i signed up for this race very last minute when i realized that i'd be in town for the 3-day independence day weekend. i'd participated in zoom running events in the past and generally enjoyed racing these events. the main reason i liked these events is b/c they are local, and smaller in terms of number of participants.
for this event, participants had 3 events to choose from:
half marathon (13.1 miles)
10k (6.2 miles) - i chose to run this distance
5k (3.1 miles)
the pros:
+late race start so that folks who were up late celebrating the 4th of july watching fireworks or at a party could sleep in a bit! start times varied from 9:00-9:25am depending on which distance.
+small, local event with only a few hundred participants, which meant no congestion at the start and finish (and shorter waits for the bathrooms!)
+bib and packet pickup the morning of the event. there was no line when i arrived (about an hour before my distance started)
+4 unisex bathrooms right at the registration tent, and another 4 bathrooms about 0.2 miles down the parking lot. all of these had working toilets, toilet paper, clean, running water and paper towels which was much appreciated. some had soap, others did not.
+easy and plentiful parking in the lot adjacent to the registration pavilion which was also right next to the start/finish line and post-race refreshments area.
+mostly flat course with some short rolling hills/underpasses that intersected with the alameda creek trail.
+different coloured flags to mark each of the four race distances (hung on tree branches and/or lining the trail), also, blue flags to mark the wrong direction (i.e. if you're running blue, you're off course),
+a wide array of refreshments after the race, which included salty party mix, peanut butter filled pretzels, chocolate chip muffins, tortilla chips, potato chips, candy, trail mix, m&m's, graham crackers, clif bars, and watermelon. they also had water, soda, and electrolyte fluid available.
-friendly volunteers assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-race, manning the aid stations on the course, and handing out medals at the finish line
-fair registration fees of $35, $40, and $45 for the 5k, 10k, and half, respectively. you can also save $5 if you choose not to purchase an official race tshirt.
-college student discount of 10% off the registration fee with valid student ID
-customized medals on yellow and blue ribbons awaiting runners at the finish line!
-additional medals for age group winners, 3 deep in each 10-year category, i.e. male 20-29, 30-39, female 20-29, 30-39, etc. since i was second in my age group, i walked away with 2 medals.
the cons:
-since quarry lakes regional park is an alameda county park, there is a $5 parking fee for each vehicle.
-while quarry lakes is very pretty, there was not a lot of shade and tree cover. with a late start on a warm summer day, this made for difficult race day conditions regardless of which distance you ran.
-the 10k course, in particular, was not marked as clearly as it should have been, as many of the lead runners for this distance were misguided and ran in the wrong direction for a while before they were instructed to turn around! unfortunately, these folks ended up placing lower than they should have. :(
-i was not a fan of miles 4-6 in the 10k as these few miles had many sharp turns which resembled switchbacks on a mountain, and parts of the trail were very narrow with tall grass and weeds which made it difficult to maintain my current pace or speed up.
although i ended up finishing 2nd in my age group, 2nd female, and 2nd overall finisher (male/female), i was left wondering if maybe i would have finished at a lower standing if the course was marked properly and those who were in front of me when the gun went off had taken the correct course and finished earlier. so the usual excitement of finishing near the top wasn't present since i wasn't sure (and still am not sure) if i was truly the 2nd place overall finisher.
overall, just an ok event. i'll likely sign up for another zoom running event in the future, but not sure if i'd run quarry lakes again in the summertime, and less likely to run the 10k if it's the same course in the future. read more
