Summary:
If you are looking to PR your 5K, this race is it! Fast, Flat & Scenic the route takes you along the Pacific Coast & finishes with a nice downhill for your speediest 5K yet! For the All Day 20K - you run 4 separate races. For the 5K, you run 1 of the 4 Races with your Age Group. The First 250 Finishers in each Age Group also receive an Extra Medal!
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Packet PickUp:
The Expo was outdoors & in the center of the event! I was super late due to the usual LA to San Diego traffic, but other than that the folks at the Rock n Roll Marathon Series have packet pick up down to a science! I received my Bib number prior, so I stepped into line, showed my ID & had my Bib. Then you walk through the Expo to get your Race Shirt. There are plenty of sizes & they do allow you to swap if neccessary. Now this is where things get tricky. I purchased a VIP Package, but no one could tell me where to pick up my wristband. Luckily, there was a list & wristbands available at the VIP area when I arrived on Race Day.
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Swag/Extra:
I HIGHLY recommend the VIP Package if you are running this race. Typically I cannot justify the extra cost, but for this event it totally makes sense! Since the 4 different 5Ks are by Age Group, you have to wait for your heat. If you are running all day, you will want a nice, warm place to hang out in between races. This year VIP was held at Paon Restaurant & it was awesome! Free food, drinks & clean bathrooms. VIP Gear Check was so easy that I was able to grab my bag in between each race for anything I needed. As a general tip - If you are attending a Rock n Roll event, I suggest waiting until Race Day to purchase your momentos - as they tend to markdown merch 50% Off or more on Race Day. I was able to pick up 2 shirts, a Pint Glass & 2 Enamel Pins for all under $25.00. As for the Participant Shirts - 5Kers received Short Sleeve while the All Day 20Kers received Long Sleeves. At the end of the race you are greeted to a receiving line where you get your medal (5K Only), have your picture taken & then proceed to grab a bottle of water, a bottle of Gatorade Endurance, a bag of pretzels & a banana. For the last race of the day there were also PowerCrunch bars. For the All Day 20K, the medals were given in a separate area (which I didn't like) along with a branded towel.
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Course:
When they market this course as the fastest 5K - they are right on! The course has minimal elevation & a short downhill at the end ensures a speedy finish!

Medal:
This year, all the Rock n Roll Series medals are Guitar Picks. For shorter distances, like the 5K, its a large disk. At all Rock n Roll events you can get your medal engraved, as the back of the medals already have the Name & Time fields on them.