Wharf To Wharf Race

This was a fun race! Outstanding. Great bands along the way and a lot of enthusiasm and well organized.
The only negative comment would be the t-​shirt design– it was pathetic. The design was illegible and looked like a dark blob. There was another design that could have been purchased online that was beautiful– too bad that was not used. The artist who designed the blob should not be asked again to design next year’s T-​shirt; but an awesome race!

First time for me for Wharf to Wharf. I’ve done several other races but never experienced this type of crowding. Including the San jose Turkey Trot where there are way more people. Seriously it was elbow to elbow in the corral. Not much running going on due to the crowds. And the walkers really should be respectful and start in the back and not walk 3 and 4 across. Impossible to run a decent pace and weaving dangerous at times. Other than that the music and locals were awesome. It was pretty organized. I agree the t-​shirts are anticlami

I love this race a lot, but I wish they would put more effort into the T-​shirts. The material, color and design could use some work. A small disappointment, but definitely a miss on this. I wish they would upgrade it a bit and use the tech dry fit shirts most races nowadays use. The 408K in SJ has a great shirt and material.
I know, it’s just a shirt, but it’s something you would want to wear for awhile without fear of it fading or shrinking.

All is changed with the new corrals. 5 star!

It doesn’t matter which wave you register in because at the end, you can go into any wave. Just $ 40 to register and while it sells out fast, there are usually a lot of folks that cannot attend so be on the lookout for ads and sports stores a few weeks before the event.
Road closures start at 8AM. Emmalouise and I walked from my house so we did not deal w/​any traffic whatsoever. I live about 4 miles from the Santa Cruz Wharf and about 1.2 miles from the Capitola Wharf.
Complete mayhem as we headed closer and closer to the start line. We were in the last wave so we did not get to start on time. Think we started 20 minutes afterwards. Even folks that started in the wave before us was walking w/​o and consideration to everyone else around; walking on the left, waking on the right. God. Please walk on the right!!! We had to weave in and out throughout the entire 6 mile run.
The rest periods for bathrooms and rehydration was nice but I wish the people that did the race would cleanup after their themselves. There were crushed paper cups all over the road.
It was a brutal run for me. I had the flu the day before and ran w/​o feeling 100% but at least I got a chance to experience my first run w/​my best friend. I like running but I am no marathon runner — my damaged lungs are restricted.
The bag and shirt at the end was a nice perk. I did not like that we had to step in the sand for that. There was no after party for the racers. I just see a sea of people lining up at Pizza My Heart and a lot of people taking their sweet ass time at the narrow corner to get to Wharf Rd. to Capitola Rd.
Glad I did it but never again.

