Gravelanza LA Salomon Review

I was recently invited to run the Gravelanza in Los Angeles' Griffith Park gratis, and if they hold it every year, I'll be there running it. The race consists of a 5-mile trail course and a shorter relay event. I chose to run the 5-mile race rather than the relay, though I did speak to a ton of people who did that one as well. This is the first Gravelanza race in the U.S. after events in Paris and London, and the whole thing is put on by Salomon. While I'm generally more of a road runner, I do trail races here and there. However, this one is hilly, so I was a bit nervous. It ended up being one of my favorite races of all time, and I'm ready to sign up for next year. 

I'll get to the atmosphere in a sec, but I want to talk about the actual trail first. I've spent a lot of time in Griffith Park, which I absolutely love. In fact, I used to hike there every day with my late dog Fionnie, so I knew the trail wouldn't exactly be flat. However, this is a doable hill course, with a gravely, packed sand surface, and absolutely attainable for most runners. Inclines and downhill sections were interspersed with flat areas for recovery. I spoke to people who had never raced before, and some who are pros, and everyone seemed really happy with the course. It's incredibly well-marked, so you never wonder where to go next (something I've dealt with in trail races before). There are aid stations along the course, which was extra-important with the record-setting heat we've been having in LA. This is a no-cup event, but instead of charging runners for a reusable cup, we were given a soft flask in our swag bags along with a great tech shirt from Salomon. Despite not being a big hill-runner, I was able to complete the course with a good time, but still really felt the challenge. I also have to point out the gorgeous scenery, with lots of areas that gave a beautiful view of LA and the surrounding mountains. Check-in was super easy and quick, as was gear check, which veteran racers know isn't always the case. 

However, the atmosphere really sold me on this race before I even began the run. From the moment of arrival, it felt like a party. There was a 3D video area, Mexican food and acai bowls, and a beer garden serving several different adult beverages. The event had a huge Salomon retail area with really useful (and super cool) items, as well as shoe testing, but it also had a table full of free shoe charms. (One of them was a tiny In-N-Out Burger charm that I've been showing to everyone.) The store also had a very cute coffee station inside. There were hammocks set up, and some fun spots for social media pics as well. My favorite perk, though, was a flash tattoo station that was free for runners. (Yes, permanent tattoos!) I got one myself to honor the race and my love for the location, and the set up for it was fantastic. I also stayed around to watch the sterilization process for the tattoos, and it was throughly-done every single time. 

I also want to point out the great pre-race support from Salomon, which included updates, course info, and more importantly, warnings about the heat. There was plenty of access to water, but they also added a hydration station to make sure that everyone was okay. While I didn't do the relay (I have three more races coming up in the next five weeks), everyone I spoke to who did it had an absolute blast. I'm really hoping there will be more of these, because I'd do it again in a second!