I had an awesome time running the Ramblas Run 2018. It was a great trail race that consisted of a half marathon (earlier start) and a 10k/5k (later start, together).

The trailhead is at the end of a residential area. They have people directing cars to park and everyone found spots. It was easy, though you might have to walk a smidge (maybe like, 0.1-0.2 miles, no big) to the start. But it was smooth. The start/finish area had a lot of bathrooms and space to hang around.

The course itself is frontloaded with a lot of really fun hills (I'm a hill runner so they were fun to me at least) during the first 2 miles - first mile up and rolling the next mile or so. The next couple miles were rolling with another steep hill. The back 2 were pretty cruisey with the last mile or so mostly downhill (one little up). There's a mix of fire road and single track - the single track was SO MUCH FUN! It felt like a roller coaster! Great course!

I THINK aid stations were good - aid station? I can't speak much to them, I grabbed an electrolyte at the first one (mile 2) and I know we crossed back to that one, but it's a little bit of a blur, I didn't use them after that first time.

The finish line was a little busy with 5k and 10k people coming in at the same time but the energy was super upbeat! There were great snacks and drinks at the finish as well as a few sponsors. Great atmosphere!

I can't wait to do this one again!

Sean O'Brien 50k is a hell of a race. I loved it. It was hard and the hills try to kick your ass. The atmosphere is electric. The people running are incredible. I am so happy I ran it.

The start times are varied depending on your race with 100k/50m starting earlier and the 50k and marathon starting together later. Either way, you start before the sun is truly up before it's really warm...which makes it an interesting race. 30s at the start, 70s/80 at the finish (that's California winters for you!). Parking is fine, if a little far away for the later start times. BRING CASH to pay for it!

The out and back course itself was AWESOME. It's a mix of single track, fire road, hills and rolling hills. It's open to the public, which leaves it clear of hikers in the morning but you may get some around midpoint. After a little downhill, the start is mostly grueling up, which means you finish on the downhill. There's a river crossing in the first couple miles, chilly but not gushing at the start and awesome to cool off in on the way back.

The aid stations were nicely situated (I'm pretty sure there were 3 that you hit twice) and really wondrously stocked with snacks, electrolyte drinks, water, energy chews, etc. Beyond that, I'm positive this race has the BEST VOLUNTEERS of any race I've ever run. They really look out for you and provide a smile and spark of enthusiasm that you need. Also, to deal with that temperature jump, everyone 50k and up can do a drop bag which you get at I think mile 13. Thank goodness! I went from long sleeve to tank top.

The finish line felt like a picnic! I stayed all day after I was done, hanging out, snacking, and watching the other runners come in.

I highly recommend this as a challenging 50k with an unbeatable atmosphere.

I appear to have had a different experience than many people during the Tokyo Marathon.

Pre-race/traveling abroad - I got in through the Run as One program. I recommend doing this if you're a little speedy! Helps you bypass the lottery! Once I got in, registering was easy and everything was mailed to me in good timing.

Expo - terribly disappointing. I didn't get to try as many new/unique products as there just didn't seem to be that mentality at the expo. It just wasn't as fun as many others I've been to.

Start line - I stayed at Shinjuku Main Hotel which was 2 blocks from the start. SUCH a great idea. Finding my way into my gate was a little difficult but I got there. I waited quite a while at a bathroom, I should have moved over to the Western Style Toilets line because it was shorter and moved quicker. The start line was not very warm, I was chilly and we had to wait there for a while. I think you had to be at your start area 45 minutes before the race started. There was a lot of standing around, unfortunately, unprotected from the cold and this didn't help me start well. The people I got to talk with were lovely though!

Course - The course was new for 2017 and, in all honesty, I was not terribly impressed with it. There were a lot of out and backs. It didn't feel like I was seeing very much for a while, just talk buildings. I wasn't as blown away by the scenery as I have been for other majors and definitely not as excited to see the area as I was just walking around Tokyo. There wasn't much elevation, mostly just a few bridges. The beginning of the course appeared to be slightly downhill, in and out of shade (don't take off your warm gear too quickly!). There were a LOT of bathrooms, some were right off the road and some were FAR!!!! I rarely stop but I got sick and the first one I went to was at least half a kilometer's worth of extra running. There were a lot of very good big stations, Pocari Sweat being the electrolyte drink. The course is lined with people cheering, which was uplifting! When I got sick and had to walk they cheered me on, which was nice.

Finish - everyone went off into a different chute so it was a bit easier than I have experienced before. Make sure that if you are meeting someone after the race you view the finish area and set a location!

Race swag - I love the shirt, I've worn it a bunch. They also gave a one-day unlimited metro card that you can use but not at all of the stations!

Overall - I'm glad I ran the race. It was a unique experience and I have many memories from it that I'll carry with me for a very long time. But I'm not so enthused that I want to run it again. I think it's probably a very good PR course and I'm disappointed I didn't get to take advantage!