I ran the full marathon in Van Nuys. It was my first marathon and my first event with Rocket…read moreRacing. They started all the short distances not long after the marathon. So by the time I finished the marathon, in 3rd place, almost everyone was gone. The race organizers weren't very friendly and it felt really uneventful. The medals they give are cheap as hell. They had some mugs with treats in them, but gave those all away before the marathoners were even finished. I felt bad for the other full marathoners who got nothing and ended with an empty finish line. And there weren't enough water stations. I probably won't be running another event with this organization.

Ran my first Rocket Racing Productions race last weekend and quite enjoyed it! Rocket Racing…read moreorganizes super small races without all the hullaboo of the large race events (expos, tshirts, etc). Races are hand timed vs. chip timed. Looks like from their website that there are races almost every weekend that start in Santa Monica and run along the beach path. Depending on your distance and there seem to be a lot to choose from, you may end up doing a bunch of loops around the beach area. I was curious about Rocket Racing as I sometimes train along the beach path and I'd always see folks with bibs running. I finally decided to check it out for myself. I signed up with a friend for the 10K and were a bit ambivalent given how small the race was....usually during races, all the folks running around you are pretty good motivation to run faster. Turns out, it wasn't an issue at all...I wasn't planning to PR but turns out I was about 10 seconds off my PR. Woo hoo! For snacks, there were gatorade, water, bananas and gels. On the website, they also state that they can accommodate requests as well...my guess is prob. for the longer distance runners. oh yeah...prices are pretty decent too. I think i paid like $25 for the 10K. Races seem pretty chill and casual so i'd love to sign up for more.

If you're looking for a unique dining experience that combines incredible food, luxury, and an…read moreunforgettable atmosphere, Restaurant 917 at the Porsche Experience Center is an absolute must! I visited to celebrate my son's birthday, and the entire experience was nothing short of spectacular. From the moment we arrived, the ambiance was elegant, modern, and unlike any restaurant I've visited before. One of the highlights is being able to watch Porsches being test-driven on the racetrack while enjoying your meal. It's such a unique touch that truly sets this restaurant apart. Now, let's talk about the food! I ordered the Snake River Farms Striploin, and it was absolutely amazing! Beautifully presented, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. Even the smallest details were impressive. They start you off with complimentary bread and butter, but not just any butter it's shaped like a miniature Porsche! Such a creative and thoughtful detail that perfectly complements the experience. What made our visit even more special was the thoughtful birthday surprise. The restaurant brought out a complimentary dessert with a beautiful "Happy Birthday" message for my son, which was such a lovely gesture and made our celebration even more memorable. Between the exceptional food, stunning atmosphere, attention to detail, and the excitement of watching luxury sports cars on the track, Restaurant 917 truly delivers an experience rather than just a meal. Whether you're a Porsche enthusiast, celebrating a special occasion, or simply appreciate fine dining, I highly recommend visiting. This was definitely a five-star experience, and I would absolutely return!

WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! 5.0…read more Whether you're already a Porsche fanatic or simply looking for more hands-on experiences to help make that decision, PECLA is the place to be. After visiting PECLA several times, I've surmised that the acronym should really be changed from Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles to: Pushing Every Car to its Limits...Always PECLA offers an immersive introduction to the Porsche brand, along with a variety of Driver Development courses. Through their website, you can reserve an experience and choose the type of Porsche you'd like to drive. You can even select a model you already own, giving you the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of how your own car handles in different environments and situations. I've had several different experiences here at PECLA, and every one has been exceptional. On two occasions, I was invited to participate in an all-ladies event where we tackled specific circuits: autocross, wet skid pad, off-roading, kick plate, the track, and my personal favorite...the launch pad. In the Turbo S, you'll rocket alongside the 405, going from 0-60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds. Tip: Be sure to place the back of your head firmly against the headrest before launching. Trust me on this one! On another visit, we were treated to a private tour of the impressive workshop, visible from the showroom through a massive glass window. This is certainly not your typical service center. Here, they work on race cars and heritage vehicles, making the workshop a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into Porsche's racing and automotive history. If you're into SIM racing, there's also an area where you can hop into a SIM rig and race against other drivers, or simply chase your own personal best (PB). It's a great way to practice the driving line, find the apex and work on braking points. Then there's the dining experience at Restaurant 917, located upstairs with sweeping views of the pit area and track below. Reservations are a must and can be made through OpenTable™, as lunch fills up quickly. We've dined here twice for special evening events and twice for lunch. The food was wonderful! They even serve adorable little pats of butter molded into Porsche sports cars. The setting feels intimate, polished and wonderfully exclusive. Probably one of the most incredible experiences we've had was partaking in a delivery experience of a new 911 Turbo S (992.1). We enjoyed an afternoon of circuit driving, then was escorted into a special delivery room and asked to sign a numbered placard that would be displayed on the wall. The placard was later mailed to us as a keepsake; a wonderful memento of a very special day. Another unforgettable experience was having the opportunity to build a GT3 RS and send it through CXX in Germany. It's so much more than simply speccing a car; it's the ultimate automotive indulgence of choosing virtually every detail, including whatever exterior color and interior combination your heart desires. Amy at PECLA finalized everything for us, and the finished car turned out beautifully! Lastly, the one experience we haven't yet managed to do is the Morning Shift, held every third Sunday of the month. Be sure to check their website for the current schedule. One day, we'd love to make the drive down to Southern California and partake in this awesome cars 'n coffee gathering. We absolutely love the Porsche brand and would highly recommend PECLA to anyone who wants to experience what these cars can really do in a fun and controlled environment. We can't wait to return!

Went here for Free Friday, April 17th 2026. My yearly ritual is to attend the Acura Grand Prix of…read moreLong Beach. Today was a beautiful day! Perfect weather and great vibe. This year there were alot more people in attendance then last year! If you have not done so, you must attend because it is so much Fun! From the main attraction of Indy Car races as well as drifting, truck jumping, porche racing, car shows and drinks. I guarantee you will have a good time at the races. Surrounding restaurants make it worth while. Djs playing all day turning up the vibe, there is nothing to ask for. At the end of the day, you get treated to a free concert! Lupe FIASCo happen to perform that evening. It was awesome! Overall, I recommend this event for all ages. For children at opening to 5pm. After 5pm, it gets rowdy with the concert and the drifting. Uber or Lyft is recommended.

Expensive Parking Parking near the Acura Grand Prix is…read moreextremely expensive, with lots charging $60-$80 close to the entrance. We found a $12 lot about a 10 minute walk away, which was a great deal but surprisingly, navigation apps showed completely inaccurate walking times, so asking people nearby was much more reliable. Confusing Layout and Poor Directions Once inside, things quickly became frustrating. We entered through one side and were told the event had already ended, even though we had arrived two hours before the end time. Multiple employees kept redirecting us to different areas, and no one seemed to know where the racing was actually happening. Unhelpful and Rude Staff We asked around 15-20 staff members, including security and event workers, and most either didn't know or gave conflicting directions. One staff member was outright rude and dismissive, telling us it was too late and trying to sell us tickets for another day instead of helping us figure things out. Overcrowded and Disorganized The event felt extremely crowded and chaotic. There were large groups of people everywhere, a concert happening at the same time, and no clear guidance on where to go for specific activities. We spent nearly two hours just walking in circles trying to find the races. High Prices Everywhere Food and drinks inside were very expensive, which is expected at big events, but even vendors outside and nearby street food stands were charging unusually high prices. Atmosphere and Crowd The vibe was energetic and lively, with a mix of all ages, from babies to adults. It felt like a big, exciting event, but also very loud and overwhelming at times. Overall Experience Unfortunately, we never got to actually watch the races despite having tickets. Between the lack of clear directions, unhelpful staff, and overcrowding, the experience felt more frustrating than enjoyable.

The Venue: New home for Formula Drift! Huge venue with lots of vendor booths. They displayed their…read morerace cars, products and etc. Nice family outing event. You can spend a whole day here. There are also selling food & drinks (overpriced). Popcorn for $10, ice cream $12 & hot dog for $13. The Show: Super exciting! Very entertaining! Great crowds & DJ. Love to seeing people cheering for their favorite racers. The Parking: Long Beach Convention Parking structure (fee). Need more seating area with shade. Maybe food trucks for more food & drinks varieties. Round 8 game is finishing up at Long Beach venue in October 17&18!

