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Submitted by Scott Devine
May 6, 2014
Review
Come on down to Orange County for the annual running of the OC Marathon. Celebrating its tenth anniversary and sponsored by US Bank, the race celebration featured several events, including: a full marathon, half marathon, 5k and kids fun run. On a beautiful first weekend of May (a little warmer and sunnier than originally forecast) an announced record 22,000 overall participants lined up to have fun and pound pavement in and around the heart of the OC. At the forefront were the marathon (2211 finishers) which started before dawn and the half marathon (10,345 finishers) which commenced shortly afterward. Having run the half marathon in 2013, I was looking forward to seeing what the full marathon course had to offer.
REGISTRATION/PACKET PICK-UP
Registration costs for the OC Marathon/Half are in keeping with the rates for most races. I ended up registering fairly early and paid around $99 for the full marathon (the half marathon was slightly less). As always, be sure to register as early as possible as the rates go up the closer you get to race day. The OC Marathon is typically well-represented at other race expos, so you can possibly find a deal there. And be sure to check sites like RaceGrader that have drawings for free registrations. As for the race expo, the OC Marathon/Half wisely utilizes the OC fairgrounds for packet pick-up on the Friday and Saturday before race day. Parking is $7 for the expo, but those willing to walk a little can find parking in the areas surrounding the fairgrounds. Getting your bib and T-shirt is a pretty simple and quick process and the expo has plenty of volunteers available to shuffle the crowds through. The expo itself is fairly sizable, offering up a good assortment of vendors showing off their goods. I took my time visiting the various booths and spent about 45-minutes checking out what was available.
TRANSPORTATION/PARKING
The OC Marathon/Half is a point-to-point race, so runners have that dilemma of deciding where to park come race day. The best option for racers is to park at the finish line at the OC fairgrounds and then board one the many shuttles for a trip to the starting line. Racers are given a shuttle time when they receive their final race instructions… mine would have been a 3:55am shuttle for the full marathon (which started at 5:30am). Parking at the fair isn’t an issue as they have plenty of space (it is a fairground after all) and day of race parking was $10 (or $7 if you purchase it ahead of time at the expo). And for those people not wanting to touch their cars at all on race day, several of the partnered hotels offered shuttle service to the start line and after the race (be sure to check with whatever hotel you choose). I was fortunate in that the hotel I chose was located right by the starting line and afforded me some extra sleep time (a nice perk when your race starts pre-dawn).
T-SHIRT/MEDALS
This OC Marathon/Half sports a nice two color tech shirt complete with a small OC Marathon logo on the front and a larger one on the back. The 2014 edition shirt featured a dark blue color (and orange stripes) for the guys and a bluish-green (and light orange stripes) v-neck for the ladies. There were separate shirts for the full and half marathon distances with the only difference being the text below the logo reading “Marathon” or “Half Marathon.” As for bling, the 10th anniversary medal for the race featured a very vibrant blue and orange OC race logo with their slogan “Run it, Experience it, Love it.” The ribbon also featured different shades of blue and the race slogan… all in all, a very nice medal. The half marathon medal was very similar to the marathon medal, just slightly smaller and listing “half marathon” instead of the “full marathon.” Personally, I like it when the medals for the various distances are unique enough that they can be differentiated when seen from a distance. And there was also additional bling available in the form of two challenge medals. The first is the “Beach Cities Challenge Medal” (which is a huge) and is given to runners who complete the Surf City, OC and Long Beach races (half or full) consecutively. Note: the Beach Cities Challenge Medal can also be collected at Long Beach and Surf City. The new addition this year (which I managed to earn) was the “Double Dog Challenge Medal” and is given if you run the Surf City and OC races in the same year (one of the two must be a full marathon). It’s a double duty medal, looking like a reversible dog tag (featuring the Surf City and OC logos) and also serves as a bottle opener… which is well timed for use on Cinco de Mayo. One final surprise piece of swag came at the finish line this year as each race participant was handed a “10th Anniversary” disposable post race jacket… a very nice gesture.
COURSE
The OC Marathon/Half offers runners a point-to-point course starting at “Fashion Island” and weaving through Corona del Mar, Newport Beach and Cost Mesa before finishing at the OC fairgrounds. Both the marathon runners and half marathon runners utilize the same course for the first 12 miles (the marathon runners start 45 minutes before the half marathon runners), which offers scenic views of the area and takes runners down some of the main and residential streets and along the waterfront. With only one real hill to speak of in the first dozen miles, this is a fairly flat course and mostly runner friendly. There are some instances where the course does bottleneck, especially when heading onto some of the running paths, but as a whole it’s an enjoyable route for the first half. At mile 12, the course splits, with the half marathon runners making a turn back to the fairgrounds, while the full marathon runners continue on.
And here is where things change (not necessarily for the better). The difference between the first half and second half of the OC Marathon course is so noticeable you have to wonder at times if you’re running a different race. The scenic views of the ocean are gone as you run further into the heart of the OC. The course for the second half of the race travels down city streets, side streets, through various neighborhoods, around Segerstrom High School, the South Coast Plaza parking lot and along a bike path (with some bikers still present). Given that the number of runners has diminished by over 80% (only about 17% of the racers ran the full marathon), the course also noticeably narrows. The course itself remains mostly flat with the exception of an overpass crowning over the 405 freeway around mile 14 and another incline at mile 23. It eventually winds back to the OC fairgrounds and ends at the same spot as the half marathon. The only real inconvenience I felt in the second half of the race was crossing several streets near the end (including one main intersection) where traffic was still present. Granted there were police officers standing by and stopping traffic to make sure they didn’t interfere with runners at all, but it gave me an uneasy feeling (at least twice) that an officer might signal myself and other runners to stop so cars could go by (I’ve seen it happen at other races). If you’re looking for a pretty running course, enjoy the scenery of the first half and then just know that the second half is designed more for function (getting you up to 26.2 miles) than style. And given the facial expressions from most of the runners I saw in the second half, we weren’t really looking at the scenery anyway.
COURSE SERVICES
Again, this was a story of two races. During the first 12 miles of the race, course services were in strong supply. Water stations (and energy drink stations) were frequent and well-manned with volunteers. Around mile 9 they also offered energy gels and bars (and again around mile 19). MarathonFoto was out in full force for the first half of the race (plenty of good photo ops for those of us who weren’t snapping selfies). After mile 12, however, the services seemed to be like the runners (and fans)… in much shorter supply. The water stations, while present, weren’t as well-manned or organized and MarathonFoto seemed to be absent for a good 10 miles (no one around to snap shots of runners hitting “the wall”… which is probably a good thing). The services, along with the fan support improved as we hit mile 24 and started nearing the fairgrounds. Note: there was a nice cheering section right at mile 21 touting an alien theme… unfortunately, I was a little out of it at this point and didn’t quite make the connection (but the support was appreciated). I never felt that the services were really lacking or missing on the second half of the course, but given the high marks for the first half, the decline in the latter half of the race is worth noting. As for mile markers, signs were present at each mile (one or two were absent in the second half of the race) sporting quotes that racers supplied via a Facebook contest about what gives them their “edge.” It brought a smile to my face when I saw my quote up on the Mile 4 sign “Desire, determination, dedication… and caffeine.” In regards to timing, each runner had a disposable toe tag that kept their race stats and runner tracking was available for friends and family. On the course itself, the only clocks present were at the start and finish line (none present at the mile markers) so be sure to wear a watch or GPS.
FINISH LINE SERVICES/POST PARTY
The OC Marathon/Half knows how to throw a post race shindig. After finishing the race and being handed your race bling and food stuff (and yes, they had bags available for us tired runners to carry our snacks) runners were treated to a proper party…dubbed the “Finish Line Festival” and sponsored by Nutrilite. Since the race finishes at the OC fairgrounds, the infrastructure is already in place and affords a well-designed and relaxed atmosphere for runners, their friends and family. Areas were set up for the various running groups to gather post race and mingle or just take a much needed seat. Plenty of food and drink was available from the stands and food trucks. Runners could meander over to one pavilion to check their results or pick-up their auxiliary bling (Double Dog Dare and Beach Cities Challenge Medals) or hobble to the other pavilion for a free post-race massage. One of the local massage centers had dozens of tables manned and ready to receive the walking wounded (I took advantage of the complimentary rubdown as a very nice lady turned me into a human pretzel and saved me from walking like Robocop for the rest of the day). And for those people with the remaining energy to “raise the roof” the main stage was hopping with retro tunes courtesy of the “Flashback Heart Attack” and featuring singers/band members from some of your favorite 80s groups. Since the majority of people ran the half-marathon distance, the party was well underway when I finally arrived following my 26.2 mile jaunt. But as I approached the area I could hear “Jesse’s Girl” being played and played loudly, so not too shabby.
RECOMMENDATION
The OC Marathon/Half fits in well with its sister races (Surf City and Long Beach) as part of the Beach Cities’ Challenge. Each of the three races has a nice laid back feel to it (must be the proximity o’ the sea) and offers runners a chance to PR on a mostly flat and scenic course. And like the other two Beach City races, the OC Half Marathon shines when compared to the full marathon. So if you’re caught between doing the half and full marathon distance, know that the race starts pretty, but ends nitty gritty. This was the second time I’ve run the OC race and it will remain as one of my annual races (I do enjoy it). And even though the race is less polished in the latter half, I plan to run the full OC Marathon again come 2015.
