Four of us came from Vancouver Canada to run in the sunshine. And we certainly got that: unseasonably hot weather meant 29 degrees Celsius/ 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Kudos to the race organizers for adding extra water stations and having golf carts cruising with water and medical aid along the last several miles.
This was my second marathon. Our group consisted of two people running their third marathon, and one seasoned marathoner who was doing his 11th and had Boston under his belt. We would all be in the 'masters' category.
The online information for this marathon was excellent but signage for the expo and on race day was non existent. There were several other events happening at the fairgrounds at the time of the expo and it was hit and miss finding the correct event. Race day, there did not seem to be one sign saying 'this way to Marathon' or even 'start here'. The announcements at the beginning of the event could only be heard by the first quarter of the crowd. They need to have speakers going to the back of the corrals. The race started late.
The first half of the race was gorgeous. Beautiful neighborhoods and scenery. Our group didn't agree on the second half. The experienced marathoner thought it was nicely varied. I was not impressed with running through a mall parking lot and then along a dry and smelly culvert, foiled by a dirty dusty path. The wind and dust in my eyes at mile 20 was not appreciated.
There was negligible entertainment. I didn't expect rock and roll quality but given that this is California, you'd think they could have scared up some amateur bands looking for some free advertising. The biggest band was a bunch of kids!
The spectators were friendly and the police were outstanding, cheering us along and offering encouragement.
All and all I'd say it was a nice event. We enjoyed the location tremendously and would come back for that alone. I probably would not run this marathon again.

I was disappointed in this race. Overall the course was a tale of two courses. The first half was pretty scenic but they had the half and full marathoners on a very narrow path in the most scenic areas. Couldn't really enjoy the scenery for all the runner traffic. The second half of the course was just flat weird. I don't know which was dumber - running through the mall and on the sidewalks in front of stores in the mall or next to the drainage ditch or the dirt road that was all cut up and provided very unstable footing. That was just stupid. I think the course was the worst I have run of the 10 marathons I have completed. All the rest of the race was just average to below average.

There are plenty other better marathons out there.

2011: 1st marathon, 1st formal race. I venture to predict the O.C. is significantly better than average based on the scenic coastal section, excellent people support throughout, respectful fellow runners and local residents, nutritional support with water and gatorade at every mile, energy gels at at least 3 locations, and overall smoothness of experience. Be aware the middle is flat and relatively less run-inspiring, and of the possibility of mid-70s temperature, wind, and strong sunlight. For 2011, one needed to have reached parking pre-5:15am in order to start at the gun. Greatly appreciate the massive effort and forbearance that made it possible!

Pros:
- Early start. It still got hot, but you can't do much more than start at 6am and hope for the best, weather-wise.
- Goodie bag. Some good samples, a nice t-shirt, decent medal.
- Portajons at start line. This was the best job I've ever seen at a race. A half hour before the race and there were no lines more than about 10 people deep.
- Post-finish area: Once through the finish, it wasn't crowded and you were able to easily make your way through the festival area, which had lots of food options, waters, beers, etc.
- Good job with the water. Frequent stations, all well-stocked, and staffed with supportive volunteers.

Cons:
- The course, overall. Some scenic spots in the first half along the coast, but issues throughout. In the first half, there were several spots where the course narrowed to only 2 or 3 runners wide, creating bottlenecks. The field never really spread out at all until about 8 miles in. The bigger issue for me was the 2nd half. I understand it can't all be scenic, but there was a lot of uneven pavement and loose dirt/sand, and much of the course was largely inaccessible to the public, which made any sort of crowd support impossible.
- Poor wave start management. There were corrals based on expected time, but I was in corral B, with my expected finish time of 4:00, and I had to start weaving through walkers within a half mile.
- Limited crowd support. I think this may be a product of the course itself more than anything else. Spectators that were out there were supportive and the volunteers were great, there just weren't a lot of spots that had anyone there to cheer.


Overall, this is among my least favorite races, either full or half marathon. I think if you just ran the half here though, it wouldn't be as bad. The first half of the course wasn't terrible, but it went bad quickly after the half and full split. It was well organized, but the course set up and subsequent lack of spectators made for a pretty dull race. I'll pass on this one in the future.

