Santa Cruz Half Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Christina C.
San Francisco, CA

  (04-14-2010)

"My favorite half marathon of all time because of the course, which is flat and scenic. Wildflowers, cliffs, ocean...absolutely beautiful. The first time I ran the race back in 2007, it wasn't very well supported - they ran out of food at the finish line.

I just ran it again on 4/11/10. This year, it was definitely better supported. We were lucky - the weather stayed clear for most of the race. The last four miles were tough because running into the wind is always challenging. I wasn't expecting to finish the last stretch on sand, but am just grateful that it didn't start pouring until after we got into the car!
"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2007

Linda D. M.
Sunnyvale, CA

  (04-12-2010)

"There plenty of water stations/portables and permanent lavatories.
The course was beautiful. I had to go to the Sportsbasement in Sunnyvale to pick up my bib, the Santa Cruz folks had a few locations on different days available for people to gather their bibs, There were no race bags, with samples, I would have liked a few samples such as biofreeze and glide.
I ran with a few runners From my racegroup San Jose Fit. During the run I found my self running with other runners from my club which was super since they shared a hello and some encouragement.

The race started with a hill , then not to long after that we were running by the coast, it was gorgeous. we ran out about 7 miles and turned around, Close to mile 9 by the Light house the rain was hard, I think i would have made my PR if it hadnt rained, i was almost at a complete stop. I used so much energy trying to move with the rain hitting my side, soon after we had a big down hill and i was able to just run and smile. we crossed the finish line in the sand and they had fresh fruit bagels water , strawberries , granola bars , oranges and sliced apples and our tea shirts~~ i slept in mine last night! the Medal was pretty , yellow ribbon and a charm very nice, of course i will run it again!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Lynn A.
Morgan Hill, CA

  (08-13-2009)

"This is one of my favorite half marathons and my third year in a row running it. How can you go wrong? This is Santa Cruz. This race was perfectly timed two weeks before the Napa Valley Vintage Half Ironman. It was a good test and I knew it would help me get my head in the game.

In 1906, the Natatorium stood at the start line and housed the West's first hot salt water plunge.

I arrived an hour before the start so I could take my time. I parked at my brother-in-laws place just three blocks from the start line. Nice to have free parking and a shower so close to this spot where I do several runs and triathlons every year. I looked out at the calm ocean, Cowell's Beach and pondered the swim I would probably do a few times this later this year around the pier for the the Santa Cruz Triathlon (formerly the Sentinel) and Big Kahuna Triathlon. I love this place and I love to race here.

I like to get to the start line from the front of the race two minutes before the race starts. I didn't even notice the 2,600 others who were packed behind the start line for the half marathon but I was thinking about the heat. We're in the middle of a record breaking heat wave in N. California. It was in the mid-50s at the start but I knew it would warm up quickly, eventually soaring to 90° at the beach.

I was almost on the start line when the gun went off. The first 100 or so runners took off, but I was surprised how I held my position without much effort. There couldn't have been more than 150 runners ahead of me. I had decided to run on perceived exertion without my Garmin so I didn't know my pace. I wanted to gauge my level of effort and be able to hold it throughout the race like I would need to do at the 70.3 regardless of pace. I decided to drink at every aid station. I wasn't going for a PR so I walked through every aid station and drank at least two full cups of water or Gatorade. I must have taken over 15 cups during the race. It kept me from suffering toward the end.

The first 3-mile stretch along West Cliff Drive is my favorite stretch with breathtaking views of the Pacific coastline. The middle section winds through Wilder Ranch State Park and a loop around the Old Cove Landing Trail with fantastic views of the rugged ocean bluffs. I was glad I never saw the lead runners looping back. It meant I was running a decent race. I really wanted to conserve my energy enough to where I could run the last three mile stretch feeling strong, and it worked. My last mile was probably a sub 7-min. mile.

I finished in 1:40:21 (7:39 pace), exactly four minutes off my PR I ran at the San Francisco half in Feb. but that was a downhill course. Santa Cruz has plenty of rollers so I felt like it was a very solid effort, especially considering I walked through every aid station. I finished 160th overall and 31 out of 313 in my age group. A good friend pointed out I am not a middle of the pack runner anymore. Maybe the hard work is paying off.

The only downside this year was the cotton T-shirts accented with neon green. I thought cotton shirts these days were relegated to low budget local races. Last year's tech shirt from this event is probably my favorite race shirt, and I have scores of race shirts. I won't be wearing this year's shirt.

My family was meeting me to spend the day at the Boardwalk, so I had brought my bike and did a 20-mile ride on Hwy. 1 after the race. After a quick shower at my brother-in-law's house and a power smoothie he made for me, I was ready for an afternoon of people watching on the Boardwalk. And believe me, you see some weird stuff on the Boardwalk."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Prasun P.
San Jose, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"Santa Cruz is a great and scenic race. It was my first half marathon! The course starts out by the boardwalk to wilder ranch, old cove landing and back. The trickiest part of this race may be the weather. There have been years when the race has been run in the rain and others where it has been super sunny. It rained cats and dogs the night before I ran it, but then the next morning it was bright and sunny. If it rains, beware the course gets muddy around the farm. Having said that it is a beautiful course and I remember seeing a whale surfacing out in the ocean. The last few yards are run in the sand so get ready to change gears."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007