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Nov 14, 2024

The San Francisco Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 3.6

Spectators 2.6

Number of comments: 503 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

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Wayne Wright from Orange County, Florida USA (8/27/2011) "I Left My Shoes in San Francisco" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:12:03. The San Francisco Marathon was my twenty-first 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: starting temperature of 57 degrees, trace wind, 100 percent cloud cover, and no fog. Marathoners and 1st half marathoners were corralled into one of eight groups. The first corral started at 5:30 am, the last corral began at 6:32 am. The first five miles of the course (along the Embarcadero and Marina districts) were flat with the notable exception of the footpath at Fort Mason near mile 3: a short but steep uphill followed by an equally short and steep downhill. It was at this point where we had our first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge as well as an idea of the climb we had before us in order to reach it. That 200 foot climb was realized between miles 5 and 6 just past Crissy Field as we approached the international orange-colored feat of civil engineering known around the world. We were given a lane's width to cross the bridge in each direction: this resulted in some slight congestion, but not at a level that created any delay or difficulty in maneuvering around other participants. From the bridge we were able to see Alcatraz and Angel Islands, and on the return from the Marin Vista Point, we had a clear sighting of the Presidio and the downtown skyline. As we left the bridge at the Presidio, we traveled south on Lincoln Boulevard where we encountered the second most difficult part of the course: a 140 foot ascent over a half mile length followed by a steep descent the following mile. Turning left onto 27th Avenue, we faced some short but significant ups and downs on our way to Golden Gate Park, where the 1st half marathoners went one way and we went the other. We enjoyed the scenic beauty of Golden Gate Park for the next six miles. While we were not on level terrain, none of the obstacles were terribly difficult to overcome, at least in comparison to what we had just completed in the first half. Just after mile 19, we entered Haight-Ashbury district, and it was downhill the rest of the way, speaking from both a scenic and a topographical sense. One huge decline to watch out for was on Haight Street between Broderick and Divisadero Streets at mile 20. We reach the bay at mile 24, and after the turn at China Basin (mile 25) we got a view of the inside of AT&T Park. After merging back on to the Embarcadero, we passed under the Bay Bridge as we approached the finish line at Folsom Street. Finish line temperature at 11:45 am was 60 degrees. ORGANIZATION: The Expo was held at the Design Center in the South of Market district. It was efficiently organized with a very good selection of merchandise and an extraordinarily attentive staff. There was a smaller than usual number of exhibitors for a marathon of this size, however, and it was never determined if the bus returning to the host hotel was ever in operation. The Pasta Dinner was held at Lafitte Restaurant on Pier 5. It was only found out at the dinner that the $25 ticket entitled the guest only to the entree; all other items were available for an additional charge. Those accustomed to an all-you-can-eat carbohydrate load buffet should have considered alternate arrangements, it appeared. On the race course, mile markers appeared to have been properly placed and were easy to spot. Traffic control was extremely well handled by the SFPD and the Redwood Empire Harley Owners Group volunteers. To relieve traffic congestion, travel in the commercial districts alternated the marathon course between two parallel streets, thus allowing the traffic to cross the course in a more efficient manner without obstructing the progress of the participants. The HOGs did a terrific job of handling this duty. One of the sponsors was the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, a definite treat for those who enjoyed craft beer. Upon completion of the marathon, a ticket attached to the bib entitled the participant to a free pint of Pale Ale, Kellerweis, Torpedo India Pale Ale, or Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale. Subsequent servings were available for $5 per pint. And happily for those who started in Corral 8 and finished over 5 hours later, beer was still available at the tent. FANS: Some fans on hand throughout the course, and typically, the largest turnout were reserved for the finish. Some bands were present: the most enjoyed was the trio who played surf music at the Marin Vista Point. CONCLUSION: When the organizers went online on race day at 5 am, one could hear Tony Bennett's version of I Left My Heart in San Francisco from the start line loudspeakers. It was very appropriate given the experience we were about to have. Well done, San Francisco.
