This was my second time running the Half at Long Beach, and it was a blast! Really great environment, smooth and beautiful course, and a new personal best for me! Yes! The race organizers also did a great job with vaccine/testing requirements, and held the expo outside this year, which definitely felt safer. The course was the same as previous years, and can be divided roughly into four parts.

-Miles 1-5: the thickest crowds as you navigate twisty roads, multiple turnarounds, and go over and under bridges. The bridge here is the only significant elevation change on the course, so it was kinda nice to get it out of the way early.
-Miles 5-7: all the touristy landmarks including the Aquarium, Shoreline Park, and views of the Queen Mary. This was probably my favorite portion of the race since all the sights made the run easier!
-Miles 7-10: in theory, a straight, long stretch along the beach can be soothing, with all that pretty sand and water on your right. But in reality, seeing the same exact sight for multiple miles gets boring real fast. This segment was also the least shaded, provided the least aid support, and had the fewest crowds cheering you on. In my previous race, I suffered the most here, but I think the earlier start time and cooler weather this year made it more bearable.
-Miles 10-13: rounding onto Ocean Blvd, the crowds and aid stations are back. You’re in the city again, in the shade again, with all the local businesses and residents out to support you! I really got a kick of energy during this stretch, and I felt pumped all the way down to the finish line.

-Post-race: a nice-looking medal, your usual combo of snacks (banana, chocolate milk, protein bar, water) and a beer festival if you’re up for it. Organizers and volunteers were really pleasant and helpful!

-Things to improve? I do wish there were more aid stations, especially along the beach stretch. I also was NOT a fan of the shirt this year, going with a cheaper cotton/poly blend (same as Surf City this fall, another Motiv race…). What and WHY? Cotton shirts are an absolute “no” during long runs, and soak up sweat so much easier. These shirts also felt flimsier than your usual tech shirts. Hopefully this changes next year.

All in all, a really great race that I would recommend.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half Marathon is a fun, high-energy race done right. Outside of Disney events, it’s hard to find many other races with this level of atmosphere and support.

Expo / pick-up:
-The expo at the San Diego Convention Center was well-organized with plentiful, designated bib and shirt pick-up stations, as well as a start-corral adjustment table. I appreciated the vaccine/negative test check at the entrance. So many of us race because of health, and it’s nice that they took this seriously. I also loved the clear pick-up bags we got. They’re so handy for carrying all your race and expo goodies, and necessary for gear drop at the longer races. I don’t understand why some races try to cheap out by not giving these bags. Like most big expos, there’s a spacious area for race weekend merch and the primary shoe sponsor (Brooks this year). My favorite pieces of merch were the 5k/Half/Marathon shirts with all the racers’ names printed on them in alphabetical order—the catch being that you had to have registered for the races at least 60 days early. I wish I’d registered earlier, and this neat little perk is something the Rock ‘n’ Roll organizers should advertise more! The San Diego version of the Rock ‘n’ Roll running events is apparently the original, and the expo set up a neat display of all the medal designs throughout the years, as well as all the bonus medals you can earn for completing multiple Rock ‘n’ Roll races. They’re so bling-tastic and do a good job of appealing to all the medal-collecting completionists out there :-)

Parking:
-Convention center parking for the expo was unfortunately $20. I tried finding cheaper alternatives, but couldn’t find anything more reasonable. For race day, I went with the race-recommended Spot Hero app, and found $20 parking that was a few blocks from the finish line, but a bit farther from the start line. It wasn’t a big deal because so many other runners were also making the same trek to the start line, so every few blocks this long parade of runners would grow.

Pre-race:
-The start line begins at 6th Ave and Quince St, but once you get close to 6th Ave and Laurel St/the El Prado Bridge, the music starts kicking in and the port-a-potty lines emerge (hallelujah!). Gear check was a breeze—remember to bring the clear bags and zip ties from the expo. Just like the 5k from the previous day, runners were divided into multiple corrals—at least 25 corrals, marked by giant guitar picks (get it? Rock and roll?). One implementation I really admired was the staggered corral starts. Most races will release entire corrals are released at once. Then you’re expected to cross the start line on your own timing, and end up navigating a congested, slow-mo stampede from the start? The Rock ‘n’ Roll organizers solved this issue by releasing runners in each corral in 5-sec mini-waves, signaled by countdown lights and horns. This way, you can launch out of the start line into a more wide-open road! I hope this practice becomes more commonplace.

