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The San Francisco Marathon Runner Comments
Back to The San Francisco Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 2.6
Number of comments: 503 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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R. K. from Mexico City
(12/20/2010)
"Great Course" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Having read reviews of the 2009 marathon, my expectations were very low. I planned to run it at a leisurely pace while on vacation with my family in California. The race was very well organized. There were enough water stations and the course was clearly marked. The terrain was not too challenging (except the downhill parts, probably) and the vistas simply superb. The weather was just ideal. I would run it again without hesitation. After all, I run my personal best there. | |
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P. L. from NYC
(12/6/2010)
"GREAT 1/2 Marathon Course" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great tech shirts (they offer women's shirts that fit properly!). Running over the GG Bridge is lovely. | |
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M. M. from St Louis, MO
(9/2/2010)
"Not bad" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 After reading the WSJ article others have mentioned, I was expecting a race full of brutal hills. I did not find this to be the case. While there were a few short climbs, it was "rolling" and very doable. It wasn't a bad race, though pricey for what you get. But, how do you put a price on 60 F in July? I got to the expo right as it opened on Friday, and it was a real mess. I wanted my number and wanted to get out. I guess other visitors all had the same mind-set - who wants to waste time at an expo while visiting SF? It was nuts - we couldn't move because there was not enough room. Decent race, great city, perfect weather. All in all, no complaints, and no regrets. | |
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L. S. from Miami, Florida
(8/6/2010)
"GREAT butt kicking race!!!" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pre-Race: I live in Miami where the landscape is FLAT. And I mean FLAT! So I was a bit worried to begin with when signing up for this race. I have 3 marathons under my belt and over 10 half marathons. Training in Miami for a summer marathon is brutal. It means waking up at 3 a.m. (already 85 degrees) for 18-20-milers because by 8 a.m. it's 97 degrees and humid. Don't even get me started on chafing! Thank God for BodyGlide! Then you have to drive out to the ONE bridge in Key Biscayne and run it about a million times for hill training. Lol! Not for the faint of heart. Compared to my winter race times, my summer race times were totally bombed from the heat. I was completely exhausted all the time and dreaded getting steam cooked on my runs. I was slowly watching my hope of breaking four hours in the full slip away. So about two weeks to the race I read this harrowing article in the Wall Street Journal. Title: San Francisco, the race even marathoners fear. Enough said. Wow, now that just made me feel confident. Lmao. Race: The expo was organized and had a lot of great vendors. I was able to purchase a much needed Spibelt (FYI - amazing!!!!!) and get some extra Sport Beans. Even got to see Mr. Karnazes. Plus they were handing out samples of the race sports drink, Cytomax. In previous reviews other runners had slammed it and preferred Gatorade. Personally I thought it tasted great and didn't hurt my performance at all. The race volunteers had all of the runners in the right corrals and the race started on time. Coming from a tropical climate, it was cold. About 49 at the start, and on the bridge it got in to the mid 40's. I was fine wearing a Nike Dri-Fit tank top and Nike Dri-Fit race shorts. After the bridge it warms up and levels out to the mid 50's. Awesome, awesome, awesome views of the city. What a wonderful way to be introduced to San Francisco! Is the race brutally hard? Yes! Is it worth every ounce of pain? Yes! I had a wonderful experience. The volunteers were on point, the water/sports drink stations were always stocked, the course was painful (but so much fun, it keeps your mind from it), and the weather was perfect! I would definitely run this race again! ADVICE: If you live in a very flat city and running your FIRST marathon... I do not recommend running this race! If you do, prepare for pure pain. Run a few marathons before tackling this monster. I believe I did as well as I did (and was able to enjoy it) because I have many distance races under my belt and have developed a strong mental toughness. Also, it doesn't hurt that I had been training in severe heat. It saved my behind. If this had been my first marathon, I probably would have crashed and had to drag my carcass across the finish line. From my first day in San Francisco, it became quite apparent to me... coming from flat Miami, there was no way to really be prepared for this race. The San Francisco marathon made me appreciate the other side of distance running, the one that's not about PR's. But truly challenging yourself with a course that kicks your butt and then hands it back to you. And in some crazy masochistic way... leaves you wanting more. ;) Now I plan to run one fast marathon course (to set new PR's) and another nasty, gut-wrenching marathon (to test my will or insanity) a year. | |