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Submitted by iKristin
January 10, 2014
Review
My very first ½ Marathon! Woo! And I got hooked into that darn Beach Cities Challenge.
Packet Pickup: A whole lot bigger than I had ever been used to. I was told by friends that in years past it had been even bigger, but it didn’t disappoint me.
Race: Was definitely a ½ marathon. The course was generally pretty flat with one *beep* of a hill around mile 9-10. It isn’t that long, but if you weren’t tired by then, you were definitely feeling the pain afterwards. Some nice views of Corona Del Mar, and Newport’s Back Bay.
Post Race: Was a little disappointing. Not much to mention.
Medal was nice, t-shirts were nice.
3 improvements needed: They ran out of GU-gel for the slower people. Thankfully I had packed (in my bra) for a small army. But you could tell some people were really struggling who counted on the GU-gel being there. For the people doing the marathon, they ran out of those tin foil blankets. The parking situation leaving was a disaster. We had to wait till the marathon was almost over to get out because the course ran right by the OC Fair grounds exit.
1 not-so-important improvement needed: Where was the tequila?!?!! It was Cinco de Mayo! Come on now!
Summary: Overall, I was pleased with the race. My time, not so much. :-/ There’s a great showing of watchers, volunteers, and well-wishers. This race happened not too far after the Boston Marathon bombing. People ran with supportive shirts, and faces of the victims. I cried. Lots of people cried. It was very moving.
If I liked running, I’d probably do this again. 😉
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Submitted by genevieve
December 31, 2013
Review
This race starts excessively early, and it is particularly difficult to get to the start line and away from the finish line. The course is nice and flat, but I expected more of the course to be along the water.
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Submitted by charisseb
June 3, 2013
Review
Pre-race shuttles didn’t arrive as scheduled which meant having to scramble to drive ourselves to the start line with only moments to spare. The corrals were not managed well which led to multiple crowd bottlenecks throughout what should have been a beautiful, easy, and PR-friendly course. The end of the race was the absolute worst – over an hour to leave the fairgrounds parking lot! Of course, this wouldn’t have been an issue if we had been able to take the morning shuttle which never arrived. I’ve been told that these issues are pretty consistent year to year. It’s a shame. This had the potential to be a favorite course. Oh well!
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Submitted by cindycarlson
May 10, 2013
Review
This was my first year running the OC full; I ran the half the previous 3 years. I have to say that the full marathon was absolutely GREAT. Let me start from the beginning…
1) I arrived at the Expo on Friday afternoon around 3:30, I was shocked to see a line snaking around the front area. I wondered where all these people came from! But it took less than 15 minutes to get in, so it wasn’t that bad (except that it was a really hot day). The expo was a bit cramped and sort of odd how it snakes through different buildings, but I just wanted my stuff and got out of there quickly. For the people who didn’t realize that the clear bag was to be used for the gear check – take note that many races do that…so just know for next time!
2) My friend and I got dropped off at the start line, which was a breeze to do. We arrived just before 5am, which gave us plenty of time to use the port-a-potty and get our bags to the gear check. I had my own bag (not the clear one) so I simply transferred my stuff over to the clear bag. It wasn’t as big as the original one given at the expo, but they allowed people to tie multiple bags together, which made it doable. I was a bit leery about just one UPS truck for all the marathoners, but I didn’t think too much of it.
3) The weather was great. Not hot at all like the days leading up to the race, and not at all like the following Monday, where it rained. In my opinion, perfect running weather. The course was nice and flat, with a few inclines here and there but nothing to worry about. I know that people that completed the half marathon (and I felt the same way when I ran the half) complained that it was too crowded, especially on the part where you run under the bridge and back around. Yes, but that’s because you’re running the half! Choose the full and you won’t have that problem at all. 😉
4) The water stations had plenty of volunteers and I got to keep pace with a couple of other runners to help me remain motivated. I’m not a fast runner; I finished in 4:33 and I thought everything on the course went well.
5) Post race was great also. Got my medal, sat and stretched and waited for my friend to finish. We didn’t have any issues with retrieving our gear at the gear check; I know that others did. But mine was easy.
6) We didn’t have any problems exiting the area because we got dropped off and were also getting picked up. We left around 10:45 am or so.
All in all, I would definitely choose to run the full (over the half) again next year. The major challenge is the weather. If it’s hot (like it was last year) it’s obviously tougher to run; but if it’s nice and gloomy and cool, it makes for an absolutely great race.
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Submitted by TDR
May 8, 2013
Review
This was my third half marathon and I loved the course!
Pre-race: I drove down from LA and headed directly to the expo before checking into my hotel. It was confusing to figure out where to go to pick up my bib, but once I figured it out, it was a breeze. The expo was okay — nothing too exciting that I haven’t seen before and a bit on the small side.
I stayed at the Ayres Hotel overnight because of the very early start time. I chose this hotel because it was one of the ones that offered a free shuttle to the start line. Getting on the shuttle was easy — but the driver didn’t know where he was supposed to go which was odd. A hotel representative ended up riding with us to give the drive directions (while a passenger translated into Spanish for the driver to understand.) We were told by the hotel that the shuttle was provided by the City of Costa Mesa and it was the city’s fault that the driver didn’t know where to go. In the end, we were dropped off at 5:30am, which left us plenty of time before the start line. It was freezing and I saw no porta-potties anywhere. But the Marriot at the start was warm and had restrooms and their staff were very nice and accommodating to the swarms of runners huddling in the lobby!
The course was gooooooorrrrgeous!!! I don’t know how anyone could complain it was boring. (Surf City up and back was boring, if you ask me.) It took us down to the ocean, along the harbor, up through some sort of nature preserve, through residential neighborhoods with residents who were cheering us on. It was fabulous. Most of it was downhill, although there were a few uphills. (I would describe it as “rolling hills.”) Plenty of water, plenty to see. I couldn’t believe when we got to mile 10 how fast it all flew by!
Post-race: I didn’t experience any of the delays getting out of the parking lot that others have complained about. I didn’t check any gear and my husband and daughter were at the finish line. They parked in a lot that took maybe 10 minutes to get of? We made it back in time for free breakfast at the hotel! Score!
I PRd in this race, shaving a whopping 17 minutes off Surf City and 2 minutes off my Disneyland Half time! I credit this to the downhill course and cooperative weather. Also, I was just feeling good. When I finished Surf City, I thought to myself, “Ugh. Why do I sign up for these things?” I didn’t feel that way at all after the OC Half! I loved the course and the journey it took me on! This race will always have a special place in my heart I think and I would love to run it again.
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Submitted by mtyamagata
May 7, 2013
Review
This review is for the the half-marathon.
Pre-race: Had to pay parking for the expo. The staff at packet pickup didn’t tell me anything about where to go, or that the clear plastic bag had to be used for Gear Check, which I found out later. Expo was small and cramped. It spanned more than one building and was like a maze to get through. The shuttle system was not planned well. My wife was assigned a 4:45am shuttle, and I was assigned a 5:45am shuttle. So I had to arrive early and then wait an hour in the car. After arriving at the start, my wife said the shuttle was quick and easy. So I walk up about 10 minutes prior to my assigned shuttle time, only to find that there was a line wrapping around the fairplex. By the time I got on the shuttle and rode to the start line, it was about a half hour after the race had started. I noticed several Bomb Squad with K-9s checking the shuttles(buses), so I assumed the delay was due to post-Boston events but I heard from others that some of the bus drivers didn’t know where to go. I figure that several people also run late and miss their earlier shuttles so everyone gets piled in at the last minute. Lesson learned: Just take an earlier shuttle.. (they don’t check).
Course: Thought it was great at first, since the course was nice and wide open (because of being late). Then I came up to the walkers, and that along with the fact that the course goes on a narrow bike path, made it impossible to get through. I was on pace to best my personal best by at least 5 minutes but had to walk because I couldn’t get through. I ended up missing my PR by 35 seconds. Also, this is a point-to-point course, which is very inconvenient. It is also why they have to use UPS trucks to drive the stuff to the finish line, which I believe partly caused issues with Gear Check which I will mention below. As for the on-course stations, there were plenty of water and Gatorade. Some of the Gatorade was very watered-down. There was also Clif Shot gel at mile 9.5 which was nice. Didn’t see much on-course encouragement/entertainment, like bands, radio-stations, music, etc.
Post-race: They did provide water, Gatorade, and some snacks, but then the nightmare began. The festivities area was far too small for all the people there. Many people couldn’t find the location of the UPS trucks. Others mentioned that it wasn’t posted on the map, but it actually was. It was just printed very small, with low resolution graphics, so that it was not visible. So I proceed to make my way there and found my truck with some sort of line spiralling like a whirlpool. So I go in the middle and wait. Then I notice others are coming up just going straight to the back of the truck. But I just wait.. for about 45 minutes. Then a kid (literally, they were just teenagers) from UPS staff shouts out that we weren’t really in line. Everyone was getting very frustrated. We hardly see any bags even coming out of the truck. Keep in mind we just ran, it’s windy and we are freezing cold. The UPS kid comes out with a couple bags yelling out the numbers, hoping that the one or two owners would be there. At this point people are feeling hopeless and yelling to just throw all the bags out. After about another 15 minutes, that’s what they started doing. Throwing all the bags out, and asking to see your bib number before leaving with a bag. Sure, an honest person will show you, but will someone else really do that? There were so many people, they had no control over the situation at that point. I just stayed and watched for my bag, and grabbed it and left as soon as I could.
