Electric Run

This review is based on Nov 2013 5k Electric Run @ OC Fairgrounds (yeah i’m a bit late. I came here and brought my 12 year old with her friend because they like that Electric music and I thought it would just be a safer environment to experience a mini version of a Rave (I guess). I must say it was pretty cool. There was no way I wanted to run this full 5k I just wanted to stop and take pics of everything. At the end there is a after party, the girls won alot of neon glow stuff, they yelled loud enough for it lol.
I think the décor and route is better than the Neon Run at the stub hub except the after party at the Neon Run is wayyyy better!
For a Friday nite with the fam I thought it was worth it to at least try it once.

**REVIEW FOR THE 2013 ELECTRIC RUN — NOVEMBER 1, 2013 AT THE OC FAIRGROUNDS**
I had a great time at the Electric Run on Friday night, which was at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, CA. It was my 2^nd 5K, and I had planned to run it with my boyfriend, but he recently injured himself in a motorcycle accident, so he was my own personal cheerleader! LOL
Anyway, I signed up for the race about four months ago, as soon as registration opened, for $ 45. They said the fee included a t-​shirt and a race bib. The closer it got to race day, the price went up to $ 55. So, I went to Sports Authority two days before the race to pick up my registration packet. They had a ton of super duper friendly volunteers and the huge line moved quickly.
Race day! The race started at 7:00PM, and I wanted to be at the front of the pack so I arrived around 6:15. Parking was $ 10.They had glow-​in-​the-​dark items for sale and registration pick up there too. I immediately headed to the front of the «chute» aka the starting line and weaseled myself to the ribbon. As it got darker and darker, and the chute filled up with thousands of people decked out in costumes and glow-​gear, they played loud electronic music and two MC’s up on a tower got the crowd pumped and threw out handfuls of glow-​jewelry.
The race started immediately at 7:00PM, and the younger teams/​runners (by younger, I mean high-​schoolers) blasted out the front of the pack but slowly burned up all their energy and started walking. Supposedly they sent out people in waves, and I maintained my position towards the back of my wave, keeping my pace around 9:00/mile.
When I rounded the first u-​turn to go down «Rainbow Road», I was impressed by the sea of runners leaving the chute. What an excited crowd (approx. 8,500 people!)
I kept to myself most of the «race» and finished just under 3 miles in 29:00 (my GPS lost reception at one point, so the timing and distance isn’t exact).
You finish the race in front of the «Hangar» where a DJ and light show played upbeat electronic music to a crowd of excited, sweaty people who had just finished their run. I rehydrated with a few waters, and then had a Cherry SoCo with Pepsi before leaving — they had a few food trucks and plenty of booze at the «after party». Also, there was an AFTER after party at Sutra, but I didn’t partake.
PROS:
Nice staff/​volunteers
Exciting course
Lots of great photo ops
Fun pre– and after-​party — great MC’s/DJ’s
CONS:
No actual race timing (the race bibs were just for show)
Loud music+flashing lights=Dizzy running!
Watch out for the glow-​jewelry in the road
Some parts of the course were so dark that I had no idea where I was running, and it slowed me down
It was only 2.93 miles
TIPS:
DON’T run in a costume! I was dying of heat exhaustion at the end! hahaha
Age range: A lot of 16 – 24 year olds, followed by late 20-​ers, and then the moms and dads running with their kids.
I will most certainly do this run again next year. A little expensive for an untimed «race» but worth it for the experience!

