On September 25th was the 10th annual Say No to Drugs Half Marathon at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.
There was also a 5k option. It was a pretty small race, and I think it cost about $50-60.
It started at 7:30am and part of the course was ran around the Bowl and part up in trails nearby.
Things I liked:
- There was plenty of parking. And very close to the start.
- There’s race day packet pick up, always a nice option for smaller races.
- There were plenty of REAL bathrooms since it was at a big football stadium. No waiting in line! No squatting over a porta potty half expecting a swamp monster to jump and bite you.
- Although I got there pretty early, you don’t need to. It’s easy to get to, park, and walk a few feet to the start. It’s a prety small race with easy logistics.
Things I was indifferent about:
- There were a few Lakers Girls at the start who led us all in warm up stretches for a few minutes.
- There wasn’t any chip timing. Had it been a bigger race or I cared more about my time, this probably would have bugged me.
- There was a free pancake breakfast afterwards. I suppose this is a good thing, but I rarely find pancakes appealing let alone after a race.
Things I wasn’t so much in love with:
- The course. The first 4 miles were a loop around the Bowl. Problem was that the whole time you were weaving in and out of casual Saturday morning walkers, bikers, dog walkers, roller bladers, strollers, some are going with you and some are going against you.
I’m not completely sure, but I think the 5k walkers started at the same time so you had to do more weaving in and out with them.
This would have been fine had it only been for 4 miles. But after 4, you head up in the hills and trails and then come back to loop around the Bowl at mile 9, so you do the weaving dance all over again. What was mildly distracting at mile 4 became super annoying at mile 12.
I know it was a Saturday and this must be a popular bike path for the area, but it’d sure be nice to re-route the race somewhere else.
- There were 4 or 5 water stations total that you hit every couple miles, but the last one ran out of water by the time I ran by it. And there was only water, no energy drinks or gels.
Other stuff:
- There wasn’t a whole lot at the finish besides the pancake breakfast. I grabbed 2 diet peach teas and 2 bottled iced coffee drinks.
- T shirt and medal were pretty standard, if a little cheap. The t shirt was cotton, definitely going to Goodwill…
Tips:
- Be ready for warm weather. It was pretty hot this year so wear sunscreen, glasses, your bikini, whatever.
- Bring your own water, energy drinks and gels. They don’t provide very much.
- Be prepared for the change in terrain; the middle of the course is tough.
Summary:
This is a decent race, nothing spectacular about it but no major problems either. Now that I’ve ran it, I probably wouldn’t run it again unless I was in Pasadena for some random reason. Having to dip, dodge, duck and dive walkers and strollers and pets just isn’t my bag. I’d rate it a 5.79 out of 10.
What’s the best race you’ve run, logistics and efficiency-wise? Not PR race but a well-managed race??
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
The best logistically organized race I’ve ever run is actually the Volkswagon Half Marathon in Prague, in spring 2007. It was a pretty small field by American standards, and a pretty big city, but they closed the streets, had Nike pace groups, plenty of water, a clearly marked and beautiful course, etc. Only kind of weird thing: no electrolyte drinks, but two stops that had non-alcoholic beer. Mmmm… no?
a funny race story… last week I ran the breast cancer 10K in Chicago. My husband was waiting at the finish line, ane he said the first guy finished as they were setting up the finish line! He said someone was like, “hey buddy, did you just finish?” And he got an awkward round of applause. Maybe that happens a lot, I don’t know!
I did an 18-miler the night before the race and was wondering what the course was gonna be since they weren’t really closing stuff… Now I know!
Logistically – the Charity Chase half in Hickory, NC. Course-wise, a difficult terror! But – the charities who benefit from the race provide the aid stations, are always cheerful, neighborhoods set their sprinklers to spray you as you pass (which is great for an NC June 1/2), real restrooms at the end, great and usable swag bag, plenty of food/beverage to re-fuel at the end. And the bonus – if you want, attend a local baseball game & dinner for free. Not too bad for a local race.
