5/5 Stars

Beautiful day, great race, very well organized (I was worried due to CO issues). Everybody knew what was going on - police kept things moving on arrival and during race - very happy with all and then at the finish a beautiful beer tent with free great beer! What more could you ask for??

Was a bit tougher than I thought

Was a bit tougher than I thought

Trained on dirt, hilly roads. No speed work, maybe that's why a bit slower than hoped for..

Train on long hills up and down, it helps!!

Had a beer, took some pictures

5/5 Stars

The entire race is such a beautiful experience! The views are always breathtaking!

I didn't PR this year as I got some amazing blisters on my toes...

The course is one of my best ones for a marathon! The start elevation is my favorite part! The rolling hills after mile 13 make this race pretty challenging!

My training was just on point! What really worked for me was the incorporation of weight training, focusing on upper body, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings and calves!

Train on form, downhills seem easy, but they are not. Dress in layers, hydrate your body properly.

Not too much... I traveled from Downtown Los Angeles & I'm not too familiar with the Azusa area.

5/5 Stars

A beautiful day, not too cold nor too hot, for a marathon. It started promptly and the volunteers were wonderful. Being a downhill marathon, course was quite challenging, a lot more hills than I expected but it was very well organized, making the run go very smoothly. Was glad when it was all over especially the very last mile which had to be another hill jiust before getting to the finish line.

No, need more training on that or have to be very old or be in the 100 yr. age category!

Beautiful course, so peaceful and just lovely. From mile 13 to 20 (?) which I heard was a "rolling" hill, it was a lot more uphill.

Definitely do downhill training and incorporate it in one's long run. Starting out slow would probably work in order to save energy for the remaining half of the marathon.

Carpooling works best, bring old sweats, etc. you can throw away or dress up in a plastic trash bag which can be easily discarded during the run, and shoes should have plenty of toe room.

Carpooled from Brea (Orange County) so just went to the race and came back.

3/5 Stars

Crossing the finish line or tough course was my favorite part

No.

Hilly. Not a downhill course as described. Slanted road causes you to have to use one leg way more.

-Hanson

It got really hot.
Train for up hill & down. Some pretty substantial climbs they don't tell you about.

Ate dinner the night before & slept @ hotel

5/5 Stars

An adventure within an adventure, taking in all the scenery, mountains, trees, canyons, water and bridges. Quite an experience to run down, I'll be there next year!!!!!

No, I got caught up in the moment and started too fast for my pace, as a consequence I petered out on the second half, which by the way it's much harder than the first half!

Beautiful, an experience with nature and the outdoors, listening to the sound of your footsteps hit the asphalt, loved every step of the course!

I cross train, that is, swim, bike and run. My advice would be not to go out too fast, stay within your own pace, and I need to follow my own advice!

Read the instructions and become familiar on how to arrive at the finish line, the information provided answers all questions related to parking, bus transportation to the starting line, bag drop off and basically how to dress to maintain warm prior to the start of the race.

Took my wife to the expo and took pictures by the backdrops, after the race had a massage, went to eat some well deserved meal!

Local resident from La Puente.

5/5 Stars

Not this year I did last year

Beautiful

I was getting over a injury 7 weeks ago. I ran NYC marathon last week so training was cramped

Never give up

Nothing I'm local

5/5 Stars

The views on the course we're magnificent!

Since this was my first half, I supose I did PR! I'm sure I wasn't even close to qualifying Boston! However, I crossed the finish line upright!

I would NOT describe the course as "all down hill "as I was told by my "friends"! There are some long strenuous up hill climbs, with the relief of some long fast down hill runs. The mountains and canyons are breath taking.

Interval training worked well. I'm not an advanced runner and am not qualified to give advice.

Be sure to drink water!
Layer your clothes! It's cold up there! Be courteous and drop blankets and clothing on the side not on the course.

