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Avenue of the Giants Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
7 reviews for Avenue of the Giants Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K
7 reviews in English
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Review from Drue M.
Nevada City, CA
5/8/2012
Excellent! The course is absolutely stunning. It winds itself up and down through these gorgeous redwood giants, providing a course that is almost always in the shade. You run out 6.5 miles slightly uphill, and then back the same 6.5, and then you run out and back a different direction to the finish. More opportunities for your friends to watch the race. This is not the fastest marathon course, but it is definitely the most enjoyable. I still qualified for Boston by almost 15 minutes, so it is fast enough, partners.
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Review from Heather W.
Sacramento, CA
5/3/2011
I have only done one other half marathon and one marathon. I can honestly say this is the best event I have done yet. I did the 1/2 marathon...to say the course is beautiful is an understatement. I was in awe that I got to run underneath these beautiful redwoods. I was never bored for all 13.1 miles with all of the trees to look at. If you are someone who feeds off the cheering and bands and other things in urban marathons, this is not for you. There are not a lot of spectator spots in this race, but I didn't care - I felt it gave me less to be distracted about.
Course support was fantastic - the water and gatorade was cold, and they put the correct amounts in the cups. They also had fresh orange slices :-)
I improved upon on 1/2 marathon time by 3 minutes, and I am not a fast runner...so this was awesome for me! There was one hill, but if you have trained on hills before it will be no big deal to you.
Yes, the drive from Sacramento is long. Yes, it is hard to find lodging unless you book way in advance. Yep, I got dirty from the river I jumped in at the end. But it was so worth it! I am definitely doing it next year!Listed in: Running!
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Review from Eli M.
Vallejo, CA
5/4/2011
Beautiful! My second half marathon ever and I couldn't of asked for a better place! I ran it with my Team in Training group and had so much support from everyone. I was 37 seconds faster than my last half in October and have me mentor to thank for that!
Next year I will be there again! -
Review from gwynnie p.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2010
WooooHoooooooooo what a great event. After doing Anchorage and Avenue of the Giants, I'm spoiled.....I don't ever want to do an urban marathon again, except maybe Honolulu because that one is a total hoot and it starts at 5am with a beautifully xmas decorated downtown.
Where were we? Oh yes, Avenue of the Giants...in the spring they offer 10k, 1/2 and full marathon courses through majestic redwoods, along the Eel River, with wildflowers in bloom, waterfalls and tranquility a plenty. DO IT!!!!!!!! -
Review from Liz K.
Cary, NC
10/26/2007
This is a beautiful marathon! You are surrounded by tall redwoods throughout the course. If you like to do trail runs and be very close to nature then this is definitely the marathon for you. The race is a Boston qualifier that is chipped time and the elevation varies between 200 to 400 feet above sea level. The weather is sunny and hot during the time of this marathon which is in May. But, 85 percent of the race you are shaded by the glorious redwoods.
The Avenue of the Giants is one of the smaller scale races that I've have completed. When I say small, I am referring to the number of people.
When I ran this race in 2006, there were less than 400 marathon finishers. So, often times, I found myself running alone along a dirt paved road amongst the redwoods. This is definitely the most tranquil race that I have completed. Also, one that I would love to run again.Listed in: Running through life...
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Review from Joyce B.
Sacramento, CA
5/2/2011
This is the best marathon I've ever ran. It is a few step above the Nike Womens run in San Franscisco for beauty alone. .. and it's not real crowded. The 1/2 runs through a canopy of trees lined on both sides and the run is relatively flat with 1 hill at the end that I though I was going to die on as I was running out of steam by then. But I didn't, because the crowd was yelling at me to pick up my feet and get going that I was almost at the end. Thanks so much to those spectators. Everything was very organized too and seems each year it is getting more popular.
I just ran it yesterday and can't wait to return for the Oct one. Did I mention I was 21 minutes faster than my last race? Beauty and having the perfect weather can make such a difference. -
Review from Katie B.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2005
If you're going to run long distances for no particular reason other than just to prove that you can, then there's no better place than the Avenue of the Giants. Not only are these huge redwood trees awe-inspiring, they provide a natural canopy of shade conducive to the perfect running environment. The course itself is also relatively flat ... a godsend for both novice runners and hopeful Boston Qualifiers. Races are put on twice a year in May and October. For more information visit: http://www.theave.org
