Mermaid Run East Bay

this was my 3^rd time participating in the mermaid east bay event, and 5^th time participating in a mermaid running event. i have generally been pleased with the mermaid events, and love that they are female-​centric with the finishers’ necklaces, tshirts, and post-​race goodies.
as with previous years, the weather was pretty ideal for race day, there were 4 distances (5k, 10k, half, 18 mi) which ran the same flat courses as past years, a dri fit shirt with unique mermaid logo, and finisher’s necklace at the finish line.
i ran the 10k since i’d actually never run a 10k at a mermaid event before (always a 5k or half or sirena 18). since i’d been training for a half marathon later in the season, i did quite well in the 10k, my fastest in 2015, and good enough for 2^nd place in my age group. it was nice to be part of the awards ceremony, once again, and walk away with an extra prize, which was a unique dri-​fit cap with 2^nd place stitched in.
what i really appreciated about this year’s event was the fact that they had a much better organized finish line/finisher’s refreshments area since the finish chute led runners straight to the pavilion where all of the post-​race food was. there were volunteers handing out food and a couple of «guards» making sure that only registered runners with a bib were in the finisher’s area. this ensured that those who ran were able to get fed as soon as possible, and those who were there to cheer did not take away food reserved for participants. in previous years, i would end up waiting up to 30 minutes in line to get food, at which time, i would become lightheaded and dizzy from lack of food and water! not so this year as i had immediate access to the food…
also, the race organizers ensured that all participants would be allowed to park at the quarry lakes parking lot for free this year! in previous years, we would have to pay $ 5 to park here, so it was nice that we could just tell them we were running the mermaid and drive on thru, no searching for cash!
a big round of applause for the race organizers for making certain changes for 2015 and making this a smoother, more enjoyable race for participants and spectators alike. i’m already looking forward to 2016… the question is, which distance will i choose next year?

Find your happy pace! This was the theme for the recent Mermaid Race in Fremont. This was my first time participating in their half marathon, taking place the Saturday right before mother’s day. This series includes a 5k, 10k, had marathon, and sirena (18 mile). The 18 mile option is only available at this location. I ran the half marathon while my sister (who is training for a marathon) ran the sirena 18 miler. There is also a short 5k run for our «little mermaids» as well.
This is family friendly event for all ages and abilities. Located at Quarry Lakes at the order of Fremont and Union City, it’s easier to get to and parking was plentiful. Bring $ 5 cash to make entering the parking lot easier. I appreciate the organizers sending out driving directions with alternative routes to get there to try to alleviate traffic. This helped on the morning, however, it was pretty backed up when we were trying to leave in the end.
Since all the races were staggered to prevent congestion of runners, it’s important to pay attention when your race time begins. I stood near the start with my sister so I could see everything. The Sirena was supposed to start at 7:30am but they started a couple minutes earlier so that left a couple runners trailing behind. I believe the half marathon started a bit early too.
For the most part, the mile markers were clearly marked but my sister had trouble locating the miles for the Sirens 18 miler towards the end. She said not all the miles were marked and she got them confused with the half marathon markers. There were slight color differences to differentiate each race.
This was not my first half marathon. I’ve done Disney races, the Nike Women’s Half, as well as many other local races but this has for to new the most disorganized one I’ve been to. This was also the most boring do to location, scenery, and lack of entertainment along the way. There was a lot of backtracking. I also didn’t enjoy the fact that the first 4 miles and last mile were on a rocky trail. Also, I want sure why there was a need to have so many water stains at the beginning and that they should have been spread our more evenly.
After you cross the finish line, you are awarded your finisher necklace and water and can then proceeded to stand on line for juice, bananas, strawberries, and bagels.
Merchandise for the Mermaid Run series was also sold at a discounted price for participants so shop early on the day of the event so you get the size you want.
While I probably wouldn’t run this particular Mermaid Race again, I’ll probably run their next one in San Francisco this fall.