What a cute race! This was the first time I had ever run the Wharf to Wharf. I knew beforehand that it was a six-​mile race (just six, it’s not a 10k), that goes from Santa Cruz to Capitola and that there would be bands along the course. What I didn’t know was how super popular this race is and that the bands are not just your typical guitar and drum bands. The race starts at 830AM (which I think is kind of late for a race) and starts near the Santa Cruz Wharf. The website recommended arriving early and parking for free at the Santa Cruz City Hall parking lot and then taking the complimentary shuttles (yellow school buses!) to the start line. We left San Jose at 6AM just in case, got to the parking lot by 630AM, and were dropped off a few blocks from the start line in 10 – 15 minutes. We were suuuuuper early for the race. But better early than late, cuz I’m sure traffic on 17 would have been worse if we hadn’t left early. We walked around the wharf and saw lots of sea lions! At the start line, one of the restaurants had set up tables and were selling coffee and donuts and hard-​boiled eggs — that was pretty smart. There were lots of port-​a-​potties adjacent to the start line, but that also made it really congested in that area, so it might have been better to put them somewhere else. There were corrals at the start line, maybe four of them, on top of the Elite corral, depending on what your estimated finish time was, when you registered. I was in corral 3, and I’d say that I probably didn’t actually start running until 845AM. It was super crowded, so even though it was kinda cold in the morning, it was fine in the corrals cuz of all that body heat! lol
Because there were so many people, it was hard to run — I was sort of weaving in and out, trying to pass people. Everyone is running at different speeds or walking all over the course. The water stations were a bit disorganized — the first water station I had to grab my own cup and wait for someone to fill my cup with water from this hose. That was a first. Because of this, I lost some time and so I didn’t even bother getting water from the second station. At the third water station, I saw volunteers passing out water so I took one there. Oh and there’s no water at the finish line. Because the finish line is like on the bridge, it would’ve created more congestion, so they have the water on the beach where you pick up your swag bag.
But aside from the hiccups, it was a fun race and everyone was having a great time. Lots of spectators are on the sidelines cheering runners on. A lot of the course is in residential areas, so you see lots of people sitting out on their driveways and watching, which was really great. Had an awesome hometown-​y vibe to it. Some people had their hoses out and were spraying some of the runners who needed to cool down! And the bands were super cute! There were Scottish bagpipers, taiko drummers, a bunch of people wearing Hawaiian shirts and playing Hawaiian music, AND people just hitting pots and pans!!! Loved the variety and diversity of the bands. They also had the typical rock bands too, and those were fun as well. There was also a DJ and the SJSU marching band was there also.
Another cute thing was that every mile marker was a giant balloon rainbow arch thing. That was really cute… and very visible. I loved the bands and music and the energy from the spectators watching from their homes. And a lot of the course was adjacent to the coast, so you could see the beach and the ocean, which was gorgeous! At one part, I could see the surfers out in the water, waiting to catch a wave. You get your race shirt at the end of the event, on the beach at Capitola — you turn in the strip that’s on your bib, in exchange for a drawstring backpack that has your shirt and some goodies inside, including a bottle of water, a power bar, and other snackies.
There are shuttles in Capitola that take you back to the parking lot in Santa Cruz, but I didn’t take them, so I can’t really comment on them, although my friends said that they had to wait 25 minutes to get onto a shuttle. Probably inevitable at such a popular race with 16,000 participants.

Great fun, good times and terrific scenery. This is a great race to do with friends and enjoy a fabulous lunch afterwards in Capitola. This is organized well and all of the different bands make things so lively and fun. All of the music is so motivating and fun. Many people will be dancing through the race. This is a great local event — sign up early because they always sell out. The only negative is the bussing back to the start of the race.

I ran the race with a friend this year, and honestly, with the amount of people running, I don’t think the race organizers could have done much better.
The last coral was so full! There were runners from every other coral in the last coral to run with friends. We started and as soon as we could, we started running. Like many people have mentioned: if you actually want to run, you are zig zagging through walkers the entire way. It would be nice if the organizers put up some signs encouraging walkers to stay to the right. With 16,000 participants, many being casual or new racers, some course etiquette reminders would have been nice. Also, I thought I heard a few times over the loud speaker that baby strollers were not allowed, the rule did not seem to be enforced.
The community support was amazing! Loved all the bands, encouragement, and the hoses. There was a «donut aid station» around 3 miles! The race aid stations were crowded and seemed to be short for such a large race, also it seemed like there was an aid station around mile 5 that ran out of cups? Part of the bottleneck was that there was only one dumpster for cups, and it was directly after the water tables. Giving a few feet of separation allows runners to clear the crowded table, drink while moving, and throw cups in the trash.
Finally, no medal? Any gamer will agree, it’s always about the achievements.

Since I ran my first official race last February (Niles Half Marathon) I’ve become very aware of other local races and this event peeked my interested when fellow members of my Running Club told me they had heard good things about both the race and the course. Better yet, it excited me a little as friend and fellow Unilocaler Tram lives in Santa Cruz and this would be the perfect opportunity to Run together again and hang out.
Sign up for me was very easy, I entered my average pace, personal details, paid and then a few weeks before the event I received my bib in the mail. Tram didn’t have quite the same good luck although got charged never received her bib! Luckily she has a great boyfriend and when I found out the local Fleet Feet had a limited number of bibs sold back by Runners who could no longer attend he went and picked one up for her just so that we could run together.
Race day comes and Santa Cruz gets crazy busy! 16,000 people attend this event every year and is sold out in no time. Corals are given based on your average pace which is supposed to alleviate road blocks but people clearly do not understand this as people that should have been in coral 3 or 4 were in 1 and 2 and vice versa. Once given your coral you can move back but not forward and being placed in Coral 1 I moved back to run with Tram as her Coral had already been set by the person who originally had the bib.
The course is beautiful, yes but really not the sort of event serious Runners like myself should attend unless registered as an Elite Runner or are right at the front of Coral 1. walkers were all over the place and people zigzagging left right and center throughout the entire 6 miles, it was mildly organized chaos.
The course was littered with numerous bands and spectators cheering or on hand with hosepipes spraying people with water, not something I appreciated but some people seemed to enjoy it.
Post race festivities were on the Capitola beach, I didn’t see much festiveness going on as we just picked up or goodie bags before heading out. The bags were pretty cool — Drawstring bag containing a T-​Shirt, Bottled Water, Prickly Passion Lemonade, Power Bar Wafers, Trail Mix, a Fruit Chew Bar and a Chapstick. NO Banana’s! Which kind of sucks. That’s one of my favorite parts of a Run.
Not a Race I would do again unless I’m registered as Elite.