I ran the 2011 Half Marathon. I've run what has been called the OC Half marathon 3 times now, and this was the best of the courses. The only reason I did not give the organization 5 stars was because I spent 2+ hours in the parking lot waiting to leave.

Good:
Beautiful, interesting course mostly along the water but also through neighborhoods
Plenty of water stops and bathrooms
Not too many hills
Decent support from local residents
Beautiful weather. It would have been too hot had the race not started at 6am, but was fine then. Marathoners may have had a rough time of it.
Nice medals-previous years people complained about not having a year, which has been fixed. Different medals for 1/2 and full runners.
Very nice technical shirt-different for 1/2 and full runners.

Bad (not a to complain about):
parking lot situation after the race
official results did not include a 10k split-only 5k, 10 miles and 11 miles-I don't understand the 11 mile split.
I imagine marathoners were frustrated both with the crowds and the people who split off at mile 13, though I did not experience crowding.

I will definitely be running this event again in the future and I highly recommend it.

I've run the half for three years now. The full heads into ugly suburbia, so it's not worth the footsteps. This year the route avoided the beautiful Newport Back Bay and spent more time in the residential areas. Probably will skip this next year. (I've got to admit the water and restrooms were better this year, but that can't compensate for the Back Bay.)

A beautiful, slightly hilly course. Good support with water and Gatorade. However, I couldn't believe that GU, nor any other carb, was made available until mile 10! Good thing I was only running the half that day or I would have been hurting for carb reloading. The porta-potty situation was a mess...not enough stalls, not enough t.p. Other than that, it was very enjoyable. Maybe not a P.R. setting course, but great weather and good views.

I had minimal complaints:
1. The porta-potties ON the course were positioned such that the lines would stretch across the road where we were trying to run.
2. The porta-potties at the start were plentiful, but all in one spot, and facing toward each other, so lines ended up being a huge confusing crowd.
3. Having to pay for parking twice was annoying... paying for race day is fine, but requiring us to get our number at the expo, where we ALSO had to pay for parking was a little annoying. Add an option to have our race number mailed to us for an extra $2 or something.

Those complaints being stated... they are very minor. I thoroughly enjoyed this half marathon. It was beautiful, and the support/aid on the course was fantastic. Generally flat, and perfect weather. What more could you ask for?

The OC Marathon is a good marathon. With a little bit of help, it can be a great one. The first half next to the coast and through the upper bay is awesome. The weather in early May is very predictable and nice. The OC Marathon has good corporate sponsors and great volunteers. The point-to-point course is not my favorite, but it's workable. The medal was good-looking, but there was no stinking date - are you kidding me? The finish area was better than last year's, and so was the porta-potty at the start.

But with the growth of the race, you have to do something with the start. It was a joke! I started with the 4-hour pace group and not even a 1/4-mile into the race we were passing walkers! Please take note of how other marathons are run. The start line is mass confusion. And with the narrow streets and bridge under PCH, something has to be done. You might find yourself having more marathoners when you fix the problem. Also, the course by the concrete wash/bike path was not my favorite, but it's better than an industrial park, I suppose. Anyway, I do enjoy the OC Marathon and I will be back. Please help us with the start! Thanks for kicking back to the running clubs - what a great idea!

I very much enjoyed running this marathon and would strongly consider running it again. My only complaint is that there needs to be a staggered start so that it isn't so crowded during the early, narrow portions of the course. For those complaining about the lack of energy gels, prepare yourself and carry your own during your next marathon. For those complaining about paying for parking, this is Southern California for crying out loud. You pay for parking everywhere you go. For those complaining about the lack of crowd support, try running the Los Angeles or Rock and Roll Marathon instead. For those complaining about "hill" placement along the course, you need to toughen up. For those complaining about the lonely stretch along the bike path and dirt trail, work harder on preparing yourself mentally before you run another marathon. Remember, folks: this is a marathon. Not only do you need to be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally, but you also need to be prepared for anything to happen. If this is too much for you to handle, there are plenty of 5Ks and 10Ks for you to run.