After a hiatus in 2016, I returned to La Jolla Shores for my second running of the La Jolla Half Marathon. In 2015 I didn't really know what to expect, but this time I did, and that experience was extremely valuable. But let's get into the categories.

T-Shirts/SWAG - Let me say first that the race shirt from 2015 is one of my all-time favorite race shirts that I've received. Seriously, it's probably top two (along with the Halloween Hustle in IL). So this year's version had a lot to live up to. The shirt feels about the same, although I think it's a little heavier. Still, it's a good shirt that you could wear around, or while running. I LOVE the back, but am not as big of a fan of the front. It's an identical image to what the medal is, which isn't a bad thing, but I'm not a fan of the boxy design. As other BibRavers noted, the race had Trucker hats for sale as well, and it was an excellent item. Excellent.

Oh, and the bag all runners receive is nice too.

Expo Quality - The expo changed venues this year to the Hilton Del Mar, right across the street from the start. I thought this was so much better than the past location in Road Runner Sports. Parking was easier, and surprisingly there was more room to maneuver. I did find it funny that you picked up your bib at one corner of the expo, and had to walk across the entire expo to get to your shirt pick-up. Good planning, expo peeps. But really, the expo was very good and well stocked! I picked up some nice USA running gear over here as well. Like I said, definitely busy, but so much better than before.

Parking/Access - Last time I had a friend drop me off at the start, so I didn't have to deal with the parking. This year, I didn't have that luxury, so I was on my own. Since I had to be in Anaheim by 1, I decided it would be prudent to park at the finish and ride the shuttle to the start in Del Mar. The race email stated that runners needed to be in line for the buses by 5:30. Naturally, to me, that meant be in line by 5. So I rolled into La Jolla plenty early. There's lots of street parking in the city, and most of it is a downhill walk, only a coupe blocks, to where the buses were. Super easy!

Race - I'm going to roll elevation, the race, and scenery into this bad boy. The race starts you out at the Del Mar fairgrounds. After looping around the outside of the fairgrounds (about a mile) you get some running with views of the coast before diving into some of the neighborhoods. Here, you have a decent amount of up and down on city streets. The crowd support is probably the best here out of the whole race! You get a wicked uphill climb that takes you right up to mile 4, but that's the only big climb in the first part of the race. After that, you get my second favorite part of the race. A nice sloping downhill down to the coast, with a beautiful view of the bluffs of Torrey Pines park over looking the ocean. Great views, and the downhill feels great after the up and downs of the first 5 miles.

But as I said, you can see Torrey Pines. This is where the race sends you up one of the largest hills you will run in a road race. Make sure you hit the aid station before Torrey Pines, because there isn't one in the park. The climb is a brutal one, that's for sure. The best advice I have heard is to not worry about speed going up the hill, just attempt to keep the same turnover. You'll lose time on the hill no matter what, just don't burn yourself out. Knowing what was coming, I ran this hill like an ultra. Run most, power-walk the super steep part. I ran the hill slower than last time, but felt worlds better after.

I think the hill deserved it's own section. Part 3 of the race is when you're up on the hill. If you look at the elevation chart, you might think you get up the hill, and then it's easy. Wrong. You get some nice rolling hill action for the next 2-3 miles before descending. Remember what I said about not killing yourself on the hill? This is why. It's a mostly straight section of road, and while you do gradually go downhill, you'll be going up quite a bit too. If you're a big competitor, this is a prime spot to pass tons of others who gave a little too much to the hill.

And that brings us to part four. Just before you hit mile 10, you start the descent out of Torrey Pines. This is about 1.5 miles of downhill. It's a great way to get some speed back up, stretch your legs, and get going downhill. This propels you into mile marker 11 on the boardwalk along the beach. There's some foot traffic from pedestrians here, but it isn't bad. This is another good place to make some race moves if you need to. The beach really flies by since you have a lot of momentum coming down the hill. The last mile of the race gets you back into some neighborhoods, which also brings the return of some hills. You get the second largest climb of the race in the last half mile. Seriously. Be ready for this. Your reward? A speedy downhill finish into La Jolla Cove where the water, beer, and guac awaits.

Overall - Love this race! A challenging course with amazing scenery and phenomenal management. I'm lucky that work sends me out to Cali every year around the time La Jolla is run, so I can do it. I'm normally not a fan of a "destination race" unless it's 26.2 or further. But I would run La Jolla as a destination Half.