Race To The End of Summer

The Race to the End of Summer start/​finish area is Embedded Way, a SE San Jose cul-​de-​sac street. The half marathon course is a double-​legged out-​and-​back. From the start, all runners go onto Hellyer Avenue, onto Fontanoso Way, onto Silver Creek Valley Road, and then onto Coyote Creek Trail, about 1 mile. This is also all distances’ final mile. Runners turn onto the paved Coyote Creek Trail, toward Hellyer Park. The 5K turn-​around is in about half a mile; the 10K turn-​around is about a mile and a half farther, near Hellyer Park. The 5K and 10K are out-​and-​back. Runners doing the half go into Hellyer Park and circle the lake as a turn-​around. They then go back past the trail entry, do the second out-​and-​back leg, turn around near Metcalf Road, and go back to the trail entry and finish area.
The Coyote Creek Trail is pleasant, though not as beautiful as many rural park trail courses. I think it much nicer than the several San Jose races’ street courses. The trail isn’t flat, but there are no «real» hills: it goes through trees, along the creek and near hills; parts of the trail pass modern industrial buildings or housing; some is near US 101. Traffic noise is quite noticeable; music and ear buds help. 2015 has been a drought year. The lake in Hellyer Park was almost dry, a few large puddles. The lake is usually very pretty. Parts of the trail had some small dead trees. While not enough to spoil the appearance of the trail, they were noticeable. The trail is nicer in wetter years.
Online registration was smooth; pre-​race instructions were emailed early in race week. There was no race-​day packet pick-​up, but 3 pre-​race pick-​up days: Thursday (which I did) and Friday at the M8trix Casino near where US 101, I-​880, and First Street cross, and Saturday at the Silver Creek Sportsplex. Access from and to freeways were easy. Pick-​up was in a small banquet room, with separate tables for bibs, T-​shirts, and swag bags, smooth and quick.
On race day there was free parking at nearby businesses. The walk from where I parked was ¼ mile or less. I arrived early, before the volunteers were directing traffic, but there were signs indicating where to park.
The start/​finish area was simple and functional. There were 18 porta-​cans at the end of the cul-​de-​sac (2 handicap-​accessible) and two hand-​washing stations. These were also accessible from the course, passed twice by all runners. With the 7AM half marathon start and my slow pace, I didn’t see if these were adequate at peak usage. The start/​finish area was bounded by barriers and tables for the timing station and vendors.
Besides timing start and finish, there were timed splits near the 10K turn-​around and half-​marathoners’ turn-​around. There were a LOT of aid stations! They were basic — water and sports drink — for 10K and 5K runners; some stations along the half-​marathon out-​and-​back leg had GU gel packets. Mile markers were at every mile.
Volunteers were EVERYWHERE! The course was well marked; volunteers were along the course to cheer on runners and keep them on-​course. All were helpful and encouraging, especially at aid stations.
I was among the last to finish. Most of the people in the finish area by then were volunteers. But they were very encouraging. One gave me a finisher’s medal, another a chilled bottled water. Most/​all finish area goodies were still available, as well as the chiropractic people.
The T-​shirt is attractive: cherry red, tech type, with the JEMS Racing logo and race name on the front. The back has the name of the race and the usual sponsors’ logos, but no date. All runners received the same T-​shirt. Many races reserve tech-​type T-​shirts for half and full marathon runners. While the bibs were not personalized, half marathon bibs were different from the 10K and 5K bibs.
Finishers of all distances received medals. I didn’t see the 10K and 5K medals, but the half marathon finisher’s medal is a heavy polished rectangular bottle-​opener type, with a spinner with the JEMS Racing logo. The race name is above the spinner; date and distance are below.
Finish area food was not as varied as many trail races, but was as or more so than some large road races. I saw bananas and oranges, blueberry coffee cake, quinoa chips, and bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter. There were chocolate milk and a chocolate-​flavored coconut water beverage. All plentiful when the last finishers crossed.
I had strained a calf muscle a week and a half before, so I wasn’t sure I’d be able to finish. I finished a little over 3:40, better than my goal of finishing a little under 4 hours.
The Race to the End of Summer was a very pleasant, well-​organized and run race. It’s family friendly (I saw an 8 or 10 year-​old doing the 10K) and «accessible» to runners new to races or who do races very occasionally. Part of race proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The bottom line question, would I do the Race to the End of Summer again? Yes, and might do it in 2016.