Formula Drift never seems to disappoint here in Long Beach. They always come back every year…read morestrong. Food - Tons of food options with the food trucks here leaving you with many options. Drinks - A few options available for kid or adult drinks. Seating - If you pay extra they have plenty of seating available, or else you will end up on on the sidelines watching it from the ground. Show - They have some of the best drivers out on the track with some fast cars, great drifting, and plenty of track time to view. Parking - I'm sure it can be hectic but I either Uber, get a ride, or ride a bike that makes it very convenient. Car show - They always have some of the wildest cars and lots of exotic cars to view here also. Vendors - Lots of the most trending companies here to provide information or selling swag. Overall great event and will be coming back.

Although it may be old-school, I like this place it's fun. It's reasonable and it has multiple…read moretracks drive on. We brought my 8 year old son here today and he was nervous at first, but with the help of the employees there and encouragement of me and his mother, he finally got the hang of it and said he actually had a good time. Now he feels like he a pro so we will be back definitely

My daughter & friends had fun here for her Birthday. The unlimited wrist bands kept them…read moreentertained for an hour, avoiding the lines. We brought our own goodies and appreciated having our own space to hang out.

I'm giving this event 5 stars because it is my favorite dragon boat race out of all the races the…read moreUC Davis dragon boat team participates in :) I've only been here once and that was the Summer of 2012. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go an participate in this race. Not only is this a race, but it is also a festival with lots of booths that sell food, clothes, gears, and many other things that have to do with dragon boating. This is one of the biggest races/festivals of the West Coast and teams from all over California (middle schools, high schools, colleges, cancer survivors, masters (40+ yo), and companies like Kaiser) come to Long Beach to compete. Even international teams like Germany, Netherlands, and China come all the way to SoCal to compete as well. This is a 2 day event in the summer and it usually goes from around 7:00am - 5:00pm for both days. The first day is usually races for seating/semifinals while the second(last) day is for the final races. All the volunteers here at the event are very helpful and friendly and they make sure that the site is very clean and organized for all paddlers. I love how this event is located in SoCal because the weather here in the summer is amazing especially for a sport like dragon boating. Great memories were made and friendships were built while having a great time racing with other teams. I can't wait to race again/for my last time this coming Summer of 2013. If you are in the area, come out and watch and support UC Davis' Davis Racing Dragons!! (DRD) :D

Aww yes, my favorite dragon boat festival! :D…read more The Long Beach Dragon Boat Festival is one of the biggest festivals held in California that I know of. It's held annually around the end of July at Marine Stadium Park in Long Beach, CA. It's a two day event that starts early Saturday and ends mid-day Sunday. This is a great event to go to for everyone! If you don't know what dragon boating is, you'll have many, many opportunities to watch great teams from all over the world compete. There are teams who come from all over California, and then there are teams from Taiwan and China as well. There are many vendors selling food, drinks, clothing, paddles, pfds, etc. There's also a stage where many shows take place during heats. I highly suggest everyone to come check this festival out next year if you're in the area. You might get sucked into the world of dragon boating! :P

