Archives for January, 2020

Irvine Half Marathon & 5K Race Report

Posted on Jan 15, 2020 under Race | No Comment

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Irvine Half Marathon & 5K race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

The Irvine Half Marathon and 5K kicked off the first race of many for 2020 and it was a good one. Results: 24:23 (7:51 min/mi), 3 of 16 AG, 38 of 135 males, 54 of 318 overall. I have not been trying to run competitive lately but focused more on running consistently and enjoying all of the new races and destinations. Since this race was a drive away, I was not able to attend the race expo the day before and opted to pick up my bib the morning before the race. But I did drive up to Irvine the night before and stayed at a hotel so I didn’t have to drive the hour in the morning before the race.

Waking up at 7am was a nice change of pace than some of the other races I’ve run in the past. Parking was not an issue either, although the parking lot at the park was full so I had to park across the street at the nearby church/school. Since most people were running the half marathon, there was not much of a crowd at the starting line. I was still walking to the starting line when I heard the gun go off for the half marathon and actually got to take a picture of the first few runners of the half on the course. There were a little over 300 runners for the 5K, but almost 700 runners at the half marathon. This was a much smaller race than I’ve run in the past where wave starts were needed for the races. But the location was nice and quiet, it was almost an out and back route, taking place around a local park and through some bike paths. The race shirt was a soft cotton t-shirt which was a nice change from the typical tech tees I was used to. The medal had a unique design with bright, vibrant colors. And best of all, the race photos were free, no watermarks!

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Irvine Half Marathon & 5K Race Preview

Posted on Jan 09, 2020 under Race | No Comment

Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Irvine Half Marathon & 5K race as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Unless you’re a Southern California native, you probably never heard of Irvine. But as someone who has driven from San Diego to LA (and back, usually on the same day), you will likely have driven through Irvine, which is situated right in the middle of Orange County. The only time I really stopped in Irvine was to wait in line at 85 Degree bakery, fortunately, they have since opened up multiple locations in San Diego. Orange County, in general, reminds me very much of San Diego. The weather is tolerable all year long, the only thing I dislike is the traffic that I almost always hit when driving through the OC.

The Irvine Half Marathon & 5K has been rebranded from the Southern California Half & 5K. As with many other races these days, they are sponsored by a brewing company and offer various beers and drinks at the post-race festival. The half marathon and 5K take place on January 11, which is a great time for those who have made New Year’s resolutions to run a race or lose weight. And while the weather is still a little chilly in the mornings, it is nothing compared to what everyone else is experiencing away from Southern California. Aside from the typical race swag (shirt, medal, finisher’s festival), there are some other unique perks that you don’t see at every race (free participant photos, free and live runner tracking). Learn more about the Irvine Half Marathon and 5K here.

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