Eva and I just finished jogging in the 35th annual Santa Monica Christmas run. She was wide awake and perfectly content as I pushed her 3+ miles in about 36 minutes. We didn't walk at all, which was a big victory.
I haven't been alive for all 35 iterations, but in honor of my 9th time participating, here are nine reasons why I love this run:
1. It's on Saturday instead of Sunday. When the races are close enough and I'm fast enough, I can do a Sunday morning race and still get to church. But it's much so much better to start my weekend with a race than be rushing around on what is designed to be a day of rest.
2. The t-shirts are amazing. Every year I've done it, we've gotten a microfiber long sleeve shirt with a gorgeous design on the front. This year the shirt was red, and I'd say at least 80% of the runners wore it during the race. Such a cool sight to see a three mile parade of festive red shirts moving along the beach path!
3. It's extremely well organized. They have an enormous number of friendly volunteers, a great start/finish line space right at the ocean, and an amazing commitment to starting the race EXACTLY on time. As a military woman, I like that!
4. Speaking of military, the race partners with the Wounded Warrior project to raise money for and awareness of programs for injured veterans. Awesome.
5. It's a great course for all levels of runner, and caters to everyone as well. With the exception of two very short climbs from the ocean level up to the city streets, the race is essentially completely flat. Lots of people use the 10k as an official training run for the LA marathon, lots of people use it as an excuse to wear Santa hats and go for a leisurely morning walk, and then there's everything in between. The area streets are cleared off and closed off, so the course is plenty wide enough to accommodate all sorts of speeds without causing traffic jams and frustration.
6. It seems to be a family tradition for many area families. Ronen and I have done the race several times; this year was Eva's inaugural ride. But I was one of so many moms and dads pushing strollers, double strollers, and wheelchairs, or running beside their elementary students out for their first race. So cool.
7. I'm sure not everyone who lives along the course loves the race, but the haters stay away and the ones who are left are out on their balconies cheering, or are blasting Christmas tunes out the windows.
8. It's easy to feel like you're getting a steal on parking. If you want super-convenient, you can pay $8 to park in the beach lots right at the starting line. Or, assuming you're feeling up for a warm up and cool down walk, there are a ton of meter spaces really close by. Since most of them aren't enforced until 9 am, one can park, run the 10k, enjoy the expo, and be back in plenty of time before any money is due. FREE! When there are thousands of people paying 8 bucks for something I am getting for free, it's strangely satisfying.
9. The final and most important reason why I love this race is because it benefits Harvest Home, a "shelter" for homeless pregnant women. Actually, it's much more than a shelter; Check out their website at www.theharvesthome.net. This is one of the few times that I'm more than happy to write the check for my registration fee! I don't know exactly how much money they raise each year, but I know it's significant. Exercise that supports a great cause is a total win-win.
Looking forward to a family beach run next weekend, and planning for the Muffies' next 13.1 mile adventure!
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