Stupid, off-topic story: My 2 year old is now scared of public bathrooms because of some evil automatic flushers that scared her, yet my husband managed to get her to use a portashitter at a tournament last weekend. GROSS!
Although some part of me hates to admit it, the best organized race I’ve run was the Disney Princess half this March. It’s a hefty fee, but they do pull out the stops in terms of organization, parking, directions, aid stations, and post-race supplies. However, I also know I had the best options finishing because I was ahead of the crowds (that were still walking as we drove away!).
Otherwise, more locally, the best organized has probably been the Downers Grove 5miler/10miler. I ran the 5-miler the first year and the 10-miler the second. They make packet pick-up uber easy, there is a free parking garage, and the course is very clear and well-guarded for a busy suburb.
DODGEBALL!!!! Thank you for that reference.
BIg Sur! I also love the races put on by coastaltrailruns.com/- they are small and laid back events, but they are well organized and well catered for trail runs.
I ran the Malibu 1/2 last year…it was the inaugural run of this race but you never would have guessed it. It was very well-planned from the bathrooms to the water stations to the finish line. You do have to take a bus to the start line which I’m a brat about (I’m kind of anti-social right before a race) but other than that I totally recommend Malibu…at least the half.
I have had some serious bad luck with race logistics lately. I have run 7 races this year and only 3 didn’t have major (I wouldn’t run this again) issues. And by major I mean (a) no official results ever released (I know my time based on my garmin), (b) short 2.5 miles, (c) finish line backups with minute+wait time to cross (so bloated times), (d) congestion and porta-potties obscured on other side of start line.
Surf City Half was ok (though people were tripping over each other the first 7 miles).
Well run?
SDTC Balboa Park 8 Miler – no chip timing but course was accurate (albeit a b*tch), lots of support from volunteers, timing accurate, plenty of food, CHEAP ($15).
Timberwolf 5K (in Irvine) – inaugural but very well run – I was impressed. Only complaint was the abundance of high schoolers who didn’t understand the concept of not hogging the whole road and yielding to faster runners.
Are you going to run the Dallas Half Marathon again in March? That baby might be my first halfer, but I am thinking I might be ready for one sooner. Your post about it sealed the deal for me. It looks like a lot of fun!
I have to agree with the other commenter who said the Disney Princess half last March. It was my first and only Disney race so far, but I’ve heard they always do a good job with that (which is good considering how pricey the race is). I don’t know about Disneyland, but I would recommend a Disney World race for sure.
You were in my backyard! I dodge those people all the time, you get used to it. And that steep hill is a bit of a bitch…I usually walk it :-/
Pacific Crest Half Marathon in Sunriver, OR. Hands down. It’s part of a weekend sports festival that also includes a marathon, 10k and 5k races, triathlon and duathlon. Well-executed is the name of the game.
I live by the Rose Bowl, so I do a lot of 5k’s there…and yes, it’s super annoying to have to weave in and out all the dog walkers and strollers. One race I was almost hit by a golf ball! It’s one thing to just go there for a leisurely morning run, but I don’t think it’s the best place for a race. That being said, I’ll be running another 5k race there next month, now that my broken baby toe is finally healed! : )
I love that you took all these pictures while running – you are a trooper and so good to us for doing so!
I would think that all that walking traffic, strollers, bikes etc would be a safety hazard for you all running and they really should rethink that – not to mention running out of water at a station seems like it’s a really bad thing IMO, especially when it’s HOT out.
Well done!
Hood to Coast Relay. With the amount of craziness and teams that are involved with this race, after 3 years of running the relay…I am still blown away by how organized and well run the race is. It is unbelievable.
I would have to say besides the RNR series, a race run by Calico racing. I did the Red Rock half marathon. Small race over 700 peeps. But well done from bathrooms, to food, to water. I was impressed overall!
And the best thing was they had over 300 do race day registration!