My friend ran the Mermaid Half Marathon in the East Bay and finished her first race! The race was located in the lagoon in Union City/​Fremont. It was a great weather and the park venue was a very spacious and sunny area for the race. It was well run (no PUN intended), had plenty of amenities for the runners (bagels and bananas for finishers, water stops, as well as fun booths at the end). The course ran all around and if it weren’t for the hot weather, it would have been a great route that always kept the runner interested. At the finish, runners received a cute necklace (the race is made for women) and a pretty looking tech tee to go along with their entry.
My only gripe is that there was really no differentiation between the different races that were held. Although I love the message that the Mermaid circuit is trying to achieve, it would have been cool to acknowledge that my friend ran 13.1 miles compared to others who did the fun run.
Still a great event and hope that others decide to sign up for the Mermaid Series in the future!

This was my first half marathon experience, and I definitely do not think it will be my last! I had been running recreationally as my go-​to cardio exercise (max 5 – 6 miles), and I finally decided to challenge myself with a half marathon. The Mermaid Series Half Marathon definitely proved their mission in empowering women to run and to «find [their] happy pace!»
Pros (+):
— The email updates leading up to the race were detailed, informative, and motivating. From weather updates to google hyperlinks, the race organizers included everything you needed to know!
— Race packet pick up was easy and painless. Just go to Sunnyvale’s Sports Basement’s Summit Room (near the back of the store) and line up in your race denomination. Next, they will direct you to pick up your shirts. You can look at shirt samples for sizing, and if you think the shirt you ordered will not fit, they usually can exchange after the race the following day. The event usually over orders a few extras, so don’t fret!
— Post-​race activities were so much fun! Not only was there an abundance of food (bagels, strawberries, and bananas — the line moved fast and sorry, no men allowed!), there was also a fun photo booth where you get to print out your photo and have one sent to you. There were also wonderful samples of new Lunabars, as well as a massage tent!
— Plenty of parking spaces.
— Lots of portapotties at the start of the race.
— Flat course with a few small inclines — perfect for a first timer!
— Great encouragement along the course from runners and volunteers in the form of high fives, thumbs up, and kind words.
Cons (-):
— The line to get into the park was worse than I had thought! I arrived at the entrance around 7:30, and was fretting that I would miss the start of the race at 8. The parking guys were trying to get everyone in as fast as possible, however, and didn’t collect the fee if you were just going in to drop someone off. They directed my friend to the starting line, where I just hopped out, with 5 minutes to spare! (Of course, this won’t be a problem for those who actually woke up on time… Next time, I will definitely wake up earlier!!!)
— Minimal shading along the course. Much of the latter half of the race, the sun is right in your eyes. (Warning: Fremont can get pretty warm at this time of year.)
— Not much of a crowd throughout the race. Race thins out at the end and you are running by yourself.
— Not as many water stations along the course towards the end.
— Narrow trail, so with people turning around, people going towards, bikes, and resident dog-​walkers etc can be a bit crowded.
— The kids’ run is towards the end of the path, so watch out — don’t want to run them over!
— The scene towards the middle /​half of the race is dried brush — not very exciting, but perhaps you are more absorbed in finishing rather than enjoying the scenery at this point.
All in all, this was a great first experience! This Mermaid Run was a good stepping stone towards the rest of my running career, and really gave me something substantial to work towards. I would encourage everyone who is interested in a healthy challenge to sign up and go for it! :)

Well done race! Organized, plenty of parking, great shirt and necklace. Fun to volunteer as well for this cool group. I will be back for the 18 miler.

I came here on a Saturday morning to watch the mermaid run. It was a good experience for all.
Pro: great family atmosphere, spacious, lots of activities going on, BBQ area, biking and running trails, open park land, volleyball courts, lake, beach area, and large pavilions for big gatherings.
Cons: can get pretty crowded at times, especially during events so parking can become an issue.
Overall a fun place to come with your family and friends. Pets allowed as well.

