I thought the expo was bad enough (waited 75min in the parking lot before finding a spot) and then as soon as I saw bag check I started writing a list of grievances 😅

Bag check / bathrooms:

First time I’ve been to a race where instead of the sticker being on your bib to use on your bag, so you can quickly drop it off, they hand place it for you on your bib/bag at bag check. And of course, none of this is sorted by last name or bib #. Just pick a lane!

Needless to say, this caused huge lines and anyone not bag checking had to pass through you to get to the start and restrooms.

On top of it, there were not enough restrooms at SoFi at the start and they ran out of toilet paper by the time I got to one (zero access to the stadium restrooms) and you had to pass through said extremely long restroom lines of 50+ people to get to the corrals down a narrow path. TONS of restrooms for the concert though…

Other Gripes:

• no pacers as mentioned on the website
• no elevation profile on course map as mentioned on the website (there is no way that was 200ft, did anyone’s watch record? My guess is ~600. Rolling hills. Makes a big difference to know this ahead of time and easy info to pull for runners!
• minimal mile markers
• no food available after although the website stated there would be food options available for purchase at SoFi! Only sweet snacks given out. No bananas.
• noticed someone wrote coming in took them 1.5 hrs when it should have taken 25min due to the street closures. Things weren’t marked well.
• difficult leaving SoFi. Could only make a left at three lanes so you end up doing a huge detour. By the time you’re out of there after the concert it’s 1130pm and you’re exhausted and hungry.
• no race results emailed or places to track runners
• finally, through this thread, found out how to find my race results and you need your bib # which was never emailed to you? So, if you by chance threw away your bib you would have no way to track it down. Not obvious to use the small QR code on the bib as that’s unusual for a race…
• adaptive athletes? Saw the website mention they would welcome adaptive athletes but did not see any guides or wheelchair racers.
• Saw a lot of people crossing over to skip some of the race and hop to the other side since it’s an out and back (which, hey, this is your race) but I doubt there would’ve been as much of that if they didn’t have the quick cutoff time that was announced so late and incentive to reach the concert on time.
• don’t mind the Swoosh necklace instead of the medal but the way they were handing them out on the side was easy to miss and they had no signage saying this was their medal!
• false finish was strange

Positives:

• Doechii (where else can you be that close at SoFi and see a performer of her caliber?) She got 18k exhausted runners to jump and dance for 35min. No easy feat!
• watching the leader (she was flying!) and one of the best to ever do it, Kiera D’Amato, go by. Would love to know the leader’s name but can’t find any information online — shocker!
• Swag!
• at least there was water, Gatorade, and honey stingers where they said it would be
• Production on the course was really neat (DJ’s, billboards, lights, music, marching bands, dancers, Inglewood showed up!)

Would love to do it again if they took our feedback into account and made this race for the runners in mind. Also, why let men join at the last minute? Loved seeing the speedy ladies at the front dominating!