Pre-race was a good. Parking was what you can expect in San Diego. We parked a few blocks away, but it was free & not too difficult. I loved being able to pick up my bib at the race which so many are beginning to shy away from. There was no wait. There were a TON of booths & vendors which was so fun. It’s already neat to walk around the PB beach, the vendors made it unreal fun.
The race itself was AWFUL. I’ve done many 5ks, half marathons, obstacles, relays, & this was the worst by far. It’s was a crowded race, so running the in the sand was almost a fight for survival: walkers blocked the middle as they usually do because they don’t care about anyone but themselves so the actual runners had either run very close to the water or on the very slanted dry sand on the edge, which you can imagine is very challenging. It was not very well blocked off. Yes, it’s a public beach, but with no staff along the path, the public had no respect for the race. We were jumping over children & sand castles, weaving around gawkers walking as slow as possible across our path to get to the surf.
The worst part yet though was when we ran up to the boardwalk itself. It was lovely getting back on hard ground, but again, there was almost no support or blockage from the public. Runners were struggling to avoid beach cruisers, walkers, dogs, & the general public. The path is a two lane style bike sidewalk, and at some point a frantic volunteer came running up and down yelling at us to stick the inside lane, which had all spread out from since it was so narrow & there were so many other pedestrians.
This all could have been solved with well placed volunteers with some level of enthusiasm so as to merit respect & distance from the public. Rather, the neighborhood seemed to look at us as if they had never seen a race before & didn’t know what to do. It was like sitting in traffic because there’s a huge wreck: everyone wants to gawk. To have a race at such a popular San Diego location, there must be logistical support to keep it SANE.
The music was cool. The medal was cool. The beach itself is beautiful.
I would NOT recommend this race.