Summary:
This race features the best of Oakland on a relatively fast & flat course. If you are looking to PR your 5K or Half - this is the race to do it! I PR'd my 5K & 2 of my teammates PR'd their Half!
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Packet PickUp:
There were 2 options for Packet Pick-Up: Expo In A Box or In Person. The Expo In A Box included all kinds of goodies like BibBoards & Oakland A's tickets - but I wanted to go In Person. This was my first time in Oakland & I always want to pick up some fuel, etc at the local running store. The Sports Basement (Berkley) is HUGE! I mean they have everything that you could possibly want for running. As soon as I entered I was immediately greeted & instructed to follow the signage to Packet Pick Up. There was no line so grabbing Bibs & shirts was easy. I grabbed a few items for Race Day since they were offering a 20% discount to anyone who showed their Oaktown Bib!

Swag/Extra:
Once you finished your race, a volunteer was there to meet you with not only Honey Singer & Bananas but Mason Jars with the Oaktown Half logo! If you were like me & ran both races - you now have a set of matching Mason Jars! :D The t-shirts, which were received at Packet Pickup, were by a local shop - Oaklandish. Although they ran a little small, they are super comfy & cute - including the Oaklandish logo on the back.
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Course:
For the Half, the course was set right in the heart of Oakland, taking us around Lake Merritt & passing by such landmarks as Jack London Square & The Fox. The 5K was fast with a slight elevation, taking us quickly through downtown & back to City Hall with a quick downhill towards the finish.

Medal(s):
I was beyond thrilled when the team at Oaktown Half announced that they were not only going to include a 5K, but that it would be apart of a Challenge Series! The medals are of good weight & thickness with an incredibly colorful design. On the back, there is an area for you to have your name & time engraved. With completing the Challenge Series - I received 3 medals. One for the 5, one for the Half & one HUGE medal for completing both the races for a total of 16.2 Miles!