So I’m really torn about this race. I’ve run in twice now and it’s a great run in itself, but it’s such a logistical nightmare that they haven’t quite worked out still.
Considering I have run the Santa Cruz Half Marathon/​10K twice, these race organizers seem to have it figured out, but with Wharf to Wharf, there are still a lot of kinks in the system, even though I know changes have been made and overheard that there is a new head organizer.
Bathroom lines were just ridiculous. There really needs to be volunteers who direct some traffic or something to get it moving faster. Also, the put in place the corral system, which I initially thought was awesome. HOWEVER, I was assigned Corral 2, but literally couldn’t get to my starting corral because people STOPPED on the sidewalks and the street. I couldn’t maneuver my way around them to get to my corral. Maybe I just wasn’t aggressive enough. I started with Corral 3.
The timing for corrals was great though. They let us go ever couple of minutes which definitely helped prevent a bottle neck close to the first bridge. My first year, I started walking during this part because there was so many people. So that’s improvement #1.
THERE WERE SO MANY WALKERS AND THEY WALKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I’m all for having walkers, but MOVE TO THE SIDE! During mile 2, I was weaving in and out of large groups of walkers. I wanted to run and I cared about my time, but so much wasted energy trying to get around groups of 3+ in the middle of the road. ALSO, because there was so much weaving, I was actually tripped in the middle of the race from someone trying to get past walkers near me. Race etiquette for walkers needs to be emphasized more!
Photographers…So I know that pictures aren’t supposed to be great while running a race, but these photos turned out awful because you couldn’t tell when they were actually going to take the photo. No true way to prepare for it because from what it looked like, they took the photos much earlier than I thought they were. Just yuck.
And the end is just a nightmare — way too many people in Capitola. It’s overwhelming. Get your goody bag and get out as soon as possible!
But before you all write this off as a bad idea, the best parts about this race:
— The local bands and musical groups — so awesome!
— The great views — beaches, ocean, locals.
— The awesome shirts
— $ 35 — one of the cheapest races in the area
— The weather — it’s usually overcast and the perfect temp.
So if you can get past all the other crappy stuff, it’s worth it.

This is a great 10K… very well organized and pure entertainment… The entire route was covered by different bands, weirdness and neighbors with water sprinklers. The downhill portion with the ocean view into Capitola was very motivating.
Since this run was one way, we had to be bussed back to our cars at the starting line. This portion of our day went surprisingly well. The organizers had plenty of buses and the line was in a constant state of motion.
I highly recommend signing up for this 10K.

I’ve run the Wharf to Wharf race the past four years. Love this town and the run lives up to its name as the «best little road race» in California. It goes point to point from Main Beach in Santa Cruz to Capitola. It’s got a very low-​key, small town feel and the distance (6 miles) is perfect for a nice run. The course is very scenic and there are bands playing intermittently along the race. Lots of crowd support! There are some people trying to hose runners down –however, the weather is typically on the cool side so there isn’t the need for this. Besides it isn’t too good for those of us running with iPhones!
I agree with Ann R’s comments. This was the first year they tried the corral system. As a 10 minute mile runner, I was placed in the last corral and spent the first 3 miles of the race dodging walkers/​slower runners. I was still even passing walkers at Mile 5?! So basically, the system didn’t work out that well in its inaugural year.
Also annoying is the groups of walkers who walk 5 – 6 people across in a line, basically making it nearly impossible for you to pass. I tried to stay on the sides to pass around all the walkers in the middle of the road only to have to veer around the walkers on the side. I think I will put myself in the 8:00/mile group next year as I hear that everyone was actually running in this section.
In spite of the difficulty in maneuvering at times, I love this race. I am super lucky in that my friends live ½ block from the start line so I literally walk down to the race five minutes before the gun goes off. It sells out every year (15,000 runners max), so I register as soon as I get the first email alerting me that registration is open. Still only $ 35, so quite a deal, especially when you compare it to Bay to Breakers!

