Road Race Name: Wings for Life World Run
Location: Santa Clarita, California
Distance: How ever far you can run before the chase vehicle catches up to you. (My distance was 9.6 miles)
Price: $50
Race Rating: 9/10
Course Review:
This was an unusual race where there is no finish line. You run as far as you can until the chase vehicle catches up to you and then you are out of the race. The course was set up so that you run through all parts of Santa Clarita, if you can make it that far. The race started at Valencia Town Center and once you exited the parking lot, you ran out onto the street where the entire street was closed (it was 3am). The course took you out onto Valencia Blvd, Newhall Ranch Rd, McBean Pkwy, and then to Magic Mountain Pkwy. Once you turn onto Tourney, the incline starts. It brings you out onto the Old Road where the slow steady (dreaded) hill continues. Thank goodness we didn’t continue on the Old Road too long since the course turned onto McBean again where you head back to Valencia Blvd and are welcomed with a slight downhill. Once you reach the mall again you turn right onto McBean Pkwy. About ¼ mile onto McBean the Chase Vehicle caught up to me at mile 9.6. If you were fast enough, the course took you through Newhall on Lyons Ave then you headed to Saugus and Canyon Country on Soledad where you made your way up Sand Canyon. The lead runner and winner made it 36 miles.
Overall Course Rating: 9/10
Race Atmosphere Review:
It was 3:00am and everyone was gathering in the mall parking lot. It seemed like a big party. There was music, huge big screen TV’s to telecast the race (it was a race where there were 36 locations on 6 Continents and One start time. Everyone started at the exact same time, no matter where you are in the world), food trucks and Red Bull was providing free drinks. The parking lot was packed with people wearing glow in the dark bracelets, headbands, shoe laces and lights. The race benefitted people who cannot run so there were many people in wheel chairs who were also going to participate in the race. The vibe was energetic and exciting. Even though this was a race, many different people showed up. You had the serious runners, you had the fraternity guys who had just left the bar and thought, “Hey, let’s join the race.” You had the wheel chair group, you had had the first time runners and you had the people who aren’t runners at all. There were plenty of volunteers and water/aid stations along the course and at the start line.
When the chase vehicle caught up to you they offered shuttles to bring those runners back to the start line. I finished close enough to the start line that I just walked back. Once back at the start line, you received a medal and water and your choice of food trucks (you received 2 free tickets for the food trucks).
Overall Race Atmosphere Rating: 7/10
Post Race Food and Drink Review:
Once you received your metal, you were able to grab water and some bananas. They had about 6 different food trucks lined up that you could eat at for free with your two free meal tickets. I chose the taco truck and the food was absolutely delicious (I’m sure being starved made it taste all the much better). Red Bull was also providing free energy drinks but who wants to be hyped up on an energy drink at 4:30am…I want to go to bed. They had a few tall standing tables but no chairs. Either you had to stand and eat your food or sit down in the parking lot on the ground. I chose to stand next to the taco truck and scarf down my two tacos as fast as I could. Would have been nice to have some chairs to sit on.
Overall Post Race Food and Drink: 8/10
Written by Becki from Ordinary Runner
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