Jeffrey Anglada from Los Angeles (8/15/2011) "Where is my official time?" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Okay, so I know that part of my complaint is very personal and won't apply to most people; the flimsy chip we were given broke midway through the race and my official time was never given. Worse than that, nobody has responded to my three emails I sent to help sort it out. What gives? Meanwhile, don't expect lots of spectators - there were more people watching the 2011 LA Marathon which had howling winds and pouring rain. And while the first 18 miles of the marathon are beautiful, the last 8 are fairly awful. Lastly, if you do run it bring your own coffee in the morning. The offerings were scant and nothing was open before 5:30am. I will not run it again.
G. M. from Wisconsin (8/14/2011) "Very good (though hilly) marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The San Francisco Marathon was a challenging but overall a very satisfying marathon. The organization was very good. The route was interesting though the hills presented a challenge. I trained for rolling hills, but these hills seemed to be short and steep - the kind that really take it out of you after a while. My quads were spent during those last six miles, but at that point you just keep going. Fortunately, the last 3 miles are pretty flat, so that was a relief. The water stops were well organized. Some folks did not like the plastic cups, but they didn't bother me. The starting area was well organized and I loved that they had different UPS trucks for different ranges of bib numbers for your gear dropoff. It made it very efficient for dropoff and pickup. Medal is nice and the afer race food was good. The expo was croweded and relatively small for a race this large, but it had all the necessities. Overall, I thought this was well worth the money and I would recommend this marathon. Just be sure to train on hills.
L. W. from Orange County, CA (8/12/2011) "Love, love, love!" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 The San Francisco Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my 2nd time running this race and it's still my favorite. The weather and course are absolutely amazing. Love the early start and it stayed cool and overcast throughout the race. The course is fantastic. It covers all the scenic tourist routes. The supporters were also great. They really pumped me up and I actually PR'd this time around. The only thing I think could improve is the expo. Not in the greatest part of town and it's surprisingly very small. Oh and not too happy with the long sleeve shirts this year. The short sleeve ones from 2010 are so much better! Nevertheless, I love this race and want to continue to do it every year. LOVE SFM!
J. c. from So Cal (8/8/2011) "SF delivers again" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 The San Francisco Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great course and nice organization as always. The wave start helps with crowding over the bridge, but it helps to be a faster runner. With the early start, you are almost guaranteed to have perfect running weather. Only real problem I saw was the plastic water cups. While I'm sure they were great for the environment, the were terrible for runners. Lots of choking, spilling and tripping as a result. Acceptable error for a local 5K, but not an established marathon.
J. K. from Connecticut (8/6/2011) "beautiful vistas, great weather" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The weather was perfect, the scenery amazing, the first half was hilly, the second half was relatively flat. Nice organization and supplies along the route, never noticed lines at the porta-potties. The spectators and music were kinda sparse, but enthusiastic. PR weather, but not a PR course. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, after I run in about 40 more states.
T. M. from Greensboro, NC (8/5/2011) "Beautiful Course..hills not as bad as you'd think" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 just got back from the San Francisco marathon and I had a great time. A friend of mine talked me into running this and I am glad he did. Many thanks to the volunteers and people who came out early to cheer us on. The Good: - The course is worth price of admission. Absolutely beautiful flat 5 miles along the Embarcadero and then the work begins. It felt like I was running pretty well in the first half, but my time told me otherwise. - The 2 major hills (before getting on bridge and then getting off bridge) were towards the beginning of the race and would've been much worse towards the end. The hills in the park were pretty gradual and not bad at all. - The last 6 miles are literally downhill. I was hurting a bit and wish I could've taken advantage of it better. - The weather was phenomena. I live in the south and was training in 80-90 degree weather. You can't ask for more beautiful weather. - The start and finish line was very convenient (we stayed at the Embarcadero Center) to our hotel or BART. The early start wasn't too bad, as the weather was great. - Great volunteers all around help us out. - The drinks were good. Better than the typical Gatorade they serve. The Bad: - More of an indictment of the people and not the race, but the whole purpose of a wave start is to prevent crowding. I was weaving in and out of people on the GG Bridge from who had started 8 minutes ahead of me (who said they were going to run faster than me) at the 6 mile mark. Sign up for your proper wave! - Cars were getting a little antsy at the intersections. The police and the nice Harley Davidson volunteers kept them in place, but keep your eye out when on the streets. The Ugly: - A few interesting outfits on the course. One was wearing black leather, complete with dog collar. It takes a lot of gumption to out in public dressed like that, let alone run for 26 miles in one of those. - San Francisco is known as a haven for people who are 'not all there' mentally a couple of them seemed very confused when people started running by early in the morning and they got angry/belligerent. Luckily it didn't escalate to anything more I think the Harley Davidson volunteers would've take care of it.