i had heard of this race the past several years, but was never able to run it due to scheduling conflicts. thankfully, i was in town and able to participate this year. my friend had clued me in on the 50% off one day special on august 1^st, to boot!
for this event, participants had 3 distances to choose from:
half marathon (13.1 miles)
10k (6.2 miles)
5k (3.1 miles)
i chose the 10k since i had been running a lot of haffies this summer and wanted to take a break from the longer distances.
the pros:
+MEDIUM-​SIZED event with less than 900 total finishers between the 3 events
+BIB AND PACKET pickup thurs, fri before the race at m8trix casino and sat at silvercreek sports plex, the latter of which was right by the race site.
+FREE PARKING at nextest and snapon corporate parking areas which were just a few minutes walk from the start line.
+CLEAR MILE MARKER signage at every mile, including which markers for which of the 3 distances so that we would not be confused. also clear signage for the 5k and 10k turnaround so that we would not run longer than the specified distance!
+ACCURATE distance, at least for the 10k, since i got 6.2 miles on my garmin! it’s pretty rare for me to run a race with the exact distance so kudos to the organizers for getting it spot on!
+VARIETY OF POST-​RACE REFRESHMENTS, which included bagels, peanut butter, cream cheese, bananas, trail mix, KIND bars, coffee cake, chocolate milk, and pure protein bars.
–LOTS OF FRIENDLY VOLUNTEERS assisting with bib pickup and registration pre-​race, manning the aid stations on the course, directing traffic (especially on some potentially confusing turns) and handing out medals and bottled water at the finish line.
–REGISTRATION FEE only $ 22.50 for 10k since i signed up on the 50% off special day!
–UNIQUE FINISHER’S MEDAL for 10k and 5k finishers. haffie finishers received a very large medal which was really cool!
–LOTS of SCHWAG at the race expo, including emergen-​c packets, advil, lara bars, healthy tortilla chips, and honey stinger waffles. not to mention the blue draw string bag to hold your bib, race tshirt and other goodies!
–DRI-​FIT SHIRT with the «RTTEOS» logo
the cons:
–not enough porta potties at the start line. i counted exactly 16 in the 2 rows near the start, and while i was able to snag one right away about 30 min before my race began, i did see that about 5 min before, the line was extremely long, to the point that i think anyone waiting in line and running the 10k would not have made it to the start on time!
–on site volunteers sitting near the start/​finish were not helpful. i asked where exactly the start line was since it was not obvious to me, and 2 of the volunteers sitting at the «volunteer» tent had no clue! not good!
–not really an ideal «pr» course since this course has many rolling hills. my pace definitely slowed down after the halfway point since i felt like i was running mostly uphill from miles 4 to the end.
–course was not that interesting nor scenic despite being on the coyote creek trail
overall, i think this was a well-​organized local event and i enjoyed running a new trail in san jose that i’d never run before. i would definitely sign up for this race again next year and maybe try the half distance.

