Latest reviews by Fallon C

(2024)
"Scottsdale but local"
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Unfortunately I was unable to make it to Scottsdale to run in person this year. However I was still able to participate and run the 10K virtually in my home town.
I was able to map out my own course which I tried to have end at a ball field but I failed as the field is no longer there, oops. I loved that the incentive of running a virtual race meant I pushed a little harder for that 10k than I would have on my own.
The race swag that was sent was nice. A nice tech shirt with a design on the front and the number 24 on the back like a baseball jersey. The medal was nice medal, good design with some heft to it. And the bib as well, I appreciate when a virtual race doesn't skimp on mailing the bibs out. I like to track my finish times on the back.

Hopefully next year, I can make it to Scottsdale in person.

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(2023)
"Bay Views for Days"
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I love the Monterey Bay Half. The scenery alone makes this course worth running. It is very well organized and the perfect size- around 9000 people.
The race course runs through Monterey and Pacific Grove and the ocean views are just amazing. It was a bright, sunny day and the ocean looked amazing. The aid stations were amazing- tons of water, electrolyte, Vaseline and Gu's. All the stations were all well staffed as well. Music artists were spaced out along the course as well- better than my headphones. Mile 3 took runners through a tunnel that was turned into a mini rave, complete with dancing dinosaurs . It was awesome.
The race started on time but I was in Corral J and it was about 15 minutes before we crossed the start line. The finish line has all the treats organized and given to you in a box by helpful volunteers.
The course had minimal inclines and was runner/ walker friendly. Crowd support was pretty impressive as well. This year's medal was a ceramic medallion with what looks like a humpback whale otter and is awesome.
The expo was medium sized and had a good array of vendors. The shirt was a nice long sleeve tech shirt. If you’re looking for great race swag to buy, Monterey Bay Half has some of the best.
This is a race I would gladly run again.

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(2023)
"A Running Tour of Oakland"
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Registration-
Available online until the day before the race and available at the expo.
Communication-
Once I registered, I received 1-2 emails a month detailing race information. Race week was another story, I got an email every day with updates.
Expo-
The expo was located in Snow Park and was a good size. I scored some swag from previous year’s races for a good deal.
Races-
The race offered a full marathon, half marathon, and 5k. There was also a We Run This Town challenge with an extra medal for running the half and 5k on the same day.
Race morning-
The half had a late start of 9:00AM. I was able to walk to the race start from my hotel.
The race started on time with self seeded corrals. The start led us down past Lake Merritt and then into the streets of downtown Oakland. I love the street art and murals that Oakland has to offer. The race takes runners out to the Jack London area before coming back downtown. There was a long out and back along Broadway that may have broken my brain a little, haha.
Post race-
Once across the finish line, runners were handed a variety of snacks as they made their way through the chute. In theory. I was a slower runner so there weren't a lot of food options left. I did get a cool little bag to carry everything in. My brother had finished the full a couple hours before and said there were more food choices.
Aid stations-
There were aid stations with water and Gatorade every few miles. They were always well staffed and organized. And they were great at cheering for the runners too.
Elevation-
In my opinion, this is a flat race. However Broadway was very noticeable as a long, slow hill.
Swag-
Every runner received a race specific long sleeve shirt, and an awesome medal that looked like one of the murals that Oakland offers.
Overall, I really do love this race. I do wish it had an earlier start time- 9:00 is just so late and I love sleeping in but still wish it was earlier.

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(2022)
"Running Down Yosemite"
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I have been trying to run a Vacation Races race since before the pandemic. I think I have deferred either voluntarily or due to COVID for 3-4 different races. Oops.

I drove up to Yosemite on Friday before the race and found the expo with no issues at Bass Lake. I lucked out that my hotel was one of the shuttle stops so other than the 3AM wake up call, race morning was easy. Note- if you get car sick- keep your eyes closed on the shuttle.
It dropped us off at the start in the cold, dark woods. The announcers were trying to keep everyone’s spirits up and there were plenty of porta-potties.

This race did something very smart- they started the slower runners and walkers first. I’ve always wondered why other races don’t do that.

The first 5 miles are on a nice dirt road winding through the forest. I was in runner's heaven. Around mile 3ish, you start downhill and the next 7 miles are mostly downhill. I was loving the downhill and all the views but knew I was probably going to pay for this fun. And I did- miles 10-13 were mostly flat with a few rollers around Bass Lake to the finish but the rollers felt huge. And I like hills.
The end brings you back into Bass Lake for a gorgeous finish line. The volunteers hand you an awesome medal and box filled with goody’s. Yay!

The only nightmare was the shuttle home. Our driver got horribly lost, 7 miles turned into over an hour and I am not sure if they ever figured it out because I hopped out at a stopping point and was going to walk back, ha!

But, I would definitely run this race again.

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(2022)
"Berkeley Trail Adevnture"
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The 35K started first with the 50K’ers and then I had some time to wait before the half and then the 10K started. The half ended up starting 15 minute early so I thought maybe the 10K would but nope. We started on time, which normally is great, I was just confused, ha!

The race started by running up a little hill and then through the parking lot to get to the trails. I am torn on how I feel about these trails; parts I loved and other parts felt like I was in someone’s backyard. Because we kind of were. Parts of the trail backed up to a neighborhood or overlooked a golf course. Other parts made you feel like you were in the woods far away from civilization.
A look at the course elevation showed that we climbed for 3 miles and then ran downhill for 3. The incline didn’t look too steep- my favorite kind of course. The first 2 miles lived up to the course profile. I was feeling decent about the hills and making decent power hike time.

Then the last part of the hill to mile 3 killed me. I felt like parts were vertical and was trying to figure out where the hell this had been on the elevation profile. I was dying. I felt a little better when what looked like a super fit half marathon runner passed me – they were moving slightly fast than me but also showed they were struggling. Solidarity.

The race finished with some pretty good downhills and they hand you a great medal once crossing the finish line. There was a good variety of food options as well and runners could pick up their shirts as well.
All in all , this was a great trail race.

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