I love Santa Cruz so it’s hard for me to give anything in this town anything less than 4 stars. The Wharf to Wharf was the best little road race – and more!
The race is relatively flat, only a couple minor hills and it’s a great distance. A perfect race for starting your training for a longer race. My only critiques were that the race was a wee bit crowded. There should have been clearer instructions that walkers and slower runners should stay to the right side so others could pass. There are fun and funky bands along the way so if you don’t like music, there’s no need to lug along your ipod. The water stations were not very clearly marked and the water was GROSS. Definitely investing in a hydration belt next time.
Make sure to sign up as soon as registration opens otherwise you might get left out!

Ran my first ever Wharf To Wharf Race and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had running a marathon. 15K strong running from Santa Cruz to Capitola. there was never a dull moment and this is truly a community event. Ton of support from the local residents and entertainment everywhere. You’ll find local bands to home owners blasting music just to entertain the runners. The 6.2 mile run is filled with scenic views, community support and good music.
I’d recommend carpooling if you’re going with a group. Parking isn’t as bad as i thought it would be, it’s the getting back part that sucks. They had shuttles picking and droping people off after the race, but it takes a while Luckily we had friends in Capitola who dropped us back to SC.
If you’re considering running W2W, signup as soon as registration opens up. This event always sells out. I’ll be there next year!

I came expecting to get a quick warm up run before the SF half marathon the following Sunday. This was quite a nice run. The route was scenic as it ran along the side of the boardwalk, up the hills, through the neighborhoods, and next to the beaches. The hills were not bad at all.
There are some logistics issues though. If you get caught in the back, you’ll have to swim your way through walkers and people pushing strollers (I still don’t even know why they allow strollers along the same path. It not only slows you down, but serves as a hazard). Walkers I don’t mind too much because they are trying, but please move to the right and let us pass on the left!
Also, it would be nice to get a medal of some sort! Hardware is always nice!
Shuttles were fine. Yeah its a long line, but there are a lot of people to move! The line moved pretty easily without too much hassle.

Don’t attempt this race if you want to make good time. It is overall a cluster-​f of people walking 5-​wide chit chatting, pushing strollers and lollygagging for roughly 6 miles. I made the mistake of following instructions and lined up around the 10-​minute mile group and had to dodge through walkers from the left to the right the entire race (which I ran entirely start to finish). I patted myself on the back figuring with all of the extra paces, ducking and dodging, that I really ran about 6.5 miles, so that extra cookie I gobbled whole was well deserved.
Still, it is a nice group a people overall. If somebody trips you help them up, you get an elbow in the boob and quickly hear ‘I’m so sorry’!’ The people lining the street are cool, and the overall vibe is pleasant.
After reading all of the posts, if I ever do this race again, I’ll take my slow-​azz jog up to the right side of the 7 minute mile group and just do my thing. Rules-​schmools !!! It is 2012 people and nobody does what they are supposed to do, so why don’t you bring a float, a bike, or how about a burro with a keg strapped to his back?
I thought the shuttles ran smoothly for this large of an event. It is pretty cool that they even offer shuttles, so to the people who griped about the wait — maybe you should just walk back.
I may or may not be back, but if you live in the area you should check it out and the money stays local.

My very first 10k EVER and I was glad it was Wharf to Wharf!
Last year, I supported a friend who participated and promised to join her this year and I am so glad I did! I was even able to get my BF to sign up and I was so proud of how well he did!
The race begins at 8:30am and there are about 15,000+ people participating. There’s a lot of traffic and it gets pretty tricky having to swerve around those who are walking. The course itself is pretty — some hills here and there but it’s all downhill toward the end. Live bands and residents cheering you on along the way. There were even some that turned the hose on to cool you down if needed. Every mile is marked with balloons with the time listed on there so you have an idea of where you stand.
I had a GREAT time and will definitely do it again next year!

