40th Annual Fun Run Begins A Big Day That Includes The Beer Garden

Manhattan Beach’s fun run, which starts a fun day in this Los Angeles seaside community, is open for registration beginning July 1.
TheManhattan Beach 10K, which takes place the morning of the city’s annual two-day Hometown Fair festival the first weekend of October, is Saturday, Oct. 7. The early-bird price, effective thru July 10, is $30 for adults, $25 for youth. After July 10, the prices increases to $40 and $35.
Advance registration is on the event’s website, www.mb10k.com. In September, runners will also be able to register, as usual, at the Manhattan Beach Village Runner store. On-line registration closes Sept. 26.
This is the 40th anniversary of the 10K.
The 10K starts at 7:30 a.m., from Valley/Ardmore. It starts at 3rd Street, runs though downtown, loops back to the start/finish line and down to Marine Street, past the armory and up the big hill at Rosecrans, then makes a scenic last mile and a half turn onto The Strand.
It finishes, appropriately enough, at the pier.
The run has several small hills and an unwelcome uphill grade as it returns to the starting line, but runners are helped by bands that play at several spots along the route.
After the race, some people linger for a bit, others head home and several participants get an early start on that weekend’s locally famous beer garden by heading into Shellback Tavern. This is the post-race party location.
Later, the Hometown Fair takes place on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a festival of arts and craft booths, local food vendors, games and the aforementioned beer garden. The past few years, a wine garden has been added to the event.
There’s a couple of bands, one tucked into a corner next to the post office and other on the bigger stage within earshot of the beer garden.
Overall, Hometown Fair is one of the top events of the year in the South Bay Beach Cities and it begins with the 10K.
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