoyable and should you not be experienced at these sorts of inclines then yes, they will slow you. The Half Marathon course took you around the same loop twice, good in a way because this let's you know exactly what you're in for the second time around so that you're prepared. The start of the trail took you though the marshes on paved track which then gave way to gravel, rocks and sand so my advice is make sure you have the correct shoes. Road shoes will not fare well here! As I said, the course was very scenic and the volunteers at the aid stations were great with having Water and GU gels ready while also guiding runners in the right direction. As with any other Brazen event this also had a 5k and 10k option too which at one point had us all running together in both directions of the trail, please please please adhere to the ''Runners code'' - stick to the right and be courteous to those who wish to pass. There were many photographers all along the course which are not by some expensive company that will then charge you ridiculous amounts per image after the event, Photo's are FREE!! I lost count of how many photographers I saw but there were at least 5 in various stages around the course. Post race also has lot's going on - A huge spread of food with everything from Potato chips and Cookies to Pie, Bagels, Fruit and even It's It! Ice Cream sandwiches. Medals are given to every finisher and additional medals for those who place in their age group (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/coyote-hills-half-marathon-fremont#bhr5Rw041gAb3txd2gvL7g) Engraving of medals can be done in site for a $10 fee. The parking situation was a bit of a bummer. I didn't know until after I signed up that there was no parking at the park itself. Brazen provide shuttles from the local University a couple of miles away. They had 8 shuttles and as my Husband comes with me I didn't know if they would let him on the shuttle too seeing as he wasn't running. With that in mind we decided to take out bicycles along and Cycle into the event and back. This worked out very well for us in the end as after the run the lines to get back were huge! Something to keep in mind for future years. So how did I do? With my Knee injury still a little funky I amazingly PR'd! On a trail! I was running in 2nd place female for a while until the damn downhill got me and I ended up finishing 4th overall female and 2nd in my age group. Yay! The lady that finished before me was just a minute faster and the same age. Broke my 1st place streak but with a new PR under my belt and a few awesome photo bomb pictures (sorry I ruined your pictures fellow runners) I can't be mad, I had a great run and chatted with some cool people along the course.

I brain farted badly for this race…read more Signing up, I thought the "Coyote Hills" part of the name was just to be cute. I doubted there would be coyotes, so I doubted there would be hills. Couldn't have been more wrong! There were definitely hills. Short ones, long ones, gradual ones, steep ones. Towards the end of the half marathon course, there was a short steep upwards climb. I nearly had to put my hands on the ground to lift myself up this climb, but I resisted in favor of keeping my hands clean. After this, the home stretch was another steep downhill slope that had me and other runners slowing down to finish safely. Since this is a trail run, much of the course was on unpaved dirt roads meandering along the coast. My once-black now-brown shoes can attest to this. The path was often rocky and sometimes uneven. The course was well-marked with bright pink ribbons and signs to follow. There's about a two-mile switchback halfway through the course, and the half marathon is two laps of the same course. Though the landscape was dry and barren this time of year, I could still see the beauty in the bay and hills. I especially appreciated the serenity of the park, even choosing to run my second half without music to enjoy the peace in nature. Race photography is provided by volunteers. Downside is that none of the photos are tagged or organized. Upside is that you get free high res photos. Just need to browse through them to find yours! Parking is at Devry University two miles away. Shuttle buses transport runners between parking and the event. Lines for the shuttle are long, so be sure to arrive early to make it to the start in time! An abundance of rewards await at the finish. The finisher's medal is the biggest and heaviest one I've gotten thus far, and the food spread is the best I've seen at any race. On top of the usual bagels and bananas, there's a variety of fruits, baked goods, cakes, pies, and ice cream bars. Higher effort can often lead to greater pleasure. That was definitely the case here, as this was one of the most grueling yet rewarding races I've done. This is not for people looking to set a PR or run a flat course, but I would recommend it to those looking to deviate from road runs and challenge themselves with a difficult but doable trail run.

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Coyote Hills Half-Marathon
Coyote Hills Half-Marathon - Medals. Yup #WillRunForBling

Medals. Yup #WillRunForBling

Coyote Hills Half-Marathon - Scenic course!

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Scenic course!

Quarry Turkey Half Marathon/10K/5K - The "Double Turkey Mega-Medal," 2018!

Quarry Turkey Half Marathon/10K/5K

5.0(6 reviews)
0.0 mi

Maybe it's because I don't get the opportunity to run in Northern California all that often, but…read morewhen I finally get a chance, I love it. The Quarry Turkey race is one of my new favorites and one that will become a new tradition of ours. Brazen Racing promotes some really awesome trail runs, and I am hoping to get more involved. As for the Quarry Turkey, which is held on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, when you've run Quarry after having also run the Nitro Turkey on Thanksgiving morning at Point Pinole Regional Park (in Richmond, about 40 miles northwest), you complete the "Double Turkey" challenge! While both runs offer very cool medals of their own, completing the Double Turkey allows for the connector medal. Get that, and now you've snagged the Double Turkey Mega-Medal! And you've got to get you one of those! The beautiful (and perhaps beautifully flat) course at the Quarry Lakes Regional Park meanders around the lakes and is open enough that congestion isn't much of a problem. In fact, as there is plenty of room, strollers and walkers are welcomed. (Dogs, however, are not allowed.) If possible, try to register early, as you'll have discounted prices and the assurance of of getting in without the race having sold out. Very nice T-shirts accompany your registration, ones you seriously won't mind wearing afterwards, but if you'd rather a tech shirt, for an extra fee, they'll have those available too! Have fun!

It felt so awesome to support the fine folks at Brazen Racing on Small Business Saturday with my…read morevery first Turkey Trot. I have decided that small races put on by local organizations are my faves. The route went along the picturesque Quarry Lakes were many folks were fishing while we looped around part of the regional park for the 5K. Highlights: *inexpensive fee *excellent communication via email and Facebook from Brazen *map of course given to runners *didn't have any but Krispy treats and pecan pie were offered at the aid station!!! They also provided water, electrolytes, M&Ms, oranges, bananas *hearing my name and city called as I crossed the finish line *that heavy, very cool medal(Brazen has the best!) *taking pics with the Quarry Turkey which I'll be able to download for FREE soon *food at the finish line: bagels with cream cheese, peanut butter, or Nutella, several slices of pie including apple, pumpkin, and berry, Kettle chips, pretzels, all kinds of cookies, oranges, bananas, It's It in vanilla, mint, or cappuccino *starting yet another holiday tradition with my best friend Suggestions: *we parked about a mile away in a residential neighborhood that didn't have the "please do not park here" signs. Traffic was so awful that all races were pushed back 15 minutes. The walk to/from was a good warmup/cooldown. *If you do both Brazen Turkey Trots, you get an awesome 3rd medal. Considering that for next year!

Photos
Quarry Turkey Half Marathon/10K/5K
Quarry Turkey Half Marathon/10K/5K
Quarry Turkey Half Marathon/10K/5K

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Mermaid Series - races - Updated May 2026

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