Fun race. I did not visit the expo (its a bit of a drive) but had my bib mailed to me. I had to get a t-shirt after the race because they did not mail t-shirts only bibs, luckily I was still able to get my size after the race.

The course is nice with some great views of some primo surfing spots. But be aware that the course is not all coastline and you will not always see the beach. Unfortunately the waves were pretty dead that year. Although there were lots of surfers in the water they were mostly just sitting waiting on the next big wave. The weather was very chilly at the start but warmed up fairly nicely durning the race. The finish line really can't be seen and finishes in the sand on the beach, which was kind of neat but unexpected for someone who had never run it before. You actually passed by the start line when heading back and made me (and others) kind of wonder where the finish actually was. Otherwise it was a nice race.

I would have done it again in 2017 but won't be able to make it happen.

Parking is decent right at the Santa Cruz boardwalk parking lot, close to the start. Just be there early enough to get parking. There is also street parking available. The end party was so-so.