Happy that I could finally leave, we head for the car and find that there is a huge line of cars waiting to leave. We waited for about 15 minutes and saw that it didn’t move an inch. We later realized that the marathon route crossed over the exit path so no one could leave. Hungry, we head back to the festivities and deal with the crowd to get something to eat and kill some time. Come back 30 minutes later, and manage to leave the parking lot another hour after that.
In the end, my 1:40 half marathon took about 7 hours of the day.
I’ll give some slack due to the Boston events having had some possible delays. I did notice extra security all around, from pre-race to post-race, which I appreciated. It doesn’t excuse the marathon path crossing over the parking exit, UPS Gear Check disaster, etc.
I was thinking about becoming a legacy runner for this event and going for another Beach Cities medal, but I don’t really want to run this event again next year.
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Submitted by Abigail Michelle B
May 7, 2013
Review
Pre-race: Fail. There were not enough bathrooms at the start of the race and none of them had toilet paper, which is just disgusting and inexcusable. The line was literally 40 minutes long – I barely made it in time to start with the very last corral (I was supposed to be in corral 2), and there still looked to be hundreds of people waiting in line. Thankfully I wasn’t checking a bag, because that line was ridiculously long too.
Course: The course was very pretty and enjoyable overall (except when we got bottle-necked into some narrow paths and people kept running into each other). There were plenty of water/Gatorade stations and Cliff gels at mile 9. But again, too few bathrooms, long lines, and NO toilet paper, so Fail.
Post-race: This was a mess. I got my medal, but I heard they ran out for people who finished later. Some people also had to wait 2 hours to get their checked bags back and another 2 hours to get out of the parking lot. I’m glad I got dropped off instead of parking there (even though I had to walk another mile to the nearest place to get picked up). Also, the goody bags sucked. You get an orange, a bottle of water, and a little pack of fig newtons – that’s it. They want you to stay and spend money on food.
Overall: Never doing this race again. I’m just glad I got it over with for the Beach Cities Challenge.
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Submitted by rogandnaomi
May 6, 2013
Review
This was my very first full marathon. I love the course because of all the turns. Helps breaking up the mileage but starting and ending in different areas is inconvenient. At the expo you have to pay to park which is ridiculous. My kids and got yelled at, at the expo for going thru an open door and we had to go thru a door right next to it that lead to the same area. Stupid. Then the expo booth area was confusing and we couldn’t find the exit. My husband had a rough time parking since he dropped me off and we had to walk forever to get to our car after the race which was brutal on my body. I’m not sure if ill be running this one again. I just did it to get the beach medal.
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Submitted by crystalclear1616
May 6, 2013
Review
I picked up my race packet around 4:00pm on Saturday afternoon. I had no trouble parking or picking my packet up. It was not crowded at that time at all. It was disappointing that parking was $5. II thought the expo was better than most I have been to. The space was a bit tight for all the vendors that were there.
On race day I was dropped off at the starting line. Traffic was pretty heavy. The lines for the bathrooms were really long and we missed our corral time. The course was one of the best I have been on. It was mostly flat with beautiful views of the ocean and goes through some gorgeous neighborhoods. I felt there were plenty of water stations. I enjoyed the cliff energy shots at mile 9. It was much needed. There were also quit a few restrooms throughout the entire course with minimal waiting.
The post party was booming. It was the best of the 4 races I have ran. Great music, massages, food and beer. Bag pick up was a nightmare. I would avoid checking anything if it all possible. I have heard a lot of people complaining about getting out of the parking lot. We were parked right by the exit so we didn’t experience much of a wait.
Overall, I really enjoyed the OC 1/2 Marathon.
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Submitted by Cervelo_Chris
May 6, 2013
Review
This was my second year running the OC Half Marathon; I went to the Friday Packet pick up, it was crazy. After waiting outside inline for at least 30minutes. I got into the expo. It was fast and easy to get bib and shirt and pay for the discounted parking. Race morning the buses were easy to find. Once at the start line the bathroom line was Huge. More bathrooms next year. UPS handled the bag check it went very slow just to drop off good thing we left plenty of time to get to are coral. I thought corals were very small people over flowed to the sides before the start. Once the race started the course was well mark and they had plenty of water and Gatorade stations. At the finish line they handed medals out and you continued to walk and get some water and a bag full of some treats to eat afterwards. The band was awesome. The Beer Garden was great and it was a good thing we went there first because the bag check was even longer for pick up. In my opinion they had too many numbers and too few UPS trucks. My friend had to jump into the UPS truck and fetch his own bag. The course was Great nice neighborhoods of OC and it was cool that the community came out and supported the runners. This year I was prepared for the hills even though the race ended at a lower elevation. Overall – great course, great value, and a great 1/2 marathon.
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Submitted by dgerenda
May 6, 2013
Review
This was my 18th Half Marathon… and would NOT ever think of doing it again!
Pre-Race: Expo was fine but it was a bit confusing to find the building considering I’ve never been here before. There were all the typical vendors you would expect to see. Shuttles were on time and parking was easy (but I did get there pretty early).
Course: I’m sorry but I have to disagree with most people on here. This course SUCKED! I barely saw the ocean for a mile or two and mostly saw houses as a “tour of the OC” as I’d like to call it. To have THOUSANDS of people shoved on to a bike path was ridiculous. I’ve never been hit so many times when people were navigating around me and me around them. It was ridiculous. And having to wait till mile 8 to find an open bathroom and not wait 5 minutes was terrible.
It was an easy enough course, but just boring as all heck. Honestly the other two races in the series – Long Beach and Surf City half – really are much better for a scenic 13 mile run.
Post race: This was a joke. Too many people in too small of a place (I could barely get out of the area) not to mention trying to get out for parking was a joke. I’ve never experienced anything so horrible in 18 races. To finish running a half marathon/marathon and then having to put up with the crowds and chaos was a bit much for me.
Overall: I would NOT run this race again. The course wasn’t that great and it was horribly planned.
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Submitted by shelldavida
May 6, 2013
Review
Overall, this race is getting a B from me only because I just loved the half marathon course. It is beautiful, with ocean views and beautiful homes. The last couple of miles aren’t so great, but that was okay. At that point I don’t care, I just want to finish! I was not so impressed with pre-race which includes the expo. This was my sixth half marathon and I never had to wait in line to get into an expo. Maybe I have just been lucky with good timing in the past. But, yes I had to wait in line just to get in. The vendor area was kind of cramped and just not inviting. The set up was odd. Okay, that was that. Thankfully I was getting dropped off at the start line. The OC marathon website gives directions on how to get dropped off from EITHER side of PCH. Well, traveling northbound was closed. Luckily, I know the area well so I knew how to get where I needed to be. How do they not get something like this right on their own website? After I was dropped off everything was fine. As stated earlier, the course was beautiful. There were some hills but nothing I couldn’t handle….I don’t do well on hills so the fact that I didn’t poop out says that the hills were not so bad. Post-race. Everything was good until it was time to leave. When we got to the car, we got in line to get out. 10 minutes…nothing. NO MOVEMENT. Finally we saw a passenger from another car who came back to report to us all. The ONE exit was closed because it crosses the marathon route. Really?! So the entire parking lot was backed up. They could have at least told us that this was the case. We did not want to sit there for any longer…I just ran a half marathon I was hungry! Well, we parked and went back in the event area to kill some time. Spent some money. Well, I am no conspiracy theorist, but a small part of me wonders if we played right into this trap. Anyway, I am very lucky that my boyfriend was there at the finish line and had my stuff in his backpack so I did not experience the bag pickup nightmare I keep reading about. This was my first time running OC and did so because it was my last stop in the Beach Cities Challenge. Not sure if I will run it again.
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Submitted by lbclove
May 6, 2013
Review
This was my first year running the O.C 1/2 Marathon and I do have a lot to say about it.
Bib Delivery:I had originally ordered bib delivery but was excited to find out later I was actually going to be about to make the expo after all. My bib was delivered about 4 days before the race but I received an email apologizing because many people did not received there bibs in the mail and were being offered refunds.
The expo: It was well organized and very large will lots of vendors. I went with a pocket full of cash and bought some things I had been interested in for some time. I also bought parking for the next day for $5.00 rather than having to pay $10.00 the day of. Tech shirts were kind uhhh in color but ran true to size which was nice especially when I found out they had strict rules on not changing your size at the expo. The only thing I was bummed about was that I had ordered a personalized bib in and didn’t get it. When I visited solutions they asked for my confirmation email which I presented and they didn’t have and answer for me as to where it was or what happened. Only to email the company they used and ask for a refund.
Race day: What a mess that was….. they did not have enough shuttles and traffic was a nightmare so we had to get dropped off and run towards the starting line. I needed to gear check and there was long line for that and a long line for e restrooms. They didn’t have very many ports potties and they did not have toilet paper! We ended up missing both of our corrals and starting in the last wave and fighting out way through the course since we had originally been set for corral 2. Thanks to the long lines and lack of facilities starting on time was not possible.
