The OC Marathon to me is a low key marathon (meaning not all the bells and whistles of a world major marathon). However, that doesn't mean it isn't great! It is small, but well done! I liked how I could easily park at the start and that there weren't too too many entrants.

I PRed this race in 2016 and I think its largely due to the fact that its a smaller race where you can truly find your rhythm and just run your pace. You will not see crowds (except at the end), you will not see many runners at times near you, but you will not be over crowded at the start. The course itself has some hills but nothing too bad. It winds through Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, and around those areas.

All in all, if you live in SoCal, its a good marathon to do without having to travel to get to it. I'm not sure if I'd travel in for it as a destination marathon as I think there are other marathons that would be more scenic in terms of the sights and sounds of California.