The San Francisco Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Ephriam T.
Long Beach, CA

  (11-18-2009)

I will put it simply, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge at 0630 in the fog and hearing boat foghorns was an awesome feeling.
The run was a little impacted at the start and along the Fisherman's Wharf part, but began to clear out after the Bridge part of it.
My only negative takeaway is that I wasn't properly prepared for the amount of downhill running and as a result, have Runners Knee. My fault however for running poorly.
I am in it again in 2010.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Shelene V.
Sacramento, CA

  (10-20-2009)

What a beautiful run, my husband and I did the first half. They had water at the starting line and plenty of porta-potties, but I didn't see any fruit, bagels or coffee, as most marathon starts have. The starting line was very chaotic and the announcer even mentioned how they were taking notes so they could be more organized next year. There were some locals who were out as spectators giving you high-fives and beating on pots and pans, which is a good distraction and encouraging. Neither one of us had run this before so we didn't know there would be such hills, but it is San Francisco so I wasn't too surprised. I thought running across the Golden Gate Bridge would be nice, however there was still a lot of vehicle traffic (they closed two lanes for the race) and it was freezing, foggy and slippery! For me the finish was the best part, running into Golden Gate Park, its a beautiful park and perfect place to end the race. The bag check and shuttle pick up were easily accessible and well organized. Would definitely do this one again!

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Charles L.
San Francisco, CA

  (10-16-2009)

I ran the 2nd half marathon that was offered at a later start time than the 1st half marathon that was launched at the same time as the marathon. The first half of the course had more climbs and wind to deal with, as compared to the 2nd half, which was mostly downhill. Bear in mind you will have to do a bit of climbing, but in aggregate it was downhill.

The race starts in the park at Spreckeled Lake and joins in with the marathon, intersecting w/the marathoners that are moving at about a 3:30-4:00 hour pace. It is a wave start, so make sure you're in the right grouping. Its nice as a half-marathoner to join in w/the marathoners already running, because you can play a little game I like to call "catch-up". Wherein you pick runners ahead of you to catch up with, then when you pass them, pick new runners to catch up with.

The course winds through the park, then the Upper and Lower Haight areas in San Francisco, before crossing Market, diving through the Mission and winding up in SoMa before careening through Mission Bay (the last 2 or so miles) and onto the Embarcadero. You'll hit wind along Mission Bay and the Embarcadero, but it shouldn't be so bad in general. Also, there are a few spots in Golden Gate Park where the course gets a little tight, or can feel crowded, just letting you know!

The course is good for a PR, but make sure you practice running downhill beforehand, it can put a lot of hurt on your legs if you've only ever run flat courses. There's not a whole lot happening at the finish, but there are ample public transit options for you to take to get back to your home or hotel. So pack $2 in your drop bag for later.

Final Thoughts: Fast course, spectator friendly, good for first time half-marathoners (if you're doing the 2nd half), can be tough for marathoners dealing w/half marathoners leaving and entering the course w/them.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jessica S.
Oakland, CA

  (10-14-2009)

I ran the half (first half) in 2009 for the first time. For me, the organization is really what makes this race stand out. The starting corrals were really well organized and timed. Though the race started at 5:30, my corral didn't start til after 6:00. They space them really well, which gives you lots of room when you're starting.

The bag drop off was easy and organized. Plenty of drinks along the course, with Gu at one or two places.

The only downside was that there were almost no spectators until you enter Golden Gate Park.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Sara J.
San Francisco, CA

  (10-12-2009)

Fun course just because it's SF -- the first 2/3 of it is awesome; running along the bay, across the bridge, through golden gate park...it's the last 6-8 miles that aren't as scenic (running through the Mission & SOMA), and also get really hot. And because the race starts so early, the crowds are small. But -- I'd still do it again, just because it's a great urban race, and is very well organized!