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I. F. from Toronto, Ontario
(8/5/2010)
"I left my heart in San Francisco!" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I only ran the second-half marathon. When I looked at the photos taken by the professional photographers along the course after the race, I realized that I was smiling from the start to the end. And that pretty much summarizes my experience! It was a great way to see Golden Gate Park, the city architecture, and the harbor front. The volunteers, spectators, organizers, and other runners were all great and that really gave me a huge boost even when I was really tired. I loved it when people cheered me by my name, which was printed on the bib. There were many heart-warming stories - e.g. a gentleman pushing his wife in a wheelchair through the course, e.g. a runner running with a missing child's photo and name and her back to raise $$, etc., etc. The organizer was very generous with the slow runners. Some took 7 hours to do the half marathon and still got a result. There were tons of water/Cytomex/fruit along the course. I stayed around at the finish area past the official time limit and there was still tons of fruit, snacks, and drinks (including smoothies!!) around. My only complaint was that the expo was too crowded because all of the vendors were squeezed into a very, very small area. Many other runners have similar complaints. | |
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B. R. from Southern California
(8/3/2010)
"One of My Best Marathon Experiences Yet" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The San Francisco Marathon was by far one of the best marathon experiences that I have had and is a model for other marathons to follow. Lodging: I stayed at the Hyatt Hotel, the guest hotel of the marathon, and was completely satisfied with the hotel's proximity to the marathon start/finish line, public transportation (BART), and the shops and restaurants in the immediate area and along the Embarcadero. The expo was a few miles away, but the hotel offered a shuttle to/from the expo. The Expo: I attended the expo on Friday afternoon so the crowds were probably less than on Saturday. Obtaining my number, goody bag and t-shirt was quick, simple and organized. The volunteers were very helpful. Although I saw some of the same vendors that travel from expo to expo, there were some new ones that offered a lot of variety. I was more pleased with the selections offered at this expo than any other expo I have attended. The 5:30 a.m. Start Time: So what if we had to get up a little early? I loved the early start time. It only took me five minutes to get there from my hotel room. The Starting Line Corrals: For once my corral was not crammed full. Corral access was managed very well and I did not see anyone sneaking in. The Start: The race started right on time and there were no delays. There were managed gaps between the waves that prevented a free-for-all at the start. The Course: I have no complaints about the course. I reviewed the course map and elevation charts in advance so I knew what to expect before I even registered for the race. The course was diverse, scenic in most areas and not so scenic in other areas. Is it reasonable to expect to be wowed for 26.2 miles? I think not. The light fog covered Golden Gate Bridge was fantastic, the Presidio was challenging, Golden Gate Park was beautiful, the run through the city was diverse, and the ballpark meant the finish was very close. Aid Stations: I wear a fuel belt and took no water or GU energy gels when running through the aid stations. Organization appeared to be good. Porta-Potties: There were more than enough at the start and along the course. The Fans: Some were enthusiastic and others were not. They were somewhat scarce, but we ran in some remote areas. I will trade fans for the beautiful scenery anytime. As a side note, fans do not cheer for me during my training runs, so I am used to running without someone yelling and clapping for me. They are an added bonus when there, but not a letdown when they are not. The Finish Area: Very organized. From the medal to water to food to they mylar blanket, it was organized and the benefits were plentiful. MarathonFoto: MarathonFoto snapped 18 pictures of me during the race, nearly double the number that has been snapped of me at any other race. Kudos to them. Overall Experience: This was a nice destination marathon and I would do it again in a heartbeat. It is not a PR course, but it is an experience to remember. | |
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F. S. from New York City
(8/2/2010)