P. R. from Washington, DDC (8/4/2011) "Great course; not as hilly as rumored" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I ran the full 2011 marathon a few days ago. Here are some general thoughts for those considering the race... COURSE: The course is just gorgeous. I've done some big ones - NYC, Marine Corps, Boston - and this may be my favorite. Running down the Embarcadero, across the Golden Gate, through the Presedio and Haight, by the stadiums - just so many great memories to take away from this race. Even running through Golden Gate park was pleasant and not boring. The hills are not as bad as advertised... and I didn't do any real hill training. (And as far as bridges go, Golden Gate is not as steep as the NYC bridges.) FAN SUPPORT: Fans are scattered throughout the race, but it's only a 6K marathon, so don't expect huge crowds. They did do a good job with bands, if you're into that. WATER: Water was every 2 to 2.5 miles or so - I would have preferred water stops a little more frequently in the beginning, but I understand the limitations of a smaller race. Still, the water cups were glorified shot glasses. I've never wished I had run with those bottle belts before. But not a huge deal because... WEATHER: Holy god - high 50s in late July? Amazing. (And we were blessed with a overcast day with a slight wind.) If you're looking for a late summer race, there's really no better option. Starting at 5:30 is a plus in that regard as well. (Especially if you're coming from DC and on East Coast time!) PACE GROUP: The race had pace groups for 3:00, 3:10, 3:20, 3:30, etc. - a huge bonus for an erratic course like this. This was my first time running part of a race with a pace group, and I had a great experience. COURSE ORGANIZATION: Ok, only real bone to pick is here. The corral system is total sh*t-show. There's no order to it. I'm not exactly an elite runner, but I'm consistently at or under 3:10 and they stuck me in Wave 6 for no reason. After much begging they put me in Wave 3, which still started 10 minutes after Wave 2. They gave me no reason for why I was seeded in Wave 6. (That being said, when they change your wave, they put an office supply sticker on your bib and write the new wave in Sharpie, so for those motivated to do so, it's not too hard to find a creative solution.) PERKS: The metal (that serves as a coaster) is a neat idea. The technical shirt is a little flashy for me. (Why can't races take the clue from Boston that classic design is the way to go?). I didn't partake in any pre- or post-race activities. The expo was a little underwhelming, but not a big deal. TRACKING: The website is great, and results were posted very, very quickly.
R. H. from Houston, TX (8/4/2011) "Great cool-weather race in the middle of summer" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Pros -The weather in San Fran is cool, starting line temp for the race was mid-50's -The course includes the Golden Gate Bridge! -Great tech shirt (longsleeve)and finishers medal -Food at the finish line was varied and in large supply -The have a shuttle (for a $25 charge) that takes spectators to mile 4, 12, and 22 so they can cheer you on during the race. My wife rode this on race morning and said it was super easy. It makes all the difference in the world seeing family members cheer for you throughout the course instead of just at the start/finish. Cons -The expo is out of the way and small, would be better if it was located somewhere closer to the downtown hotels -The spectators were few and far between (yes, I realize the race started at 5:30, but even by the time I finished at ~9:30 there were still very few of them) If you need a marathon with lots of crowd support this race is not for you -I'm glad we got to run the Golden Gate, but it would have been nice if the course also took us by the Palace of Fine Arts, Chinatown, the Painted Ladies, etc... It seemed like there were lots of San Francisco landmarks that we didn't get to see on the course Overall it's a really good race. I didn't do this race for the longest time because the comments on this website weren't good. Over the years the comments started getting better so I decided to give it a shot. The marathon didn't disappoint and I'm glad I ran it.
J. S. from Lemoore, CA (8/3/2011) "Disappointed" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 The San Francisco Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 For all the scenery (which was pretty good), this race was disappointing. First and foremost, only one station had food besides Gu. A full is a long way to go with only two orange slices beyond what you can carry. Secondly, they start a half at around the 14 mile point, which results in somewhat of a stampede as the front runners of the half collide with the middle of the full. Very few spectators until the very end. California has much better courses to offer than this one.

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