Coaster Run Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Ali D.
Pasadena, CA

  (04-23-2010)

"Let me just start by saying I got my PR here (not counting races I ran in high school and college). This is a very fast course.

Course:
Flat with minimal turns. Well-marked.

Terrain:
Asphalt and sidewalks (all streets or parking lot).

Location:
Race starts across from Knott's Berry Farm and enters the surrounding neighborhood. Apparently the 5K used to be a loop around a few blocks, but the 2010 course was an out-and-back.

Chip timing: none

Organization:
OK, this is where it falls a bit flat. Everyone lines up en masse in a packed crowd at the start. No one made any announcements about having the fast people at the front and slower people at the back. Not that that would help any -- because there were a lot of people who didn't seem to have any idea that walkers shouldn't start near the front of a 5K! Common sense?!

There also were a lot of kids who did this race (see "Perks," below) and I saw a little girl fall to the ground and nearly get trampled only 100 yards out from the race start. There were also teenagers who haven't quite gotten used to pacing themselves yet, and they ran out fast and then suddenly stopped in the middle of the crowd to catch their breath. *Smack!* right into their backs at 5K speed.

Wow, that's a bad idea.

My recommendation is that if you are racing to PR, you should start as near to the front as possible and just burn it to get out of the crowd as fast as you can. If you're a little slower (8:00/mile or so) start a bit further back, and if you're a walker or pushing a stroller, start much, much further back.

Beneficiary: Buena Park Speech and Language Development Center

Other events: Elite 5K, a 10K and kids' 1/2mile run

Perks:
Entrants get a free slice of Knott's boysenberry pie at the end. T-shirts are nice quality (not technical fabric, but decent cotton) and the design features Snoopy. They also gave away discount coupons to Knott's Berry Farm, which seemed to draw a lot of families to the event. Also, everyone got a medal at the end (also featuring Snoopy). The podium medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in age group were small and nondescript."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010