The course: It was very beautiful and the ocean views were amazing. The people along the course were great in giving support. We both in Boston colors and it was awesome to hear everyone yelling Boston Strong as we passed by. There we some hills and I do a lot of hill training so it was okay but I saw some people dropping of like flies so just be sure to hill train for this race. The water stations were stocked as I went by and they plenty of cliff shots on mile 10. I passed 2 aide station which was nice to see. I had a pace tattoo on for the race and noticed right away with my Garmin that the mile markers were off by quite a bit. It seemed to be okay because I was ahead of my set pace for a while but it was very irritating, I thought for a awhile my Garmin was off but that has never happened before but I had never ran a race with the course off before either so it was confusing.
Finish Line: It was a bit chaotic the kids were passing out medals and goodies out you kinda had to chase them down to get your stuff and they actually ran out of 1/2 marathon medals at some point. I heard they gave out full marathon medals to finishers but that’s just not the same. The goodie bags in a word sucked. Once you walked out of the the finish area you welcomed to land of lines.
Gear Pick Up: I have never seen anything like that in my like. It was HORRIBLE a NIGHTMARE. My family waited in the freezing cold for me for over an hour because my clothes were in a truck with number 5000 to 10,000! Nothing but a bunch of kids scrambling around looking at each and every tag because they didn’t seem to be organized and they were all in clear plastic bags. I should have just left my stuff there. Some people waited 2 hours only to find out there bags had been lost. I had hoped when they said UPS truck were there that they had actual UPS employees but that was not the case and it was the absolute worst thing I have ever seen at any race. If I dare go back I will never gear check at O.C. again.
The Parking Lot. Trying to get out was not good. We were very lucky to have parked near the exit otherwise we have waited over an hour to exit like everyone else. There was one exit for the entire place and no one directing traffic. Luckily our wait was about a 1/2 and we only parked about 20 feet from the exit.
Later when I checked the O.C Marathon Facebook page I found out from others the course was indeed long. People clocked it between 3.42 and 3.58 which is what I got too. I was using this race as a qualifying time for another race and the added length of the course threw my time off. As some runners know there are times when every single second counts. Needless to say I am frustrated by the events of the day and have to really think about if I ever want to to run O.C again that is why I am giving it an overall rating of C,
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Submitted by Gregg Condon
May 6, 2013
Review
Pre Race: I didn’t go to the Expo so I can’t speak to that. Although sadly they weren’t allowing shirt exchanges because they just order “enough”. The shuttle lines were incredibly long. We got to the start of the 1/2 just as they were doing the National Anthem. We were supposed to be in Corral 2 but ended up starting in Corral 5. It was unclear if we could make our way up. Wasn’t really worried about it since it was a chip timed race.
Course: The course was fine. There were a couple of bottleneck issues for a rather large race. Not sure why they felt running on a bike trail would be acceptable. There were some issues with only 1 porta-pottie in spots which again, for such a large race is unacceptable. I did enjoy the changes in elevation though and like challenging myself. The fly-over course description wasn’t really descriptive on the hills.
Post Race: Utilizing the Fairgrounds for the Post Race party was brilliant. I wish I’d had my wallet with me to get a beer and celebrate. This was really the best part of the race. However I’m hearing that they ran out of 1/2 Medals for later finishers. This is unacceptable. If they are only going to order “just enough” shirts and medals then they need to not allow registration at the Expo.
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Submitted by irun131
May 5, 2013
Review
I ran OC in 2011 and I LOVED it (but I was dropped off and picked up), so this year was a completely new experience, which I have a lot to write about. I’m sad to say it’s no longer my favorite race.
EXPO:
Packet pickup was very easy and organized. You do have to pay $5 for the expo parking, which is pretty decent consider some other expo’s that charge $10 or more. It was such a small area to squeeze in that many vendors.
SHUTTLE:
I purchased $5 parking permit at the expo to park at the finish line. I showed up in time to my assigned bus time (5:45am), and I got so nervous when I saw the HUGE line. It was my first time taking the shuttle, so I’m not sure if it’s usually like this at other marathons. I was told that nobody checks your assigned shuttle time, so people usually show up towards the later hours. We didn’t get dropped off at the starting line until almost 30 mins after the race had already started. My GPS started at exactly 6:42am.
COURSE:
I remember how I loved the OC half the first time I ran it, so I was really excited to run it again this year. The best thing about this race is the course; it is beautiful. There are several small hills, but not so steep and easy to conquer. I don’t think there was ever a dull moment along the path. However, one thing I noticed was that the mile markers were a bit off from my GPS, and my watch logged more than 13.1 miles. I’m not sure if it was just me, or if others were having the same problem. I have used the same watch to other marathons and never had that issue. There were many police officers and police dogs throughout the race. Like always, police officers, volunteers, spectators, and EMS were EXCELLENT and I couldn’t thank them enough for their time and their help to keep us safe, hydrated, and motivated.
POST-RACE:
NIGHTMARE! That is pretty much the only word I can use to sum it up. The goodie bag had no bananas, drinks, fruit cups, bagels, and all the other common things other marathons give out to the runners. There were lines EVERY WHERE. I waited forever to get my bag, because there was only ONE line for all the 5000-10,000’s! I would’ve had to wait longer, until they decided to split out the 5000, 6000, and 7000 bags. After waiting for almost an hour for my bag, I had to wait another 2 hours to get out of the parking lot. There was only 1 exit and nobody was directing traffic, so all the cars were merging from all sides, and people were getting very frustrated.
I don’t want to be harsh, but I would give this race a C overall. I would run it again, despite the negative things that happened along the way, because I really like the course. Please check up on the mile markers though. I hope the race director would change some things that were mentioned. If it’s this bad again next year, it might be my last time with the OC Half Marathon. Until then, I will give it another chance. Next year, I won’t take the shuttle, won’t check in my bag, and will ask to get dropped off and picked up again to avoid the headache.
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Submitted by Davefromphilly
May 5, 2013
Review
This was my second time running the OC Half Marathon, and the course was a great course. I loved the course because it was the perfect mix of flat ground, uphill, and downhills. The weather was perfect. I was able to set a new PR today, which was awesome in itself. The pre-race festivities were ok, but it felt like you were in a maze, navigating among all of the booths. I have been to a ton of these before, and I know that the promoters want you to see all of the booths, which is understandable. I had no problems during the pre-race festivities today. I arrived around 5, took the bus to the start line, and had about 45 minutes to get ready for the run, which was just enough time. The post race festivities were good for me. The only issue that I had was with the bag pick up after the race. There were long lines to pick up my bag, and luckily I was finished picking up my bag before the lines got really long. This is a really fun race for me, and I hope that there will be improvements to the bag pick up in future events.
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Submitted by wcorlyf
May 5, 2013
Review
Packet pick up was crazy. The signs said you could enter at 3 different gates. Only one gate listed was open and there was a second one open not listed. We wondered to the expo. It was fast and easy to get bib and shirt and pay for the discounted parking. The expo was nice and bigger than the last Half Marathon I ran. was disappointed that we couldn’t register for the huntington half marathon for next year at the expo.
We booked a room from the website for runners discount and they didn’t have our room ready and couldn’t get checked in till a later time. We left and came back from dinner and our room changed again and our bags were not in our rooms. The hotel only offered 2 people for the shuttle to the race, so we opt to drive to the fair grounds and park to take shuttles to start line. shuttles to start were friendly and fast to get us there.
There were way fewer portapotties than the last half marathon and waited a while to use. The bag check in went slow be we had plenty of time to get to the start line. Not to mention the small bag we had to put our stuff in. The corals were only four and the people over flowed them. they needed bigger corals to hold the people.
After the start we were clueless when the next portapotties would be on the race. some areas only had one or many. They had plenty of water and Gatorade stations. When we got to the cliff shots they were out. glad we brought our own stuff for the race.
At the finish line they handed medals out and you continued to walk and get some water and a bag full of some treats to eat afterwards. if we wanted the orange, we had to peel it. Would have been nice if it was sliced in a baggie or something. There were no banana’s. the band that performed was awesome. loved them. Waiting for our bags we checked in at the start line was a joke. they had too many numbers in to few ups trucks. we waited 40 mins to get them. there were a lot of vendors open and the food smelled good. it was hard getting back to our parking spaces because the finish line was at the middle of the parking area. there should have been signs that directed you to the different parking sections.
the course was beautiful and we went through many nice communities and it was cool that they came out and supported the runners. I wasn’t prepared for all the hills even though the race ended at a lower elevation then the start. Watching the video of the course made it seem like a simple downhill course, it wasn’t. I would do this race again in the future, but would like to be better informed of what will be on the race course.
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Submitted by kcbrit
May 5, 2013
Review
Whoever is in charge of this race should be fired! A beautiful course for the half marathon but a classic FAIL for the race day pre- and post- treatment of runners.