Had a chance to see my first Long Beach baseball game on a Wednesday night celebrating Filipino…read moreheritage night. It was a lot of fun, and our group of four had a great time. Blair Field was built in 1956, and has been the home of the Long Beach State 'Dirtbags' baseball team since 1993. The field was named after the sports editor of the local paper, who was a champion for the field to be built. After a significant contribution from a longtime supporter, the infield was named Bohl Diamond at Blair Field in 2017. The 'Dirtbags' are a college Division I baseball team, with some alumni that have done very well at the MLB level. Two of them have had parts of the stadium named after them (Tulowitzki Batting Facility and Weaver Bullpen). It has also been the home of the new professional Pioneer League baseball team, the Long Beach Coast (aka Regulators) since 2026 (this game was part of the inaugural season). The Pioneer League is an independent league (not directly tied to MLB team), but is an official MLB partner league, and consists of 12 teams across the Western U.S. The opponent tonight were the Missoula Paddleheads, coming all the way from Missoula, Montana. The stadium seats 3,238 fans, with some distinct sections. The most expensive are the Backstop Club, 6 boxes of 2 rows of 3, right behind home plate, costing $48.36. Behind those are HomePlate Reserved, $27.20. The field box seats consist of 2 rows of 3, closest to the field on both the first and third base lines, and cost $43.07. Behind those are Baseline Reserved for $19.79. All of these have individual, numbered chairs. The rest are bleachers (metal seats with no dividers between seats). The Bleacher Reserved are just behind the HomePlate Reserved, with metal benches as seats (bringing seat cushions isn't a bad idea), but having seatbacks. They were 50% off this Tuesday (normally $20.54 but $10.27 tonight), and those were the 4 that I purchased via their dedicated website. Tickets were delivered via an email, and were easy to transfer to my Apple Wallet for easy scanning. General Admission seats behind the Baseline Reserved were just $2 tonight (normally $16.62). This is the way to go. Season ticket holders have some advantages in that they gain entry to the stadium parking lot (single game have to park on the street around the area), and are allowed to enter the stadium early (others have to wait till 1 hour before game time). Thus we waited till 5:35, at which point they let us in. First was a security check (no backpacks allowed), a metal detector. Then a scan of your ticket. Once entered, we noticed a lot of Filipino themed food vendors. Foodologie, Gemmae, and Teofilo Coffee were all there. The smell of fried Shanghai-style lumpia was pretty prevalent throughout the night. It made us happy to see this Filipino staple being shared by baseball fans while watching the game. Before the start of the game, there were two performances of traditional Filipino dances, the presentation of Filipino beauty queens, the throwing out of the first pitch by a prominent Filipino community leader, and the singing of the national anthems (Filipino and United States), both by two different Filipino singers. As one can imagine, the three Filipinas sitting next to me were very happy. As for the game itself, the Coast lost 1-3 this night, with the game lasting about 2.5 hours. It definitely exceeded my expectations. Plus our neighbor made it big by appearing on the "jumbotron" TWICE, with her dancing (that's when I understood why she wanted to be sitting on the aisle). She was chosen 'fan of the game' and got two complementary tickets for a future ball game. Some negatives were the poor announcing of what was happening during the game by the PA, and with the really, really small display of the current balls/strikes/outs on the jumbotron. There was a long delay (seemed like 10 minutes, though probably shorter) at the bottom of the 8th inning, when the game just stopped for apparently no reason...the players stayed on the field, but the umpiring crew of three just wouldn't let the game continue. The PA system started time filling events as if it was between innings to keep the fans pre-occupied, so they must have known what was going on. But the baseball fans didn't...finally, we got irritated enough to start chanting 'Let's play ball...Let's play ball'. That got the umpires attention, as if it was the first time he noticed that there were fans waiting. Baseball is a game of hand signals, and I had no clue what the crew chief signaled to the press box when the game restarted. I was expecting an explanation from the PA, but nada...the game continued as if the delay was normal. But the views and atmosphere was good enough for all four of us to want to stay for the entire game. Plus got to see a 95 mph fastball from behind home plate. It wasn't too difficult to leave the parking lot, and we got home in under 30 minutes.

Went to my first game to this field last week for the new pro team LB Coast/Regulators as it's…read morepartially owned or invested by local Warren G There is plenty of parking usually for season holders in the main parking lot but if you aren't one you have lots parking around the field in the street So getting into the venue is pretty slow with security which is a little ugh and it can take a while to get food inside if you want to eat but everyone is super friendly though Players greeted us with free Pom Pom swag and there isn't a bad seat view honestly The bathrooms are just one set for each gender on one side of the field They tried their best to make it as fun as it would at a big league game with fun on screen games or in the stand trivia or challenges It's a good time if you can make it do it! Our game had a drone show for the 4th and the team won by a ton

What a great event! This was pretty much the do-over for me and I'm glad I did it. The event was…read morewell organized, the volunteers were cheerful and helpful. There was enough fruit, pb toast, liquids and bike aid for the duration of the ride, and there were mile markers at every mile. It was a blast!! I only had one bad moment and it was just a moment of confusion during the last leg. An attendant and a cop were standing in front of the signs at a crosswalk. The only side was visible said "use the crosswalk" so I went straight. Cop yelled at me and probably thought I was a reckless rider but, I just got confused. It didn't help they weren't giving instruction as we approached. Besides that hiccup which mostly my confusion, every single thing was fabulous. In the middle of it we got to write notes to the kids. One children from the hospital was the rest stop so we got to say hi to him. The finish line was great! All of it was fab. I can't wait to do it again!

