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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 421 to 431]
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N. K. from Colorado
(8/7/2003)
"A big-city race with small-town spectator support" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 (Comments from a 6-time, 4:00 marathoner) I was expecting a much worse race based on the comments from last year. I was pleasantly surprised. Traffic control seemed great throughout the race. The organizers use a clever system of parallel routes a block or two apart in certain areas. Every 5-10 minutes, runners are directed to the other route, creating a sort of 'airlock' that allows cars to cross the course without disrupting the runners. From a runner's standpoint, the system works seamlessly, even though the effect is somewhat disconcerting - you suddenly notice that no one is in front of you for a half-mile or so, only to turn a corner and find a stream of people merging back in with you. I'm not confident that all the routes come out to precisely 26.2 miles, but it seems fairly close from the map, and should only be of concern to sticklers. The course itself is quite nice, and in theory, offers a nice mini-tour of the north end of the city. Most of the real sights - Coit Tower, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Alcatraz, the Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Palace of Fine Arts - are all within the first 6 miles. (Unfortunately, nearly all were covered in fog - I saw only the bottom 20' of the Golden Gate Bridge towers.) Much of the rest of the course goes through Golden Gate Park and along the ocean. Miles 22-25 go through a more industrial district, but the last mile snakes around the back of the ballpark and ends under the Bay Bridge. Unlike some of the commenters here, I didn't think the hills were too bad, especially when you consider some of the *real* hills in S.F. The climb through the Presidio and into the park happens early in the race, and the hills in Golden Gate park around miles 15-18 are not particularly steep and level out frequently, allowing you to catch some breath. I particularly liked the fact that there were large orange helium balloons at each mile marker - being able to look down the street to see the next marker is a great motivator. Yes, spectator support stinks. Miles 19-21 along Haight Street had some small crowds and the last mile had some spectators (although most were fans on their way to the baseball game that afternoon). The rest of the race was pretty barren. If spectator support is important to you, this isn't your race. The finish line was ok, but the walks and waits to get food and a finisher's medal were exasperating. Food suppliers were clearly running low when I finished at 4:00, and were probably out of everything before 4:30 finshers arrived. The available food was a little odd - no bagels at the finish (!); instead, one table was handing out boxes of vacuum packed Indian food (!?) from Tasty Bites. (In fact, my recollection is that the entire food line, from front to back, was: bottled water, bananas, boxed Indian food, bagged potato chips, yogurt smoothies, and samples of Starbucks' frappucinos. Not your typical marathon fare, and fairly disappointing, given that highbrow grocery store Whole Foods was catering the finish.) And, as others have said, finisher medals were a couple of blocks and another wait in line away. Miscellaneous pros: free parking in garages near the start line; expo goodies included not only a t-shirt (which I, personally, like), but also a fridge magnet and small poster with the same image of the Golden Gate bridge; lots of well-identified pace groups; enthusiastic support station volunteers; one of those police 'Your speed' radar signs parked in the middle of the course, showing runners going 6 and 7 miles an hour; half-marathoners can choose which half of the course they want to run; weather was quite pleasant for a July marathon - the fog kept things moist but cool for most of the race. Miscellaneous cons: the half-marathoners for the second half started 1:45 after the official start of the full marathon, meaning that a large clump of people start at mile 13 just as us 4:00 marathoners are getting there; final .75 miles run alongside traffic blocked off only by cones; mile 5 marker was misplaced by as much as 200 meters (after three 8:30 splits, my mile 5 was 7:30, and my mile 6 was almost 10:00). Overall, other than the lack of fan support and the post-finish mess, it was a very enjoyable, well-run race from a 4:00 runner's perspective. | |
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E. L. from NOLA
(8/7/2003)
"Great experience at my first marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Lots of hills and few spectators, but I had a good run. I was nervous about running this course as my first marathon, and signed up with a SF Road Runners Club pace group. This made a big difference and made my marathon a positive experence. | |
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B. L. from San Francisco, CA
(8/6/2003)
"Okay - but not outstanding" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I have run this marathon the last two years (2002, 2003). This past year, it seems the goal was to attract more runners - which worked. Sadly, even with more runners, the prices have gone up and there is still not a lot of fan support. But, SF is beautiful (aside from the miles out to China Basin) and it is a great run with nice weather. If you are running it alone, you may find it more difficult to find a running friend than at other marathons. | |
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Mel Deida from Brooklyn, N.Y.C
(8/5/2003)
"Needs Organizational Improvement" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Overall, the marathon was scenic and could have used more promoting and advertising to make the residents aware that a marathon was taking place. It did lack the support by its residents, and at the end of the race there were no medals awaiting the finishers. Up to this moment, I'm still unable to find my time and place in the marathon. Has room for improvement, and I would seriously consider attending next year's event - not likely!! | |