If you are competitive and actually run, I would not recommend this race. There is no timing and even though they say joggers on the left and walkers on the right, no one listens so it’s more like an obstacle course dodging people and hurdling over kids… ok not quite hurdling but you know what I mean. Large groups of people stop right in the middle of the course for all the photo opportunities. It’s an easy flat course just zig-​zaging across fair grounds.
I got sucked in to going to this event because of my brother, hes starting to get into the phase of «lets do all the different races and mud runs out there! OMG sooooo healthy and soooooo fun!!!». There was a LivingSocial deal was going on so that helped with me deciding to do this. The race was on a Friday night, so good thing I had a short day of class so I left right after to beat traffic and hung out in Westminster.
From the Electric run website:
This is an all ages event. In fact, kids 7 and under run for free and don’t need to register!
Can I push a stroller?
Yes! Actually… you know what you should do? Put some rad lights on the wheels and handle bars and make that thing look amazing! Your kids will love the show!
Yeah… so that explains the tons of kids at this event. I don’t feel like it’s an appropriate event for young children since the music can be really loud and could damage hearing. Also all the «rave elements» that the crowd brings and not taking glowy lights. But what the hey, not my kids. :(
Maybe I’m just being grumpy like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. I do like EDM, but I kinda got hung up on know that the literal tons of plastic glowy stuffy they were chucking into the crowds was going to end up in a landfill.
$ 10 General parking, on top of the the race ticket.

Electric Run OC 2013!
Electric Run? It was more like ELECTRIC WALK!
I didn’t even see anyone run or jog. I felt out of place for even trying to run/jog…LAME! It was hard to run/​jog when the ppl in front walked so damn slow and their whole group blocked the course! Zig zagging run anyone?
Our group signed up the first day it went on sale and paid about $ 51 ish per person, which included a $ 5 fee for packet pick up the day of the race. If I would’ve known it was going to be on LivingSocial a couple of weeks later, I WOULD’VE WAITED! Grrrrrrr! DON’T PAY FULL PRICE!
Registration fee includes: admission, t-​shirt, glow glasses and bracelet. Tip: size up for female shirts. The glow glasses SUCKED! It didn’t GLOW and the connectors were cracked! Cheap crap! Same shit with the glow bracelet. It’s motion sensored so when you moved it blinked BUT NOT MINE!
The course markers were all over the place and ppl were cutting so it didn’t feel like a 5K… They should’ve spread out the volunteers throughout the course to guide the walkers/​joggers/​runners. Some parts of the run were dimly lit and I was afraid I was going to trip and fall on my face! One part of the course went through a barn and it smelled like cow manure, Yuck! They need more light displays/​decorations and louder music. The majority of the course was pretty boring, Zzzzzz…
The participants in the run were mostly teenagers, who were acting a FOOL… dry humping, twerking, smoking some ganja and doing things their parents would’ve frowned upon. The race was advertised as kid and family friendly… I don’t think you’ll want your kids witnessing all that nonsense.
The water they passed out was DISGUSTING! Tap Water anyone? It smelled like the water coming out of my garden hose!
After the finish line, there was a stage with DJs spinning. The music was blah…
There were a few stands selling food and drinks, none of which looked appetizing.
Parking: $ 10! Tip: park on the streets for FREE!
The good: glowing displays and costumes.
The bad: everything else =/​
Would I return? NOPE! Save your $$ and RUN far far away from here!

Loud music, flickering lights, you know what time it is, Electric 5k Run.
Pros:
Free Tshirt, glow glasses, bracelet motion sensor.
Loud music
Friendly Staff
Many stops for photo ops
Cons:
Price you pay for what you get is blah
Lots of loud and rude young teenagers
The course wasn’t always lighted up
Certain spot with no music or lights
Nothing like EDC, it’s just a little run to participate with some friends or family. Don’t expect too much, just a course that has flickering lights and certain spots with loud music.

The excitement and adrenaline rush that I got from night running with 10,000 (no exaggeration) smiling, happy, athletic, energetic, party people donning glow in the dark garb superseded any disappointment I might have had about this race not being timed, starting about 15 minutes late, or the fact that it wasn’t a full 5k. I personally run 5k’s for fun. Not time. I think the majority or runners would agree.
The music and rave-​y/​club-​y atmosphere got me pretty pumped up, and I found myself even Shazamming a song or two as I ran. This was one of my favorite races of the year, and I’d consider traveling just to participate in the next one (I heard San Diego is hosting in February, and Portland sometime after that).

Enjoyed the party atmosphere of this fun run. It could’ve been improved if they added additional songs to the run. Some of the songs played at least 3 times during the run. There was one area that was a slip and fall waiting to happen — muddy, squishy field where there was only one «caution» cone to warn runners.
There was good course support in terms of port potties and people cheering on the runners. I thought there’d be more lights on the actual course. The finish line party was the highlight with DJs and hula hoop girls WOWing the crowds.