Pre-race – Got up at 4am so I could catch the shuttle from the Mariott Costa Mesa to the start with the marathon runners. Shuttle driver didn’t know where to go much to the consternation of the marathoners. Got there with about 15 minutes before their race. At the start there were way too few portapotties and the Mariott at the start was kind enough to let the runners use their restrooms which quickly became overwhelmed. After the marathon start I went to check in my bag with the UPS trucks and was confronted with the dilemma of a couple of hundred runners trying to get their bags checked into mostly one truck OR a couple of hundred runners trying to use the bathroom. I chose a 30 minute bathroom wait in line and the half marathon started. I started with the last corral but was able to be the last to drop off my bag. NEVER had this experience in hundreds of races!
AFTER the race the real disaster began. I had to wait in line in the cold wind for OVER AN HOUR to get my bag because UPS had totally tossed all the bags together and couldn’t find anyone’s stuff. It appeared as if teenage volunteers were in charge of things. The shuttle back to the Marriott was unable to make it back to the OC fairgrounds and I had to get on the Westin shuttle. There were runners on the shuttle who had already waited over an. hour to start going back to their hotel. After 30 minutes we finally started to drive back to the hotel and it took 2 HOURS to go 3 MILES. So it took me 8 hours to run a 2:19 half marathon.
THIS IS THE WORST TREATMENT OF RUNNERS EVER by a race. Marathoners who were on our bus could barely walk when we got to the Westin. The shuttle driver quickly disappeared and didn’t even offer to drop us off at the Marriott a couple of blocks away. We were told we had already run 26 miles so a couple more blocks wouldn’t hurt!
Marriott Costa Mesa staff were fantastic and their rates were great. Expo was good not great.
Totally disgusted. The only thing that prevented me having a completely crappy day was the nice course and great weather.
Many runners including myself have vowed never to run this race again.
Maybe Rock n Roll should take over the race and show how it should be done.
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Submitted by pasadena13
May 5, 2013
Review
This was my 16th half marathon and my first time running the OC Half Marathon.
I picked up my packet on Friday afternoon. Although there was a long line when the expo first opened, it moved really quickly and I had no trouble picking up my bib, tech shirt, clear plastic gear check bag, and free Wahoo’s taco coupon. The tech shirt was a short sleeved and was a nice design. I actually wore it on race day and it was very comfortable and fit great. I wish the race would provide a shirt sizing chart at the time of registration so runners could order the correct size, as the race wasn’t allowing any size changes at any time (fortunately, my shirt fit great). The vendor area in the expo had quite a few vendors, but it was crammed into a small expo hall at the OC Fairgrounds. It was packed with people and very difficult to talk with the vendors with the noise level and cramped conditions. I also bought the $5.00 prepaid parking pass for race day at the expo.
On race day, I arrived at the OC Fairgrounds to park around 4AM. My shuttle time wasn’t until 4:45AM. I had no problem entering the parking lot at that time and quickly finding a parking spot. Boarding the busses was no problem. There were at least a dozen busses waiting for runners to board. The ride over to Fashion Island took about 20 minutes and I arrived with plenty of time before the race started at 6:15AM. It was a little windy and chilly, so I used the UPS gear check and only waited about 5 minutes to check my gear at the appropriate truck.
There were start corrals and runners started in waves, which was nice. The corrals should have been larger though. I was in my corral about 15 minutes before the race started, which I was glad because by the time the race started, there were many runners trying to squeeze themselves into the corral and it was absolutely packed.
The half marathon started about 5 minutes late. It would have been great if they would have started on time. The course was very packed for the first mile, after that, I never experienced too much crowding and running around slower runners. Mile markers were clearly posted and I liked that each one had an inspirational quote. I didn’t like how the first couple of water/gatorade stations were about 2 miles apart. I felt there should have been more earlier on in the race (every 1-1.5 miles). There were plenty of stations in the second half of the race and there were Clif Shot gels given out around mile 10. Traffic control on the race course was great. Lots of volunteers and police personnel directing traffic and cheering runners on.
At the finish line, there were plenty of spectators. The medals were very nice. I got my Beach Cities Challenge medal and wow that thing is huge! That is where the good experience stops. There were small yellow bags given to runners with only an orange, a Clif bar, and a Fig Newton bar. Also, bottled water and gatorade were given. After running a half marathon, I was looking for more food that just those items.
The family reunion area was a mess. Thousands of people everywhere, and it was very difficult to walk anywhere. The Beach Cities Challenge table was hidden between two buildings and wasn’t marked until you got to the actual table. The gear bag pick up wasn’t even on the map. The lady at the information booth in the family reunion area wasn’t answering questions, she was yelling where the gear check was located, which people couldn’t understand. I waited in line for nearly AN HOUR to get my gear bag. I’ve used UPS gear check at half marathons numerous times in the past and have never waited more than 10 minutes. So, I don’t know what happened here.
Finally, I walked back to my car and waitied another 30 minutes to leave the parking lot. I was VERY frustrated with the whole finish line and post race parking situation. I’m really not sure if I’ll be back next year due to these issues.
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Submitted by Gatorsgochomp
May 5, 2013
Review
I love this race, I really do, but today I left the fair grounds with a bad taste in my mouth. I had a great run, PR in fact, but man the post race part of the half was just downright abysmal.
Let’s start at the beginning. I had a friend get my packet this year, but the pick up was seemless I heard. Getting on those shuttles was easy, but then again I arrived at 4:45 am and made it to Fashion Island by 5:15, plenty of time for the half that started at 6:15. The half started on time and the course was again scenic with plenty of good aid stations with a lot of Gatorade towards the end of the run. There were a lot of hills, but more downhills than I remembered from last year which was nice. Miles 2-3 and 6-7 were my favorites because of the views of the water. The path gets a little narrow coming up to mile 7, but people were nicer this year and not elbowing. There were more spectators than last year cheering people along which was a nice little boost. All in all, the course was great.
However….when the race ended, it was difficult to find the UPS gear trucks which were tucked away in a corner of the fairground. Once I did get there, freezing mind you, I waited an hour and 45 min (about 15 min short of my half marathon time) to get my gear. The volunteers from my UPS truck left crying and that left only runners to dole out the goods. It was awful. Once I got my gear, I thought, “yes, finally I am free!”. Little did I know that the marathon, which was still going on, was blocking all availible exits. I sat another 45 min in the parking lot with about 400 disgruntled runners who just wanted to leave, eat and shower. This experience made me question whether or not I want to do the OC again. It’s a great course but this year something went wrong in the planning. If it wasn’t part of the Beach Cities Challenge, I wouldn’t be back.
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Submitted by Katie Fields
April 7, 2013
Review
Registration online was simple and seamless. Packet pick up was TOUGH. The parking lots the website directed you to were full. I had to be sent to 3 lots before I could find parking on the Sat before the race .It was also difficult to find the area for bib pickup in the busy area since there was no signage. When I told the volunteers at bib pickup how hard it was to find them, they said they had been asking for signs to help people.
Morning of race was simple. Amazing bus service taking you to the start. I was very impressed. GORGEOUS course, excellent finish line. LOVED this race overall.
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Submitted by anidealover
April 3, 2013
Review
Fun run! My favorite local half marathon!
I recently completed the Beach Cities Challenge, having run Long Beach, Surf City, and OC half marathons in one year, and OC tops them all.
What makes this a great race is the variety of scenes you see as you make your way from start to finish. You start at Fashion Island. Then head down PCH to the beach at Corona Del Mar. As you leave the beach you zig zag through a very beautiful neighborhood with a good number of supporters. The race takes you back up PCH to Back Bay. This transition may be the only difficult part of the race. There is a huge bottleneck under the bridge to the bay that may have you bumping elbows with other runners. After that, the hills emerge. Lucky for you, the view is quite nice at the top of the bay, which makes it all worth it. Once you’ve hit the last hill, it’s all flat until the finish.
I like this race because it’s fast even it it’s not all flat. There’s a lot to take in, even if it is my backyard.
Pre-race complaints. Last year they had a decent sized expo, nothing fancy. They also had a partnership for free admission to a food expo that wasn’t really worth it. Also, if you don’t like point-to-point shuttles, that could be a problem too, even though I had no real problem with it personally.
Post race complaint: no free beer, only expensive beer, something like $11/pint.
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Submitted by AngelaNguyen85
April 3, 2013
Review
The OC Marathon was my very first marathon. It ended up proving to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Packet pick up the day before the expo went very smoothly and there were lots of great vendors there. As for the race itself, I love the early start time so you get to finish before the temps get too hot. The start line and corrals made things very easy and efficient. The course was really great and scenic as well as the volunteers were so awesome. The hills on the course were very minor and easy to climb. The crowd support, though maybe not as big as some bigger races, just felt so heartfelt and personal. So many people came out of their homes and were cheering us on. Many of them with water, other fluids, and snacks to help us along our way. I enjoyed the point to point course and the hotel shuttles made it very easy to get to the start line and then from the finish back to the start. The post race goody bag had everything I needed to begin with my recovery. Overall, though I have run other marathons since, this one is my absolute favorite.
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Submitted by ckshubin
February 4, 2013
Review
This was my first half marathon although I’d done several 5k races so knew what to expect pre and post race.
Pre-Race: The Expo was average – not stellar but not bad either. Only complaint about the Expo was the vendors were so close together and aisles so small that even on Friday (the less crowded day) it was hard to move through. Being at the O.C. Fairgrounds seems they would give them a little more room to spread it out a bit more. Especially since you have to pay $10 to park for 10 minutes to pick up your race packet! Biggest pre-race gripe – paying to park for the expo. Pre-race pro – packet pickup was fast and easy.