Didn't do much of anything. We came from the High Desert of SoCal. Apple Valley

5/5 Stars

I had an early morning, trying to catch the bus at 4:30. The drive up to the start was long, but a great opportunity to catch some sleep. The start line at the camp site was cold, but lovely. And it was awesome that the race coordinators were passing out gloves and blankets, water and Gatorade. There was even coffee and hot chocolate available. I saw plenty of port-o-potties available. It was very well organized overall!

I achieved my PR! I had to run under 3:35 for Boston, and I managed 3:22. My precious time before that was 3:50 in LA the year before.

The first half of the course was downhill, not steep enough to destroy the knees, but fast enough to make your quads hate you. The scenery was beautiful, nothing but greenery, blue skies, and winding roads. The second half was much hillier than anticipated. It was almost a welcome change in the beginning, but it was tough battling those inclines are having to run down a 12 mile hill. The last 3 miles bring you into the city of Azusa, and finally, you see some welcoming and encouraging faces. As beautiful as the course was, it was a relief to see and hear the supporters at the end.

I followed Hal Higdon's plan which worked out very well. He has several different choices, so you choose the one that works best for your lifestyle. I am very happy that I live in Claremont, a city with plenty of hills, inclines and declines. The only thing I would have done differently is take the first 3 miles a bit more slowly and prepare myself for the hills in the second half.

Train with hills! Pace yourself! Don't over exert yourself in the first 13 miles because your calves and thighs need to be at their best for the second 13 miles. Dress warmly for the cold start, but wear layers because it did warm up quickly.

I meet some interesting people at the start line. It was nice comparing race stories and hearing their experiences at other races. I was too tired to do much at the end. The beer garden looked fun though, as well as the live band. Very nice race finish entertainment.

5/5 Stars

Let me tell you, Revel knows how to put on a race. The event was perfectly orderly, perfectly run. They thought of every detail and then some. The expo was smooth, the shirts are fantastic, shuttling up the canyon was punctual and smooth, the miles were clearly marked, the encouraging signs along the way either made me emotional or made me laugh, the aid stations were plentiful and helpful, the volunteers were cheery, the finish line was loud and supportive, and the medal was huge and heavy. This was my first marathon and it was a FANTASTIC experience. I couldn't be happier.

Well, it was my first, so yes! And I got within five minutes of my goal time.

Downhill downhill downhill. The first 13 miles are almost brutally steep if you haven't trained for it. The few uphill sections almost came as a relief because I got to rest my "downhill muscles" and use a fresh, different muscle set to climb. But the course was gorgeous, with wide, winding switchbacks and sweeping vistas of the canyon and valley below.

I was actually training for the Santa Barbara Marathon (to be held the same day as Canyon City), but it was cancelled three weeks before the race. Someone suggested this one and I hopped on board. But because of this, my training had been focused a lot more on elevation gain and hillwork, so I was not prepared for the severe downhill (I simply didn't have time to change my training strategy). But I have been running for several years and marathon training for four months (my longest run was 22 miles), so I felt prepared. I never hit the wall and I ended the race with energy. But if I do this or another Revel race in the future, I'll definitely work out the muscle groups specific to downhill running.

Bring layers for the start line. If you want coffee/hot chocolate at the start line, you have to buy it from the cafe; it's not provided (this was a little ambiguous in the email). Take the first half slower than the second half; resist the urge to bolt out of the starting gate faster than you've planned. Anticipate a few [totally doable] uphill sections. Smile for the camera.

Our family came down from the San Francisco Bay Area. We ate at City Cafe the night before and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had to leave really quickly after the race to get home, but we enjoyed the area.

5/5 Stars

Everyone was friendly. This was run so professionally! I can't wait for next year. Thank you for bringing the race to Azuza!

I have never ran a 13.1 in under 2 hours!!

Beautiful scenery. Most of the race were down hill and a few little up hills.

I live in a hill. I've never ran a half marathon. I have lost 100lbs over the course of the year by running uphill. Training uphill worked well for me.

Have fun!

Before the race I got to meet new people. After the race I got to meet new people. I traveled from Rancho Cucamonga,Ca.