Can't beat this race for variety from start to finish. Started with wild weather on Saturday but cleared and turned into a beautiful day for a marathon on Sunday. Course people did a great job to get ready for the race given the deluge on Saturday. The first part in the park was breathtakingly beautiful and there were hoards of energetic kids cheering everyone on. God bless the water station workers who were there eager to serve. Bands on the course were welcome, from the kids' band in the park to the oldies bands on the coast. Beautiful views at every turn, and running along the beach is the photo-op of a lifetime. This was my first run here, and I'm now so nuts about this that I'll be here every year. And, I'll bring my friends! Great job to all who made this a special day for me!

Huntington Beach is one of those perfect winter getaways that a frozen middle America is looking for in a February Marathon. It doesn't hurt that the race is nestled directly against some of the most impressive, soft, sandy beaches in the world. The water glistens in the morning sun as the waves pound the shore. The taste of salt and the smell of the sea almost overwhelm the senses. Running down the middle of historic Pacific Coast Highway is a unique experience to be treasured by one and all.

Despite the obvious natural appeal, however, this is really a tale of two races: the Full and the Half. They are both great but if you can, run the Full. The Full is a much smaller race (2,300 vs 18,000) and goes places that the massive Half simply couldn't go, like the quaint Huntington Central Park and the really cool bike-running path that goes as close to the coastline as you can get without getting sand in your shoes. It is well worth the extra miles.

As stated by many others, the water stations are frequent and well stocked - except for the very slowest halfers who seemed to run short on cups at a station or two. The medal is really cool (a surfboard that changes every year) and the expo with its beach camp theme was fun but a little small for a race of this size.

For our family (my wife runs halves and I run wholes) this was a great race and I recommend it to anyone, but especially to my fellow whole marathon runners.

Oh, one last thing. Before the race we were told that 63% of the participants in all the races were female! (This wasn't true of the marathon itself but was true if the 5K and Half were added in.) So I just have to sing that old Beach Boys Song, "I'm Going to Surf City... Where there's Two Girls for Every Boy!"

This was my first half marathon. After participating in various 5Ks, and hearing the number of people expected here, I thought that the entire process would be a nightmare. It was just the opposite. Race packet pick-up was extremely organized. The shuttles were frequent and fast (I waited 2 minutes for one, 5 minutes for the other) and the course was great. There were not very many "fans" or spectators and very few "entertainment" stages throughout the course, which was very different than the 5Ks I participate in. But, overall, I was very impressed with this race and how efficiently they executed the entire event.

A memorable BQ that I would gladly run again. You can't beat temps in the 60s in early February - in light of the cold and snow in the rest of US. Another reason to travel from the East Coast to visit my home town. This race will only get better as it is one of the top races for HB/Southern CA. Note that feedback is my recollection of the course, which may have changed over the duration of the race.

EXCELLENT:
- Plentiful, enthusiastic, constantly cheering volunteers who knew how to serve drinks and snacks (stretched out arms, carried multiple cups, cleared used cups quickly). The kids and teens were amazing and stood out in their yellow tees.
- Clean and plenty of porta-potties.
- Vitalyte was better than Gatorade; it tasted refreshing and flavorful.
- VERY cool, unique medal - perfectly captures surf theme.
- Scenic course, but going back and forth on PCH was a bit tedious (Miles 17-22).
- Solid crowd support in the beginning, at Seapoint and for the last 1.5 miles, but stretches of PCH had limited spectators.
- Mostly flat (after Mile 10), fast course, so it was easy to get a PR: only three 50-foot-plus hills. Mild wind in some parts.
- Good that there are pacers, but some pacers (3:40) were too fast (though the group might have slowed down later).
- Lot of police around and fantastic TOTAL blockage of course to general traffic. Even after 2PM, PCH was still off-limits to cars.
- Plenty of photographers on the course.
- Plenty of free street parking at around 6 a.m. (within 1 mile of the start) for the marathoners.
- Good post-race bag with bars, fruit, Fig Newtons, Clif drinks, but a typical runner could have eaten through 2 bags.
- Well-organized expo with cheeky Hawaiian/surfy theme; however, rain did soak the Astroturf, so areas were flooded.
- Try-on tee shirts at the expo are a great idea to get you the perfect fit.

