I love the Monterey Bay Half. The scenery alone makes this course worth running. It is very well organized and the perfect size- around 9000 people.
The race course runs through Monterey and Pacific Grove and the ocean views are just amazing. It was a bright, sunny day and the ocean looked amazing. The aid stations were amazing- tons of water, electrolyte, Vaseline and Gu's. All the stations were all well staffed as well. Music artists were spaced out along the course as well- better than my headphones. Mile 3 took runners through a tunnel that was turned into a mini rave, complete with dancing dinosaurs . It was awesome.
The race started on time but I was in Corral J and it was about 15 minutes before we crossed the start line. The finish line has all the treats organized and given to you in a box by helpful volunteers.
The course had minimal inclines and was runner/ walker friendly. Crowd support was pretty impressive as well. This year's medal was a ceramic medallion with what looks like a humpback whale otter and is awesome.
The expo was medium sized and had a good array of vendors. The shirt was a nice long sleeve tech shirt. If you’re looking for great race swag to buy, Monterey Bay Half has some of the best.
This is a race I would gladly run again.