2017 Golden Gate Half Series Complete!
As a goal of 2017, I wanted to complete some new races and "try new things". After looking around, I decided to enter the Livermore 1/2 Marathon in March... absolutely LOVED IT and said, let's go for the Golden Gate Half Series for 2017! Today I am telling a little about my final race experience in this lovely series.
Quick Recap: Livermore, March & Oakland, August were the first two in this series.
Livermore was amazing, great everything
Oakland, not so amazing and also will not be returning in 2018.
So I have some main things I am looking for with this (and most races) I am always happy about a good course, Goodie bag as well as it just being generally well run.
EXPO
This was pretty anti-climatic, which has been the theme for these races (I have found) it was small right by the Aquatic Park entrance (which was also the start of the race). They had some trouble finding my BIB, but I think that was just a once off, overall this portion I was a bit underwhelmed.
Course
Starting and ending in near the Fort Mason area, for me the one trick was the end was over Fort Mason which was a last "little"hill to climb before falling down the last bit into that dreaded .1mile where you are almost done!! :D The bag drop was fast, easy, lots of toilets in the front and it didn't feel TOO crowded.
The start line itself was something to write home about! What a beautiful warmup around Aquatic Park, it had my breath I must admit. As I stretched along the path waiting for the sun to rise and start out race I just kept thinking that we are so lucky to live here and see these amazing things each day.
Medal/SWAG
It was a great medal I thought. Honestly the view from the finish line was the perfect shot to capture the happiness of both! It was a perfect November day, and what a beautiful view from all angles.
I'm very much about the long sleeve t-shirt they gave us too! Great SWAG! Instead of the glass/wine glass, this time it was a plastic water bottle and you had the choice to purchase a wine glass for $25 for drinks after the race too! The virtual goodie bag (the norm now, save paper etc) was fine. What I did enjoy at the end of the race, in the post-race expo they had a fake "bridge" so you could take photos with your new medal and other friends! It was simple, with some massage areas as well as that one beer tent yet again.
I realized this race I had actually done before (under a different name, with a different course- and I had vowed not to repeat) Since the 7 years that I previously did this, I was very excited to see all the positive changes that had been made to the course (bridge run was SO MUCH improved, as well as a better shirt and overall feel.
The medal for completing the Race Series was an adorable bear over the state of California just a wonderful choice I think! Overall I definitely recommend this. If you are going to try a series, take a peek! Sign up's are for the first race - my PERSONAL favorite in the series- is this weekend in Livermore!
Hope to see you running, and (ok maybe also) drinking after! Cheers!