Then I noticed the LA Marathon and thought that could be fun. The course runs from Dodger Stadium through Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Courses that run through neighborhoods are my favorite. I love LA. When else can you see that much of LA without traffic? I attempted to register and saw the cost, $145.00. That does not include taxes or the processing fee. When did races get so expensive? It isn’t Boston! I thought about it for a moment or two and then Ang quickly said “hell no” which was the ultimate deal breaker.
On to the next option, Surf City Marathon, Huntington Beach in February. Hmm.
- Only a 2 hour drive from home
- Less traffic getting there
- Less expensive registration fee
- Better reviews
- Ocean views
- They have pacers (LA does not)
- Super cute surfboard finisher’s medal
- The course has 2 portions that are out and back (not my favorite).
- There are 16,000 ½ marathoners and only 2,000 marathoners (this means bombardment halfway through).
So that’s that. Surf City 2011 here I come, 2.6.2011. Even the date contains 262 – it must be a sign! :) Chicago is still on my radar for 2011 as well.
Has anyone else run this race? If so, let me know what you thought!
Anyone looking to escape the cold in February?
Come RUN Surf City with me!
Come RUN Surf City with me!
Posts
Race fees are one of my pet peeves these days! I have been in this sport long enough to remember when it was really cheap--I believe the incredible growth of the sport is what's driving prices. People now expect/want big race swag, bands, entertainment, etc. to get through races. All of which adds up. I kind of liked it when races were simple and fees were low.
ReplyDeletei agree... the price of a race is a major factor in my race schedule. I am skipping the new Ironman 70.3 Pocono in 2011 because reg is $275 and opting for a non-sanctioned half iron distance at a still expensive $130. I am doing a 1/2 marathon at Penn State Univeristy in december for a mear $18! That's my kind of race!
ReplyDeleteSurf City sounds like a tons of fun! Hopefully the marathon will be a blast and you'll have a ton of fun along the way. Races fees are getting very expensive :( but some of them are great values - especially if they are closing major roads for you to run on like the LA maratahon (although 145 may be a bit too high for that).
ReplyDeleteIf you're looking for a warm up for Surf City, there's a half in Irvine on Jan 8th that's $50. http://teamtrax.net/schalfmarathon. It's no Penn State $18-er, but you know - California inflation and all...
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Cheers to an injury free marathon!
ReplyDeleteSteer clear of the NYC Marathon then....I don't even want to mention how much that sucker costs!
OUAL - Oooh. That sounds enticing! I just might have to do that.
ReplyDeleteJon- I don't even want to know. I'm sure you heard about the $1,000 pre-register fee for Ironman now? That doesn't include the $700 for the race!! It's just insane. My favorite races are always the small ones with no swag. :) Having a bib is enough for me. (I guess for a marathon a medal will be nice too).
$145 is exactly what I paid for RnR Vegas. While that is expensive for the marathon, would you believe that the 1/2 is the same fee? No way in hell I'd pay that money for a 1/2. I wasn't happy about the $60 for the one I'm running this weekend either!
ReplyDeleteOh woman. I am there.
ReplyDeletei did the surf city half this past year and thought it was pretty fun! it is mostly halfers, though, and the full starts earlier. i'm sure you'll have a blast! i also did LA this past year on the inaugural new course and really loved it. definitely agree that the price is outrageous though! i allow myself to splurge on a couple big races a year then try and go cheaper on the rest. i'm a bit of a raceaholic, though!
ReplyDeleteWe pick and choose races carefully simply because the cost can be so high!
ReplyDeleteDanica at chicrunner.com ran Surf City - her race reports are all linked on the side of her home page. Check it out!