Quarry Turkey Half Marathon/10K/5K

All distances do the 5K course; the 10K and half marathon add an out-​and-​back «tail». 5K runners do a squarish loop around Quarry Lakes Park. 10K and half marathon runners branch off for their out-​and-​back leg midway around the loop. 10K runners do about 3 miles on the Alameda Creek Trail, while half marathon runners do another 7 miles in addition.
The 5K and 10K surface is mostly packed dirt, with some paved trail and a section along the paved parking lot. Much of the trail beyond the 10K turn-​around is paved. The start/​finish area is one of the large group picnic areas in the park.
The loop around the lakes in the park is, to me, the most beautiful part of the 10K and half marathon courses. The two-​sided Alameda Creek Trail follows the creek, and has housing developments on both sides; the half goes under several street overpasses. It’s nicer, I think, than a course through a city business district, but it’s a bit of a stretch to me to call it beautiful (maybe I’m spoiled). This gives the race a dual personality, as only the half marathon course is mostly on the creek trail. 5K runners only see the park, and 10K runners aren’t on the creek trail long enough for it to get monotonous; almost a different experience. I did the 10K this year, and enjoyed the course more than when I’ve done halfs on it.
I must sound like a Brazen Racing groupie, but this was a typical Brazen race, which means excellent! The whole race experience, from registering online to leaving the park after finishing was very smooth. Pre-​race instructions were clear, parking was ample and free, the course was well marked and monitored, the aid stations were well-​stocked (including lots of snacks!), volunteers encouraging and helpful, all in a family picnic atmosphere. The finish area food was plentiful and in great variety. I was told that Quarry Turkey is Brazen’s second most popular race; everything was very obviously scaled to serve that.
Brazen makes their «Turkey» races extra family friendly. Both have 100-​yard (approximately) «Little Turkeys» races for the younger children, run shortly before the main races. The costumed mascot always «runs» with the kids, and always finishes last. Kids running the Little Turkeys race receive a «Little Turkeys» T-​shirt, bib, and a finisher’s medal.
As with Nitro Turkey, the county foodbank had a food collection station. While I haven’t heard how much was collected, what I saw had me wondering how they would carry it all out to their vehicle — a nice problem to have!
T-​shirt — the T-​shirt is gray, with Quarry Turkey (orange T-​shirt with «QT» on the front) mid-​stride running across the front, the race name, and the year. The back has Quarry Turkey seated on a rock pile, looking satisfied and holding up two feathers on his left wing, to signify the Quarry Turkey race was the second in a series. Below the rock pile is an orange sign with the name of the race, distances, date, and location. And below that are race sponsors’ logos.
Bib — the bib is personalized, color-​coded for the distance, and gives the distance. At the top are Quarry Turkey holding a large rock (last year’s T-​shirt image), the race name, the location, and the date.
Finisher’s medal — the finisher’s medal image is similar to that on the back of the race T-​shirt, Quarry Turkey seated on a rock pile, holding up two feathers. It has the race name, distances, and date. The ribbon is gray, with the Quarry Turkey image from the back of the T-​shirt, waist up, with the race name, distances, date, and location. But there’s more …
For runners who do both Nitro Turkey and Quarry Turkey there is a third medal that interlocks with the Nitro Turkey and Quarry Turkey medals to form a «mega-​medal». This medal shows two Little Turkeys (in orange and blue T-​shirts, with «LT» on the fronts) high-​fiving (or something like that) each other. Across the bottom and also along the blue ribbon are the words «DOUBLE TROUBLE!» These were distributed next to the medal engraving and age group awards tables.
Goodies — In a word, «Wow!» The aid station fluids and snacks were typical for Brazen races — water and sports drink, several varieties of candies, cut up Rice Krispies Treats and Payday bars, chips and pretzels, cut up bananas and oranges. It was the finish area that put the «!» in «Wow!» Brazen always has a wide variety of fruit, cookies, baked items, candies, and chips, along with It’s It ice cream sandwiches in multiple flavors (I like strawberry and mint). The variety of these seemed greater than usual, and there was also pumpkin pie (pieces in a paper cup, not whole slices). Brazen used the circular configuration of the picnic tables to spread the goodies around to minimize lines (I finished at a fairly busy time and didn’t wait for anything).
I’ll try to be uncharacteristically brief. I’ve done 2 other organizers’ Turkey Trots in the South SF Bay Area. They’re all very well done. Brazen’s Turkey races are THE BEST in the area!