"Perfect 1st marathon" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I should congratulate myself on picking the perfect course on which to do it. The weather was cool and dry (mid 50s), while here on East Coast we had 90+ and humidity. I did some hills training in preparation, so frankly the hills didn't look that bad to me. The course itself takes you on a tour of city going through many major landmarks. The only thing missing was an audio guide linked to a GPS receiver! Had no problems at aid stations, except for the lines to portable restrooms and no GUs at the end Golden Gate Bridge in Marine County (they ran out of GUs pretty quickly there it seemed). The crowds, while not too large, were very supportive. SFPD and the bikers on Harleys did a great job of controlling the traffic. Great, festive atmosphere overall. I simply loved every second of this experience! | |
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C. N. from Seattle, Washington
(7/30/2010)
"Beautiful Half Marathon Course (1st half)" (about: 2010)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first half marathon (I did the first half). The beautiful course made up for the hills. Running across the Golden Gate was great. However, there were people stopping to take pictures on the bridge and things got a little congested. It's a race, people, not a photo shoot. I did not carry any water with me. There were plenty of water stops, and the Cytomax stuff they served was fine. The cup sizes were fine and there were enough. The course was marked and it went by kind of fast for me. There weren't many spectators, but the ones that were there were great. Finishing food was good: bananas, peaches, scones, cookies, and water bottles. I loved the experience and the weather was perfect for running (cloudy and cool). I was born in SF and spent part of my childhood there, and I have gone back over the years to visit family, but running this half marathon allowed me really to experience that part of the city in a different way. I would definately do this marathon again. | |
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p. n. from Orange County in Cali
(7/29/2010)
"Did not feel like a big-city marathon" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 The San Francisco Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my 28th marathon and 2nd SF (1st SF was in '98). Wish it had more of a city feel, though it was a beautiful course. It's early, so most fans are still sleeping, but I'm a slow runner, and when I saw people, most just watched, rather than cheered. Those playing music or performing were great. Some were making a lot of effort to come into isolated areas of the park to do that; if it weren't for them, I'd give the fans only 2 stars. Expo was cramped and the volunteers there lacked knowledge. Great medal and nice tech shirt - and both feature the marathon, rather than all of the sponsors. Kudos for that!!! (But I wish those of us doing double the half would've gotten the cool-colored shirt, rather than the dull blue). There was lots of food at the finish, including scones, granola and yogurt (on top of the standard bananas, water, etc.) | |
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Joseph Reilly from Orange, California
(7/29/2010)
"Priceless" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 The San Francisco Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I absolutely love the San Francisco Marathon. For a summer marathon, it just doesn't get any better. The start temp was 53 degrees and at the finish it was 60 degrees. Plus a fantastic 5:30 a.m. start allows you to run the first couple of miles while watching the sun come up along the Embarcadero. xxxxx There is no better way to see "The City." A magnificent tour that starts at the Ferry Building and takes you north through North Beach along the Embarcadero past Coit Tower (Mile 1) and Fisherman's Wharf (Mile 2). xxxxx Miles 3-5 go west. Run through Crissy Field. The first 5 miles are flat and scenic. Enjoy the ease while you can because it won't last. xxxxx Between miles 6-10, you get the Golden Gate Bridge experience. This is where you will encounter the first major hill just before the GG Bridge, and then there will be bridge inclines. xxxxx Miles 11 (next to the Presidio) goes south on Lincoln Avenue. You run alongside of Baker Beach, which has a screaming downhill. Be careful because this could be a quad-killer and a knee-breaker. xxxxx Miles 12 goes south along 27th Avenue. This is the route to the iconic Golden Gate Park. You are also approaching the half-way mark and the confusing merger with the half marathoners. xxxxx Miles 13-19 offer a magnificent run through Golden Gate Park. Be careful: merging with the half marathoners can be problematic, so pay attention. xxxxx Miles 20-22 go east. This is a nostalgic jaunt through Haight-Ashbury and the Mission District. The Mission Delores is the oldest building in San Francisco. xxxxx Miles 23-25: you're still going east and then north. Run through Potrero Hill and China Basin. It is not that scenic, but it is flat. Here you will go under the 101 Freeway and the 280 Freeway. This is the "blah" section of San Francisco. xxxxx Mile 26 (South Beach) begins with running by Giant's Ballpark (AT&T). You should also enjoy the jaunt on the boardwalk along the South Beach Marina. Then it is under the Bay Bridge and onto the Ferry Building and the finish. xxxxx |
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