This was my first race two years ago. and it was such a great experience!
I enjoyed the relaxing views of the ocean and beach while running. But one thing that really stood out in my mind is the strong support you get from the local community while running this race. There are so many supporters all throughout the race. Even the people who live in the neighborhoods where the race runs through come out on their porch and look like they’re at a tailgating party.
Every other block or so, there is a local band (some big and some still gaining publicity) playing. I brought my mp3 player, thinking I would use it, but I never once turned it on.
Definitely a memorable 6.2 miles!

First time running this event last year and will be back again this year.
I don’t consider myself a runner or even call running fun but I knew in order to stay in shape I would need to have some sort of a goal so I entered the Wharf to Wharf Race. The great thing about this «race» is that it really doesn’t seem like a race as you have a ton of bands playing music for you along the way and tons of people cheering you on. Most of houses on the route open up their garages to put the old band together for the day. If there’s no band in the yard you would also find people sipping on their Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas sitting or standing in their front lawns to cheer you on. Some even had their hoses going to cool you down. So many times I wanted to stop jogging and start walking but there was so much encouragement I knew I had to keep going.
The one thing with this race is that they should not allow strollers, I’m sorry but I almost got knocked down or twisted my ankle multiple times trying to run around people with their strollers. LEAVE YOUR STROLLERS AT HOME PEOPLE !
The other thing is that you might want to have someone waiting for you in Capitola to take you back to your car in Santa Cruz. The line for the bus was crazy. Although it is really nice to go lay on the beach and cool down in the water for a bit before your return.
Also, check out your photos online when they are posted later. I had no idea I was being photographed along the way so it provided some comic relief a few months later when I found my bright red face puffing and chugging along.
I’m leaving my ipod at hope this year. Wharf to Wharf, I’ll see you soon !

This was my 27^th straight Wharf to Wharf (I was a two year old when I ran 6 minute/​mile pace ;-)). This is not Barf to Barf, and this is not a carnival, so people leave their costumes at home for Mardi Gras or other more notorious races.
Wharf to Wharf is not an exact 10 km race. However, after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earth Quake, the organizers diverted the race a little bit through the devastation of Santa Cruz’s downtown, and perhaps the mileage did add up to about 6.2miles.
Why am I so loyal to this run? Is it because of the now long gone free polo collared giveaways given out by now long gone high tech companies? No. It is all about running by the seaside with the Santa Cruz Wharf behind you and Capitola Wharf in front of you, with sea to the right of you and with music from conga players, to harpist (yes the classically trained ones), to the Crow’s Nest cooks banging their pots, to big bands, to little bands, to bag pipers, to rock bands, to jazz bands, to soul bands, to Beatle-​sound-​alikes, to 14-​year old garage bands, to Taiko drummers, to every form of musical instruments at every half a block on both sides of you. Except for the locals in their houses cheering us on, this race is a rush that does not require public drunkenness and outrageous costumes.
Today was dominated once again by the Kenyans with a sweep at 1, 2 and 3. Silas Kipruto at 26:56, Kosgei at 27:12 and Ondara at 27:32. Another sign of the economy are the prizes. Magdalena Lewy Boulet, 37, of Oakland, won the women’s race at 30:49. The top three placers earned $ 3,000, $ 2,000 and $ 1,000, respectively. I’m sure that’s plenty in Kenya.
The best time for me? 37minutes. The worst time? about 3 hours, when I walked the race with a crutch… it was the race for last place between me (the gimpy guy) with a broken leg, a lady with a stroller and her German Shepard, with the street cleaning truck right behind us. The lady with the stroller beat me, but I beat the German Shepard. Today, I was injured, so I walked the race ahead of the pack and had the pleasure of seeing the Kenyans run past me. Today they were not bunched up talking among themselves about village life, today they were spread apart by about 50meters, running 4 minute/​mile pace.
I plan to continue running this for many more years until I’m doing so in my walker.