Finally, my first time running the San Jose 408K in person! I opted for the virtual option for the past two years so I was excited to be able to actually run it this year with the rest of the Represent Running/Decathlon ambassador crew. It did not disappoint!

What: San Jose 408k
When: February 3, 2019
Where: San Jose, CA
Distance: 8K

Bib Pickup

The pickup locations were hosted at the Decathlon store in San Francisco and in Santana Row in South Bay. Unfortunately I couldn’t make either of the pickups, but luckily I found a friend to help me out! The race series also offers receiving your bib by mail for $10 – always super worth it but I never remember.

Parking/Logistics

Everything was easy as it usually is with the Represent Running races. The race started at 8AM and I arrived around 7:20AM with more than enough time to spare to use the bathroom, get to gear check, take pictures and warm up. Side note: the race is point to point so I had Cade drop me off at the start line and then drive to finish line to wait for me. For those who drove themselves, they had the option of running back to the start line or taking a shuttle.

The Race

I think this was my first official 8K so naturally it was a PR (lol). The course was flat and fast going from Downtown San Jose to Santana Row. We lucked out and missed the rain; I was even running with direct sunlight in my face for a bit (that part wasn’t so lucky). The course got a little boring to me at times, especially since my music cut out after the first couple miles, but it was an overall good race. I finished in 4th place for my age group, missing 3rd by only 6 seconds!

Post-Race/Swag

The post-race festivities were cool – after all, you’re in Santana Row! The race provided special offers from the restaurants that were specifically for runners… like bottomless mimosas. Additionally, runners received a race shirt designed by Cukui, a race medal and FREE RACE PHOTOS! Super worth it, IMO.

Up next in the series: San Jose Shamrock Run – sign up with code RepresentKH to save 10%!