Beach Fiesta 5k, 10k, 15k, Half Marathon

promotes and emphasizes a very relaxed and easy-​going, personal racing experience. And it is! Sure, their events are somewhat informal, but they’re fun and very affordable. I mean, the 5K alone was practically half the cost of most registrations: only $ 18.00! Included: goodie bags (without the bag), the usual bananas, gels, waters, etc., and a sparkling finisher medal (one for everyone.) Offering no special awards or t-​shirts, this eco-​friendly, fun-​run «fiesta» is then able to keep costs low, and I can definitely appreciate that!
Winding alongside Crescent Bay Park, this flat, looped course begins on the beach’s walking path and – just north of the Santa Monica Pier – eventually merges onto the Marvin Braude Bike Trail (
) before turning around and heading back again. Of course, you’ll be sharing the road with other sun worshippers making their own morning pilgrimages, but that’s another reason why A Better World Running’s events are kept pretty intimate – 100 to 150 runners at most – so as to not congest the walkways and bike paths with respect to other pedestrians, runners, and cyclists.
Metered parking on a Sunday morning isn’t clocked until 9am, and since the run begins at 7am, available spots are in abundance. Check-​in and bib pick-​up are in the cul-​de-​sac below Ocean Ave., so park directly upon Ocean, and walk down to the beach.
The run is not chip-​timed. Instead, official times and places are recorded manually, and results are posted on A Better World Running’s website later the same day. (I use my GPS watch anyway.) A list of upcoming runs is also on the website, and for regular participants, every 5^th race is free! Added, all pictures that the event photographer takes are free to download on their Facebook page; and, finally, a portion of the event’s proceeds are donated to The Noakes Foundation, ECHO, and Kandar Kids. So you see, there’s not much to not like.
What I liked is that it was an easy, early morning workout at the beach… and I received another medal! =]
My 5K time: 29:52.
Calories burnt: 469.