I love Brazen Racing.
This event is just another reason why I love it! Quarry Turkey takes place at Quarry Lakes Regional Park in Fremont. There are options for running a half marathon, 10k, or 5k.
Quarry Turkey is a particularly crowded event due to families and the start of the holiday season.
The course is very flat and perfect to get that PR you are hoping for! There is free parking for all participants as well.

It felt so awesome to support the fine folks at Brazen Racing on Small Business Saturday with my very first Turkey Trot. I have decided that small races put on by local organizations are my faves. The route went along the picturesque Quarry Lakes were many folks were fishing while we looped around part of the regional park for the 5K.
Highlights:
*inexpensive fee
*excellent communication via email and Facebook from Brazen
*map of course given to runners
*didn’t have any but Krispy treats and pecan pie were offered at the aid station!!! They also provided water, electrolytes, M&Ms, oranges, bananas
*hearing my name and city called as I crossed the finish line
*that heavy, very cool medal (Brazen has the best!)
*taking pics with the Quarry Turkey which I’ll be able to download for FREE soon
*food at the finish line: bagels with cream cheese, peanut butter, or Nutella, several slices of pie including apple, pumpkin, and berry, Kettle chips, pretzels, all kinds of cookies, oranges, bananas, It’s It in vanilla, mint, or cappuccino
*starting yet another holiday tradition with my best friend
Suggestions:
*we parked about a mile away in a residential neighborhood that didn’t have the «please do not park here» signs. Traffic was so awful that all races were pushed back 15 minutes. The walk to/​from was a good warmup/​cooldown.
*If you do both Brazen Turkey Trots, you get an awesome 3^rd medal. Considering that for next year!

This was my second Brazen Race ½ Marathon.
Well organized.
Well advertised.
Early packet pick up at Road Runner Sports in Campbell, CA.
Nice tech tshirt for ½ marathoners but sorry to say the print was terrible as was the washed out lime green.
Good bag has a couple of great items.
Onsite day of race registration for races that had not sold out.
Race started on time.
1 hour early start an option for power walkers.
Sam handed out maps to make sure everyone had a map of the course.
Well mark trail.
Mile markers at every mile.
Great well stocked water/​aide stations.
Electrolyte drink was very good… it wasn’t Gatorade.
One port-​o-​potty in route
Supportive, fun race crew
Great finishers medal.
Each runners name and bib number was announced as we finished the race.
Professionally timed event.
Free downloadable photos.
Official results emailed the evening of the race.
Thank you Brazen Racing… Sam you oversee great Brazen Racing!
Food donation to support Second Harvest Food Bank

This was my second race from Brazen Racing, and everything went well. Since the run was two days after Thanksgiving, it was a good excuse to work off the Thanksgiving weight. My finish time wasn’t the best since I had a cough and symptoms of a cold on the morning of the race.
Course: Out and back course along Quarry Lakes and in the gravel path along the Alameda Creek Trail. I loved running in Quarry Lakes, but the section along Alameda Creek Trail was okay. We saw the backs of people’s houses. At least the course was wide enough for the runners heading in opposite directions.
Communication: Great communication via email and Facebook.
Race Day Parking: Parking available in the Quarry Lakes parking lot. Must bring $ 5 cash to pay at the gates.
Water Station/​Volunteers: Plenty of stations available every 2 – 3 miles. Besides water and energy drinks, there were salty snacks, gummy bears, Gu’s, and other snacks. Volunteers were so awesome :) Love all of their cheering!
Race Expo: Same day bib and race packet available in the morning of the race. After the race, there were two vendors passing out free drinks — FRS and Honest Tea. Runners could also snack away with pumpkin or apple pie, salty snacks, fruit, and the famous It’s-It ice cream! YUM! I only eat It’s-It ice cream at the Brazen Races since I deserve eating a 400 calorie dessert after running 13.1 miles!
Swag: Technical t-​shirts for those who register for the half marathon. I ordered a small which was way too small for my shoulders. However, Sam, the race director, sent me a cotton medium shirt as a replacement. Great customer service which deserves another Unilocal star! In addition, the medal was huge! It was as big as the coaster size medals that I have. If runners ran the Nitro Turkey on Thanksgiving and the Quarry Turkey, then they receive a «Double Turkey» dual medal. The three pieces connected together as a puzzle. So awesome!
Price: $ 50 which is a good price for a race.