A REVIEW OF THE DIVA HALF MARATHON

Feather boas, tiaras, sparkles, shirtless men, champagne, red roses...oh my!  

The Diva Half Marathon made its debut in San Francisco on May 6, 2012.  The event is all about celebrating the DIVA in you with all the glam, glitz, and glory.  It's a run that caters specifically to women. 

I have run many half marathons, but this is my first Diva run and I enjoyed it with all its pinkness and girl power.  It gives the Nike Women's Marathon/Half Marathon and the See Jane Run HalfMarathon a run for their money (pun intended). 

The Diva Half Marathon had all the craze that the Nike Women's event offered and the easy, breezy course of the See Jane Run event.  Here's my review of the Diva run:

PARKING: 

None.  I'd say that this is the biggest negative of this race.  However, they offered 2 hotels were you could park.  One of them is walking distance to the start, but you had to pay for parking.  It was $4 for the first hour and $2 for every additional hour.  The other site was further away, but they offered shuttle service.  At this hotel you pay a flat rate of $15.  I'd much prefer FREE.

COURSE:

The course is paved and flat. You're sure to PR in this event.  I set out to "run for fun" with no expectations and ended up with a PR.  The energy of the event, the perfect weather, and beautiful views carried me through.  Pink floras paved the way and welcomed runners on the warm, sunny morning.  And the out and back course offered views of the San Francisco Bay. 

We ran on the streets for half of the time, which led us briefly through a neighborhood and office buildings.  Heading back towards the finish, we were directed to a recreational trail that skirted the bay.  I thought the running path would be too crowded to run, but it flowed very well.  There were no bottle-neck situations on this run.

As far as entertainment is concerned, there wasn't much.  There were patches of cheering onlookers at the beginning and end of the course.  Along the route, there was only a couple of cheering squads.   The highlight was a Chinese dragon dancing to the beat of the drums.  Other than that, it was a quiet run.

WEATHER:

As I mentioned, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day.  It was 58-60 degrees with clear, blue skies, and plenty of warmth and sunshine.  Since we started at 7:30AM, we missed the high temperatures that were expected that day.  I have run this course many times and gusty winds are always a deterrence.  But on race day, the winds retreated to just a breeze.

WATER STATIONS:

This is the first time that I ran a race without carrying any water in my hand or on my waist.  The event provided adequate water and lemon-lime Gatorade at about every 1-1/2 miles.  There were 9 water stops in all.

What the water stops lacked were garbage cans.  That makes more work for the clean-up crew later.

PORTA POTTY:

There were porta potties at the park, but very few along the course.  I can't even tell you were those were.  It seemed scarce.  I only noticed 1 or 2 areas along the way with 2 or 3 porta potties each.  Fortunately, I didn't need to use it. 

GEAR CHECK:

Gear check was placed in the park where the finish would be.  The start is only a short walk away.  Checking in bags was easy.  But the check-out could use a bit more organization.  There was no line when I went to pick up my gear, but I waited 15-20 minutes for my bag, because the guy couldn't find it.  Then that's when the line and crowd started forming. 

The bags were grouped by bib number, something like 1000-2000.  But within the group, the bags were not in any numerical order.  Imagine searching through a thousand bags to find one.  They could've easily arranged it during check-in and during the 2 hours they had to wait for the runners.

SCHWAG:

I got a pretty, pink-reusable bag with a very nice tech shirt tailor-made for women.  Not much in the bag except a few coupons and no samples.

POST RACE:

About 100 meters from the finishing line, runners received pink feather boas and a tiara to finish in style as paparazzi and shirtless firemen awaited at the end.  There you receive your medal and a beautiful red rose.

What is impressive is that the medals were very large and heavy.  It even had a sparkling gem that spins in the center of the medal.  Behind the gem, is a place for your photo.

The roses are also worth mentioning.  They were individually wrapped with cellophane and stored in water-filled vials.  I really was expecting a bunch of wilted roses left over from someone's prom night.  But no, the roses were beautiful, fresh, and healthy.

After you receive your medal and rose, you have the option of taking your picture with a backdrop of the Diva Half Marathon logo.

After picture-taking, you are led to a tent-covered buffet of champagne, apple cider, bagels, banana, and grapes. 

OVERALL:

The debut of the Diva Half Marathon in San Francisco (Burlingame) went very well.  I would definitely run this race again.  The course was easy and peaceful.  I loved the festivities that embraced girl power without having to deal with the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. 


I give the Diva Half Marathon 4 out of 5 tiaras!

Why Run a Marathon?

"Why would anyone want to run a marathon?" asked Bob.  Good question, I thought.  Why would anyone subject themselves to running 26.2 miles?  And for what?

When I decided to sign up for my first marathon in 2006, that thought never occurred to me.  Running a marathon had always been on my bucket list.  So, when I was nearing a milestone age, I just thought it was the thing to do for myself--without question.

"But most people list African safari, publish a book, see the Great Wall of China, and other fun stuff on their bucket list; not RUN a marathon," Bob argued.