Course:
-The Half Marathon course primarily winds around Balboa Park, through North Park, Normal Heights, and East San Diego, then back to Balboa and Downtown. I think the elevation change can be best described as gentle rolling hills, with a few bigger hills sprinkled throughout—nothing too extreme. The first “big” hill was around mile 3. It thinned the crowds a bit, but I think it came early enough in the course that I felt fresh enough to speed through. The hills before and after mile 10, right as you re-enter the northeast corner of Balboa Park, caught me a bit off guard. They weren’t huge by any means, but tired legs at that point made them a chore! The good news? It’s all pretty much downhill (literally) from that point on! You zoom south through Balboa towards downtown—and with the downhill slope combined with the mental momentum of knowing you’re in the final stretch, it makes for an exciting finish.

Scenery/Weather/Support:
-With a name like “Rock ‘n’ Roll” in the event name, you’d think that music would be important to the race. And you’d be right! There’s plenty of on-course entertainment, including multiple bands and DJs, a drag show, a Johnny Cash tribute, cheer squads, a Ron Burgundy impersonator (I almost slowed down to hear more jokes), and a pretty nifty disco tunnel around mile 12! Water support was strong throughout the course. I think there were port-a-potties, but I was too locked-in to notice. Weather-wise, it was a cool and cloudy day, but not as overcast as it was for the previous day’s 5k, and not cloudy enough to dampen the overall energy of the race.

Post-race:
-Once you cross the finish-line, grab your finisher medal and a great selection of refreshments: water, banana, multiple brands of granola bars, a fresh cookie, chips (salt is an underrated part of recovery!), Gatorade, fruit snacks, and more. You definitely won’t go hungry. Runners are funneled several blocks down Ash St towards the waterfront finish festival. I have to say the finish festival is one of the more impressive ones I’ve seen. There’s an alphabetized family reunion area, gear pick-up, food trucks, photo opportunities, merchandising, Remix Challenge medal pick-up (if you did the 5k), medal engraving, and pick-up plenty of space to cool-down and stretch. All this while music blasts to keep you on your feet if you need. It’s a really festive mood, and the sights are great too because you’re just along the water with several ships sitting in the harbor.

Swag:
-The Half Marathon was a dark blue tech shirt, with multiple San Diego neighborhood signs highlighted in yellow and orange. It’s not as eye-catching as the 5k shirt, but it’s still very nice. The Half Marathon medal is a round replica of the North Park sign in light-blue, with a bright orange ribbon attached. It’s only slightly larger than the 5k medal, which is something I hope they change in the future. If you run the 5k as well, then you’ll get your hands on a Remix Challenge medal: the medal features a record that actually slides in and out of its sleeve! Way cool. Both medals have an outlined area on the back for engraving if you want to record your time or celebrate a PR.

Bottom-line:
-This was my first Rock ‘n’ Roll running weekend, and I had a really great time. The race was well-produced, and full of little details (guitar pick corral signs, corral mini-waves, on-course entertainment, a disco tunnel, an expansive finish line festival, etc.) that set it apart. Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego’s got a great energy that really makes you want to run it again.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego 5k is a wonderful trip through Balboa Park, and worth running whether it’s your main event or as a warm-up for one of the weekend’s other races!

Expo / pick-up:
-The expo at the San Diego Convention Center was very well-organized with plentiful, designated bib and shirt pick-up stations, as well as a start-corral adjustment table. I appreciated the vaccine/negative test check at the entrance. So many of us race because of health, and it’s nice that they took this seriously. I also loved the clear pick-up bags we got. They’re so handy for carrying all your race and expo goodies, and necessary for gear drop at the longer races. I don’t understand why some races try to cheap out by not giving these bags. Like most big expos, there’s a spacious area for race weekend merch and the primary shoe sponsor (Brooks this year). My favorite pieces of merch were the 5k/Half/Marathon shirts with all the racers’ names printed on them in alphabetical order—the catch being that you had to have registered for the races at least 60 days early. I wish I’d registered earlier, and this neat little perk is something the Rock ‘n’ Roll organizers should advertise more! The San Diego version of the Rock ‘n’ Roll running events is apparently the original, and the expo set up a neat display of all the medal designs throughout the years, as well as all the bonus medals you can earn for completing multiple Rock ‘n’ Roll races. They’re so bling-tastic and do a good job of appealing to all the medal-collecting completionists out there :-)

Parking:
-Convention center parking for the expo was unfortunately $20. I tried finding cheaper alternatives on Spot Hero, but couldn’t find anything more reasonable. Race-day parking at Balboa Park, though, was FREE at the Inspiration Point lot. The best part is that the parking lot is less than a 5-minute walk to the start corral. Nice!

Pre-race:
-Speakers loudly blast all sorts of music to keep the energy up. An engaging emcee. Plentiful port-a-potties. Runners were divided into multiple corrals—I counted at least 8 corrals, marked by giant guitar picks (get it? Rock and roll?). You know how at some races, entire corrals are released at once? Then you’re expected to cross the start line on your own timing, and end up navigating a congested, slow-mo stampede? The organizers solved this issue by releasing runners in each corral in 5-sec mini-waves, signaled by countdown lights. This way, you can launch out of the start line into a more wide-open road! I hope this practice becomes more commonplace.

