2016 was my first year running this race, which is the first of three races in the "Run the Bay" series. (The three races are based on the heritage Bay Area area code-s--408 in San Jose, 415 in San Francisco/Marin, and 510 in the Oakland-East Bay area.) I'm proud to be an Ambassador for this series by Represent Racing because even though I love my out-of-town races, there are so many awesome races in the San Francisco bay area--north, south, and east!

Expo/Bib Pickup:
The race had multiple packet pickup options. Unfortunately Google Maps betrayed me, so I missed the San Francisco event. Packet pickup at Santana Row came with a mini-expo (appropriate to the size of the race, about 12-15 booths). Fortunately it was in a covered area, as San Jose was getting some much-needed rain the day before the race. There was a booth for the Pat Tillman Foundation, the race's official charity partner, as well as some local businesses, the Represent Running shop, and Under Armour, brand of the race shirts and sponsor of the Ambassador program. There was a pre-race background/backdrop to take pics with your bib, as well as a poster with critical race-day information on it (like where to park on race day).

Parking/Access:
I'm not going to lie, I parked at a friend's house and walked to the start and from the finish. That was mainly to avoid post-race traffic. There is ample parking for a small fee, and many people met their friends and family at the finish line.

Starting Line:
It turned out to be a bright, sunny day! I had packed a bag of dry clothes, which I handed off to UPS (but ended up not needing). The starting line had the usual steel framed set-up, an announcer, some rock 'n' roll, and more porta potties than you dreamed possible. Lots of groups met up for photographs, and there were tons of families there to cheer on the start. The corrals were largely self-regulating, as there were no volunteers checking bibs and bouncing folks. Even though there were corrals printed on the bibs, runners adjusted themselves both forward and back as appropriate. (I have no idea how the corrals were determined. It might have been random. But this was a group of reasonable people--not insane Disney runners who all wanted to be in Corral A--so the faster runners moved up and the rest of us moved back. This turned out REALLY well. I didn't see anyone causing a road block, or any faster runners bowling over the slower ones.)

Race Course:
The course is flat, and since 8k is basically 5 miles, it's a good intermediate distance for people who have done a 5k and want a little more challenge. The course is open long enough that you can enjoy it even if you are a slow runner or a walker. It's also a good distance for kids who have done a 5k and want some more distance.

Scenery:
The course is point-to-point, and ends at Santana Row (hence the moniker, "race to the Row"). I think the course shows off some of the cooler parts of San Jose, including neighborhoods surrounded by blooming trees and the Rosicrucian Museum. (That said, I don't live there, so reasonable minds may disagree.) Have you seen that viral video where there is a WWII vet in uniform, and all these runners run over one at a time to stop and thank him? That's THIS race. This year there was a memorial mile, with military servicemen and women there high-fiving runners and cheering. For a race benefiting the Pat Tillman Foundation, that was perfect. The last segment is the mariachi mile, celebrating the Hispanic (and more specifically, Western-Central Mexico where mariachi music originated) heritage of San Jose. About a half dozen different mariachi groups were stationed throughout the mile, just far enough away from one another that they didn't compete with each other or cause cacaphony.

I would have liked the first aid station to be closer to the start (I got up early, and was ready for water before I hit the first one), but other than that, the aid stations were well-staffed and had plenty of water.

Shirts and swag:
The shirts are Under Armour, good quality. This year's design incorporates a shark fin (for the San Jose Sharks!) and the road. The medal has a little built-in foot or base, so it can stand up independently. The design is beautiful, and the shark fin is glittery, which is a lot of fun. The medal is on a wide, custom ribbon. Overall, one good-looking piece of bling!

Finish Line and Post-Race:
The finish line area has the usual amenites (announcers, steel framed/bannered race finish, balloon arch, timing mats, photographers, bottled water). There is a short walk from the finish line to the medals, and then another short walk to the parking area where the gear check, food chute, and party are located. This is a good way to alleviate any congestion in the race area (which you must appreciate if you've ever finished and had to come to a screeching halt because there is a mob of people in front of you). After getting my medal, I grabbed my checked bag (I had planned for rain, but we got gorgeous and sunny weather instead!). The food chute had both individual goodie bags (snacks, etc. in a reusable tote) and boxes of sliced bananas.

The reunion/party area had booths for multiple charities, health-related groups, and local sports teams. There was music, and the San Jose Sharks had a hockey shoot-out area for the kids. The San Francisco 49s mascot was there for photos and dancing. Several booths had contests or giveaways, and since the runners already had bags (the goodie bags had some room in them), it was pretty neat and tidy.

Many of the shops and restaurants at Santana Row had race-day-only specials, with many restaurants donating a portion of their proceeds to the Pat Tillman Foundation.There was also a post-race yoga class at one shop, but I didn't found out about it until after it was over. I would have liked to have the Santana Row brochures (that the security force were handing out after the race) available at packet pick-up. It also would have helped us plan the Ambassador meetup, as our first location--which we chose for its support of the Pat Tillman Foundation--was overflowing and we didn't know what all of the other available options were.

Overall:
A fun run at a shorter distance with a community-feel and amenable, friendly runners.