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Dane R.
Salt Lake City, UT

  (09-14-2009)

A Runner's Ramblings: Volume 4; 16th Edition
423.6 miles raced in 2009
Race: San Francisco Half-Marathon
Place: San Francisco, CA
Miles from home: 738 miles
Weather: 50s; cloudy

It is a rare occasion anymore where I go to a race and during the run I don't have a particular goal in mind. Be it pacing, Charity Chasing or pursuing a personal best, I usually have something going on. Not so much this weekend.

While I was able to have glorious time speaking and signing books at the San Fran Expo, I knew that because of my rapidly approaching US Aquathlon Championship race, this half-marathon would be more or less a relative jog.

I chose to run the 1st half marathon offered (covering the first half of the marathon course) as opposed to the latter covering the second half in 0rder to run across the Golden Gate Bridge. It is hard to believe that a few years ago, the golden Gate bridge was not part of the course. Any race in San Francisco worth its salt needs to incorporate this beautiful structure. Now races need to work on making sure you can actually see it.

Race morning:

There is no one temperature i have been accustomed to this year. From California to Mississippi to Washington State to Florida to Indiana to Kentucky to Nevada to Fargo to Minnesota and to all points in between, I haven't experienced any one particular climate for any length of time. In fact, I have gone from one extreme to the other on numerous trips. On race morning, near the end of July, I was not expecting 54 degree weather with a chill in the area. While Mark Twain has been mistakenly labeled the author of the quote: "the coldest winter I have ever spent was a summer in San Francisco", whoever said it was right. The temperature definitely created a brr factor, one which made me wish I was racing!

Fortunately, I was not "racing". I don't mention it very often but for more that a year now, I have had an Achilles tendon problem. It has hampered me and worried me. Unlike sore muscles, you just do not want to mess with an AT. Well, either the AT has gotten a little worse or I have just become a little more aware of it lately. I honestly think it is the latter. Regardless of the cause, it hasn't stop the niggling little pain. So just "running" would be good idea. I did, however, want to throw in some speed. With the run portion of the Aquathlon being a 5k, a distance so short to me that i often run double that before I can even wake up my legs and have them tell me what sort of day I am going to have, picking up the pace today was a must.

As we counted down the start to the race, at the ungodly hour of 5:30AM, I was ready to go while holding myself in check. The word "Go!" was shouted and away we went.

Normally I can break down mile times and tell you how I was feeling. Fortunately for the brevity of this report, I neither saw half of the mile markers nor hit my watch to see what my splits were. You see, about half of a mile into the race, the 3:00 pace group leader appeared behind me with his charges. I figured that a 1:30 for the half seemed like a good idea, so I decided I would stay with this group. The stay was made even more friendly when a few of the runners mentioned they now had a "celebrity" in the group. I honestly, turned and looked around to see who they were talking about before realizing they meant me. "Great," I joked. "Pressure!"

With the first 3-4 miles being about as flat as you can be, the group was well on pace for their 3:00 goal. We passed Chrissy Field where I ran my 12 hour race last fall and i remarked about how the weather could not have been more different. I would have loved these conditions in that race. up ahead, the Golden Gate loomed to our right. well, at least I think it loomed. The fog obscured just about everything.

The second real portion of this half-marathon was the climb to the bridge and then the out and back across the fabled span. The hardest hill on the course is what takes runners to the foot of the red spans and the group handled this hill like a champ. We then crowded into one lane with a few runners abreast, as we crossed over the Golden Gate Strait and headed towards Sausalito. The aforementioned fog made visibility off of the bridge close to zero. No Alcatraz was spotted and no sun to be seen. I have to admit that I was a little winded. I could not have been more glad to be running the 13.1 miles instead of the longer distance all of these fellows were running.

