Forest of Nisene Marks Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Derrick W.
Oakland, CA

  (06-07-2010)

"I switched from the full to the half a week before the race. I'm glad I did, because the half-marathon course ended up being very pretty and challenging enough for me. You start and finish on a paved road, but the majority of the course is on a single-track dirt path through the woods. There is a tough uphill climb at the beginning of the dirt trail, but it pays off with some scenic vistas and a gentle downhill slope the rest of the course.

We drove down from the Bay Area, and camped out on nearby Sunset State Beach for two nights. It ended up being the perfect weekend trip --after finishing the race before noon, we had the opportunity to take an ice bath in the ocean, visit Santa Cruz, barbecue on the beach, and go strawberry picking and sea kayaking the next day.


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Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Andy S.
Pacific Grove, CA

  (06-08-2009)

"If you're up for a hill and don't always want to worry about your finish time, run this up to 2500' through the redwoods on a fireroad. Mostly runable, excellent aide stations, great people. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009