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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 311 to 321]
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R. P. from Los Angeles,California
(8/8/2005)
"The goodie bags and line up were terrrible ." (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Did not like the combo of half-marathons in the second part, because they passed the marathoners very quickly and dangerously downhill. Also, the course was very rugged and uneven, and unfortunately I saw a marathoner fall. | |
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Don Kienz from Philadelphia
(8/8/2005)
"Run and Enjoy already." (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 #22 completed. What you'll read in the 100+ comments below reflects the +++ and the --- details. Here: if you run marathons for the fun of running a marathon while seeing new places, great places, interesting and varied scenery, and meeting people, the weekend in SF is terrific. To run across something as historic and famous as the Golden Gate Bridge, despite the crowd (NS and I ran in the middle of the pack, and we jogged it to our pace the whole way, passing and being passed but able to do so) is a memorable treat. No surprise it was foggy; it is SF Bay in July at 6 a.m., and SF fog is a real part of the experience. The foghorn blasts alone were memorable. The rest of the course was interesting, varied, and well chosen, to note: the early bayside areas, the parks, the residential areas were scenic, fine, and interesting, and running towards the Giants Stadium and right past right field... a great course in sum. Go, run, and enjoy already. Given the location of the expo, the day before is easy and delightful for being a tourist-who-likes-to-take-a-walk too... no public trans. needed. Had a great weekend. Friendly and fun. | |
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michael nash from aliso viejo, california
(8/7/2005)
"this was a great marathon, no whiners" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Running a marathon is about testing your body and mind, not waiting to see how much free garbage you get before or after the race. This was my first marathon I`ve run and I got everything I was seeking from the event. Beautiful city, challenging course, people in all the different neighborhoods coming out to encourage you on. I read some of the comments runners have left: Not enough people cheering? Not enough food? Too early? Get over it. Do you have to be a whiner to run marathons? It was a blast and I can`t wait to run this one and others in the future. Signed, 'What was I thinking?' | |
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Joe (Slow Joe) Vasil from Cleveland, OH
(8/6/2005)
"Could be great race if kinks are worked out" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I am usually one to give the benefit of the doubt, but there were some major flaws with the race organization: starting the walkers early created some significant bottlenecks at about the fourth mile, and going over the Golden Gate Bridge. I am all for walkers entering these events, but the runners should be given priority. Also, there were no clocks on the course until the halfway point, and only one thereafter. While I do not feel it is necessary to have time keepers at every mile, there should be one at at least every 5 miles. On the positive side, this is a great and challenging course if the bottle necks can be removed. San Francisco is a beautiful city to run. I enjoyed tracking down parts of the route after the race that I wanted to revisit. The crowd support was somewhat light, but it was a 5:20 AM start, so I was not surprised. Those that were there were very enthusiastic. | |
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P. L. from NYC
(8/6/2005)
"Great fun race, especially for an East-Coaster" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I loved this race! Where else can you run a mid-summer marathon in almost perfect weather? As an Easterner, the early start was a benefit and I recommend it as a fun destination marathon. The course was fun and not as difficult as I expected (maybe the hill workouts I did for two months before the race helped). Running with my name on my shirt helped as the few spectators there were all cheered for me by name. The seminar on the course the afternoon before was a highlight and really helpful! I will run this one again! | |
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A. V. from Massachusetts
(8/6/2005)
"good course, great weather, poor organization" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I PR'd and qualified for Boston despite the dark, the pylons in the roadways, the walkers, the hills, the slippery bridge, and the last few desolate miles, so my 'constructive criticism' is not born out of bitterness from a bad race. I read about fifty of the other runner comments and feel so strongly that all their issues need to be addressed that I am adding mine as well, though there is little new to say. It felt like a marketing ploy to send us around to every corner of the expo to retrieve our caps, etc. Coming from the east coast on Friday, the start time was fine for me, but the corral organization did not exist. It is unlikely that most runners actually started relative to their projected pace times, and definitely starting the slower runners 20 minutes early was beyond stupid. The converging crowds at the Fort Mason hill and at the bridge were dangerous to all and unfair to the faster runners. I spent the entire time weaving in and out while crossing the bridge. Probably ran an extra quarter mile trying to get by slower runners and walkers. Organizers should have anticipated the congestion and danger on the bridge. I missed some mile markers on the bridge but saw others that some complained wern't there. Overall it did seem that they were less obvious than they could have been. One water stop had run out of Cytomax when I came through but the others were fine and two miles apart seems normal. I barely notice scenery when I run races, but those last few miles were quite desolate. The finish line organization went smoothly for me, but finding the race 'food' was not easy. And it was as terrible as any other runner has commented. Pathetic way to end a race. So the good things about the race were mostly the things the race organizers had no or little control over. The weather was about perfect for running, San Francisco is beautiful in or out of fog, and the course was expectedly challenging, but quite varied, so not boring till the end. The expo was typical, the seminars, once located, were informative and/or humurous for the most part, although the Runner's World panel had a few misguided comments. The course overview seminar had only a couple hundred(?) attendees. Everyone who had never run the course could have benefited from the warnings that were given regarding posts in the road, trolley tracks, bad curbs and potholes. Perhaps a handout summarizing the impediments might be generated for all runners next year. I had read many comments about previous years' 'Chronicle' marathons and their lack of organization and signed up for this one in part because I felt 'Runner's World' would know better. Not so. Not so. I am very disappointed in the entire organization of this marathon. Your race director and his/her assistants need to go intern at the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington to learn how to run a race. I also must echo the others with comments about undersized shirts, and at the end of the day, like previous year's 'Chronicle' runners, I am wondering where all my money went. Not even a lousy bagel or PowerBar at the end? All of the local 5K and 10K races I attend with fewer than 100 runners have more and better food for a $12.00 entry fee. The local 10-miler and 1/2 marathon I run have sit down meals post-race and long-sleeve shirts for $20.00 entry fees. In short, every negative comment that I have read on this site about this race is accurate. So are most of the positive ones. This could be a great race but the race director and staff shoud be embarrassed by their overall performance. | |