Before the turn-around across the bridge, I saw my running friend Kim Duclos, as 2:44 marathoner who was out to hopefully get a little paycheck (She ended up taking 3rd overall! Way to go Kim!) I cheered her on and could see she was in fine form. After turning and heading back, tons of runners came into view. I have always been a fan of these out and backs that allow runners to see and cheer for each other. I saw no fewer than half a dozen good running friends and we were able to slap hands and wish good luck. Crossing the bridge meant nearly 10 miles was done. one of the wonderful things about this is the fact that I only had a 5k left to do, not 16 miles. Man, halfs are wonderful.

As we started down one of the bigger downhills left for half-marathoners (and marathoners too, if I recall the course properly), I started to handout some advice to the runners on how to tackle both the up and the down. I hadn't really been paying attention to the time and having not seen mile markers or mile markers being relatively absent, I hadn't even been clicking my watch to see if we were on pace. when we hit the mile 11 mark I could see we were a few minutes ahead. I know the pacer was doing an even effort pace, not necessarily an even split but with the first half of the course being the harder half I wasn't sure his pacing was all that right. But it was not my place to questions so I kept my mouth shut.

Climbing through some of the streets of San Francisco, I could see we were rapidly approaching the place where the marathoners would turn away and leave the halfers like myself with about a half mile left to finish in the Golden Gate Park. At the split, I stopped running for a bit and turned back to see the runners who may have fallen off the pace group a little bit. I stood there for about 30 seconds and cheered on the ones I recognized and told them that they were dead-on (for those who were) and simply encouraged a few more until a large gap in runners forced me to return to my own race.

Up a small hill and then down a nice gradual slope and the finishline lay right ahead. Only a small gathering of people were on hand but as it was still only 7 AM, the weather was cold, and this half was no where near the festivities of the finishline for the other races I was far from surprised.

I encouraged a few runners near me to sprint towards the finish and let them pass me as I smiled and said Good morning to the people gathered. A few steps late and I was finished.

Overall: 39 out of 7953
Men: 39 out of 3458
M 30-39: 13 out of 1255
Tag Time: 1:29:22

Not a bad day for a jog. Although I will say this: Leadville took more out of me than I thought. I was definitely feeling some of those hills in San Fran and was more than happy to be done with the race. As we were far too early to wait for the buses to take us back to the start (where I would then have to run 2 miles back home) I shared a cab with two other runners to a place about half way and then walked back. It was still a chilly morning and the warm shower in my hotel was greatly appreciated. Yep. Warm shower. Forget those ice baths!

Now it is just a week of rest until my race in North Carolina at the US Aqauthlon National Championship. I am ready to get that underway!

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Craig W.
Amarillo, TX

  (08-20-2009)

This was my sixth time to run this marathon and it was well organized, as usual. San Francisco weather is always cool and during our stay, the low was always about 50°, warming to a high of 60°. It's always cold for me during the first part, so I wore gloves this time until after we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge for the second time. Sometimes the bridge is shrouded in fog and the automatic fog horns are activated; but, this time we could appreciate the magnificence of this historic structure.
You must train for hills, because this race has steep ones! It would be hard to run in SF without finding HILLS.
I really enjoyed this marathon and have already registered for next year in order to secure a low fee. Even with the cool, cloudy weather and the hills (or maybe because of them) this race is a challenge and a delight.

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Christina N.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-13-2009)

This year was my third time running the San Francisco second half. I live in the city, so I try to run it every year.

I'm not sure why they call the second half the flat part of the course. It IS NOT FLAT. It starts in GG Park and runs for about 6 miles with rolling inclines and declines. After six miles, it's all downhill in The Haight. That is my absolute favorite part of the race. Running through The Mission is always fun, and usually has the most crowd support. The Sports Basement crew from Potrero Hill was out in full force this year at the top of a tedious hill. That was a great boost!

I will say running through warehouses and zero scenery, miles 9-12 is tough, yet finishing on The Embarcadero is well worth it.

I also have to compliment the medical staff. I had an awful asthma attack as I sprinted across the finish line. They were right there before I knew it and put me in a wheelchair just to make sure I was okay. After they helped with my inhaler, I asked to get out of the chair so my legs wouldn't cramp. They agreed, and one guy walked with me for a little bit to make sure I was okay. Thanks for taking good care of me! The medical support staff was definitely on top of things.

