For Charity races, everyone normally runs to raise money and awareness for a certain cause. Not many of these types of races will include the racing swag that a normal race or marathon would include (i.e. medal, shirt, etc...) however this race raises money for charity and you get awesome race swag for running the race. Not only does this race offer a solid 5k/10k race but you are running through the amusement park; Knotts Berry Farm! Its not everyday that you get to run a race through an amusement park (without the Rundisney prices) and where a portion of your registration fee goes towards helping the Kids of Speech and Language Development Center. Not only that but you also get awesome swag such as; a nice Snoopy medal, a race shirt, discount towards a Knotts ticket, and a slice of Knott's famous Boysenberry pie! Awesome perks of a charity run.
The race day begins with driving to the amusement park start line, for race day packet pickup and start line warmups. Traffic is a bit heavy, especially since it is an amusement park so you should leave early to allow for plenty of time to arrive on time. Parking is free for race participants and is readily available for all! That is a major plus in my book. Packet pickup is easy and in alphabetical order, where race volunteers are waiting to happily assist you at any moment. After packet pickup you head to the start line with great music to pump you up, and you get in your desired pace wave. The start line does get crowded towards the start of the race so try to be in as early as possible. So far a great prerace start!
Mile 0-1 This mile consists of running through the parking lot, to the marketplace, to the back of the park in Camp Snoopy. Mile 1 is very scenic, past the parking lot, and be prepared to see roosters along the race course and theme park workers cheering for you along the way. There is something serine about running through a theme park in cool weather before it's opening hours. Have fun with this mile.
Mile 1.1-2 This mile continues to take you through Knotts Berry farm, through ghost town, the boardwalk, Excelerator, Wilderness and even hidden parts of the park. This part is very fun to run around because of the continued course through the beautiful theme park. Keep it Going!
Mile 2.1-3.1 This last 5k mile will take you out of Knotts Berry Farm and lead you to Knotts Soak City! Racers will be able to run through a waterless soak city and check out the park's perspective from their! After Soak City it is time to head for the finish line, you can make it as swift as possible, or enjoy the race and just relax at a smooth pace. Either way it is very possible to PR in this Race. As soon as you exit Soak City Speed up to finish the race in great time!
At the finish line enjoy your Boysenberry pie and your new Coaster medal! Hope you had a great race, run the next years to come and Fear No Distance Athletes!

Need a little Christmas cheer in your racing life? Interest in claiming a Christmas Medal? Well the Run for a Clause 5k is the perfect race for you. With this race you pay for your registration or raise money for a charity of your choice. Perfect race for the Jolly Holidays. A great race brought to you by the OC Marathon.
The morning of race day begins with driving to UC Irvine. For the race course consists of going through the university campus. Traffic is a bit slow the closer you get to the race. So leave early for enough time to make it to the race on time. Once you get through the traffic parking is enough for everyone in the parking structures. The campus is beautiful and scenic, filled with trees and nice brick walk ways. Packet pick-up is easy to find and bib pick up is easy to claim. Helpful volunteers are their for your assistance. Free hot chocolate and cookies are their for your enjoyment. Free coffee mugs for all and the Great Santa makes an appearance for all the kiddos! Its a lot of fun for the whole family. The start line is located in the center of UC Irvine.
Mile 0-1: the start of the race is nice and wide. all the racers have enough room to run in their own space. Walkers are in the back in this race which is a first in my opinion. You pass by nice school fountains, and class buildings such as the Hall of Science. Trees and nature included.
Mile 1.1-2: This is the most gorgeous mile through the campus. One water stop is included in this mile. Passed the class rooms and dorms you make it to the nature part of the campus. Nature trails, logs, ponds and gorgeous big trees is what you will see on this mile. Yes there are bathrooms during the race. Cool weather during the race as well.
Mile 2.1-3.1 This mile consists of more nature and back on to the second part of the campus. Along with the turnaround to the finish line. I was truly impressed with the beauty of this campus which is what I find most worth of this race. The scenery alone makes the race worth it. At about mile 2.8 this is the part where you want to start sprinting if you are in it for the PR. This race is flat for the most part but there are some tiny hills along the course. Go for that PR athletes!
At the finish line of the race is more race swag such as a new cheerful medal and a santa hat with a beard included. So everyone can be cheerful on this holiday run. This is a great Christmas run for the whole family and even raise money for charity. Remember when you run for a cause, you run for a clause!
Fear No Distance Athletes!

Training for the Surf City Marathon or Half Marathon? Want a taste of the race course? Or maybe you want to run a nice October race with good views and nice race swag. If any of these describe you, then the Surf City 10 race is the perfect race for you. This Racing event even offers a Halloween costume competition event. Perfect for Holiday Racers.
Like the Surf City Marathon, finding parking for this race is easy to find, while the traffic is a bit lighter compared to the marathon event. Packet pickup is available the morning of the race. Easy line formation and helped by very kind volunteers. Bib design is great and the running material shirts are great pieces of race swag at packet pickup. (yes there is a finishers medal.) Like the Marathon there is a superb race environment and feel for the race. Great race announcers and your around positive runners who want to have as much fun as you want to. The race is literally the exact same course that the Marathon runs along. You continue to get the beautiful views of the ocean and waves of Surf City. No matter what race you are running whether its the 5k, 10k, or the 10 miler it is a straight race course with one turnaround. No hills and nothing too challenging. Great views, cool weather, plenty of entertainment, water stops and fun on Highway 1! On the final stretch of the race you can definitely push yourself to claim a new PR. At the finish line you will claim your gorgeous surf board cork opener medal. The medal is truly a one of a kind and a relative to the Surf City Marathon Medal. Be sure to stick around for the Halloween Costume contest after the race and have some fun at the finish line party! If you are looking for practice, need an October race, a chance to PR, or just looking to have some fun with great race swag. This is definitely the perfect race on Highway 1!
Fear No Distance Athletes!