The LA Turkey Trot served up a great time, with a fun pre/post-race festival, a course touring through DTLA, and plenty of on-course support and volunteers to make the event a fantastic way to celebrate the Thanksgiving season with loved ones!
Pre-Run:
I got to run this race with my mom, and we signed up for this race online. We made sure to arrive on race morning – we parked up the street in a parking garage next to The Music Center, and when we arrived there were plenty of spots available. Not only did we benefits from having additional parking spaces by arriving a bit early, we ended up having enough time to return to our car and drop off our race-day packets, preventing us from needing to use a very busy gear-check. The organizers set up a number of tents at the start/finish line, creating a fun atmosphere with music and a number of booths to visit. Also worth noting considering how rare it is at most races, but due to the location of the start/finish line in Grand Park, there were free public restrooms available to use – no port-a-potties for us!
The Race:
The race route gave a great tour of the DTLA area, passing by areas such as the Walt Disney Music Hall and the Continental Building. The race starts right by City Hall and does a loop around Grand Park headed toward Spring Street. Then, runners continue until they reach a turnaround on 9th street, returning to the finish line. The course does have a few small hills, so be warned if you’re planning to push a stroller!
Post-Race:
After the race, runners receive their medals and return to Grand Park for more music and fun sponsored by the various booths/tents set up at the starting line.
Tips:
- Arrive early to plan ahead for parking - we lucked out with the nearby parking garage, but if we had arrived any later we probably would have spent more time searching for parking and could have missed the start!
- There are some slight hills, but this course is still pretty accessible for walkers, recovering athletes, and strollers!
Final Thoughts:
With a course tour of DTLA, this fun run is a great way to get your family into the running spirit and kick off your Thanksgiving holiday!

You know my go-to for SoCal fun runs is Caren Ware Events! We had so much fun celebrating Thanksgiving with this turkey trot in Anaheim!
Pre-Run:
As with all Caren Ware Events, we signed up for this race online. The race location was one I hadn’t previously been to, but parking was in the same lot as the starting line, and was free! The pre-race atmosphere was fun and lively, with music, a turkey meet-and-greet and pop-up tents offering free samples!
The Race:
This course is a simple out and back, with a few small hills, but very walkable and stroller-friendly. Due to the course being near the open waterway, it was surprisingly windy! There was a water station at the turnaround point, as well as volunteers helping guide runners and take finish line photos.
Post-Race:
After the race, we took more photos with the super cute turkey meet-and-greet and enjoyed some post-race snacks! As always, Caren Ware Events makes BEAUTIFUL, BIG medals, perfect for showing off on a medal display!
Tips:
- Honestly, even though the sun was out and it was fairly warm, I wish I had worn a light jacket or a long-sleeve shirt, as the course was surprisingly windy!
Final Thoughts:
If you’re looking for a run to bring your kids on, this is a great option, as the course is very manageable and there’s a great pre/post-race atmosphere. Caren Ware Events knows how to throw a fun run!

If you've tracked my reviews, you know I've raced multiple times with Caren Ware Events now, and this Halloween race brought festive fun and one of the most unique medals I've ever received!

Pre-Run:
This is my 3rd time racing with Caren Ware Events, and I signed up for this race online to run with my friend. This race was set at Irvine Valley College, the same place we ran the 4th of July race this past summer. Caren Ware Events always does a great job clearly communicating info in advance, such as location changes, schedules of events, and other important information. Last time, my friend and I overestimated how much time it would take us to get to the race location from LA, and we ended up almost an hour too early. This time, we did the opposite and cut it SUPER close -- in fact we were technically one of the last people to cross the starting line because we were SCRAMBLING to get our bibs pinned on! The great thing about CWE races is that they're so welcoming and laid-back, so even with us rushing, we had plenty of time to run and finish! (Thank goodness for that close parking!!!)

Speaking of parking, my only note on it is that, when signing up for the race, we were told parking would be available for a fee, and that all runners must pay for it ahead of race day. When we arrived, there didn't seem to be any way to indicate which cars had pre-paid parking, or even which cars had any paid parking. I'm not sure if this was coming from campus police, or if this came from CWE organizers, but seeing that there were no tickets issued or parking attendants out enforcing the fees, it did sort of feel like we ate our pre-paid parking fee. Do I wish I hadn't paid? Yes. Can I promise that if you don't pay you won't get a ticket? No. So in the end, if you're the type of person who would rather be safe than sorry, maybe you use that $5 as a little form of race-day insurance.

The Race:
The course was one flat, out-and-back course circling the perimeter of the campus. There were a few fields before the first 1 mile marker that featured a charming farmhouse, but other than that, there wasn't much in the way of course scenery. There were two aid stations at the 1 and 2 mile markers. with friendly volunteers offering plenty of water! Part of the fun of a Halloween race is seeing all the participants in costume, and this event did not disappoint! We also saw many people running with their young children and even a few dogs on the course -- this race is truly an event for everyone!