Course:
-Mile 0-1: The race starts near the Veterans Museum, and the first mile takes you past Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Plaza de Panama, Museum of Art, and the highlight: crossing Cabrillo Bridge shortly after sunrise.
-Mile 1-2: The second mile loops around Marston Point, where the scenery shifts from pretty architecture to pretty greenery. A few small hills also begin testing your legs at this point, and the crowds start to thin if you can keep your pace.
-Mile 2-3.1: You briefly exit the actual park and run along the streets with some shops on your left and the NW border of Balboa Park on the right. Then, the course turns back into the park for the final stretch down to the finish line!

Scenery/Weather/Support:
-A nice mini-tour of Balboa Park, but it was an overcast day, so the best tourist attractions were shrouded in clouds—not as picturesque as you may like. In terms of aid, I only remember one water station. That felt like enough, but I haven’t run very many 5ks, so I’m not sure if that’s normal or not. Lots of volunteers, a cheer squad, a DJ on the first mile, and the overall energy was great.

Post-race:
-Grab your typical post-race goodies of banana, granola bar, and water. Nothing too special, and nothing to complain about. There’s a Heineken beer garden too if you need some extra carbs. Finish Line photographers are available if you’re ready to pose with your medal.

Swag:
-The 5k race shirt was a light blue tech shirt, with ginormous yellow “5K” lettering on the front so no one can mistake what race you’re running. Silhouettes of Balboa Park and palm trees fill in the lettering—very nicely-done and it’s a shirt I’d wear anytime. The 5k medal is a colorful, blue-orange replica of Balboa Park’s Museum of Us and the museum’s iconic California Tower. The medal is on the smaller side, but it’s still really nice. There’s an outlined area on the back for engraving if you want to record your time or celebrate a PR.

Bottom-line:
-This was my first Rock ‘n’ Roll running event, and it was a great race that I would definitely do again, hopefully on a sunnier day!

A fun, family-friendly race through Elysian Park, and a great tune-up if you’re running the LA Marathon the next day. But beware the hills!

Expo / pick-up:
-Race-day bib pick-up on Saturday morning was available, and seemed to run smoothly, but I picked up my bib at the expo on Saturday. I’m guessing due to covid concerns, they shifted the expo from the LA Convention Center to Dodger Stadium this year. Prior to entering the expo, you were required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test. Great stuff, thumbs up, I appreciate the focus on health. The outdoor setting made for a more energetic and festive environment, at the cost of more sun. This was fine for bib pickup, but hastened my expo-browsing time.

-The bigger issue was the screw-up over my Double Play (5k + marathon) registration. I was bounced back and forth between the 5k, marathon, and registration tents where they claimed I had registered for the “Double Play”, but not for the 5k separately, which the “Double Play” fee supposedly didn’t include. There were at least 10 other frustrated runners facing the same Double Play-but-not-5k issue as me while I was there. I was running short on time, and faced with growing heat and growing frustration, I felt cornered into paying the extra $40 for the 5k just to move on. I still don’t know whether this was a gross bait-and-switch scam by the organizers at the last minute, or just an awful user-interface design on their website. If it’s the latter, why would you sell something called the “Double Play”, then allow users to check-out and pay if it doesn’t even include both the marathon and 5k that’s advertised? At no point was I ever prompted to add the 5k separately at check-out. By that logic, I should have had to add the marathon separately too, right? It’s like selling a fast-food combo, but then later saying, “Actually, you were supposed to add the fries as a separate order”. WTF.

Parking/ Pre-race:
-Parking was plentiful and free at Dodger Stadium. Lots of port-a-potties, and space to stretch, warm up, and get ready. There were no individual corrals to speak of, but the participant field was small enough that it didn’t matter.

Course:
-The 5k course goes downhill out of Dodger Stadium, onto Stadium Way, through Elysian Park, then up Academy Road, and back into the Stadium. There are more hills than you might expect, so don’t expect a PR on this course.

Scenery/Weather/Support:
-The greenery of Elysian Park made the run very pleasant. Cloudy morning in the upper 50s. One water station about halfway through the course.

Post-race/Swag:
-The official 5k race shirt was light gray, with the red/teal/blue Big 5k logo featured in the middle. Same colors and design template as the official marathon shirt. The finisher medal is a solid silver/blue design, featuring the red/teal Big 5k logo and a background of Dodger Stadium. Post-race goodies: bananas, water, and Clif Bar duos.

The Bottom Line:
-Aside from the Double Play registration issue, this is a solid 5k that I wouldn’t mind running again.