Race day: I had a 5:30 shuttle time. For OC you park at the start (OC Fairgrounds – again, pay another $10) and you get shuttled to Fashion Island start line by bus. Your assigned a shuttle time and corral time. It does help the flow if everyone followed that shuttle time but not everyone does. My shuttle time was one of the earlier ones and when I got there at 5:20 I walked right onto a bus and was headed to the start with only a 5 minute wait time. This left me plenty of time to locate my friends, use the restroom and warm up. Corral assignments aren’t monitored and it was sort of a mess but not badly so. The corrals were based on times with each time having an “A, B or C designation to break up how many start at once. I was in a “B” corral but because of the mass amounts of people ended up starting somehow with the “A” corral. I’m not slow and not a walker so it didn’t really affect anything.
The course: Beautiful. Loved this course which for the May 2012 was redone from the prior year. I hope they keep it. I loved running through the gorgeous neighborhoods and gazing at the beautiful homes and lush landscaping. The beach views were nice. Course support was pretty good considering it’s a new course. Plenty of water/gatorade stations nicely spaced. Be forewarned that there is a nice hill at mile 10! I train in hills so no big deal but it seemed it caught a lot of people by surprise.
Medical response needs to be improved. There were 2 runners that collapsed right near the finish line. It took FOREVER for medical to respond to one that happened in front of me. It was easily more than 5 minutes if I recall. It took a long, long time. Response time should have been less than a minute since the finish line was right there and there should be medical personnel at the finish.
Post-race – water and gatorade and a bag of goodies at the end. All very good. The half and full have 2 different medal areas that you automatically funnel into so no worries about getting the wrong medal if you pay attention to the signs. The finishers chute was a little short, quite crowded and the medal picture opportunity needs to be moved completely OUT of that area and put somewhere else! I didn’t even know it was there till I left that area and you can’t get back in. For my first half I would have loved a finisher photo. This race had vendors out after finishing – foam rollers, free recovery drinks, OC Marathon merchandise. Very nice and one of the few that do this. My favorite was free massages from Massage Envy with so many tables set up you had a less than 10 minute wait. Nice way to finish a race.
Parking – Expo parking should be free. I have yet to run another race where you had to pay to park to pick up your race day packet without a free choice! This to me is unacceptable. If the fairgrounds won’t wave parking for the expo/packet pick up then they need to move packet pick up somewhere else. Coming in I got stuck behind a car that asked like 100 questions and was causing problems completely holding up the line. The attendent should have had her pull off so those of us who knew what we were doing weren’t sitting behind her getting agitated for 15 minutes waiting. I did the prepaid parking ticket I bought from the Expo the day before which I recommend. Plan to arrive much earlier to allow for the freeway backup. Also know there are 2 lanes from the 55 that funnel into the parking lot of the fairgrounds. Luckily I knew this and was able to pass well over 300 cars backed up waiting and pulled right into the 2nd lane going into the fairgrounds. The attendent there failed as well as they could have easily been directing the cars right there to start funneling into that lane causing there to be little to no backup or at least not a long wait to get into the parking lot.
Exiting the parking lot was a nightmare. It literally took over an hour to leave. I actually turned off my car and sat there. For an hour. Before I moved even an inch. Mostly because you had cars funneling into the main line to leave from the parking areas and the signal to let you out onto the main street was only letting 2-3 cars out at a time. For exiting purposes they need to look at using traffic cops to hand guide the mass exodus of runners leaving all at once post race and ignore the signals for a short time.
This race started my Beach Cities Challenge. I was glad that I picked this first. Would also make a good last race in the challenge. Of the 3 races in the challenge this by far is the best one and the ONLY one I will run again.
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Submitted by ecorrine22
May 11, 2012
Review
I ran the full marathon. It was a good experience, but I’ve enjoyed better-organized races in the past.
Pre-race:
-Never received my corral assignment (seems like some received an email and others did not)
-Was not given the option to personalize my bib during online registration, although I saw others with personalized bibs.
-Had to pay for expo parking even though expo packet pickup was required.
-The race provided a shuttle from my hotel, but the driver’s instructions took us to the finish line, not the starting line.
-The marathon started over 15 minutes late.
-My husband told me that he had a terrible time getting to the OC Fairgrounds to meet me at the finish line. Streets were blocked and parking was unavailable. It took him almost an hour to get there even though our hotel was a mile away.
Course:
-You could tell they worked hard to bring us through the best south OC has to offer. It wound through gorgeous homes, amazing ocean views, a trail, a school, and more. I loved the variety.
-Aid stations were plentiful, well-staffed, and full of positive energy. Fabulous volunteers!
-Each mile marker sign had a quote about why people run. It was so fun to read them at each mile. Some of them recharged me right when I needed it!
-The MC announced my name as I crossed the finish line. Love that!
Post-race:
As far as I could tell, there wasn’t much to the post-race. It was fine but nothing special.
Overall:
I will run this race again. Despite the pre-race negatives, the course was fast, scenic, and varied. The volunteers were great. And I beat my PR by over five minutes and qualified for the 2013 Boston Marathon.
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Submitted by nan
May 9, 2012
Review
This was my first time running this race, and I want to do it again. The course itself is very scenic and course support was plentiful (e.g., well-spaced and stocked water/aid stations). I am a back-of-pack runner, so I appreciate when the water stations are still enthusiastically manned later in the race. The Expo was fine – I hit it early evening on Friday – and it wasn’t too crowded. It was big enough for variety abut not so big that I couldn’t stroll through all the areas. Wish the parking could’ve been covered at the Fairgrounds for such a short visit, but I understand that they gotta make money! Race morning, I arrived with plenty of extra time before my assigned shuttle time, but I should’ve known better and arrived much earlier. I think everyone slept in who had early times and all came at the time I did. It was a 40+ minute wait for the shuttle. I think with all that space, they could’ve loaded more than one bus at a time since the buses were arriving so frequently – this was a disappointment, but not a total buzz-kill for me (but no one likes standing around that long) Arrived at the start a full 20 minutes after the gun. No lines for the potties there – so that was the upside of the downside. In hindsight, will get there VERY early for shuttle.
Overall, a great day, and will do again.
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Submitted by Davefromphilly
May 9, 2012
Review
This is the second time that I had run the OC Half Marathon course, and it has been much improved since 2010. The majority of the course is a downhill grade, with one pretty tough hill towards the end (around Mile 11), and this makes out to be a fast course. I came within 1 minute and 30 seconds of my PR, which I never thought that I could come close to ever again. The course itself was very scenic once you get out of the Fashion Island area. The back bay area was by far the most scenic of any course that I have ever run. The course was top notch, and I would definitely recommend to anyone.
The Pre-Race event was good. It was a terribly large in which you would easily get lost, nor was it small to where it felt like there were 10 vendors there. The only draw back about the pre-race event is that you have to pay to park at the OC Fair in order get your packet, and that is a little disappointing. I was smart enough to realize this early (through a previous review on Race Grader), and I ended up parking the neighborhood across the street.
The Post-Race event was good as well, much better than in 2010 when I ran the full marathon. I received a good bag of goodies (cookies, bananas, water, gatorade, peanut butter, granola bars) that was enough to help stay hydrated. The course support was great as well, there were plenty of water stops although the course, and there were many people cheering us on! Many of the home owners through out the course came out and cheered for the runners along the course and that was great in itself.
I definitely recommend this course to anyone.
Follow my running stories and endeavours on Twitter: @DavefromPhilly
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Submitted by thines57
May 7, 2012
Review
The expo was set up well with everything easy to find. Bib pick up was quick and easy on Saturday when I was there. Expo was not large, but I was able to pick up the few items that I was looking for. Shuttles the morning of went off without a hitch. I stayed in a local hotel and had a shuttle that picked us up directly from the hotel.
The course was incredible! One of the most beautiful runs that I have done. The net downhill elevation made it a fast course where I crushed my PR. There was pleanty of water and gatorade stations on the course. The course got narrow in a few places, but overally everyone adjusted well and the race went very smoothly.
My one small criticism which can easily be fixed is that the post race area was a bit too small. With the line for water and gatorade (very nice to have both) going right into the pictures. The pictures caused a backup and then before you know it you were out of the area. The rest of the post race set up was nice and organized.
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Submitted by gregoryx
May 7, 2012
Review
First off, I love running races; and I consider most of them to be good in each their own way. This was BAD because of the launch of the half marathon a half-hour after the marathon. Which affected everything else.
I ran the half-marathon. I race a 5K/10K/half/trail-race at least once a month. I tend to finish in the first ffew percent of the field. What matters to me is the race. I want a clear, open course (fast doesn’t matter); competition in my pace-range; and a smooth start and finish. I’m not too concerned about goody bags and snacks. Water is nice – the more the better.
Pre-race packet pickup and expo were fine. No T-shirt for me by the time I picked up; but by mail is fine.
Post-race goodies and crowding were also a non-issue for me. Not many folks in front of me and more goodies than I will eat.
What WAS an issue was the starting of the two races and the mahem/mess that it created.