Loved it.
Was not much of RUN, it was a outdoor party for the young ones.
That’s kinda cool.
We walked through mud at some part of the RUN, though the rainbow, umbrellas were beautiful.
It could be better organized, though it was after big rain all, the whole thing went extremely well.

The run itself was super fun, so fun that I felt that it should’ve been longer! Although my friends pedometer counted it to be a little less than 3 miles…
The after party at the end of a pretty epic looking finish line was alright. The DJ was meh, and the crowd wasn’t much of a EDM group, but I still managed to have a good time. $ 5 SoCo shots that come in a glowing shot glass where definitely a neat touch.
The whole race set-​up could use a little more reworking, specifically the choppy song transitions between the courses, bit of a buzz kill. They played some classics, but it would help to have an updated catalogue. But other than that, the whole fluorescent light show and displays throughout the course where spectacular.
I really hope next years race will be a big step from this one, they where really asking for feedback, so without a doubt it should be even better!

Really cool race concept, though the overall experience was just OK. Like a rave without the E & trance (however there was an outdoor stage at dj afterward) the run had about 10,000 people covered in glow sticks, lights, and reflective colors participated.
Zig-​zagging around the OC Fairgrounds in the complete darkness, albeit the light from other runners, it was a fast and flat run with a lot sharp curves. I had a good time because of the company I was with, though I’d probably pass on this in the future.
The notable negatives:
— no timing!
— just one water station, at least one less than the standard 5K runs
— no water at the finish, but they give you granola bars
— no bag check
— course was actually 10% shorter than a true 5k (2.75−2.8 miles depending on who’s phone/​app was tracking it)
— Event staff were completely without knowledge (start line/​finish line/​registration, etc.)

It was a fun event & all but there wasnt enough lights/​decorations through out the track/​lanes =(
I thought it’d be more festive & wished that the music would have been playing all through out the area of the run instead of just certain parts…
People were in a great festive mood which made this event a lot more fun to participate in. =)
Loved how some peeps were all decked out in all sorts of light wear =)
Thanks Unilocal for the ticket, overall I had a good time w/​Yelp friends =)

I terms of «fun run» type races, this was a good event. Thanks one of those deal of the day sites, I paid $ 17 for registration. I am glad I didn’t pay the full amount because I might have been disappointed with the run. I ran the race solo but this is a race to do with friends. I am glad I ran into fellow Unilocaler, Pete S and the other friends/​yelpers he was with at the start line.
I got to the fairgrounds at like 6pm and parking was no problem for me. I do live somewhat close to the fairgrounds so I didn’t have to worry about traffic on the 55. Everyone was decked out in neon and glow stuff, it was awesome. Like others have described, it was like a rave for runners.
I hung out in my car until about 6:30 and then made my way to the start line. I knew there were about 10,000 people projected to participate in the run that night. Since I was by myself, I didn’t want to spend forever in the corrals waiting to start. I slowly made my way to the front.
The race started a little late at 7:15 which isn’t too bad. Because I was at the front, I was able to run the course at a decent pace and didnt have to worry about bottlenecking/​feeling too crowded. It was really cool to see everyone running with their glow stuff and all the cool decorations on the course. The volunteers were great at guiding us in the dark and I dug the music. Yes, there were parts where it could have been louder but it was still fine. There were parts of the course that involved running on dirt, thanks to the rain, it was muddy so I just took these parts slow.
The finish line was a little weird, we ran through a tunnel and then you just stopped. It didn’t really feel like a finish line and my gps clocked the course at 2.75 miles instead of a 5k. Because this was a fun run, that was fine, I just wasn’t ready for the race to be done. I was given a garnola bar and was on my way.
As I walked back to my car, there was still a massive amount of people waiting in the corrals to start as well as hoards of people walking to the start line area. So crazy!
For an inagural race, it was really organzied. I would do it again if I had a group to run with or I would be willing to volunteer on the course or something like that. And hopefully the organizers make some improvements (like more porta-​potties at the start) to make it an even better event!

