Mountains 2 Beach Marathon Reviews

  Beautiful first half of course, not enough course support. Train for downhills.

By ML about 2024

Review

The first half of the course is absolutely beautiful. Ojai is beautiful, and I would love to go back and stay there. The expo was fine and uneventful, but the race store was too small and crowded that I didn't even bother buying anything. I knew this course was downhill, but definitely train your quads. The first half is faster than the second half - and you will pay for those fast downhills regardless. The biggest complaint I have is the lack of on course support. The aide stations ran out of electrolytes after mile 16. This was horrible - I was so dehydrated at the end and was relying on those stations. Also, I stopped at mile 17 to help a runner who collapsed. In the 30 minutes I stood there and called 911, I never ONCE saw on course support come by. This is unacceptable.

Race Tips

TRAIN FOR DOWNHILLS -- lunges lunges lunges.
Be prepared to carry your own nutrition.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

I stayed in Oxnard and had to drive in race morning for the shuttles. .I took the early shuttle whichI was happy with since the portapotty lines got ridiculous. I would recommend doing that or staying in Ojai close to start line if you are able to.

  Fun race!

By KS about 2023

Review

Downhill nature much appreciated. Not overcrowded. Organized start. I wasn't running for this but 28% qualified for Boston! One water station ran out of cups around mile 18, rest after did not though, not a big deal got water poured in cupped hands.

Race Tips

First few miles slight uphill (not bad at all), then mostly downhill (one noticeable hill around 16 and another at like 23.5 which was not too long but tough after all those miles). Was misting just before start. Near the water generally high humidity in am, true here as well, but temp was comfortable for me anyway.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Stay at the Crowne plaza the night before so you have just a short walk to the shuttle that takes you to the start, book the 5am shuttle unless you want extra time at the starting line.

  The race was great!

By Lyd about 2022

Review

The race was great! the views were wonderfu, the shops in Ojai and Ventura were so cute! We had such a good time. You can even ring a gong if you finish the race!! Ringing the gong was so fun! A wonderful race to kick finishing a marathon off your bucket list!

  2022 was a disaster

By BM about 2022

Review

This was my 4th time running the race. It was also their 10th yr anniversary. I expected a lot better.

I signed up for this race in November 2021, so I got reasonable price for the hotel. About 6 weeks before the race, the organizers pushed it back one week. The race director said hotel rooms should be cheaper which turned out to be total BS. They blamed the police department but I assume all of the permits they need are approved way in advance. At the end of the day none of this matter since the buck stops with the race organizer.

The race started about 20 min late. It was a hot day and an extra 20 minutes in the sun might have cost me a few extra minutes.

The race ended up being about 1/2 mile too long. The race director blamed the leading car, but this wasn't their first rodeo.

I don't think I would do this race again unless there are some serious changes. I haven't being able to get a BQ here. I have been able to do that at Revel Big Bear twice (ran that race twice). Most of the runners run M2B are attempting a BQ and a lot of them missed their time due to the longer than expected distance.

Race Tips

Don't run this race if you are attempting a BQ. While the race organizers can't control the weather they can control everything else.

  Minor League Culture

By SS about 2022

Review

2022 was a bit of a disaster.

It was a hot night the day before the race (the fog didn't even get close to the shore and the Channel Islands were clearly visible with no marine layer in sight).

For no discernable reason, the 6 AM race started 20 minutes late, costing us 20 important minutes of cooler weather and forcing us to finish the race in baking direct nearly 80 degree heat.

Partial road closures meant being forced to run on cambered roads a lot of the time. Cones were frequently placed right down the center line in the only place in the road where the course was flat.

About 13 miles of the race are run on a long bike path that has no truly flat portions - the entire path is cambered. Not a big deal when you're biking but really really annoying when trying to run downhill for a marathon. It all adds up. Also the bike path (for some reason unknown to me) isn't even closed to bikers or walkers, so dogs and bikes and other obstacles are constantly coming up and forcing you to zag around.

And last but not least, as mentioned in many reviews, in the first 1.5 miles the lead car missed a turn forcing out into a longer path. The runners noticed this, but assumed the lead car (with race officials following on bikes) knew better. They didn't. They could have remedied this mistake by sending us back down the other side of the loop (the first 7 miles is a loop) but they didn't do this either, turning the first 7 miles into an out and back that was 0.38 miles longer than it should have been.