The marathon started 15-minutes late with no waves – just a group start. A half hour before the on-time start for the half. Could hardly have timed it worse if you’re a faster half-marathon runner. Overtaking the 7-hour folks at mile three was fine. But catching the biggest bulk of the field (4-5 hour folks) just as we hit PCH and then two haripins and the narrowest part of the course was a disaster. I was YELLING for people to clear the course not just to avoid dodging but to not have to shove people out of their chit-chat / head-phone space just to get through. Yes, if you saw the flourescent-green-shirted dude screaming, sometimes shoving and eventually shoulder-checking people, that was me. NOT my idea of a great way to run a race; not what I prefer to do and clearly not what the marathon folks wanted to see. But nor did I want to walk up and tap you on your shoulder to please move for me and the 6:30 pace crew. SIGH.
I suspect there was not a lot of upper-end competition because they must have dealt with this before. I would have preferred to have awards available at the end; but I can live with it being mailed; after-all, the shirt is, I suppose.
I enjoyed the course. I’d love to run it again if the marathon and half start at the same time. If they do not, I’m not sure I’d run it again. So simple to fix – and exactly how many other half/full races do it. Why screw up a working model with this mess?
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Submitted by Giovanni Reyes
May 7, 2012
Review
Hello, this was my first Half Marathon so I didn’t know what was expected of the pre-race, race, and post-race!
There were lots of people but everyone knew where to go! There was no confusion. I thought it was going to me more crowded, but the result was that it all worked out great (for me). Running the course was a blast! So much to see. The homes and the people outside their homes cheering on! I thought that was cool. The water stations were great too! No traffic jamming as I have read on other topics it could get!
My two complaints is the course map on the website is very deceiving! It showed some hills and what appeared to be the biggest hill around mile 6-7! So I was prepared for that. But then came mile 10-11 that came to a surprise. Then the finish line. As we crossed we just all bottle necked! I just wanted a few minutes to rest but couldn’t. I had to keep going! And if you didn’t read the websites info. Once you left the ‘snack area’ you could not go back in and that’s where you were able to take a picture. So if you left the gates then no picture for you!!!
Other than that I loved the race! I would definitely race this in the coming years!
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Submitted by ajyacht
May 7, 2012
Review
My first (and possibly my last) OC Half.
EXPO: Getting my packet on Friday was fine but the space between the venders was too close together and it got quite tight in some spots.
Getting to the Race:
I was lucky to stay at a family members home the night before. I drove first to the fairgrounds and then to the house so I could have a feel for the route. Little did I know that the next morning my only one exit trip on the 55 would be horrid. I should have left half hour early to avoid the stress I was dealing with. My mistake not the race folks. I was stopped for almost 20 minutes and just made it to my bus on time! Bus trip was great and I feel lucky that the race started on time.That was well organized and I rate it an A. I understand the full started 15 minutes late.
Race & Course:
Corrals were odd, no rope to separate them. As I was walking up in mine (Corral C) I suddenly found myself in B and was off and running. Since I sell Real Estate I enjoy the neighborhood views however I do agree that some music along the way would have been nice. Not many cheering us on. Love the ocean and back bay views along the way. I had some recent issues in a race back in February so I was nervous about running again since it was my first race since then. However when I got hurt in February there was medical personnel nearby. I don’t recall seeing maybe only one tent? Glad I didn’t need them. No Cliff anything for me. Guess I am way to slow. But an orange would have been nice. They knew how many runners they could have planned better.
Finish Line: Since I am not a faster runner there was not a big crush when I got to the finish. A sweet little boy gave me my medal and I leaned over so he could hang it on my neck. I agree with everyone that the goodie bags stunk. I feel lucky that my banana wasn’t crushed since so many folks were. Sad there was no bagel.
Post Race: I had brought money so I could have got some socks at the finish (it was too crazy to purchase them on Friday at the expo) Did purchase a soft pretzel which made my day! Getting out was another nightmare there should have been police instead of counting on the stop lights.
Would I do this race again?
UNSURE. I did it because I want the surfboard medal. I have done the Surf City twice and even though your bored in one area of that course I love running along the ocean. My last leg for the Surfboard medal is Long Beach and after reading what some other reviewers have said I look forward to that race in September.
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Submitted by Gatorsgochomp
May 7, 2012
Review
This was my 3rd half marathon (I also ran Surf City and Long Beach), but I was most excited for the OC half because it was right in my backyard amd I expected spectacular views. I was a little bit disappointed with the actual course itself. I think I only caught about a 5 minute glimpse of the ocean and the rest of the time I spent pondering over the overindulgence of the houses in the OC or just dog watching. The majority of the course was through neighborhoods that I could have done without (I didn’t think anything could be as boring as running through Bolsa Chica during Surf City, but alas I was wrong). Anyhow, I thought the post race was poorly planned and left a lot to be desired. The post packet was a joke–wow thanks for this smashed banana!–and I felt like I was being shoved out of the way with nowhere to go once I crossed the line. After about 30 minutes of searching I found my friends but then the lines were too long to get food or drink. I did think that UPS did a great job handling our stuff and I got my pre race gear back easily and quickly
I also liked the pre race pickup, Friday was a breeze. I didnt do any shoppin at the Expo but I heard it was disappointing.
All in all, I’d say this is not the crown jewel of the Beach Cities Challenge; I much prefer Long Beach. I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, but I’d never run OC again.
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Submitted by Rocky Morales
May 7, 2012
Review
The OC Marathon truly is the Tale Of Two Cities…Newport Beach (Heaven) and Costa Mesa (Hell).
The first 9 miles of this race are beautiful with ocean views and beautiful homes. But, after about Mile 10 and especially from Mile 13 on, this course is as ugly as any out there. It is, without a doubt, my least favorite second half to any marathon out there.
This year there was a new addition to the course around Mile 17.5 and it was running through some school and it was not only unscenic but it was all concrete and seemed to last about 1/3 of a mile with all its twists and turns but there was plenty more unpleasant parts in the second half.
Pre-Race would’ve been great except for the 25 minute delay. Don’t drag runners out there for a 5:30am start only to delay the race until nearly 6am. Personally, I could’ve really benefited from either 25 more minutes of sleep or getting out of there 25 minutes early at the end. Plus, the sun only came out during my race in the last 1.5 miles and that would have been avoided with a timely start. For those running over a 4:30 pace, it meant 25 minutes of finishing the marathon in the warm sun whereas they would’ve been able to finish under the cover of the clouds had the race started as scheduled.
The post race seemed good enough, although I didn’t stick around. Fortunately, I didn’t face any trouble leaving the race finish but the half marathoners seemed to have a nightmare of a time trying to get out of the OC Fairgrounds.
Crowd support was ok on the course but the crowd support was non-existent in Newport Beach but at least we got the ocean views and beautiful homes in Newport Beach.
The aid stations were pretty good so no complaints there. Plenty of gatorade, water and gu was also present at a couple different aid stations.
Personally, I would only do the full again as a pacer, as I was this race, meaning my entry was covered. Otherwise, I’d steer well clear of the full and would stick to the half marathon, although I probably wouldn’t want to park in the assigned parking of the OC Fairgrounds but, rather, would park across the street at Costa Mesa City Hall where it would be much easier to get in and out of following the race.
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Submitted by Daniel Margolis
May 7, 2012
Review
The pre-race was fantastic. I usually dislike the logistics of point-to-point races because of the shuttles, but here, there was little to no line for parking, plenty of busses and a short ride, getting to the start with plenty of time. There were plenty of lavatories, with relatively short waits. The only problem was that the race started 15 minutes late, but that’s minor. The 5:45 start was great because it didn’t get hot and we didn’t have to worry about sunscreen.
The course was varied, having views of the ocean, ecological reserve, residential, commercial, the performing arts center, various parks, two upscale shopping malls, and a high school. Not boring at all. Not as flat as the website would have you believe, however. There were lots of small hills. Also, there were lots of turns, potentially increasing the distance for runners who ignore the tangents. The spectators were sparse, but very supportive. The aid stations were great. Lots of volunteers. Some of the mile markers were off. I was at 13.1 by mile 13, but at 16, I was only at 15.9 and by 18, I was exactly on, finishing at 26.27. The Garmin may have been inaccurate because of some long underpasses.
The post-race was not as good. At the finish line, you get water, but no recovery drink and a small bag of food. Usually you get more. The traffic out of the parking lot was really bad. I think because the race course was blocking most of the exits.
Overall, this was a really good experience. I would definitely do it again next year.
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Submitted by frazledmom5
May 6, 2012
Review
My review is for the FULL Marathon. Pre race was great! Smooth shuttle ride to the start, a big shout out to the hotel for offering a place to wait and REAL bathrooms. The one downside was the full started 15 minutes late, and the porta potties were too far from corral A so many people had to make a quick pit stop in the bushes. Although there were plenty at the start and near the shuttle buses in the morning.
Course support was EXCELLENT. Plenty of water stops staffed with friendly volunteers.
Second half of course scenic wise was a little dull.
Post race was a DISASTER. Finishing area was way too crowded. I finished in 3:14 only to find out the cold Gatorade went to the half marathoners. I ended up with a warm bottle of water and a bruised banana… seriously? Didn’t my marathon enrty entitle me to a Gatorade too?
