This is a fun, chip-timed race held in Mission Beach on the hard, packed sand. Packet pick-up was the day before at Movin Shoes in Pacific Beach. Here, I picked up my bib number, swag bag and t-shirt. They were also offering a discount on merchandise purchased this day. The race has an early start time to account for low tide, but parking was very easy as this was a pretty small event.
Since the event is held on the beach, there is obvious beautiful scenery and it's always peaceful to run along the beach. Water/Gatorade was offered at the halfway mark and there were some friendly volunteers along the way for support.
We were met at the finish line with a medal and snacks. Awards were given to the first-place finishers in each age category. There was a DJ pumping music and Zumba instructor along with a few vendors that kept the energy levels high. We were given coupons for a free margarita at Café Coyote in Old Town. I really enjoyed this race and I recommend doing it with a couple of friends to make it even more enjoyable. It's a small race and run on packed sand, so you could possibly PR here (not many participants, so less zig-zagging).
I do have a few suggestions: 1. Add the location/date to the finisher medal. 2. Offer margaritas immediately after the race or from a restaurant within walking distance of the event (Old Town is a 10 minute drive). 3. Offer women's and men's sizes in the tank tops or inform the participants that the shirts run a bit large. I would do this race again because I enjoy running on the beach and I love margaritas! ;)