As this race is advertised as a BQ and an extra 0.38 miles means an extra 2.5-4 minutes, it's easily the difference between actually making into the race and not. What a bummer.

All in all, the race is really really poorly run and minor league. Mistake after mistake (I didn't even mention how the race was delayed a week only 5 weeks out).

I would not trust my BQ hopes to this race in the future.

Race Tips

Don't go out too fast. The first 3 miles is significant uphill. If you go out at your goal pace, you will accidentally have gone out effectively 15-30 seconds/mile faster than your goal pace. You can easily make up those seconds on the way down.

  2022 was a disaster from start to finish

By B.G. about 2022

Review

1) 6 weeks before race day, the director sends out an e-mail notifying all runners the race would be postponed 1 week. Imagine thousands of runners changing hotels, flights, sitters, training plans, everything with such short notice. It was a hard decision to make because I had signed up for a relaxing San Diego Marathon the week after M2B, but now they were the same day. so more $$$ down the toilet.

2) The race started late, it happens, fine. but there was NO UPDATE as to why, how long, or anything from the announcer at the start. Late starts for BQ races are huge, hotter temps make for much slower finishes!

3) The TWO course marshals (on bicycles) and someone from the Sheriff's Dept. led the runners the wrong way around the loop for the out and back this was the longer side of the loop. AND THEN they proceeded to loop us BACK ALONG THE LONG SIDE of the loop! making for an extra .5 miles. This mistake shouldn't have happened, there WAS A TURN SIGN CLEARLY visible, and it could've EASILY BEEN FIXED MID COURSE, by following the loop backwards... No excuses.

4) Instead of taking an average pace for the course and removing the appropriate time for .5 miles. they took the pace from only the portion that was "long" to remove. Guess what? most people run miles 1.5-2 faster than miles 25.7-26.2. Taking from the average overall pace would've been more fair, as no one knew which section was the '.5 extra.'

Race Tips

Don't go! Wait until they get their house in order.

  Complete Garbage

By Patrick about 2022

Review

There was very little good about this race. The volunteers at most of the race stations were good. That is where the good ended. The expo is complete trash. The expo is in some dirty fairgrounds that charge $10 for parking. There is nothing at the expo besides a fortune teller and some other unrelated stuff you can buy. The Race Director was a major fail for this event. 6 weeks before they event, they pushed it back 1 week. Hotels, flights, gas, everything was more expensive for the week delay. The race started 20 minutes late in the hot sun, which also led to hotter time when running. Standing in a packed group for those 20 minutes also gave me Covid 3 days later. The course was poorly marked and due to that error, everyone ran an extra .5 miles. Many missed their BQ. Post race food was minimal and everyone was just pissed because they missed their BQ. I was far from a celebratory mood and just wanted to go home. No pictures, no celebration. Just anger and disappointment. People dedicate months / years for training, and M2B was a complete failure that took goals away.

Race Tips

Do a different race.

  Don't do it! Find another BQ race!

By JD about 2022

Review

2022's marathon consisted of a last minute date change, unexplained 20 minute start delay, and participants being lead off course within the first 2 miles resulting in an extra half mile added to the race. Pacers were forced to push the pace to attempt to make up the additional distance and burned out runners that were unaware that they were taken off course. These errors cost a lot of runners their BQs and the race directors took zero responsibility for any of it and continually blamed others and did absolutely nothing to attempt to make things right. STAY AWAY FROM THIS MARATHON AT ALL COSTS!

Race Tips

Stay away, as you can see from other reviews that M2B has replied too they are not accepting responsibility for something they could have avoided by having the course properly setup and manned so the turn wouldn't have been missed.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Had to stay in Camarillo due to the last minute hotel scramble caused by the last minute date change. Ended up being okay as it was only 15 minutes from the downtown shuttle pickup.

  Do not run this race.

By AAA about 2022

Review

Here are the facts: Six weeks before the event, the race director notifies all runners that the race has to be moved from May 29th to June 5th. They claim that the police department forced them to move the race. They also claim that hotels should be cheaper since the race is no longer on a holiday weekend.