First and foremost, this was an amazing concept that was brought to life by a thoughtful team — it was well organized and so much fun to participate in! Basically, think of what would happen if a rave and a race had an illegitimate child.
I came down with a group of 6 and we were all fairly intent on going at our individual paces which was wonderful; if you wanted to run, you can run — if you want to skip, dance, walk, take a breather, take a picture — you were more than welcomed, and actually encouraged, to do so!
The track itself winds around the Orange County Fairgrounds in a fairly zany path, there were really fun light and glow fixtures set up all around the track and to boot we were given our own glow bracelets, glasses and an official shirt for participating. The staff did a wonderful job of breaking us up into different starting heats so there wasn’t a mob on the track.
There were staffers scattered along the track giving out high fives and water and at the end there was a huge common area with snacks, real food, some alcohol and a live DJ performance from Sultan and Ned Shepherd.
The idea of a 5K to bumpin’ beats is phenomenal and I can’t wait to see more things like this take off. The irony of it for me though was at the end the last thing I wanted to do was drink — I would’ve rather gone to the gym, but to each there own and can’t wait for the next time!

When I first registered for this event, I was superrrr excited and had high expectations. The pictures on their website and facebook page made it look really fun! The actual event wasn’t what I had hoped for. I was pretty disappointed…
Parking was $ 5… or so I’ve heard from friends. We parked at a nearby park and I’m pretty glad we did! There were soooo many cars both at the start and end of the event.
When you first get there, you’re supposed to check in. A friend got their a bit earlier and had already checked in for me and our group so I don’t really know what the check-​in process is. There were a bunch of tents set up for check-​in, and it all seemed really disorganized. I had noooo idea where I was supposed to go and just followed the crowd. They did provide a goody bag with some glow-​up sticks, glasses, t-​shirt, etc. which was pretty nice.
The actual venue was alright. There were puddles of water and some muddy areas, but I can’t blame that on the event… It just HAD to rain the day of the event… Stupid rain!
I was mostly disappointed by the music and lights. From the pictures online, I thought there would be good, loud EDM and bright neon lights everywhere! Some parts of the run were alright, but most areas were pretty dimly lit and the music was wayyyyy too low. At one point, I actually tried to play my own music from my phone because I couldn’t hear anything!
For the after-​party, they set up a bunch of tents selling food and drinks. They had a lot of advertising tents as well. I wasn’t too happy with the event and decided to go eat somewhere else and skip the after-​party.
The event is pretty pricey for what you get… I think it was like $ 55 on their website, but I got my ticket for $ 40 through a Groupon or LivingSocial voucher… can’t remember which.
Would I go to this event again? Probably not. I’ve heard better things about other 5K events. I think my next is the Color Run.

Pretty fun run but was short by a few meters. My GPS didn’t even hit 3 miles. They had Carmen Electra be the official start girl? I couldn’t tell since the sound wasn’t very loud. I couldn’t even tell that it was her.
The run itself weaves through the OC Fairgrounds which is neat but not so fun when it had rained during the day and we ran through mud and puddles. The concept is fun but the race itself could use some work.
No bag check? I think that’s asking a lot of people to not be able to leave their belongings in a safe place.
No timer? I know it’s just a fun run, but people like to see how they did.
Water cups but no bottles of water at the end of the race. A few granola bars. I’ve run races where they give you bananas, bagels, and beer at the end. I think we deserve a few more carbs and calories.
I got to run for free because I was on the Unilocal team, but if I had to pay for it next time, I’m not sure I would. I have run 2 Nike Women’s half marathons, 2 Surf City 5Ks, and the Laguna Hills 5K prior to this race and I have to say that this one ranked lower than all of those in terms of organization. Parking was $ 5 which was cheaper than expected. Thanks to Ryan C. for including me on the team.

