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.
