Brooks Hype Fest 2023 recap

Disclaimer: As a member of the Brooks Run Happy Team, I received a trip to Brooks Hype Fest and Brooks running gear. This is my recap of the event, but all my opinions are my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

After my experience at last year's Brooks Run Happy Camp, I didn't know how Brooks could top it, but--spoiler alert-- this year they did better by a long shot. The organizers said they took all our feedback from last year to make this year an even better experience. They also changed the name of the event to Brooks Hype Fest, which I just realized as I was writing this, as a way to tie the event in with the launch of their new Hyperions. All the RHT members were receiving a pair at the event but had to work for it, as I'll share below. 

Let's get to the recap!

The pre-Hype Fest enthusiasm was off the charts, both on social and on the Slack channel we use to communicate. I was excitedly nervous and very happy to be traveling with Kristin and rooming with Michelle. My other Chicago teammate, Frank was also going and we'd all been in close communication up to the event. While I am an extrovert, big events like this make me a bit anxious and it was nice knowing 'my people' would be with me!

Along with a bunch of other attendees, we arrived Thursday morning at LAX and took a caravan of ride share vans to the Santa Monica Hilton, where we would be staying for the weekend. We early arrivals were all able to check in, which was great. We dropped off our bags and met in the lobby to walk to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. I hadn't eaten since very early that morning and was so hungry by that point that I was near tears! Thankfully, food was the cure and the rest of the day went forward without a hitch. 

Our lunch crew walked to the Santa Monica Pier. Yes, we took a ton of photos! Some of the group rode the roller coaster. We walked back to the hotel, stopping at Starbucks for an iced coffee. It was great running into people that I met last year as well as others I hadn't met, but felt like old friends from social media. Isn't it crazy how that happens?

Dinner was at the hotel, but first we did a 'speed dating' activity and with 170 people, you can only imagine how crazy that was! We spent the evening chatting with other RHT members before heading up to our hotel room for the night. 

photo courtesy of Justin Hall

Before coming to Santa Monica, I scoped out breakfast places--you know I love my coffee--and found Dogtown Coffee about a mile from the hotel. The cafe is located in the original Jeff Ho surf shack and was founded as a way to honor the skateboard culture that was born in this part of California. Tony Hawk used to hang there! It's a super cool space with lots of murals and an outdoor patio, where Kristin, Michelle, and I enjoyed our breakfasts and sipped on the yummy coffee. There was tons of street art along the way as well.

Back at the hotel, we met up with our assigned groups for the run to the Brooks pop-up shop in Venice. It was a 2.5 mile run and I really enjoyed all the cute little beach cottages along the way. We finished our scavenger hunts, finding our 3 items, and got our pair of Hyperions, which I immediately changed into. I also had a bra fitting. Keeping us well fed was another theme for the weekend and there were yummy breakfast burritos for all the team members. 

Kristin and I decided to walk back to the hotel, taking a detour along the beach so we could check out Muscle Beach. On the way, we walked by the Goodr cabana so I could get a pair of sunglasses. I'd seen it on my running friend Briana's IG and was pretty excited to check it out.

Venice Beach was everything you'd expect--lots of shops selling beach gear, the smell of weed in the air, lots of interesting people watching, and yes, there is a gym on the beach. There weren't too many people at the gym but I did some swings on the rings and Kristin did a few pull-ups! 

We spotted a large crowd near the shore, so we walked over to check it out. There was a skate park and there were skateboarders zipping around. In particular, there was one young woman who had some impressive skills.

photo courtesy of Kristin

We walked the rest of the way back to the hotel, just in time to change for the trail run. This was not an official event, but the organizers scheduled blocks of free time so participants could explore the area. About 20-30 participants took ride shares to the trailhead at Los Leones Canyon, which is located in Topanga Canyon State Park. It was hot, but it was beautiful! Kristin, Frank, and I stuck together, stopping for photos along the way. I will be sharing more details of this run on my upcoming weekly rundown. Other participants went on a Santa Monica run tour, to the Santa Monica Pier for fun, or to the iconic In 'n' Out Burger. 

photo credit Justin Hall

After a well-needed shower, I felt refreshed and donned my Wonder Woman costume for the night's speed-themed dinner event. On the way to the patio where the event was to be held, we ran into Alison Desir, author of Running While Black. I knew she was going to be at Hype Fest and brought my copy of the book to be signed. Excited to see her, I greeted her, told her how much I loved her book, and she told me she would be happy to sign my copy at her talk the next day. 