Despite the pain from running the half marathon without proper conditioning, I still consider it a fantastic race experience!
The course was incredibly well-​marked. There were cones, signs, and flag-​waving volunteers at every turning point, so it was practically impossible to make a wrong turn or go the wrong way. There were also signs and volunteers letting you know which route to take before you hit the turning point. Mile markers were also spread throughout the course.
The course itself was mostly flat with some small hills, but nothing horrible. You follow the Coyote Creek Trail that was a mostly peaceful route through lots of trees, around a lake, and alongside barren hills. Be sure to put on sunscreen because not all of the trail is shaded the San Jose’s heat will be beating down on you later in the morning.
Aid stations didn’t include snacks, only water and electrolytes. One aid station did offer some gels though. Bring your own snacks if you think you’ll need extra fuel during your run.
The volunteers were what made this a truly fantastic experience. They were energetic and encouraging, and they were loud and clear with directions. Some were even equipped with microphones at trickier turning points, making it easy and clear about where to run. Most of them were high school students, and I was so impressed with their spirit and enthusiasm, even if they were standing alone. There were even high school students stationed throughout the course not at turning points, but just standing there to cheer, and they did such a fantastic job at it.
Race swag was nice. I like the blue drawstring bag, and the black tech tee is one of the better designed race shirts I’ve seen. The medal was one of the biggest out of the 15 I’ve gotten, if not the biggest. Snacks at the end were just bagels, Lara Bars, bananas, and small oranges. Various sponsor booths offered small giveaways like Nestle chocolate milk bottles, protein bars, trail mix packets, and discounts from sports equipment stores.
My only complaint was that I wish they offered packet pick-​up on race day. The race emails and website explicitly stated we had to get our packets on the pick-​up days with no mailing option, so I had to go into San Jose the day before to pick up then book a hotel for a night. The overnight trip was a fun one, but I still would have enjoyed saving that money instead, especially after paying the half marathon race entry.
I wish it were closer to San Francisco where I live, but I would totally do this race again next time!

I ran this race this year for the 10K. I will say that it seems they are getting better at organizing things. The race based on previous reviews use to start with the 5K runners but now they are spaced 10minutes apart. The announcer kept repeating prior to the start time that this is the 10K starting not the 5K and that to set yourself based on your abilities, faster runners in front slower ones in back. Despite that being said, I noticed a few slower runners in the front (i was the faster one of the runners). They probably could be more specific like, «6minute milers in front and then 8minute milers etc».
I definitely appreciated the many mile markers and how it was clearly marked if it was for the half marathon vs. the 10K/​5K. The trail was hit or miss as some parts of it was shaded and others not and this was a hot day. That being said it was definitely a difficult race for me since it was so hot, I think it ended up being around the upper 80’s on that particular day and I was happy I wasn’t running the ½ marathon.
I didn’t like the ending because definitely there were some rude 5K «runners» and I use this term loosely because they were walking to the finish and BLOCKING me while I was finishing. If you are going to walk to your finish walk one by one not blocking with a group of you all together blocking other people trying to get a certain time.
That being said, it was well organized, plenty of parking, and I got handed water RIGHT when I finished which was great. Also when I signed up for the massage after the race I got it right away no wait at all.
There was enough cheering but hey this is a small race some people expect a lot of it with a crowd this isn’t the rock n’ roll go run those for more cheering. I got what I expected and the tech tee was definitely a plus vs. a cheap cotton tee.

It’s been a little while since this race past, so I’m basing this off of what I remember from this day, but I’ll do my best to recall the specifics of this race.
The Race to The End of Summer Half Marathon /​10K /​5K rolled up, down and through the Coyote Creek trail. It was my first trail run and was a challenging workout because of the terrain (can’t even imagine how the half-​marathon felt like). A flat course this is not. My race, the 5K, started out near the Silver Creek Sportsplex, went down the street, through the trail and looped back.
Check-​in, the day before, was easy and quick. My entry fee came with a tech tee (a nice upgrade from a plain ol’ Hanes beefy-​t), goodies and gear bag. Day-​of organization was good — volunteers were on their game and helped make the race day experience a smooth one. Heck, even parking was easy as some of the local office buildings served up their lots near the start line.
My only gripe (and this is a minor one) is that there were no finishers medals for the 5K & 10K finishers — only the half-​marathon finishers got one. It’s all good considering proceeds went to charity but still, some hardware would’ve been ice.
Still, any chance I get to do something fun & healthy (and put a few more miles on my sneakers) is good for me and the Race To the End of Summer did not disappoint.
See you at the finish line!