I actually had a great experience on this run… sure music was not too loud and the beginning had a whole lot of people… but towards the end, the music was a nice «in the background» beat that pushed you to keep going, and the lights were not as in your face as most would like, but provided just enough entertainment to not be be bored, but not a distraction either. The rain did make the dirt area really annoying and gross to run through, but it really wasn’t the groups’ fault.
The post part was small but nice… just something to relax and walk around before heading home (or to Sutra, where the REAL party begins!) It seemed like people were expecting this to be a rave, but it’s NOT! So for a themed 5k, it was very casual, relaxing, and fun. I’d do it again, if it wasn’t on a Friday (work and traffic? Bleh!)

Not a bad venue for the first electric 5k run. thank goodness it wasn’t pouring that night! It almost felt like a rave party with the music (although it can be much louder), neon glowing lights along the course (not enough tho… some area was dead zone) and seeing all the participants all dressed up/​geared up with glow sticks, glowing too-​toos, etc.
I hope next year the music will be louder, more neon glowing lights throughout the course, and we can get some sort of a fun metal at the end.

Boy, some fellow Unilocalers are quick! When I was done last night, some people had already written reviews!
I did this last night and it was fun! True, I was expecting MORE from what I’ve seen in the pictures and from their website… but at the same time, I really didn’t know what to expect either. I love the lights and glow sticks all around. It is true that in some parts it was harder to hear the music, but I’ve done the Color Run too and even though that was fun, there was no music on the track. However, this run claimed to have music all along with light synchronized to it. I’m not sure if the lights were actually synchronized… I don’t think they were. I think they were just flashing– regardless, cool event. Now, the idea of doing it at the fairgrounds… not such a great idea. Some parts we walked through what became mud due to the rain and I almost slipped several times. I think the trail should had been lit more so we could see where we were walking. It was really dark and at times, I had no idea what I was able to step on or into.
I would do this again, but not at the OC fair grounds. I’m glad they didn’t charge to pick up our packets like they said! That’s always a plus when you save money! Also, I was able to buy the half off deals when they had it and so I only paid $ 22 for this run. For $ 22, definitely worth it… for $ 50… I’m not so sure. Oh, I was also expecting a finish line sign or something and was sort of disappointed when there was none.
There was a free after-​party. I did not go to that though, so I have no idea what it was like. I’m sure there is at least a Unilocaler or two that went, right? We are everywhere! There was even a Unilocal booth where when you checked in, you got a freebie. I took the reusable shopping bag. Who doesn’t love free swag!
When I got back to my car. I found a flyer for The Neon Run. It looks like a combination of The Color Run and the Electric Run. I gots to try that one!

I am back and it was fun!!! Pretty well run (no pun intended) event. I was up in the front and got to go first. People were still taking off when I was done. The race started a bit late but I think they were waiting for Carmen Electra. She was the start girl. Cool! Good music, cute decorations.
The course was woven through the fairgrounds. I didn’t love running around the pig racetrack. Especially because it had rained earlier and it was a big mud puddle.
People totally got into it with costumes! Love!!!
I’d do it again.

I happy to be home, in my warm, comfy couch writing this.
It actually wasn’t bad at all for me, since I was lucky enough to be in the front at the start line during the first wave. I think people were just very anxious like me to be running it.
It was really cool to be running around the fairgrounds, that I liked. The music was good, some places you couldn’t hear it. I do like the uptempo music of Darude and «Sandstorm». It kept me going. The lights. were nice, it led the way but I thought it could’ve been a little more because I had no idea what I was stepping on and I almost tripped a few times.
Here is some of our Unilocal group who ran it.
We were lucky enough to be chosen to run this, compliments of Unilocal.
Thanks again Ryan and Elise!
Good seeing you Traci!
Prior to running, there were these two people in their electric hoodies, dancing.
That was kind of cool.
And of course, the really cool thing is the tunnel that glows
That, probably was the best part.
I don’t know about you other runners, but I got kind of bored. I think the race folks really needed to have more stuff for the eyes. I liked the glow idea and while it was great while we were all waiting. Once the run started, it was just missing some other element of fun or excitement.
Overall, it was well run, the course wasn’t the best, but it was nice to just kind of hang out for a Friday night. With the Unilocal folks.