This is the first race I broke a 2 hour half marathon. Even with all the hills! This race was very beautiful. You're pretty much running along the beach the whole time. The race starts at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, goes through Capitola and ends on the beach back near the Boardwalk.
I've never really had problems running hills so I may not be the best at judging the difficulty, but this was a hilly course. The views really make up for it though. Especially running into Capitola & through that cute little town.
From what I remember the course was managed pretty well. There is the Surfer's Path Marathon that is run with this race also. Parking can be difficult but if you get there early enough it isn't too bad.
My favorite part of this race was, obviously, the views. Ending the race on the beach was pretty cool too :)
I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a challenge (hills) and an overall fun race.