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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 411 to 421]
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P. B. from Belmont, CA
(8/2/2004)
"Challenging course with cool weather" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my first time here but my 5th marathon. Packet pickup was quick, but t-shirt pickup was delayed (over an hour past the expo opening time they were still unloading them from the truck). Weather for '04 was cool and wet (fog/drizzle). I did the early start at 5:00 am, so the course was dark for my first 4 miles or so, which made for some tricky footing in spots. Unfortunately, the first water stop at mile 2 was self-serve (the rest of the stops had volunteers at them). The most challenging hills are miles 5-6, but they are very doable. The SF police did a great job of keeping traffic off the course for the runners, despite a lot of horn honking from impatient drivers. Crowd support was spotty (I never did figure out where the hyped 'wall of noise' was supposed to be) but not bad considering the cold, drizzly conditions. After the finish, it seemed as though everything was crammed into a small area. The woman directing traffic had to keep yelling at people to get off the streetcar tracks to avoid being run over, and the line for post-race food moved very slowly. Don't look for any PR's in this race, as the hills make for a tough course. I wouldn't count out doing this one again. | |
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L. W. from Sacramento, California
(8/1/2004)
"I had a great time. " (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just got back from the Chronicle Marathon not even 2 hours ago. For being my first event ever I would have to say that I was pretty impressed with everything. Got to run the greener side of SF where trails had been laid next to the ocean; it was the beautiful and misty weather that made running a real breeze. Traveling in town was exciting too. Got to see all kinds of people cheering us on - hippies were great! There were bands and people in neat costumes and before you knew it, you were already back to the finish line, darn! | |
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Kim Robinson from Portage, Michigan
(8/1/2004)
"Great Race with Some Hills to Keep Runners Humble!" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This was one of the best-organized marathons in which I've participated. The course was well laid out with a mixture of hills and flats. Most of the hills were pretty gradual, although the rise up to the Presidio was the most challenging ? but it was only about a mile in length. The best part of the race was the temperature! I am a cold weather runner (from Michigan) and the race started at 57F and dropped a few degrees during the race. With a 5-10 mph wind and slight drizzle, the conditions couldn?t have been more ideal. BUT, as this weather is pretty typical for August in San Francisco future runners can expect similar conditions. With a singlet, I was very comfortable. Support was probably the best of my 8 ?thons and the finishing area was well set up with both food and a great massage. Even though crowd support was virtually non-existent, thank you San Francisco for an awesome experience! | |
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B. T. from Dallas, TX
(7/12/2004)
"Poor Organization" (about: 2003)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 At the expo, the race organizers pleaded with people to start early (5:00 am). I was one of those who did, and found the course unmarked (made two wrong turns in the dark), and NO WATER until the official start of the race. Volunteers would not give water out, and I had to run off course at water fountains. Other than that, the weather was GREAT, and the course very scenic. | |
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Frank Leggio from Atlanta, GA
(12/10/2003)
"Beautiful Run" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a great run through San Fran. Running by the park, the stadium, the coast, etc. was fantastic. Train for the hills though. | |
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M. S. from Lenexa, Kansas (Kansas City)
(9/22/2003)
"Great for tourists like me!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Since this was my first marathon, I don't know how this race compares with others, so take my comments with a grain of salt! My wife and I had been training since January, and I analyzed (my wife will say over-analyzed) every detail of the course. I have read negative comments about the hills, but the website topography map shows you exactly where and how high they are, so we trained appropriately and were well prepared. I also read comments about no GU at some stops, but again, the website spells out there were only 2 stops that had GU, so we brought our own. The weather was magnificent. Of course, compared to the 90-100 degree weather we trained in, anything would be better. The packet pick-up was simple and fast. We flew in on Saturday and went straight to the expo without a problem. Everything that was advertised was there and available. The only bummer was they were out of race merchandise. We should have ordered off the web, but wanted to wait until we could see the items before we purchased them. Live and learn, I guess. I am used to no spectators at normal races, so this wasn't a big deal to me. My wife and I wore 'Kansas' t-shirts, and had several comments about Jayhawks, Dorothy, and Toto, which helped bring smiles to our tired faces. Overall, our experience was excellent. I thought the race was well thought out, but I do have a couple of things that can easily be changed. 1) I wish there was more things to eat and drink at the finish (my wife only got one bottle of water), but that has already been well documented. 2) I hit the half-marathon mark right after the 2nd part half-marathoners had started. I spent the better part of 2 miles weaving in and out of half-marathon walkers. They were taking up the entire street! I wish they would have moved the half-marathoners to one side so we could have gotten past easier. Overall, everyone was very friendly and helpful, which made our first marathon very enjoyable. The course was very scenic, and for tourists like us, lots of fun (I'm just glad we didn't have to run the hills near Lombard Street!). I would definitely do it again if I lived in the area, but since I'm half way across the country, I doubt I will anytime soon. | |
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J. R. from West Chester, PA
(8/27/2003)
"False impression for a first-timer" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 For a first time marathon, I was told not to judge all by the Chronicle. Our running companions that average 10+ marathons a year for 20 years said this was not exemplary relative to organization, water, traffic support or spectator support. Check in was great fast and festive, and my son loves the t-shirt. We opted for early start, the course was not marked well or at all in some areas, no water etc. set up until 14 miles. We brought water but some runners expected aid stations - very dangerous. We saw some spectators on Hague Street and then only at the finish line. There will be more marathons in the near future to compare organization, etc. I doubt that we'll pay to fly, hotels, etc. for the Chronicle again. | |
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K. C. from New York, NY
(8/18/2003)
"Fantastic Course and Good Organization" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I love San Francisco and this marathon is one of the best. The course is spectacular and the race staff was incredibly helpful. I loved the T-shirt, magnets, posters and greatly detailed course maps. Everything was so easy. The expo is beautiful, right on the Bay under palm trees and steps away from the star/finish. The course has some hills but they were no more difficult than any other marathon. The temperature was perfect, and even the sunny finish was not too hot. This was my third marathon, and I will definitely be back. | |
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R. L. from San Diego, CA
(8/15/2003)
"Best Summer Marathon Weather Around!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was a great marathon, my 4th marathon so far, and I set a PR! I agree with everyone else's comments about the hills... they were no different than normal, short hills most people do in their training. I would have to say that running in cool, foggy weather has got to be the IDEAL running weather for anybody. I loved the scenery, even though I grew up not too far away and have spent a lot of time in the city. The only complaint would be the lack of Gu and water stations... there was no food for the first 15 miles and that is bad news for anyone trying to keep a steady pace. (Luckliy I brought my own Gu and that saved me. I feel sorry for those who didn't... that should never happen). More water and watered-down Gatorade would've been nice, too. The bananas at mile 20 really helped though (and sort of made up for it). Overall, this is a great marathon, definitely one to add to the list! Mellow, not too big, and awesome weather. | |
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k. m. from Canada
(8/13/2003)
"Excellent run through a beautiful city" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Best way to see SF is this marathon. Excellent tour through many great areas. Be prepared for hills, although not as many as expected (I found the long, steep descents worse). Organization was good. I easily picked up my race packet, t-shirt (nice logo) and finishers medal. Changes in course to ease traffic were handled well. Only negative comment: the electrolyte replacement drink GU20 is not available in Canada, so I was not able to train with it. Overall, I thought it was very well done. Not a lot of fans, but a highly recommended course. |
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