Long Beach Half Marathon October 2011

I adore the Disney races, but this year, my favorite race for 2011 was the Long Beach Marathon (well, I only did the half...).

I think Run Disney and The Competitor Group could learn a thing or two from the folks at Run Racing.



First of all, the expo is extremely well organized and all of the volunteers and staff were very nice and helpful. I also really liked all of the Long Beach gear available for purchase. I picked up a really cool visor and a long sleeve tee shirt.

One of the best things about this race is that it's a great choice for serious runners AND people like me that just enjoy the experience.



Um, yeah, this is me...

After the expo, we walked down the street to the The Aquarium of the Pacific. It was a fun, relaxing way to spend the afternoon before the race the next morning. And we got to see Sexy Shrimp! Who knew such a thing even existed!





Sunrise before the start of the race

The course is really scenic. I'm one of those people that has a really hard time running 13.1 miles without some cool scenery (hence why I love Disney races..). I also love that this course changes direction and winds around. I hate running in a straight line for miles, and miles and miles...





Cruise ships



I love this picture! Isn't the scenery great?

Very friendly pirate..Arrr!



More lighthouse



How cool is this?



I always take a picture of mile 10, but I really liked this one.



And here's my usual mile 10 pic..

The finish line area was well organized, too. Everyone got a bag of food and plenty of drinks. Did I mention how much I loved this race? No? Well, I loved this race. Oh, I almost forgot! The race swag was good, too. I got a women's tech shirt, a nice gear bag and a cool medal! All for much cheaper than most of the races I did this year. Thank you, Run Racing! I will be back!