A friend talked me into doing this race, they have a 5K, 10K, half-​marathon, and 18 miler available. I wish I had known that the course was mostly dirt (and at times gravel). It’s flat for the most part which is good and as others have noted, even though it’s a smaller race, the first mile is pretty congested with runners and it eventually thins out (common to find yourself running alone).
Pros:
–Good post race food (assuming you get there in time) including posh bagels, muffins, fruit, juice, etc.
–Mile markers with volunteers directing routes
–Finishers necklace
–Quality t-​shirts
–Luna bar sponsors, mmm
–Convenient and organized bib/​t-​shirt pickup at Sports Basement
Cons:
–Dirt/​gravel course
–No bag check
-$ 5 parking
–Mostly unshaded route with direct sun exposure
–Really long food lines and ran out of fruit :(
Tip:
–It’s probably not ok officially but I saw a few men running the race with their partners and even a few people with strollers!
Overall it was ok but due to the course state I probably wouldn’t run it again.

Where were the chocolate chip pancakes??? haha After reading the reviews from runner from the previous years, my friends and I were expecting post-​race pancakes. But perhaps it was too troublesome, so they switched to bagels from Posh Bagel this year.
The mermaid theme is really cute and the slogan «Find your happy pace!» is awesome. Their marketing team = genius! I love that they are about women being empowered and confident and no matter what your level of ability that we can all be healthier and more fit and still have fun doing it!
You had the option of signing up for the 5k, 10k, half-​marathon, and the sirena18 (an 18 miler in case a half is not enough but you’re not quite ready for a full). I registered for the 10k. They stagger the start times of each event with the 18-​milers going first, and then the half marathoners 30 minutes later, etc. The start for all four events was the same path, a very narrow sidewalk-​ish area. It got really congested in the beginning, so for like the first half mile it was hard to pass and I ended up having to do it on the adjacent grass or the stepping off of the curb. But after the half-​mile point, it goes less crowded. The beginning of the course was scenic because you see the lake, but there are also parts that are less scenic. The course kind of got confusing because at some parts you turn around and are going back in the same direction, so I wasn’t 100% sure if I was going the right way or if I somehow ended up in the half-​marathon course. Fortunately, I didn’t make any wrong turns. There were mile markers and I remember one volunteer holding up a sign that said 10k with an arrow pointing straight and another volunteer right next to her holding up a sign that said half-​marathon turn left. The event was well-​organized and the volunteers were great and encouraging.
Post-​race, you get a finishers necklace and food! So again, I thought it would be choco-​chip pancakes, but this year they were bagels — still good. Needed to replenish with carbs! Plenty of schmear options plus fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, bananas), muffins, and orange juice. YUM. And there were also exhibitor booths too — Luna Bar was giving out free samples, Zico coconut water, and some bread company that was passing our pb&j. There was also a photobooth there and they printed enough for the whole group plus you could email yourself a digital copy of your photo at their iPad stations. I was also able to exchange my race shirt at the event. When I picked up my bib and shirt at Sports Basement, I tried on one of the sample shirts they had out in Medium and I was swimming in it (get the pun? mermaids? swimming? haha… never mind). I asked if I could exchange it right there, but the lady told me I’d have to do it at the event to see if there were any extras. There were and I was able to get a size small. Woohoo! Run happy!

#126. Loved the Mermaid Run! I ran the 5K and had a wonderful experience.
The atmosphere for this run was very encouraging and supportive. Prior to this, I ran the Nike Women’s Half Marathon, so it was refreshing to see a smaller, more intimate crowd. The race course for the 5K was mainly flat, and there was a water station during the second mile. Volunteers were very proactive and enthusiastic. After the race, they served bagels, muffins, and fruit, so you have an opportunity to stuff yourself. You get a cute pendant at the end as well.
I was surprised to find out that I placed 1^st in my age category. I never win anything, but now I feel motivated to run more 5Ks in the future!
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My 2¢:
— Pick up your packet beforehand. You will thank yourself later for not having to wait in a long line on the day of the race.
— If you want to save yourself from another long line and $ 5, park near Alvarado Niles Road and Quarry Lakes Road. It is a ten minute walk from Quarry Lakes, but if you are going to run a 5K (or more), this is totally doable.
— Take pictures before you run. You will look much nicer.
— Get there early!