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M. A. from Ojai, CA
(8/3/2003)
"Excellent scenery, intense hills" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Excellent race. Not too early of a start (7 am). The first 2 miles were extremely fast, and then there were a few good-sized hills and a long up-and-back stretch along the PCH HWY (which is the worst part of the course because it is a up-and-back and the half-marathon is at the turn-around). The greatest way to see San Francisco is to enter the race. The scenery is breathtaking, and the finish is spectacular: you run around Pac Bell park and finish right where you started. | |
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J. T. from Northern California
(8/2/2003)
"Unsurpassed course and improving organization" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have run 20+ marathons across the country over the last 7-8 years (including this one a few times) and this course ranks as the most visually spectacular. The course starts at the Ferry Building Plaza and runs through Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina, Presidio National Park, Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, the Haight Ashbury, and right by PacBell Park, and it provides endless sights and sounds to enjoy. The organization is vastly improved over prior years and the expo, water stops, timing and traffic control are all much better. The addition of pace group leaders from San Francisco Road Runners Club is great, and they pace runners from 3:30 to 5:30 finish times. The only suggestions to further improve for next year are: hand out the medals right at the end of the finish chute, add a few more race clocks on the course, and add a couple more water stops. | |
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k. w. from washington dc metro area
(8/1/2003)
"Not As Hilly As I Expected" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my 5th marathon; nice course, a few fans, a few hills, and a PR for me. I was very surprised the marathon was not on the front page of Monday's paper, since it was the CHRONICLE Marathon. I thought they would have put in the times/names at least for all those under 4 hrs. The weather was perfect too. I can't believe San Fran does not promote the race. | |
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Cheryl Murdock from Pensacola, Florida
(7/31/2003)
"Great Fun" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 36th marathon and it rates as one of my favorites. Coming from Florida (the land of heat and humidity), I more than enjoyed the cooler weather. Probably walked over 26 miles, besides the marathon, sightseeing. Never ran out of things to see or do. As far as the course goes, it was true there were few spectators, but I don't run marathons to look at bystanders. There were really not that many hills, and those that were there were not killers (remember I am from Florida...we have NO hills). As a slower runner, I found several friendly folks to chat with. Had a great time running and talking to a wonderful gentleman (Hello, AL!) from British Columbia and even went out to dinner with him and his wife. The only disappointing thing about this marathon; besides NO food at the finish and having to walk a ways to get my finisher's medal, is that my name in not in the results! Somene said they had some problems? I hope they fix that, because for those of us doing the fifty states or with a 100 marathon goal, we need the proof of a finish! All in all, this was worth it and recommendable. | |
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B. K. from Huntsville, Alabama
(7/30/2003)
"Good, But A Story Of Missed Opportunities" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The highlights of the race included location, location, and location. The course included just enough of SF to tease and leave us wanting more. Running by PacBell Park and McCovey Cove was fun, even though it was mile 25 and I was whipped by then. This was my 6th marathon, and I guess I was expecting a running tour of the town, like we enjoy in Chicago, Portland, and many other great cities with big-time marathons. Unfortunately, the race is laid out to avoid interrupting the city's Sunday morning routine. Spectators were few and far between. Due to a strange mid-race traffic/course re-routing scheme, sometimes locals were surprised by the sudden arrival of our numbered herd. Seemed like almost everybody was wearing a walkman or mp3 player, so it was hard to find someone to chat with. The medals were not waiting for us at the finish line. We had to stumble over to the expo tent, where an overwhelmed volunteer marked our bib number and unceremoniously pulled the medal from a big pile. The local running club pace leaders were fun to run with - friendly and knowledgeable. Dennis and Jim were our pace team leaders, and they were great. I'm glad I ran the race, and I truly love SF, but I think a few simple improvements would justify the big-city price and attract thousands more. | |
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Michael Evanger from Crystal Lake, IL
(7/30/2003)
"Great scenery with variety and a challenge" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This marathon should be viewed as one which will give you a variety of scenery and also challenge your fitness level. Ocean breezes, lush parks, trees, city landscapes, neighborhoods and a major league ballpark before finishing under the Bay Bridge... not many marathons offer this variety. As for those who did not like the course - this is not meant to be some pristine Olympic venue. This is a hilly challenge that offers more style in its setting than the boring flat routes being touted. This is a gem that is not easy to run - that's why it's fun and those looking for an easy PR should probably stay away. |
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