First time riding this event. First time riding an event, ever. And it was awesome…read more I'm not just saying this because this is one of the hospitals I work for - it's a fundraiser to help to find a cure for cancer. Kids with cancer. And the ride and the festivities at the finish line were a lot of fun. This isn't a race - it's a ride. It's pretty flat as far as the 31 mile course goes - and I was able to finish it and still manage to walk away without having done any training, whatsoever. Means, anyone can do it and should - for the kids. I can't and won't comment on the 62 and 100 mile courses. Kudos to those nuts who did that for charity though. Nothing is perfect so there are some bumps to contend with - such as uninformed riders who don't know or practice riding etiquette as it pertains to taking up space on the bike paths. There's also the general public to contend with as you're riding on public streets and bike paths. But, by being aware and paying attention - it was avoided and I'm a brand new rider. Rider support was awesome. As it was my first ride, Jax had staff to help at the start line as I didn't even know how to check and put air in my tires. I heard other riders asking others on the side of the course if they needed help. And to have police presence to manage traffic really helps too. The rest stations provided water and snacks as well as more bike, mechanical support. Being the first time I'm riding an event like this - I don't have experiences to compare this one to. I just know, it was a lot of fun and it's for the kids.

This was my first experience with LB triathlon. It sounds like things were poorly organized at last…read moreyear's event... with some major running debacle, but this year's event was great!!!! I had a fantastic time and would absolutely encourage others to do this Tri. I've done others (LA, Catalina and Napa) and this was a great beginners race! With the long beach break water there are no real "waves" to speak of and the water temperature was a perfect 70 degrees! I think the transition area could be better organized with clearly marked areas. Some people take up way too much space and we are all very protective of our gear- so mark off space and add more racks, please! Luckily, all the volunteers/staff were really friendly and helped some of us make some space. The bike loops were just the right mix of inclines and flat straight away's! The scenery was gorgeous, the parking was only $10 and easily accessible- although I live a block away from the transition area so I didn't use it. As for the run- it can still improve. Ideally there would only be ONE loop! I would much rather run to the Belmont brewery and back than to 13th place twice. That would also minimize the confusion with the loops! There is nothing better than watching the sun rise over the palm trees and running on the beach at 8am! The temperature was perfect and again... The views... Gorgeous! Overall, I thought it was a great event, a great course and the people were extremely helpful! I plan making this an annual tradition!

I have done my fair share of triathlons - sprints, olympics, half-IM. They range wildly from those…read morefantastic races you look forward to year after year, to those races that bring back memories of one poorly planned fiasco after another. LBT was firmly in the first category. Large urban races are hard to pull off and the race organizers did a great job. The course was well planned. It started with rectangle ocean swim that had large buoys for sighting, but a slightly long run up the sand to the transition area (probably can't be helped). The bike was fast and flat - lots of newbies in this race and on loop two they were spread out all across the road (which was two lanes wide). Thankfully there was enough room to maneuver around them and I didn't see any accidents. The run was a path along the beach and was flat and fast as well. I was nursing an achilles injury and so didn't enjoy it as much as I should have, but some people were speeding along nicely. Pros: -Plenty of bathrooms - only a 5-10 minute wait (this can be a disaster when poorly planned races only have 4 bathrooms for 1000 competitors). - Ample room in the transition area - Good quality unisexual t-shirt with simple design (I've been to races where all competitors got purple shirts - wtf!) - Lots of parking that was easy to find. Cons: - Parking was $8 (not a huge issue, but the race was already $120) - No race day packet pick-up so I had to drive to the LBC to get my packet the day before. Also, the expo building was badly marked - circled the area for a while. - Bike course was too flat, but I'm not sure that could be helped given the area. Overall, a good sprint that I would recommend.