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Submitted by Davefromphilly
December 17, 2012
Review
This was the first time that I had run the Xterra Series in Crystal Cove in a few years and the course has changed a lot from prior years, and I believe for the better! The course has 2 fairly modest climbs, and then what is known by my friends as “The Wall”. At the Wall, the runners come to a complete stop and sort of become mountain climbers. The incline is very steep, but you will feel a sense of accomplishment after completing the Wall. The Wall occurs at about mile 5-6, and after that, it is rolling hills, and a pretty steep decline before crossing the finish line. I HIGHLY recommend this course if you are into trail-running. It was a definitely change of pace for me. Not to mention that the views are incredible! I had run the Rock N Roll Vegas Marathon the weekend before and the run definitely helped me to stay on track for my next race (Surf City). Also, the post race is the BEST post race that I have ever been a part of. Xterra offers you a full breakfast after the run, and they raffle off prizes as well. I even got a chance to meet and hang out with the people from the Race Grader website. They are a great group of people, and they also raffled off a free entry to a future race. Keep up the great work!!!
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Submitted by Rock
January 6, 2012
Review
The Xterra series is the best and the Crystal Cove race is awesome. Extremely well run and organized. The course is challenging but really a lot of fun. They changed the course this year a few days before the race and caught most everybody by surprise. Still a good course but I think I liked the old course a bit better. We’ll see what happens for next year. All in all still my favorite race. Beautiful terrain and great views. You can’t go wrong with this race.
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Submitted by mid pack
December 22, 2011
Review
I love the Xterra race series. I have done the Crystal Cove race for the last 4 years. This year they changed the course for the better. Packet pick up is race day and no problems. Except for the parking…get there early to get a spot. The course starts with a pretty flat run until you hit “Mach 1” (our name prob not official). Major climb up about 3/4 of a mile. Then down, up, single track(steep and more like hiking in parts), down, then up “THE WALL”. This hill is more like rock climbing at first and then goes on for another half mile or so….I wish I could’ve seen the leader take this hill and see how they did. From there it’s a gradual climb to the peak or high point. Then you get your reward..A 3-4 mile fast finish. Mostly downhill with great ocean views as you finish towards the Pacific Ocean. It’s a little steep at parts so you need to be careful not to turn an ankle. The course is 15K instead of 17K but I like it alot better than the previous course. Medals are average at best (unless your top 3 in your age group). But the T shirts are the best i’ve seen from any race. I still wear shirts from 3 years ago! Great race and very well organized. The race announcer also gets my vote for “best around”…very entertaining.