I know I’ve been ignoring my Unilocal responsibilities lately, but I just ran the race this past weekend and it inspired me to get off my butt and start writing.
I ran the half marathon and really have no complaints about the pre-​race organization and/​or instructions. All necessary information was emailed out with plenty of time to plan. The half marathon had a 7AM projected start, with the gun sounding right on time. If I had ONE complaint pre-​race, it was the course map. It was a little unclear as to where the South turn around was, so I had to take a «wait and see» approach to the race — not always the most comforting thing.
Definitely a small race, from the results page, they accounted for 240 finishers. Considering this is a trail run, that’s a good thing. And after all these large races of 20, 30, and 40,000+ runners, its nice to jump into some of these small local runs.
The course itself starts at the Silver Creek Sports Complex, heads out to Silver Creek Valley Road (Blossom Hill), then on to Coyote Creek trail headed North. Loop around the lake at Heller Park, head South to (the Northern edge of) Metcalf Park, then back up the trail to the Sports Complex. Pretty simple as long as trial guides are in place, but its very easy to see how people could get confused on this course. Volunteers play a HUGE role here, so thanks to all of those that helped out! Oh, and seeing Stomper (Oakland A’s mascot) and doing the «Bernie Lean» with him at mile 2 made my day!!!
For me, this is my «home trail» — this is where I train. You’ll find me here 2 – 3 days per week, so for that reason, this became a personal run for me. It was a beautiful thing to be running the trail as the sun rose above the horizon. And I had never seen the lake at Hellyer Park look so beautiful. As I looped around the lake looking back at the sun just peeking over the mountains, the steam from the lake was visible as it rose into the crisp morning air. That vision, I’ll carry with me for a while.
Opening weekend for football, I was home, cleaned up, and plopped on the couch before the 10AM game kick off.
Seriously, the best Sunday I’ve had in a long time.

I registered for The Race to the End of Summer’s 10k & was very disappointed in the poor planning of the race & lack of knowledge that the volunteers had.
First off, the race did not start on time. I did have an event to attend after so time was a factor for me. I also noticed that some half marathoners started when we did & didn’t know that their race started already. I suggest for next time that the 10k & 5k race is started separately. Just 10 minutes after each other would help. Which brings me to my next disappointment — towards the beginning of the race, everyone was so confused as to which way to run. Some people went straight, some people turned right, thinking it was different for the 5k vs 10k. This shaved off 30 seconds to 1 minute of my time trying to figure out which way to go.
Of course you probably already heard about the confusion at Mile 3. Fortunately, I wasn’t one of the faster runners & it’s a good thing right as I was approaching, the volunteer ‘discovered’ where the turn around point was. If I was just 5 runners ahead of myself, I would’ve kept running straight just like everyone else.
Mile 3’s marker was parallel to the runners, so it was very hard to see. I only saw it on my way coming back. And Mile 4’s marker was entirely facing the wrong way. No bueno.
My suggestion: It would be nice if the three different races (5k, 10k, & half marathon) had entirely different courses, so there is less confusion. Also, it was disappointing that the course was an ‘out and back.’ I feel like since it was at a park/​trail, it would’ve been better & nicer if the course was a loop. This would’ve prevented a lot of issues. Plus, there was a lot of people trying to pass each other & not enough room since multiple courses crossed paths & were going both directions.

This was my 6^th Half marathon, but my 1^st trail run. I’d have to say it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be running on a trail. Running the hills of SF I think was still the worst for me lol. Hellyer Park/​Coyote Creek Trail is definitely not too hilly, so it’s beginner friendly.
The event itself is a lot smaller compared to most other events. Katrina D. puts its best with this being a more «intimate race.» With that in mind, the crowd/​cheering energy is a lot less here. However, volunteer stations did a great job, and enthusiastic when you past their station.
Registration– I signed up when they had their half off promo and everything went smoothly.
Packet Pick-​Up– I picked up during the day of the event, and it was fast and efficient.
Parking– LOTS of free parking space.
Route– we looped around the lake, through the trails, and back. Lots of trees all around. Nothing real monumental or scenic that you’ll pass though to be honest.
Post-​Race– we got chobani yogurt, fruits, muffins, bagels, peanut butter, water, and some protein bars. Decent stuff. other than that, not too much free schwag or cool booths around. I’d say there was probably 8 booths at most. A chiropractic school was there as well, so that was nice that you could get iced and stretched out. I think my favorite part post-​racewas watching the kid’s mini run. SO ADORABLE.
Overall, I thought this event was pretty alright. A good and easy run to do if you’re looking to complete the Nor Cal Half Series medal, or just to complete a half marathon.