Hotels jacked up prices for race weekend higher then what they were Memorial Day weekend. We were forced to pay the higher prices too even though we already had reservations made through the race travel agency.

Race is scheduled to start at 6am. After we get in the corrals, the race director continually states that we are delayed due to something entirely out of their control. Also heard reports of police removing runners hats during the national anthem. We finally started running at 6:20 (so extra time standing, extra time in the sun later).

The course leader took the wrong direction about 3 miles into the race, causing everyone to run an additional .4 miles. No one was really certain what was going on during the race since all of our watches said we were .4 miles longer than what the mile markers showed throughout the remainder of the course. Race officials have since said that this was the Sheriff's fault.

Here are my opinions: If the race director is to be believed (all three items were someone else's fault) then you shouldn't run this race. If the race can get this messed up out of the organizer's control, then how can anyone trust this race can be run properly? I personally don't believe the race director. I think this organization dropped the ball and did a lackluster job and the rest of us paid the price. Speaking of, they offered no refunds after moving the event until the social media backlash. Unless they can get their act together in the future, don't run this race.

This race is not meant for anyone but those from southern California. I spent a small fortune on flights, cars, and hotels to be there. After the news of the race moving by a week, I had to spend another small fortune to change all our plans and dates. I figured I was already in the hole so much already, might as well make it work for a BQ. Turns out not attending the event would have been the better use of my time. After I realized the course was wrong and not my watch, I had to try to make up for nearly 4 minutes of lost time and wound up burning myself out in the last few miles which is purely uphill.

From start to finish, this race took the fun out of marathoning. I've never finished a race and seen so many people angry in the finisher's area. Being a marathoner is something to celebrate, and somehow this race ruined that's all while taking zero responsibility.

  Not worth the fast course

By KH about 2022

Review

The org changed/delayed the race date just over a month before the race, the race was delayed for 20 mins with no explanation other than constantly saying we're starting soon, and we were directed on a wrong turn which resulted in an additional 0.5 mile before we hit 3 miles, but they haven't taken responsibility for any of it, blaming most on other parties.

That aside, the course was on the bike path forever and that sucked. It was also a very sunny day with temps in the mid 60s and little shade (definitely didn't help that we started late).

  hotter weather, misdirected course

By AG about 2022

Review

Net Downhill. Could have been a screamer under right weather conditions.. perhaps do this early May or late April. Net average temp for a 4hr duration is about 65-66F with a dew pt of 56-58F... a 13s heat offset for the race. In addition the sheriff misled the marathon runners for a full 0.38mi extra right in the beginning. Organizers were able to recertify the course with USATF.. however no relief for runners who were narrowly missing BQ.

Race Tips

Prepare for the weather.. Could become warmer than you can handle.. particularly spring training will be in cooler climate and then you end with summer like conditions

  Course is Inaccurately Measured

By Mike D. about 2022

Review

Anything good about this race is negated by it being .4 miles too long. And, no, it's not just my Garmin; EVERYBODY had this problem. The mistake is within the first 5 miles, so we all spent the race complaining and wondering if the course would correct itself. It did not. The posted mile markers were consistently .4 miles late.

Note from the Race Organizers:

Message for the full marathon runners: After weeks working for you and you training hard for your race, we were in disbelief when we learned that the Sheriff had mistakenly led the marathon runners off the course resulting in adding 0.38 miles to your marathon race.

We share your frustration, believe us! There’s nothing more important to us than our amazing athletes. We know how hard you worked for this!

The good news is that we re-cerified the course immediately and USATF has confirmed that anyone who BQ today has qualified for the Boston Marathon!!!!

For the people who did not qualify, we will continue to address the issue tomorrow. However, we were told that by USATF standards we’re not allowed us to adjust the timing.

We hope you can understand that this was not an oversight on our part, and that you can still cherish your big accomplishment!

Race Tips

Don't do this event unless they 1) acknowledge there was a problem, and 2) swear, if not give evidence, that the course distance has been corrected.

  Great Race! My favorite!