I'm sure I'll be back next year. My brother has signed up for the full, but I think I'll stick with the second half.

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Marc T.
Montreal, CA

  (08-13-2009)

Despite being an out of towner, the different time zone, the early start....I have nothing but good things to say of this race!
Right from the race expo to the finish line, I had a wonderful experience.
The accessibility to the expo was not only easy on foot but if needed, the also had transportation from the host hotel...but hey a little walk especially while the running was kept to an absolute minimum prior to the event never did any harm to anyone!
The organizers were more than helpful not only at the expo but also the day prior to the event, I had gone to stake out the start and finish line and try to find a meet up point with my friends for afterwards...I was told exactly where the "sweat check' would be located the exact start line, and finish line which made it that much simpler.
Despite the 5:30am start time...which originally had worried me, I guess the anticipation of the race took over and it really had no negative effects (of course I did hit the sack a little earlier!).
The route was perfect! The views exceptional...alright not much to see of the Golden gate bridge at 6:00am when the fog as completely enveloped it, but hey the structure of the bridge is still quite impressive!
As for the crowds, don't expect lots 9don't forget it did start at 5:30am!!!) but the people who were out more than made up for it by their level of enthousiasm!
Another important factor, despite the impressive 21,000+ participants for all the events combined, the idea to have two 1/2 marathons seems to have made the event less congested at bothe the start and finish lines...a great idea in my opinion...Of course this did also make it feel more like a solo event but then I am accustomed to running on my own...this is not to say i did not meet wonderful people on the course as we encouraged one another to either keep up the pace, push ouselves to finish or simply share a laugh or express our marvel at the views!
All in all, this was a remarkable race, organized perfectly without a hitch that I could see (perhaps behind the scenes it is a different story!) but to the participant...don't change a thing for next year!
One final note about the early start...the advantage for the out of towner, is you finish early enough to still have the entire day ahead of you to either celebrate, go sight seeing or to just kick back in a park for a picnic!

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Gabe A.
Saratoga Springs, NY

  (08-12-2009)

As a former SF resident and CA native, I loved this marathon. The views, of course, are incredible, and the weather was perfect. I loved running across the Golden Gate Bridge, through the Presidio, and through Golden Gate Park.

The hills, as everyone warns you, ARE tough. I trained on lots of hills and even ran a couple tough hilly races the month before (Green Mountain 200-Mile Relay in Vermont and Lake Placid Half-Marathon in NY), and it was still a really challenging race for me.

You can read more about my experience here:

http://blogmasterg.com/2009/08/02/san-francis co-marathon-2009/

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

David S.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-09-2009)

This was the second time I did the SF Marathon, and the organization was better this year. Also, the weather was perfect! Living in SF, I know the course well. If you are coming from out of town, be ready for some hills,-- first the Fort Mason hill, soon comes the ascent to the Golden Gate Bridge, followed by rises in the Presidio, then the long downhill of Haight Street, and lastly the climbs in the Potrero district. While you probably will not PR on this course, it's a beautiful, scenic course, and a great prep for a fast, flat course in the fall. I plan to do this race again next year. The finish area could use some improvement, however, with more support and some hot food. Lastly, the people at the medical aid tables (I stopped at three of them for vasoline) seemed to be almost totally unprepared,--they could use some basic training as to what most runners are going to want, and should be reminded that the runners are in a race. I've done over 20 marathons, and all things considered, I would rank SF in my top 10.

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Sandra .
San Francisco, CA

  (08-09-2009)

The Expo: I really thought the expo location was very inconvenient. I followed the directions on the website and the walk from the muni stop was pretty long (on roads that didn't even have sidewalks). Take the free shuttle from the Embarcadero hotel next time (I took the shuttle back to the hotel when I left and jumped on the muni at the Embarcadero stop to get home).