This was my first Mermaid event; I ran the half marathon.
Pros:
— The course was mostly flat, great for those running their first half marathon or attempting to set a new PR.
— The volunteers along the course were great! Very supportive and energetic. This event also had a decent amount of water stations. Huge plus for me as I did not have to wear a weighty hydration belt.
— I left the event as soon as I crossed the finish line, but the post-​race expo offered a good selection of vendors, massage tables, photo ops, and food.
Cons:
— Although the course was flat, it was mostly trail with a lot of loose gravel and rock. Sometimes, that kind of terrain can be troublesome.
— This was a smaller event; about 350
women participated in the half marathon. Towards the end of the race, I was practically jogging/​walking the course by myself. Especially when coping with an injury, I missed being surrounded by other runners.
— The finisher’s «pendant» was not very impressive, in my opinion. Considering this event was not the cheapest (I paid close to $ 70 for registration), I wish they gave out medals instead.
Overall, this was a nice event, but I am not sure if I would participate again.

What a perfect day for the Mermaid Run, especially when its the day before Mother’s day and my mini me wants to join me in her first run. You know what they say right? like mother like daughter, just getting her started early!
Since it was my daughters first run, I decided to register both of us for the 5k. Mermaid Run offers an 18m, half marathon, 10k, 5k, and a mini run for the kiddos 1.5miles. Located at Quarry Lakes park in Fremont. The Park surrounds a barrier of water just like Lake Merced & Lake Merritt. The 5k started at 900a and the heat risen to 80degree, (FUEGO) the trail goes around the lake on gravel. Lots of moms ran with their children and plenty of women supported the run. At the end we were rewarded a charm and post race food ie. bagels, bananas, strawberries, grapes, candy? water and orange juice. I seen plenty of booths that included Zico coconut water, Luna bars, massage tables, photo booths and apparel shopping. My only complaints were to let the little kids run first, I almost trampled over them a couple of times. Other than that, we had a great first run together.

This was my first and DEFINITELY not my last Mermaid Race.
I did the 18 Miler Sirena race
PRO’s:
1.) I knew they had a good amount of aid stations and so I didn’t bring my own water. I thought they were spread evenly. I didn’t look at the map or anything prior though so I just came up to them whenever they were there.
2.) AWESOME volunteers, I’m not sure if I wasn’t around when they were on their cell phones, but everyone I interacted with were awesome! I loved the kids at the water stations they were so enthusiastic and supportive!
3.) I liked that they allowed Mom’s to bring strollers
CON’s:
1.) I was disappointed when I got to the expo after 5 on Friday and found that there were HARDLY any small shirts left. (although now they have the online store, so it’s fine, but it being my first 18 mile run/​race ever, I wished they’d had more.
SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR:
Make different shirts per different distance if possible.
I’m not sure which Mermaid Race I will do this year, but I’m sure I’ll do one :)

Incredibly dissapointing. My friends love these races so I decided to do it with my 5 year old. It would be her 2^nd 5K. Poorly marked. Volunteers busy on cell phones texting instead of guiding runners (many got lost). Line for chocolate pancakes was over an hour long. This is tough on a little girl that just ran 5K! No shirt sizing for kids.
And the most lame– Age groups were all 5 years, but for kids it was 0 – 14! How is my 6 year old supposed to compete with high schoolers! She couldn’t believe she didn’t get an age group placement– and when the girls stood up there to get their prize, my daughter said, «But Mommy, those are big girls– I can’t run faster than them.» Lame. this is supposed to be for girls to be proud and be honored. I will look more closely at age group categories next time.
Redeeming factors (why I gave a 2 instead of a 1). Sports basement packet pick up party was great. My daughter is still wearing her cute mermaid necklace (despite all the plating coming off). Mermaid photo booth at the end!

I did 10k in 2011 when I was pregnant with my son. I told myself, I will come back for the 18 miler next year & I did! I loved the 18 miler!
It’s a small race. It was more like a fun to run & enjoy event.
Trail like route which I loved because of the shade, the heat was not as bad as it was. The volunteers were kind & water stations were available every 2 mile. They gave out GU at last few miles… Don’t remember when. After I turn around, after few miles, I met half marathon runners at their turn around point. The last mile or 2, you will meet kids & parents doing kids run together? Or a 5K. They might slow you down a little but it was not bad. I liked it actually see all the kids & families running/​walking together.
I’ve done tons of big & small races before. Mermaid event is a pretty neat event for ladies. Always nice to get a pretty T shirt, running with ladies & all designed for ladies. The only issue with me was that they wanted to give me the T shirt before the race & if you don’t have any place to put your T shirts like me — my husband dropped me off– you would need to pick it up after the race. No guarantee that they will have your size, especially if you run longer, less chance of getting your size. I hope they would give you the shirt after the race or have a bag check available. No bag check this time.
I will do it again though. I hope they would let runners pick up goodies post race next time.

