After the Livermore half marathon in March, I was telling anyone and everyone who would listen they needed to run with me! Well, my husband said "nah, I'm good" but my cousin who lives in Oakland (about 15minutes from the start/finish) was convinced!
Cousin Post-Race happiness (with beer)
I jammered on and on about how great the post- race party was and how it was a beer theme this time on the ride from SF to Oakland. The race also had a huge benefit, it was on a Saturday! I always wish races were Saturday so you could have a recovery day instead of then heading straight to work.
Pre- Race Expo
It closed at 7pm. NOW, most races I have been to stay open until at least 8pm, especially when you are fighting city traffic on a Friday! So we arrived around 6:50pm, couldn't find the entrance but we were NOT last. We got our bibs & t-shirts, sadly all the other fun parts of the EXPO were shut down.
Race Course:
Starting & ending were in the same location, always makes it easier for bag check, although we did not choose this option since he was so close. The course ran a good bit through downtown Oakland into the hills, around Lake Merritt and finished again downtown. It was pretty, I for one wasn't expecting quite that many hills!
The main issue here was most of the downtown area was not only dirty but also not flat. You know when you run along the side of the street and it slants? That is a recipe for shin splints.
Race course safety was awesome! There were cops everywhere, guiding us through traffic and keeping us safe. I am always a huge fan of this.
Post-race expo/Finisher Area
Disappointed! After my promise of beer tent bliss, I was disappointed that it was like most other races. One beer vendor and one free beer- still better than nothing! I tried to savor mine while I waited for my cousin to finish. We grabbed a spot under the tent and watched people join in the fun while we ate our banana and bar.
Big fan of some SWAG
Finisher Goodie Bag
Everything is now virtual which I appreciate saving trees! I do love that this series gives you an additional gift- in this case the mason jar to fill up for water, along with your VERY large medal, really much larger than I feel it should be. The t-shirt we received at the pre-race expo was nice quality, short sleeve and I am loving the "oak leaf" that was on the items.
Would I recommend this race? It wouldn't be my choice for an Oakland race. I did love running around Lake Merritt, but
Don't bother with this piece, the main reason to do it- that "Series Medal" that is coming my way after the SF half in November!