Overall the Expo was okay. Sort of middle-of-the-road as far as marathons go. I went on Friday so it wasn't terribly crowded. Just so you know, it is VERY easy to change your corral at the expo. I didn't even need to give a reason. So if you get stuck in the back just switch at the expo.

Pre-Start: I thought that there could have been more volunteers directing you on where things were located. It took me a while to find the check-bag drop-off. I thought there were enough port-a-potties. There was a MAJOR traffic jam to get into the corrals, though. I wasn't even in my corral when it got released. Yes, the race starts a little insanely early, but for the full marathon I don't mind. 2 hours earlier means 2 hours less sunshine. I give the first half people credit for waking up so early, though!

Course: I think the course hits all the highlights in San Francisco. You can't really help the dreary industrial section at the end. The first half is pretty hilly but also the most scenic. There were some slippery metal grates on the Golden Gate Bridge so watch out for those. There are a few sections where they have alternate routes to let traffic flow. So some people run down path A and other path B. This is fine and I'm sure they measure it, but I am pretty sure path A is not equal to the hilliness of path B. So that sucks a little.

Crowds: Very poor. I've run races like NYC, though, so my rating scale is pretty skewed. There were small pockets of supporters. Of course, the race starts so early I can't blame the city for not wanting to come out and cheer. I think the biggest cheer contingent were the first half marathoners who cheered for us in Golden Gate Park. Thanks! The race info had me believing there would be some on-course entertainment? I don't remember any. Maybe one group playing something? Fail.

Aid Stations: I carried my own water so only stopped at two to refill my bottle. They were located about every 1.5-2 miles, though. I've run races that had aid stations every mile so I thought this was pretty measly. The volunteers were very nice and called out where the water vs. sports drink was located. They had these ridiculously SMALL cups, though. I guess they are trying to save on waste products but I think the small cups adds to the problem because you have to take 2-3 of them. Switch to regular size cups!

Mile markers: Pretty non-existent. I have a Garmin so not a big deal, but for people who are used to checking their splits that had to be frustrating.

Running with half marathoners: I find this very irritating when I'm doing a full mainly because people start saying how they are so glad they are almost done at mile 10. It was also pretty low to have to run by the half finish in the park and to hear all the cheers for the halfers who were almost done.

Weather: San Francisco is pretty cool in the summer. This is your best bet for a cool summer marathon. Word of warning, fog keeps things cool but it is also humid. There can be a lot of wind (usually a headwind) in the Crissy Field/GG Bridge area.

Finish: There was plenty of food at the finish. Close to muni to get home. The kids who arranged my area of the sweat check didn't do a great job. You'd think in the 4.5 hours they had they would have arranged them numerically. Luckily they found it after a few minutes, but that could have been a nightmare.

Swag: I LOVE the shirt. Tech and they have gender specific sizing. Another big plus is they go down to Women's XS. I rarely get race shirts that I can actually wear so I love it! The medal was also very cool.

Overall, this race is worth doing once. I will personally never run the full marathon again. Mainly because all the great stuff is in the first half and they have a first-half half marathon. I really disliked the second half of the course so am happy to not have to run that bit. Though San Francisco is a big city I do not consider the San Francisco Marathon to be your typical big city marathon. It has a very small feel to it probably because they don't have any big name sponsors.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Erica K.
Sacramento, CA

  (08-05-2009)

Having NO race day packet pickup was very difficult. Also, Spectator Bus tickets were only sold at the EXPO. Not many fans cheering us on... at least pay a band or 2 or play some music :) I will do the 2nd Half next time- I did the 1st Half where I got to cross the Golden Gate bridge! HOW GREAT! I was not prepared for the hills ;o) I would run the full marathon someday if the tme comes.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Prasun P.
San Jose, CA

  (08-05-2009)

