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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 201 to 211]
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M. E. from Ohio
(8/1/2007)
"Challenging course; great weather" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 It was a bit disorganized, the course was pretty packed over the bridge and in other bottlenecks, but overall, it was smooth. Can't blame the locals for not getting up at 5:30 a.m. to watch the race, but honestly those few we did see on the course were half asleep till Haight Street. The course was fogged in, so it was a neat experience, but the great views were diminished. The course was pretty tough, but the local climate made up for it. Expo looked great; post-race food was okay, but after shelling out $115 and running a marathon, I have experienced and expected much better. I did PR, but that had more to do with a good pace group than anything. Bring your Walkman on this course, as it was pretty quiet (though beautiful). | |
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J. A. from san francisco
(8/1/2007)
"Only did the 2nd half, but it was great" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 6+ The San Francisco Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I did the second half for the 6th straight year and I've PR'd every time. This is a great course with great organization and pretty good support from the fans. The weather is always perfect for running. If you are going to choose a summer marathon, I doubt anywhere else in the world can beat SF. | |
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David Jones from Huntsville, AL
(8/1/2007)
"What a GREAT Run" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a great GREAT course. Start at the Ferry Building, run around Fisherman's Wharf, enjoy views of the bay up onto the Golden Gate Bridge and back into Golden Gate Park with views of the Ocean. Head back towards the finish at the Bay Bridge through Haight-Ashbury, and throw in a lap around AT&T Field. Truly a FABULOUS course. It was a nice bonus after 25.5 miles to watch families filing into the Giants' game, then getting a glimpse of batting practice as we ran through McCovey Cove. The website is very helpful, particularly the detailed video of the course. I think the organizers did a fabulous job of making the course as flat as possible in one of Americas most hilly cities. I was very happy with the overall race, but I have to throw in a few CONS to be fair: 1. This is not a PR course. 2. I thought the medal design was a bit mediocre. 3. Course is too narrow in places (one lane of road or a sidewalk) and there were some bumping elbows, but I have the feeling this is the result of traffic management, and not something the race director can change 4. LOVED the race shirt, but for $100, a little more SWAG would be nice. A finisher's cap? Socks? Key chain? 5. I gave the fans 3 stars - 1 star quantity, 5 star quality. You MUST run this race. | |
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J. M. from California, USA
(8/1/2007)
"Just an "o.k." marathon" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The weather couldn't have been better with the mist and coolness. Not much to see with the gloom, though. The hills weren't too bad. The expo was terrible - too crowded. Could have had better service and refreshments at the end of the race. | |
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M. K. from Manhattan Beach, CA (LA Area)
(8/1/2007)
"Tough but Worth It;, First Race Ever" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I loved this race! I've been studying the course since January and training hard for the hills. The altitude change map on the website was very helpful. Combined with Google Earth, I was able to find matching hills in my area to train on. It made all the difference. I only got 8 weeks of training due to a broken foot, but still managed to complete the half with a PB of (on average) 13:16 per mile. Preparedness makes this difference on those hills! General organization was good; volunteers very helpful. Several of the mile markers were hard to see. Expo was packed but fun. I got my sister-in-law to drive me over the course before the race and that was a huge help during the run. I knew exactly what to expect and when. I didn't use their water/Cytomax or GU as I preferred to bring my own for consistency's sake and to avoid lines. | |
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John Hampton from Stockton, California
(8/1/2007)
"WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SEE THE BAY" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I thought is was a great marathon, my first! and I made it within 6 hours. My legs still hurt (day three after the race). But I would do it again. I think the organizers and volunteers did a wonderful job - what a great way to see San Francisco. The hills were challenging. I thought the volunteers, aid stations, sound systems, and cheering sections really made the marathon exciting; I was proud to be a part of the annual event. The only negative comment: I tried twice to tell them that I could not print my confirmation copy, but I never heard back from them. It was not a big deal, as I still got in. See you next year. | |
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J. L. from USA
(8/1/2007)
"If I ever run a full marathon... this will be it!!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 The San Francisco Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 First time in SF and 2nd time to run a half marathon. My boyfriend and I ran the first half... it was great! Perfect weather for us... overcast and cool. The light drizzle was a bonus. Running the Golden Gate Bridge was amazing. Trivia along the course was very nice, and some were funny. Expo was okay; signs were a bit confusing. My bag was misplaced at sweat drop (left at Embarcadero) - but I found it (which was good!!). Wasn't able to enjoy the food (got annoyed looking for my bag). That's it for sweat drops. Only 4 stars for the course, because we only did the half-marathon. Will definitely come back... who knows, maybe next time, will run the full. | |
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m. l. from Missouri
(7/31/2007)
"Worth the experience" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Congrats to San Fran. for a great mid-sized marathon. If you're looking for a summer marathon with cool temps, this is the place to be. Is this a PR course - probably not (although I PR'd by 7 minutes due to better training than I've done in my previous 3 marathons). I still was happy with the course - the part I actually enjoyed most was Golden Gate Park after the 1/2 marathoners split. It was very, very relaxing - even with the 3.5-mile gradual incline starting at 14. Don't expect a view from the GG Bridge - if weather is normal, fog should be around in late July/early August at that time of day. Bridge was actually slick - had to pay attention to my footing. Organization was OK, and packet pickup was challenging, but still manageable. I enjoyed the wave start, and the post-race food. Thanks for a wonderful summer marathon experience! | |
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R. S. from Fresno,Ca
(7/31/2007)
"The course was great but the food needs work." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 The San Francisco Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I had a great time running this course. The people that were out there did a wonderful job cheering us on. The biggest complaint is the food. It was lousy!!! Not to mention the one line you had to wait in to get to that food. You really need to over more food options. | |
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B. L. from Monterey, CA
(7/31/2007)
"Nice course, but still CAN'T get the food right" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 2 The San Francisco Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Again, It's a great way to see SF. If you are doing this I also recomend getting a nice hotel and soaking up some of the city for a memorable weekend. For the race director: When are you going to get the post-race food and drink right? Not only was it poor, but the lines were also so backed up that it was outright disgraceful! After all of these years you still can't seem to get this right? What is it going to take? So I say this to the paricipants: Buy an ice chest and stock your own post-race food. You will thank me later. |
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