Post-Race:
After the race, runners returned to the starting area where we all received HUGE pumpkin-shaped medals complete with a 3D running pumpkin man on a spring that "ran" when you shook it -- so cool! In the Halloween spirit, runners received trick-or-treat bags filled with post-run snacks too! There were plenty of Halloween photo ops set up around the area and a costume contest was held after the race winners were announced. I believe shirts were given out as well, however I think that might have happened before the race started, and since my friend and I were a bit late to the start., we probably missed them.

Tips:
- Give yourself a BIT of time to get there (don't do what we did and RUSH UP to the start!) and keep in mind that the only entrance into the parking area is off of Jeffrey Rd.
- Parking is listed on the website as "Required" however as far as I was made aware, there isn't really a clear way to enforce this rule or indicate which cars have paid for parking and which did not.
- Bring a costume!

Final Thoughts:
This Halloween race had a fun, festive atmosphere, easy course, and finished off with a really cool medal! If you're looking to get your family involved in a fun run, Caren Ware Events are a great choice!

This small, community-focused race offers a personalized race experience while still delivering on high-quality swag! While there were a few setbacks with signage, the race was a great time!

Pre-Run:
I signed up for this race with my friend, and this time we opted to run with a few other running buddies, bringing our total group to 5. 4 of us ran the 10k, while the other friend ran the 5k. When we arrived, the main parking lot was full and there was a volunteer with a sign showing a map to reach a nearby overflow parking lot. While the volunteer and his map sign were helpful to start, there was a lack of signage around the area, save for one solo sign declaring "Additional Parking Ahead." We were instructed to park in a business park parking lot, but we ended up circling around the area for a while because the signs kept leading us down random back alleys toward gated off lots. Eventually, we got fed up and ended up parking in the next open lot we could find, hoping we weren't parked in an off-limits spot. (Ultimately, we were fine.) From there, we had a bit of a walk across an intersection and over a bridge to reach the starting area. Because of our parking delay, we ended up cutting it pretty close to the starting time, but fortunately we had just enough time to get our bibs and stretch a bit before the race!

The Race:
This course was a very straight-forward course...in theory. All 5k and 10k runners left the starting line and ran left along the bike trail path before making a U-turn and returning down the same path. 5k runners returned to the finish line while 10k athletes passed the finish line and continued on the path before reaching a final U-turn to return to the finish line. Here's where the problem came in. Unbeknownst to all the runners, the course's two aid stations were situated at the U-turn points, but there was no announcement or signage to indicate this, and the volunteer's themselves weren't aware of this either. So, this resulted in many runners, myself included, running PAST the water station and continuing down the path. Thankfully the runner ahead of us calculated the distance and realized the mistake, which alerted many runners to turn around (so technically we ran about 7 miles instead of 6.2!) On the way back, someone had notified the volunteers of the error and they were able to guide the remaining athletes to turn around at the proper spot. By the time we reached the 10k turnaround spot, we, along with the other runners around us, had assumed the next aid station would be the turnaround, however when we asked the volunteers to confirm this, they seemed unsure themselves. Between this, and the parking issues, I would say the one thing this race desperately needs to invest in is more signage.

Post-Race:
I signed up for this race expecting it to be a small post-race affair, but I was shocked to discover a very nice post-race festival instead! Runners received a large medal as well as a their choice of a shirt arm compression sleeves, or socks (runners selected their choice at registration). Multiple booths were set up offering a variety of goods and services, and the race organizers set up a "passport" game in which athletes visited each booth, received a stamp on a provided card, and then completed cards were entered to win prizes. All athletes also received a free beer! It should be noted that, while this race was not what I would consider to be "pricy," it does cost more than an average 5k/10k, and this partly goes toward hosting a high-quality festival. We all walked away with so many freebies and swag selections that we had to get a bigger bag to carry it all! Honestly one of my favorite perks of this festival was the professional photographer taking free (included I should say) photos at a Halloween-themed photo opp. We had a blast getting pics!

Tips:
- Give yourself a BIT of time to get there because the parking instructions weren't super clear.
- This course is a down-and-back, so watch out for runners coming from the opposite direction.
- If there aren't any turnaround signs present, ask the aid station volunteer (or better yet, a volunteer at the starting line) to confirm where the turnaround points are.
- Bring a bigger bag if you scoop up a lot of freebies and swag!
- Wear a costume!

Final Thoughts:
While we may have run a bit more than a 10k, this race provided a really nice blend of small-town vibes with a high-quality finish festival that honestly rivaled some larger races I've attended!