This race is very small - limited to only 500 runners. I really enjoy smaller races because there's less pressure to PR, they cost less, there are fewer people on the race path, and they make great training races.

The Operation Jack Marathon & Half Marathon raises money for a great cause - Autism. It's right on the beach at Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles. There's no expo, and bibs and t-shirts are given out prior to the start. The medal is awesome. It's looks like a huge military dog tag. By far, one of the best medals I've received. The prizes are fantastic too. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each age group for both the marathon and half marathon are given a hand painted picture done by a child or adult with autism. They don't block off the bike path for the race, but since this race is the day after Christmas, there aren't a ton of other folks on the path.

The course goes north first, starting right out of the parking lot. It goes down the bike path and turns up the river path until the turnaround at mile 4.5. You return up the bike path going past the start line for another 2.5 miles and then turnaround to finish the race. The full marathon doubles this path. The elevation is minimal. There's a small dip and rise around mile 3, and then an incline before mile 9 and mile 12, but you get the downhill on each side as well.

I highly recommend this race for anyone visiting or local for the holiday seasoning. It helped me stay on track with my training throughout the holidays and forced me to be healthier than I would've normally.