Out on the patio, we were amazed by the creativity of the participants! There were several other Wonder Women, as well as other superheroes. Relay Relay, who performed last year, was playing their music on the patio, and after dinner, there was dancing. I hear there was an after party at a local bar, but Michelle and I were tired and went up to the room to put our feet up and recap the evening. 

The following morning, we all met at 7 am for a 5k run along the beach and then to Champs Sports for Alison's talk and breakfast. Kristin, Frank, and sat outside and enjoyed our yummy acai bowls. After breakfast, a few of us decided to walk back to the hotel. It was really crowded in the store and I needed to decompress. We walked back through an amazing farmers' market and along the beach, taking in the views. 

Once we got back to the hotel, we all put on our bathing suits and sat at the pool. There was an inflatable Brooks shoe in the pool and we entertained ourselves by trying to float on it. None of us could stay on it but it felt good to be away from the 'hype' and just relax like this. 

I was really looking forward to our afternoon on the beach! On the way to the beach, Michelle and I face-timed Deborah, who was participating virtually. Last year, she and I attended together and I wished she was with us. Once we got to the beach, we set up our towels and had lunch, which was sandwiches and wraps from a local beach cafe. It was so good! I felt revived and one of the other women, Kendra, asked if anyone would go in the water with her. You know I did. The surf was rolling and we had a blast jumping the waves and body surfing. Kristin joined us and we spent the rest of the time in the water. Oh my goodness, it has been years since I've done that! It was so much fun! In fact, we spent so much time in the water that I have very few photos from our beach outing. But trust me, it was great.

We walked back to the hotel to shower and prepare for the evening's dinner event, which would be at a local brewery, Santa Monica Brew Works. There was a costume theme, Vaporwave, which ties into Brooks' fall gear colorwave. Once again, the RHT was all in--there were so many creative costumes! The beer was flowing and the dinner was good--pizza and salad. Because so many people had left earlier in the day due to the impending storm, there was unlimited beer. I had 2 beers-- a Wit beer and a double hazy IPA--and they were good! The sunset was also on point with the vaporware theme. We headed back to the hotel, but I heard lots of stories on the airport shuttle from people who took advantage of the open bar. 

Hype Fest was scheduled to wrap up Sunday morning, but we had a choice between beach yoga or a banana-themed run sponsored by Chiquita. Due to the weather, the yoga was moved inside. We were all worried the run would be canceled due to the hurricane, but in the morning there was just a light drizzle and no wind, so off we went. This was probably my favorite themed event of the weekend and the perfect way to cap off what was an incredible weekend. We attracted a lot of attention from pedestrians and drivers and it was just so much fun!

I know this is so long, but I didn't want to forget a thing, plus I wanted to include as many photos as possible! Trust me, I have a lot more. 

The organizers of this event outdid themselves. Everywhere we went, people would stop and ask us about what we were doing. So while we had fun, we were also being good ambassadors and sharing the Brooks love. I felt it--from the other participants, from our leaders, and from Brooks. I cannot believe they provided this amazing weekend for all of us. I love all the perks that come with being an RHT member, but what I love more than anything are the connections and friendships I've made through this group. This weekend just solidified so many of them. 

We packed in a lot this weekend. The only things I didn't get to do while at Hype Fest were going to the Hollywood sign and seeing a sunset at the beach. So many of us wanted to do this, but there were just so many other fun options that we couldn't fit everything in. Guess I'll have to go back! Plus, I want to explore more of the amazing trails they have out there. Hurricane Hilary couldn't dampen our enthusiasm and when I was flying home, I learned that there was an earthquake. I guess the Hype was a little too much for LA! 

Oh, and those Hyperions we received? I ran in them most of the weekend, aside from the trail, and I really liked them. They are well-cushioned but supportive and super light. My injured foot didn't make a peep while I ran in them. Even better--there was a leftover pair in my size that I got to bring home with me. So I'll be running happy in them for a while!

photo courtesy of Autumn Nguyen

Have you ever gone on a running retreat? Run as a banana? What are some bucket list things you would want to do in LA? Do you want to read more? Check out Vanessa's recap HERE.

I'm linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics, with the Runners' Roundup: Debbie, Deborah, Jen, and Lisa.