The San Francisco Marathon provides you the option of running a full marathon and either half of it as a half marathon. I choose to do the first half because you get to run on the Golden Gate bridge. The course is mostly flat for the first half with a couple of hills that are not at a very steep grade. Beware though the first half starts really early and I was in the city at about 5:00 am. The positive side to this is that finding a parking spot is real easy and the weather is nice and cool. The medals are really great with the half marathon medals have a ring to be used on a key chain and the full marathon medals can double up as coasters. Overall a great course and I know a bunch of people that PR'ed at SF

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Jun N.
Cupertino, CA

  (08-04-2009)

The first half is the one I like most.
It runs through major scenic spot. Although you can not see all these tourist spots while you run, you may tell your friends that you ran through them.
The first half is hilly, tough and challenging. The exhaustion after the race will promise you the feeling of big achievement.
This is definitely not a course for your PR, but you can challenge yourself in trying to make better record when you run this course year after year.

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Caren V.
Alameda, CA

  (08-03-2009)

A beautiful, but grueling course. Don't like how it ends on an uphill grade and the Golden Gate Bridge was too crowded, but loved the views!

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Gabrielle P.
Denver, CO

  (08-03-2009)

The San Francisco Marathon is a big city marathon, with many thousands of participants. The organization and logistical aspects went smoothly and functioned well for me and my friends who also ran the race. Some parts of the course (which is all on roads or paved surfaces in parks) are beautiful--but don't expect to see the view from the Golden Gate Bridge, since it's in the initial few miles of the course which you'll be running in the early morning, when it's likely to be foggy! (I couldn't see anything but fog when I was on the bridge, which also had some slippery spots.) The support along the race course was fine, but there were hardly any crowds on the course and in fact at times bystanders seemed confused and didn't know there was a race going on! (And I finished in less than 4 hours, so I felt sorry for anyone further back...) You won't get much if any cheering apart from a couple of places, like the finish/start lines. I also found the last 2-3 miles rather boring--just long roads with no scenery. However, the San Francisco climate in the summer is mild and cool without the intense sunshine of southern California (expect temperatures in the 50s-60s, and possibly lower than that at night, DEFINITELY pack pants, sweaters, jackets, etc. for your evenings and pre-race warmup/cooldown)... and there are so many fabulous things about the city of San Francisco itself and its environs that merit a visit or could be easily combined with the marathon... So, in short, I'd do the marathon again, but mostly because it's in San Francisco!

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007

Angelina L.
Redlands, CA

  (08-03-2009)

I did the first half. Very hilly course! But, gorgeous and scenic. It's a great way to see the city.
The only drawback was they we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes after the race, for a bus to take us back to the start line.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Monique W.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-03-2009)

My review may not be as great as the others since this was my first 1/2 marathon- I don't have past races to compare to. I ran the 1st half and thought it was an awesome experience. The course was beautiful and scenic but pretty hilly. It's definitely important to train for hills - I'm glad I did -I saw a lot of people walking up the hills. The weather was perfect although it got really cold and wet on the bridge so it was a little slippery. I wish I had gloves on. Overall, it was pretty organized. The water stations were pretty stocked and not too crowded - although a couple of stations ran out of cytomax. The mile markers could have been a bit better - after mile 4 I don't remember seeing any mile markers again until mile 10 or so. Running on the bridge was awesome but it was really crowded. I made a mistake by signing up for a later wave so I had to run on the side to pass people up, which was kind of difficult to do on the bridge. There was practically no crowd at all, until you get to the GG park. Both the starting location and the expo were really close to my house so really easy for me to get to. I probably will run the 1st half again next year and see if I can get a better time.

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Danica K.
Long Beach, CA

  (08-03-2009)

Liked the course. Also, very hilly, but you are in San Fran, what do you expect. It wasn't too cold at the starting line but be prepared the race does start very early to make sure that the golden gate can be shut off to motorists. Really liked running across the bridge. There are some killer hills and some very steep downhills. Best water stops I've seen during a race!

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009