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R. J. from Georgia, US
(8/6/2005)
"Great race, with caveats" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I really enjoyed this race, and despite some of the negative comments I've read, I thought it was pretty well organized, with a couple of notable exceptions. First, let's get the negatives out of the way. I agree with the comments about the post-race food; it was woefully inadequate. I've had a lot better at 5K charity races that cost me $20 to enter. I didn't bother standing in line for the bananas, but I did get the Cytomax, which was warm. After spending $100 and running 26.2, is it asking too much to expect the sports drink to be chilled? The turkey consisted of a few lukewarm shreds served in a small plastic cup. Yecch! How about some sourdough sandwiches, keeping with the San Fran theme? Next, the start was supposed to be in one-minute intervals, but after the elite runners started it was just a stampede. This contributed to the crowding on the bridge, which could have used another lane. The organizers of the Peachtree 10K had this problem figured out, with over 50,000 runners. OK, the metal expansion joints on the bridge can be slippery, but I've encountered a lot worse hazards in my training runs. Also, the half-marathon runners got somewhat short shrift. My wife ran the first half, and we agreed that the medal was pretty puny (compared to other half-marathon medals she's earned), and the post-race transportation from Golden Gate Park was very slow. However, the criticisms about the mile markers on the second half are unfounded. Second-half runners had a short detour in their course at mile 14 (I saw the sign, maybe they didn't. It could have been more prominent) which put them in sync with the mile markers. As many others have mentioned, the spectator turnout was just about nonexistent, and the music consisted of abandoned boom boxes, although those aren't a big issue for me. Finally, I don't understand why the timing mats are at such odd locations. The one at Vista Point ensures against shortcuts, but why are the others not placed at even mileages, like 10, 15, and 20 miles? Now for the positives. I can't imagine a better place to have run my first marathon, especially in the summer. The run along the Embarcadero at the start, with the smell of sourdough baking. The bridge, with suspension cables disappearing into the fog and the sound of the foghorn (hey, this is San Francisco, folks, they get fog here. This should not have been a surprise). The neighborhoods, with the historic buildings and churches. Golden Gate Park, with the bison and the chocolate-covered grapes. Haight-Ashbury. Finally, Pac Bell Park and the Bay, what a welcome sight! I actually liked the early start. It allowed us to run the bridge and to finish while it was still cool. The expo was great, specifically the seminars. Who couldn't get inspiration from the likes of Dean Karnazes and Sarah Reinertsen? I doubt that anyone but Runner's World could have pulled that off. The finisher's medals are great (at least for the full marathon), and the hat and shirt are high quality, and you can actually wear them while training. I don't understand all the criticism about water stops. I got Cytomax and/or water at each and every stop, there was never a shortage or a wait, the volunteers were always right there with the cups, and my pace was 3:50, which is pretty mid-pack. And the mile markers WERE clearly marked, I remember each and every one of them! Overall, this was a great experience for me, and a good choice for my first full marathon. I will be back! | |
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S. W. from Cleveland, OH
(8/5/2005)
"Great course and city. Not-so-good race organizati" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Great course. Great city. Organization lacked, primarily with the finish line food: It was pathetic. Spectators are minimal, so if you require fan support skip it, but if you run marathons for a challenging good course and a great city, give it a shot.... | |
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p. l. from st paul, MN
(8/5/2005)
"Was this a certified course?" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I see in the comments that somebody's GPS came in at 26.6. So did my running buddy's. Coincidence, or is something goofy? On the GPS, mile 3 was 1.25 miles and another .15 was gained in GG Park. I hope this is a mistake by satellites, not race organizations. I loved the course. Had a great run, though the organization was not on par with a big city marathon. Or even a small town marathon for that matter. I'd still enjoy running it again. It's the run I go to these things for, not the organization. The course was fantastic, had a great run. | |
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Erick Freligh from Maple Valley, WA
(8/5/2005)
"Sure, it's a love Haight thing..." (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Every race has its serial dis'ers... While no race is perfect, there are great things to enjoy and remember them all by. The trot from the start line to and across the Golden Gate Bridge was great ? the smell of sourdough baking at the Boudin Bakery, the eeriness of Fort Mason and The Presidio during the predawn, then the mass of humanity on the bridge deck. Golden Gate Park was beautiful, though it seemed like we traversed every inch of asphalt there. The Haight was a real kick and the crowds there were very supportive. The area from the Haight to SBC was a bit disheartening as we would get a quick glimpse toward the Ferry Building only make a right-hand turn and continue on an uninteresting path. Nice bling at the finish! Overall, they did a great job at including as many points-of-interest without creating a total nightmare for the residents. The areas that could see the greatest improvement would be early starters/safety, etiquette, post-race nourishment. They ought to send the early starters on an alternate course that either excludes the bridge or brings them to it later ? there we just too many people trying to navigate around the slower groups at this point and safety became a problem as the density of the field hit this very narrow space. In the early going, the water stations ought to be placed on each side as it is difficult to reach them though such large crowds. Many found it a necessity to enter the return lane to go north. I couldn?t believe the number of people with their iPods ? marathons are supposed to be a social gathering (for most of us any way). A number of people were chatting on cell phones while running. In the Northwest, race officials do a much better job and regulating this. Enough already said about the post-race food. Despite its shortcomings, and every race I have run has had them, it was a very enjoyable event. I hope to be back in coming years. |
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