This was my first Disney race - and I decided to go into the Double Dare challenge of a 10k and a half marathon. After hemorrhaging money for race fees and a hotel, I arrived in Anaheim.

Race expo/bib pickup: Bib pickup was a bit chaotic with a lot of waiting in line. All half marathoners needed to get their photos taken, which was a bit odd. I assume it was security paranoia, but you never know. But the line moved somewhat fast and I was able to get my bags for both the 10k and the half (and 3 shirts, yay.)

10k: The 10k involved getting up early and going to the park even earlier. I sort of figured going in that this race wouldn't involve a good pace at all, but I was looking forward to running through the park. There was a heavy security presence at the start, and we gathered into our corrals. The race went off fairly smoothly, with the typical Disney sunshine injection before most of us had our coffees.

The race itself was nice - lots of twists and turns and generally slower runners and there were characters for you to stop and take photos with. Most of them were the newer Disney characters and I didn't see Goofy. I mean, c'mon. Goofy was MIA. Must have been on vacation. Ample enough water stops and they shot you out quickly after the race because the park has to open.

The Half: Same - early morning rise, early morning start and we were organized fairly well - it's no Chicago marathon in terms of clearing the sheer volume of runners, but it worked ok. The course was fairly nice through the streets of Anaheim. The highlight for me was running through Angels Stadium and seeing the cheering crowds of children. That was pretty fun. The rows of classic cars were nice too - some beautiful ones were in the midst and I tried to avoid them because I was worried I'd accidentally trip and damage a car that's worth than my condo. After the race, you finish in downtown Disney, got your medals and headed to the nearest bar.

One minor gripe: C'mon Disney - hook up runners with a slight discount for park admission.

Overall? I'm glad I did it, but could go without doing another Disney race (despite doing the Disneyland Paris half marathon) again. But they, like the Rock N Roll series, do a good job at medaling you to death.. I can see why people love these races and there's something to be said about the Disney experience but I just felt ambivalent about it.

I decided to fly to Minneapolis for the weekend to run this race and drink excessive amounts of Surly. The race itself was part of a stupid half marathon streak I had going in 2016.

Packet pickup was nothing special - I got my shirt, my beer glass and my bib in 30 minutes as we waited outside their offices that was easily accessible via train.

The course: Rolling hills and starting/finishing near the Mississippi River. Scenery was nice and green and reminded me of a suburban run. Unfortunately, my race went bad - I fell off my pacer around mile 5 because I was fighting a hangover and at mile 8, I saw him nursing his knee that had swollen to the size of a soccer ball. After getting him into an uber, I finished the race in considerable pain (turns out I earned a stress fracture in my femur from this race.) Aid stations had friendly volunteers, and the local police were exceptionally nice and supportive as they controlled traffic.

Overall, I liked the race. It was well organized, although my only real gripe involves nothing open near the start of the race (I need my pre-race coffee) and difficulty in finding local bars after to eat/drink.

Bay to Breakers isn't a race. It's an experience. It's the weirdness of San Francisco in 12km. It is the world's best race, and I say that without hyperbole. It's for the world's best runners as well as those who just want to have a fun time and run while partying. Or even just party.

Expo: Pier 39 is rather small with the standard race expo stuff (other races, people hocking their running products, etc.). Since it's a small space you had to wait in an orderly line. Took maybe 30 minutes but it was no big deal. You're emailed your bib number to help with checkin and you get a good quality Under Armour shirt.

The Course: 2 relatively flat miles. Then Hayes Street Hill. You may have the ability to run a BQ while hung over, but you're walking up it. Then it's downhill. You run through Golden Gate Park, which is gorgeous. Then you finish with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

Scenery: Lots of naked people. No one you'd want to see. Everyone seems to be in costume. Every block is a party.

Aid stations: Standard water/energy drink. Plus there are two tents for medical treatment if you get hulk smash drunk. At mile 3, there's an on-course sobriety checkpoint so you'll have to pour our your beer. Strangely enough *everyone* has a Camelbak.

Logistics: I got there early for the tortilla tossing and had my coffee. Coming back, it was a bit of a walk to get a city bus that ran you back towards the Embarcadero, but I was back there in short order. As for the race - tens of thousands are doing it, so the later corrals will start 30+ minutes after the elites do. Just be prepared to wait and enjoy Life's Rich Pageant.

This is a race everyone needs to do. I don't care if you can run 2:30 marathons or are a hobby jogger. It's a party where you see things you can't unsee, but smile at the experience. B2B is something you'll remember like your first kiss or the birth of your children. It's the best race you'll ever run.

While in town, I decided I needed to do a night run while in Sao Paolo. The race itself was on city streets starting and finishing near the Memorial da America Latina with easy access to the subway. Race swag included a shirt, medal, towel and small tote with the race logo. The race's theme was a night run with rock music, which had a very high energy (Brasil is awesome like that.) The race was hot and humid and I loved it. Post race party and cheap beer for sale. Best $20 I spent while in Sao Paolo.