By GAC about 2019

Review

This marathon is awesome, is fast but that doesn't mean it is easy. It's a very strategical race, because it has some hills but if you define a realistic marathon pace and respect it since the beginning you will enjoy it a lot! This was my first BQ and I improved my best marathon time by 12 minutes. The race is very well organized you will have very good hydratation, supporters, a beautiful scenery, free photos, beer at the finish line. I had done other big marathons, Berlin, Toronto and Chicago (x2) , but my favorite is definitely M2B!

Race Tips

-Keep your goal pace all the race,
respect it because the second half is not easy.
-Enjoy!

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

The race has a great organization, everything you need to know they will provide it to you.

  Great Fun! PR & BQ

By CL about 2019

Review

I loved the scenery, We stayed in Ojai which is really nice, spa-atmosphere surrounded by orchards & mtns. Weather was optimum (temp 55-57), if it were sunny (with the humidity) the course would have been more difficult Exceeded expectations. I liked the course, we were able to scout it out a day before & run on an uphill section. There were 4-6 uphill sections, the last one in the last 3 miles!

Race Tips

For race strategy,I used my garmin with a pace band, very glad bc there were no digital clocks during the course. I tried to start out slow (during the 1st 3mi uphill section). I banked some time by 1/2, which was good bc the course flattens out mile 19 - 26 (actual uphill for .5 mi). Hydration stations were well supplied, a lot of volunteers. The course itself is a combo of road and paved bike trail, some holes....beware!

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

We stayed in Ojai at the Blue Iguana, we really enjoyed it! 2 mile from the start. My husband rented a bike and rode the course during the race, feeding me gels/water when I needed it....Loved banging the Gong at the end.

  

By EMS about 2019

  Very Enjoyable Marathon

By dave about 2018

Review

Ran this race in 2018. I enjoyed the course. It is a relatively small field of participants which gives it a nice feel. Scenery was nice for first half, but there was quite a long section through what seemed to be an industrial park setting. Also, there was quite a long section run on pathways where there was limited room for overtaking others and you had to watch out for oncoming walkers, runners, bikers. The stretch through downtown Ventura was a bit of an uphill section and seemed to go on forever before we turned the corner and headed down to the beach. There were very rough sections of roadway and trails that posed a real tripping hazard. A girl in front of me tripped over a rough walkway within 1km of the finish line and went sprawling on her face. Good on her that she got up right away and kept running, I don't know that I could have done that. At the finish line there was a very loud crowd cheering everyone on. The finisher medal was nice, but the snacks they provided at the finish line were very limited. There was also a huge lineup to hit the BQ gong after the race and get your pictures taken, but the wait was worth it. Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience and I would recommend this race to others.

Race Tips

There is an uphill section for about the first 5km so you have to start out slower than race pace to conserve your energy. Then it is mostly downhill with a few short uphill sections until you get into downtown Ventura where there is a long gentle uphill through the town centre. Then it is a bit of a downhill and flat to the finish line on the beach. A ran the race with a slightly positive split (less than about 1min difference between first and second halves). Overall this is a fairly fast course. It was my second marathon and i managed to beat my previous marathon by about 26 min and achieve my BQ time.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

I booked my flights well in advance of the race and rented a car in LA. Being a long weekend, the traffic on the freeways was terrible on Friday before the race and it took about 2-1/2 hr to get to Ventura from the airport. The drive back to the airport was much faster on Monday morning, just over an hour. Stayed in the Holiday Inn in Ventura, which was good. Breakfast was included with the room and they let me pack a breakfast the day before for the morning I got up to go to the race. I had no trouble parking in downtown Ventura the morning of the race and easily found my shuttle. The bus ride to the start was in the dark but there was a lot of excited chattering going on in the bus. There were quite a few port-a-cans at the start but the lineups were still quite long, so you have to make sure that you have time to do your business before the race. I brought an old long sleeve shirt to keep me warm until the start of the race and then just left it there.

  Too many runners for the course

By Sats about 2018

Review

This is a great downhill course that made my marathon time faster by 5min plus than flat course. A little problem was that the majority of the course was bike trail. It was not easy to run, taking over, or being taken over. It was not just stressful but also energy consuming. There were 3 separate groups starting 2min apart. Given the course width, 4-5 group starts would have been better.