After not being able to find anything on the race website regarding an awards ceremony, i asked several staff members if awards would be given out but couldn’t get an answer. The employee working the result computers finally told me NO…so, for the 2nd year in a row, after winning my AG and last year winning the Masters and this year winning AG and placing 2nd in Masters I went home EMPTY HANDED! This is the only race where I have placed and not received a medal, ect….
Last year, after emailing the organizers I eventually I received a check for the masters win only after arguing when I was told I didn’t win even though the posted results showed I did.
Post race both Surf City and Long Beach are better organized and long Beach is a much bigger event. (they manage to give awards out too)
Will I participate again? Probably not, getting burned twice….
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Submitted by Jackie
May 6, 2012
Review
I ran the 2012 OC Half Marathon.
Here are some of the highlights from expo:
1. Great venue site (OC fairgrounds)
2. Maybe it was just me but I felt like there was not that many free samples. I relish the opportunity to try new products and get discounts.
3. Some of my favorite vendors were NOT at this location.
4. Packet pickup at 4pm on Friday was painless. I did hear that Saturday pickup was a madhouse.
Here are some highlights from race day:
1. READ the ROAD CLOSURES in the Race day brochure!!!! It is super hard to drive your way in and out of this race on race day! (Arrived to OC fairgrounds right before road closures commenced. I struggled leaving because the drive route I took in was closed when I left.
2. The parking & shuttle to start line, Fashion Island, was painless and amazingly fast. I would recommend getting to shuttle service way sooner than the emails from OC marathon states. (I arrived at 4:30am)
3. Decent amount of port-a-potties close to start line.
4. I was happy that the corrals started on time!
5. The course was an amazingly scenic event. I thought Surf City was great but OC is by far a better route.
6. As with most races, there were walkers/slow people in the wrong corrals, but the course was wide in the beginning giving you leeway to fly past them.
7. There was just the right amount of water stations.
8. The first aid tents were a joke (seriously – I had a friend injured and no qualified personnel manning this tent!)
9. The Cliff gels ran out fast (This didn’t bother me because I don’t use this product, but I could see how it would upset others)
10. My friend is an ER nurse and was quite upset that there was no emergency personnel the last mile or two (The ‘danger zone’) According to her, having the Ambulances at the finish line only is not sufficient.
11. The ‘goodie’ bags you get at the finish line were sparse in comparison to other halfs I have run. I was GREATLY disappointed. Smooshed banana, partially opened package of Cliff Crunch, a packet of peanut butter, and Aqua Hydrate water. Heard my friend had the same supplies PLUS got a rice crispy – boo I didn’t
12. I was intimidated by the swarming crowds at the finish line. I was pushed a few times. OC really needs to MOVE THE PHOTO AREA AWAY from the ‘goodie bag area… Honestly poor POOR design.
13. Decent amount of booths and food selections at the fairgrounds.
14. Those boys from body armor rocks!!! Thanks for the drinks!!!
15. Weather was perfect most of the race. I was so very fortunate that the sun didn’t peek out until I already finished the race.
16. Not a lot of people cheering on the runners on the route and I was surprised by this. For me this is a part of the experience and I love the encouragement!
Would I do this race again next year?
PROBABLY NOT
We have so many races here in Southern California. I was impressed with the route but the experience after the race made me want to avoid this race in the future. There is a lot of great races I must conquer before contemplating returning to this event.
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Submitted by ononru
March 25, 2012
Review
THe course for the first 10 miles is stunning along the coast and back bay.After that it turned into the worst half marathon I have ever run. Running along the freeway and on a major street with the exhaust fumes was difficult breathing, avoiding cars in the parking lots of two major shopping centers and running along a street with gang detail police cars at every intersection was un-nerving. Probably the worst was the mile markers from mile 16 to mile 21 were off by up to 1/4 mile and the run along the banks of the concrete river were hot and dangerous with the on coming bicyles that were speeding without regard for the runners. The last three miles returned to neighborhood streets and was not too bad, but the trauma of the previous 10 miles was too much to bear. If you run this, run the half and enjoy a great morning.
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Submitted by Cubby
March 23, 2012
Review
Expo hard to get to, expensive to park and not enough vendors to make it worthwhile.
This was my 2nd full. I hated to see the back bay gone, but the sunstitution was good. The bike trail is awful – the cyclists seemed to enjoy trying to run us off the road. A lot of the Santa Ana is gone for 2012 so that should really improve the course.
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Submitted by fastrunner
February 28, 2012
Review
The course used to be a lot more beautiful when it went around the back bay. This was one of the biggest bonuses as it was a scenic course. Now, it mainly just winds through neighborhoods and that is a big downgrade, and although it may be fast, it’s pretty boring. A typical crowded start line as one finds in all marathons/halfs these days. Expo is pretty standard as well. The race requires shuttles to get to the start line now.
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Submitted by cfairing
February 28, 2012
Review
I train in the back bay and have done the OC half for the past two years. They changed the course last year from the year prior. In 2009, the course went along the back bay, which was pretty but it was very quiet with few to no spectators and it was crowded for the space. Last year, they opened up the course to be through the neighborhood. Course is so much faster with the open space. I ran a PR on this course for the half marathon, and will be racing it again this year. (I’m hoping to submit enough reviews here to win the registration!).
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Submitted by Caroline
February 27, 2012
Review
I ran the half marathon last year.
I have done 9 halfs in the area this one is not the best or the worst.
The course is OK….not enough of it by the water for my taste.
it is not as flat as they say it is…there’s some hilly spots on the course
one section is pretty narrow..it is impossible to pass anyone there.
Expo is OK.
Did not care for the finish at the fair.
post race was nothing special.
The shirt is nice and so is the medal.
Easy gear check and the start was very organized also
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Submitted by gavini
February 17, 2012
Review
ran it in 2009, Great race, even though I had a poor result. Course was really nice but lack of spectators and lack of entertainment make me drop it to B in that grade; i understand they have tweaked the course a little it a bit since then. plenty of volunteers at water stations, I was wondering if everyone got to the start line in time. A lot were waiting when I got on my bus and I only had a couple minutes to spare so dont wait until the last minute to get to the shuttle buses. It was billed as a net downhill, I think, but my Garmin said that it was slightly uphill. There were only a couple of hills in the whole thing though, and they were brief hills, like when the route went over the 405 Freeway. The first couple of miles were mostly downhill though.
The half-marathon splits at mile 12, which I like because it gives you more people to run with at the beginning.
Weather in ’09 couldn’t have been much better – 60 degrees and overcast at start. The sun came out after about 3:30 after the start gun.
Post-race food was sparse: bagels, bananas, chocolate milk, oranges and Clif Shot Blocs. That’s it. It’s a mostly quiet course, with no bands or music, and few fans. The course is good and diverse; we ran through parks, shopping malls, residential areas, by the ocean, and by the performing arts center, It had a little bit of everything. It was a big enough course that it thinned out quickly in the first few miles; I can’t remember a race where I had so little trouble passing people in the early going
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Submitted by socalrunner
December 27, 2011
Review
Pre-Race – plenty of bathrooms, great organization and new coral system helps ease congestion at start
Course – beautiful, scenic ocean-view course
Post-Race – I was handed a bag filled with goodies – banana, bars and Gatorade to replenish my body. Also, be sure to check out Wahoo’s village. It was fantastic!
Overall – great course, great value, and one of my best 1/2 marathons ever!
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Submitted by The Bear
December 27, 2011
Review
This is one of my favorite runs (and my first). The weather seems to always be good. The price is good and the support is awesome.
I do about 10 marathons a year and always look forward to this one.
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Submitted by Davefromphilly
December 26, 2011
Review
For this review, I completed the full marathon.
The Pre-race was organized pretty well. You can either be dropped off at Fashion Island, or take a bus from the OC Fairgrounds. I chose to take the bus because the finish line is at the OC Fairgrounds. The bus ride was about 15 minutes to the starting line, and I got there very early (4:45 am for a 6 am start). I would recommend getting there early because the starting line does get fairly crowded, and there was not a corral system when I ran it. Also, please note that the marathoners and the half marathoners started at the same time. I believe that has changed this year, and I am sure that will be a welcomed change.
The course itself was decent. The only major course problem is that the course bottle necks at Pacific Coast Highway when going to the back bay (this is around mile 4-5) I believe that this also will be changed this year as well…again, another welcomed change. The course was a flat course, some height changes due to going over freeway overpasses and what not. The marathoners and the half-marathoner run together on the same course, and the half marathoners split at Mile 12. This was good for me because my friend ran the half marathon and I ran with him for the first 12 miles. I would definitely recommend the course to a first time marathoner, since this was the first marathon that I completed.
The Post-race was the poorest of the three categories. After crossing the finish line, and running for nearly 5 hours, I was given a single bottle of water and a single Nutrigrain bar, and refused to give me more when I had asked. My wife had to run into the OC Fair Marketplace to get me a bottle of Gatorade and a fruit smoothie to get me back on my feet. Hopefully this will also be changed going to forward.
Overall, It was a good marathon experience, especially for a first-timer. It is fairly inexpensive compared to other marathons (I paid $95).
Follow me on Twitter @DavefromPhilly for my running experiences!!
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Submitted by runnerdude
December 22, 2011
Review
Poor logistics! Too much work just getting to and from race.
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