Disclaimer: I received an entry into the Surf City Half Marathon 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! All opinions are my own.
My 2019 racing calendar is starting to get more filled up and I could not be more excited. My most recent additions are the Surf City USA Half marathon and the Carlsbad 5000, but more on that one later.
Here are the top 5 reasons you should run the Surf City USA Half or Full marathon.
1. Location – This race is in Huntington Beach, CA so if you’re located in Southern California, this is a must do race. Even if you’re not in Southern California, how could you pass up on a race with great beach views? And since it’s in SoCal, you know the weather will be nice. If you’re making a vacation out of it with family, head on over to Knott’s Berry Farm or Disneyland OR head to Los Angeles for some amazing food.
2. Course – As already alluded to, the course is a nice one that starts on the Pacific Coast Highway and after a few turns here and there, you end on the Pacific Coast Highway. The course is primarily flat and you’re so close to the beach that you can see and smell it too. 🙂
3. Medal – Most medals nowadays are circular in shape. The Surf City half and full marathon medals are not. Their medals are in the shape of a surf board. After all, you are running in Surf City, right? So if you’re looking to mix your medals up a bit, I’d recommend this one.
4. Multiple distances – If you’re trying to get others to join you and they’re not ready for a full marathon, convince them to do a half marathon, a 5k, or even a 1 miler. 🙂
5. Challenges – When I first started running, I would look for race challenges. You know, the ones where if you finish a certain set of distances or races, you’d get an extra medal for it. I was a medal hog so this race was something I did as part of a larger challenge. The great thing about the Surf City half and full marathon is that they have several challenges associated with it. Below are the challenges:
Cowabunga Challenge – This challenge consists of a 1 mile timed run on Saturday on the sandy beaches of Huntington and a half marathon or full marathon on Sunday. So if you’re looking for a nice shake out run on Saturday, consider completing this challenge. All participants who finish the challenge will receive a medal as well as a beer (if you’re 21 and up).
Beach Cities Challenge – This was the one I did a few years ago and consists of the following three races: Surf City Half or Full, the Orange County Half or Full, and the Long Beach Half or Full. It doesn’t matter if it’s within the same calendar year, but if you do them all consecutively, you receive an extra medal and boy, this extra medal is something special. When I completed my challenge, I received a medal in the shape of a sand dollar that opened up and I believe that this year, it’s in the shape of a whale who’s mouth opens up.
Double Dog Challenge – This challenge consists of both the Orange County and Surf City races. The catch is that you have to complete a half and a full between the two races so you could in theory complete the Double Dog Challenge and the Beach Cities Challenge if you really wanted to. For completing this race, you get a dog tag with the challenge listed on it.
One other reason you should run it is that I will also be running it and I’d love to meet up and chat. 🙂 I love meeting up with other runners so if you are signed up, please let me know and we can meet up before the race. You can use code “SCMBR10” for 15% off race registration.
Question for you: What race challenges have you participated in?
A Girl on a Search for Adventure 