I signed up for this race for the fact that it was VIRTUAL which means I can run it anytime and anywhere. The SWAG was awesome. The Minion beanie was what caught my eye and I knew I had to sign up. And who doesn't love MINIONS??

I ended up completing my run on the treadmill, which is where I do the majority of my runs these days. I love the flexibility of this type of run. Even a bib number was included. Now I just need to get a medal rack that have the hooks for my bib.

The finisher medal is the best! Exactly what I would expect from a Minions run.

The Monterey Bay Half Marathon is the most beautiful race that I have ran thus far. You are running along the California coast for the entire race. The race begins along the wharf, and I was fortunate to stay at a lodge across the street from the start line. The race started at 6:50am and each corral would go about every 5 minutes. I was in corral C, which was easy to locate, and I wasn't too crowded. The announcers at the beginning were amazing! They were funny and got the crowd excited to run.

The beginning of the race starts in Monterey. We ran through some neighborhoods and under a bridge/through a tunnel which had colored lights and music. It really got the runners pumped up.
After that we head into Pacific Grove, the residents there were super supportive and enthusiastic. We ran down Cannery Row and past the Aquarium. Around mile 3.5 you hit a long hill on the course. Personally, I do not mind hills but this one was tough for me.

A lot of the race is on Oceanview Blvd and the views were breath taking. Around Asilomar State Beach, there were a lot of people out there cheering. This was an out and back course, and the views were so amazing. I liked the fact that I was able to see the elites run by - which is so inspiring to me.

The last few miles were on a bike path, so it got a little crowded at times, but I was still able to speed up to the finish. As I crossed the finish line volunteers were handing out medals. The race medals are actual pieces of art, hand crafted by a local artist. I LOVE this medal and it is probably my favorite. Overall, an amazing race!

Runners were directed to the food, then to the post-race area where there was music, more food, beer, and massages. Everything about this race was well organized. I think this is my favorite half marathon that I have ever run, and I'll likely be back for next year.

This race is just 14 miles from my home and I had been wanting to run it for a few years and decided that 2022 was the year. There are 4 distances available, Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K.

Bib pick up was quick and easy. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't an expo. There were only a couple vendors there. But the T-shirts were nice and the design was colorful. I even got a BOCO GEAR trucker hat for signing up for the Full Marathon. Since this was the first year back due to covid, I am hoping that next year there will be more vendors at the packet pick up.

The course was scenic and flat for the most part. There were only a couple inclines. A lot of aid stations with water, electrolyte drinks and GU. I really enjoyed the course. I found the country roads to be peaceful. The weather does tend to be warmer in this area of California, so half way through this race the sun was out in full force.

There were pacers for both the Marathon and Half Marathon. I was very excited about this because I had a specific goal time and the pacers really helped me to stay on track the majority of the race. And the volunteers along the course were very encouraging and great at keeping the water available for as the runners passed by stations.

After the race there was plenty of drinks and snacks foods - water, sports drink, chocolate milk, bananas, chips as well as food trucks.

The race swag included a tech tee, finishers medal, and free race pictures.

I plan to run this race again next year.