LESS THAN GOOD:
- Could have an earlier start time to avoid potental heat and half marathoners on course. A 6 a.m. start is reasonable, as the sun is rising through the clouds. An earlier start provides more clearance for wheelchairs and lead half-marathoners.
- Course map is NOT to scale and elevation map does NOT match mile markers on course map - e.g., use Google Maps for the course and plot detailed elevation at USATF.
- There were two Mile 1 markers and it was unclear which one was for the marathon.
- Course should be off limits to non-participants. ABSOLUTELY NO cyclists and non-race runners (pedestrians okay). They were weaving through the path and blocking it. It probably got worse later on in the race, i.e. those finishing after 4 hours.
- Path too narrow (about two feet wide) in some parts of Central Park and on PCH.
- Should offer GU instead of Sharkies in little ketchup cups - difficult to eat.
- Unclear parking and transportation directions for spectators.
- The shuttle bus map was not clear, but at least service was offered.
- Would be great if there were more bands or blasting stereos along stretches of PCH.
- Flooding at Mile 14 could have been sandbagged.
- On course map, what was up with "C" symbol being "TBD?" Course map should be as accurate as possible up until the race.
- Prepare for all kinds of weather - it poured rain the days before. Fortunately, it was a GORGEOUS, clear, comfortable morning, but it was quite warm after 9:30 a.m.
- Medical aid stations after Mile 21 are advised since the last 10K or so are when runners are struggling.
- Leave timeshare pushers out of the expo.

This course offers amazing views of the ocean almost the entire race. We stayed at the Hyatt, which is right in front of the start line. The only thing I don't like is the surfboard finisher's medal. They need to change it up a bit.

- Bob Delava

It was my first time running this race, but I've done 23 marathons and 15 half's. This is a beautiful course; what do you expect for a SoCal beach city? They give you a cool long-sleeve tech shirt, and a very cool medal - probably one of my prettiest, most creative, fun medals, and especially since I only did the half. I'm signed up for the full marathon next year!

This May will be my 70th birthday. I am always excited to be a part of this great organization. I am impressed with the expertise of the Huntington Beach volunteers.

I have run this marathon five years in a row. I was very skeptical of how organized this would be with the huge field of runners (compared to previous years).

Somehow, they managed to make it, by far, the best race. Every aspect of a well organized race was present.

It was a marathoner's dream. Course, aid stations, spectators, etc. were wonderful. My sincere gratitude and admiration to all involved. Back to the snow and cold in Cleveland, Ohio....

Well, I have run this marathon for the last five years. This race, as well as the awesome medal, keeps getting better. This year, compared to last year (fluke rainy year), was lined more with spectators and excited volunteers handing out water. I'm not sure what the so-called electrolyte drink did for us marathoners, but there should be a better energy drink besides that on the course. Energy gel would be nice too! This would be the only drawback.

I had enjoyed the fact that the organizers reversed the course the last two years from the races in the past. It is a lot easier to run up that long hill at mile 8, instead of mile 21/22. The expo is also very cool, since it has a laid back, Hawaiian, beach feel.

I highly recommend this race for the full and the half marathon, as they are growing more and more each year with participants.

Having run this marathon for the last six years in a row, I can honestly say that I am never disappointed, even after last year's miserable weather (and God must love marathoners, because as I write this review a week later, it's pouring rain in SoCal!).

As other reviewers have noted, this race has improved a lot in recent years, with the marathoners now starting 10 minutes prior to the 1/2 marathoners, which reduces the overall congestion at the start of the race. The two groups are further separated later in the race when the full marathoners are doing miles 18 - 25 on the bike path, while the 1/2 marathoners stay on PCH. Additionally, the recent re-routing of the course so that the 7-mile inland route up Seapoint Drive and down through the park is tackled in the first half of the race instead of the second half has also been greatly appreciated. Finally, having the race start and finish at the same point is wonderful and something that I wish all marathons would do (are you listening Orange County?).

I really can't find anything negative to say about this race, and will be back every year that my body allows it. I do have one question though; do any of the other "Legacy Runners" know what to do with the little wooden surf board thingy we were given? Is it a necklace, a key fob, a bookmark or simply something to hang around the review mirror of your car?