He's right.  Running a marathon is not exactly fun.  It takes a lot of time and effort to train for it.  What more, you risk injuring yourself.  So why would anyone want to run a marathon?

Well, there is something appealing about accomplishing something that few people can.  Striving for something difficult or achieving the unimaginable is an amazing accomplishment.  A marathon fits this category.

Running a marathon is definitely a challenge that requires strength, endurance, courage, and dedication.  Many run it to prove to themselves that they are capable.  Others run it in honor of those who are battling cancer, asthma, or other diseases.  In this case, they run to show support for their honorees.

I run marathons because it helps me appreciate life.  When I run 26.2 miles, I suffer.  But it reminds me that there are people in the world suffering more than me.  One thing is for sure-  you'll never know the impact finishing a marathon will have on your life until you've completed one.

What do marathoners have in common?  DRIVE!  The bottom line is that drive is why we runners run marathons.

"Anytime you're able to overcome a challenge, you come away with greater confidence, self respect, and fearlessness that never fades."  ~Dean Karnazes

EVERYONE IS RUNNING

Ever since I started running marathons, it seemed as if everyone I know has started running.  My co-workers, my friends, my cousins, and even my husband started running.  Maybe they were thinking, “If she can do it, I can do it too!” 

Yes, there have been a growing number of runners over the years.  In 2008, there were 9.4 million finishers of U.S. road races. That is a 9.9% increase in runners from the previous year. 

In 2009, 467,000 people ran marathons in the United States, which is a 9.9% increase from the previous year, according to Running USA, a nonprofit organization that tracks trends in distance running.  However, the half-marathon is the fastest growing road race distance in the U.S.  About 1.1 million people ran half-marathons last year.  That’s a 24% increase from 2008 to 2009.

Running USA stated that, “inaugural half-marathons added to the popularity of the distance as a number of relatively large half-marathons (>1,000 finishers) debuted in 2007.” 

See www.runningusa.org for more fascinating statistics on running.

Yes, it looks like everyone is running!  I bet you know a few people who run.  I think that the growing number of runners may be attributed to the popularity of organizations that offer marathon training to participants who help raise funds for a cause such as cancer, aids, and education, to name a few. 

                         

Everyone has their own reasons for running.  But I think that the determination, passion, and camaraderie of runners draw many people to the sport of running.  When I see a group of runners run with purpose and a smile on their faces, enjoying the outdoors and each other’s company, it makes me want to be a part of it and run. 

Two wonderful things about running are: 1) you don’t have to be the greatest athlete to run, and 2) Running is one of the most inexpensive sport.  All you need are a good pair of running shoes to start.  So if you are looking for a cheap and easy way to get in shape and enjoy the outdoors, all you need to do is run. 

So get running! 

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way To...(part 2)

Apparently, there are lots of funny things that can happen on our runs.  A discussion on LinkedIn's Marathon and Team In Training groups elicited many responses to the question:  Has anything funny happened to you on a run?  Here are a few of my favorite ones:

THE DOG CALL
Have you ever received a call from your dog while on a run?  John has, but it wasn't his dog.  It was his running partner's dog.  Maybe the dog was mad that his owner took John out for a run rather than him!  Read on...

THE WILD GOOSE CHASE
We all love scenic runs!  Imagine running along a trail with beautiful ponds, a canopy of trees, roaming deer, and...a hissing goose from hell?  Well, that's what Tom ran into one beautiful but interesting morning.  Read on...


BOTTOMS UP!
You know us runners have no shame when it comes to peeing.  An early start time on a chilly morning and nerves can draw a crowd to the porta-potty.  When nature is screaming at you, we have to look elsewhere than stand in the long line. So, we make do with what we have...bushes, trees, back alleys, and of course, the metal guard rail.  What?  You've never did your business behind a guard rail before?  Okay, neither have I nor Steve.  Read on...

TRASH BAG MAN
When I run, I sometimes give other runners nicknames when referring to them in a conversation with a fellow runner.  The conversation goes something like this:  "Did you see Pinky?  She seems to have hired a cheering crowd for every 2 miles," or "Headband guy looks like he's about to hit the wall."  Well, in this story, find out how Trash Bag Man managed to refuel his energy.  Read on...

HIGH-FIVE!
At races, bystanders are great at offering motivation with their colorful banners, cheers, and high-fives.  When it comes to high-5ing, there's something about the slapping of hands and the sting that follows that keeps us going.  So, when runners see a hand stick out of the crowd, they take advantage of that opportunity. Mark took advantage of that opportunity, but I'm not sure I'd like to receive a high-five from him.  Read on...

RUNNING FROM COPS
If you've ever had the unfortunate event of injuring yourself during a run leaving you at the back of the pack in a race, you'll know what it's like to be escorted by a police car.  It can sometimes feel humiliating.  But if you're running a 150-mile relay, being escorted by a police car can make you feel pretty special.  But imagine getting police escort all to yourself in the middle of a residential area where people don't know that what they are seeing is an actual race taking place.  Read on...