Race Tips

Do not run with pacers as the course is narrow and so many serious BQ chasers in the pack that does not give a way to each other. They all are serious about their time. If your goal is 3:30, run between 3:25 and 3:30 groups. Then you will have more room around you.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Book your hotel way in advance. The city of Ventura cannot support the size of the cloud of this race.

  Fast marathon

By Anastasia about 2017

Review

I liked that it is a fast marathon which allowed me to BQ. Small marathon, no corrals, we lined up at the front row as if we were elites, very cool. I was surprised of how many hills there were and specially surprised with the last hill in Ventura near the finish line.

This marathon definetely puts you at high chance to BQ.

Race Tips

Best pacing strategy is conservative start, even effort. The first aprox 8k are uphill and then about 12k are downhill but with some uphills. Even effort worked well for me.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

My 8 friends and I stayed at the Ojai resort, very nice, highly recommend staying here. We warmed up running to the start line, about 3-4k.

  

By xx about 2017

Review

Well organized. Smaller event. Fastest course I have ever run. Nice scenery along the course and beautiful finish along the beach. My favorite marathon in Southern California. It was the Malibu Marathon but it is no longer. Much better event than LA or OC Marathon or Surf City.

Race Tips

Take it easy the first 10K. The first 2.8 is uphill and then the downhill begins. No need to rush it. There is plenty of race left once you get into a good pace for the long downhill.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Register early and take an early shuttle so you have easy access to your car after the race. The Ojai Post Office is warm place to hang out before the race.

  

By Colby P. about 2016

Review

Well organized.
Small, but not 'abandoned' feeling.
Nice and scenic point to point.
Great energy on race day!!!

Race Tips

Keep an even pace.
There are hills so keep effort consistent.
Weather was great for me, could be hot some years.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Definitely recommend staying in Ojai as close to the start line as possible.

  

By W Clark about 2016

Review

I preferred the old course, which was mostly on the bike path. I'm not much for running near traffic. The new course has some definite fast sections but also a few uphill sections that threw my friends and me for a loop (I was nursing an injured calf so wanted to take it easy) and some rough, uneven road. The map posted on the website didn't correctly convey the course changes. Still a good mid-size BQ/PR race in decent weather and well organized. My husband ran the half and PR'd. Ventura in May is a nice, low key vacation destination.

Race Tips

Run conservatively in the opening miles. I started off with a friend near the 3:45 group as I was uneasy about my calf and didn't know the course. This conservative start paid off for me and I was able to run a negative split (finish time 3:31 and change).

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Stay at the Best Western or Country Inn and Suites. They're both walking distance to the shuttles and finish and much cheaper than the host hotel. We stayed at the Country Inn and Suites in 2016 and we had a better experience than buddies did in their pricier hotel. It's clean with friendly service, free parking, and a good free breakfast. There are some great little restaurants in the area for carbing up such as Ferarro's and Cafe Fiore. As far as the race goes, plan to take an early shuttle because as the race has grown, the baggage drop has become more hectic and the potty lines can become long.

  

By RL about 2014

Review

Great gentle downhill course for 20 miles... last 10K mostly flat. However, southern cal in May is not necessarily cool, even with a finish by the beach.

Race Tips

There's a half-mile uphill early in the run, so it's not *all* downhill. Paved bike path for most of the run means maneuvering around other runners at times.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Sleep in Ventura.. shuttle will take you to start line in the morning.

  

By SPM about 2012

Review

Great moderately downhill course most along a bike-path, good surface, intimate feel with a limit of a 1,000 marathon runners. Friendly volunteers and size of field meant family could get close to finish at Ventura to cheer me on. Suggest the organizers consider the National Anthem at the start.

Race Tips

I followed my plan and ran hard for first 21 miles and then hung on for a PR 12 minutes faster than my previous best. Only challenge was at mile 21 the course passes within a block of the finish and then goes away for 2.5 miles before looping back and it was tough to run away from the finish at that point and see other runners coming the other way.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Book Crown Plaza early if you want to stay there. No restrooms at bus shuttles to Ojai so make sure you go before you leave for the shuttle.