We love the Mermaid events… So far we have done SF, East Bay, the Alameda Tri & Du and are heading to Capitola. Having run other series the Mermaids are generally well organized and staffed well enough so if there is a glitch, you can fix it! I’m not a fan of the virtual running bag, I like the re-​usable totes but they have given up on that… the finishers necklace is usually cute as our the t shirts. The course was flat, mostly trails-​perfect for a 10K, great time of the year. I’m running it again in September with title 9, chances are it will be too hot then as there is no shade. The course is nice for all levels of athletes, the finish was uphill, a little hard to sprint but doable. Truly an event that will become a great way to kick start Mother’s Day weekend!

This race was ALMOST perfect. it really is a miniature version of the Nike Women’s race in SF because its very women empowering with all the great goodies!
I did the 10k last year and it was at The Shoreline in Mountain View and this year they changed it up and had it in Fremont. It was mostly trail and some paved areas– relatively flat until the finish line. The wind was perfect and weather were perfect for the run. It was pretty chilly in the morning tho when we started.
Day before and day of race packet picketup. Thank goodness I did it the day before at Sports Basement (only location) in Sunnyvale as it was a process and took awhile for people to get into Quarry Lakes so they even had to push the start times to 15 minutes later. You had to pay $ 5 per car to park there but plenty of parking.
Packet pickup was great– started on time and you got 20% off at Sports Basement– they had Costco pizza, fruit, snacks, drinks for you to enjoy.
— Great reusable Overland tote– this year its personalized with Mermaid Series on it versus plain last year
— A really cool technical t shirt– it was mermaid green/​blue ish and it was sleeveless w/​a hoodie– really unique– will be fun to wear over the summer
— Some energy gels– Luna Bar
— Not much in the goody bag but you get so much already
— Also get a necklace w/​charm at the finish line (not Tiffany’s but still cute)
There is a mini mermaid race (12 and under I believe) for 1.5 miles, 5k, 10k, half marathon, and premier distance Sirena 18 miler.
SOOO. about the race. one thing comes to mind– NOT ENOUGH WATER. I did the premier distance of 18 miles– and it is quite intimidating as there was only about 30 women doing this distance– I ended up finishing 3^rd to last :/​but oh well I finished.
There was only 4 water stops– :/​with such a long distance should be one every other mile. Bigger races have every mile.
Since there was such little people in the race in total– probably less than 1,000 and even less in my race group– I was running alone a lot of the time which isn’t that fun to me. There was no cheering from crowds because it wasn’t on the street and in the lake area facilities.
There should be more signs to avoid confusion– I know some women ended up doing 21 miles versus 18 because they missed a turn.
The one thing that I did love was that since I was one of the last people to finish there was a staff member on the bike that asked if I was okay– if I needed anything and reiterated that I was doing great. That was really nice.
I’d love to do this race again– maybe the half next year since I haven’t done that distance w/​them yet.

You can’t go wrong with any of the Mermaid Series events.
— unique finisher’s hoodie
— great finisher’s necklace
— mulit-​distances to fit any runner’s abilities
On 5÷7÷2011, Mermaid hosted the 5k, 10k, ½ marathon and the new Sirena 18miles (new distance) at Quarry Lakes in Fremont. Also a Mini Mermaid Run Distance 1.5 miles for girls ages 6 – 12.
Make it a Mother’s Day Tradition! Come out to the Mermaid Run on Saturday, May 7^th to celebrate Mother’s Day. The new location in Fremont features miles of trails around Quarry Lakes and the running path along the Alameda Creek Trail. The run is virtually flat making it an ideal course to kick up your heels and enjoy the sights.