The course was challenging, but SF has hills - no way around that, so you just need to train for them. Support was great at water and aid stations. Expo was so-so. Start porta-potties were fantastic - very few lines!!!!! Yes, Team in Training was well represented, both among racers and supporters. I was disappointed at the lack of support Nike showed Team members who through their efforts raised money but were not allowed to sell Team merchandise at the expo. Nike also failed to have the appropriate supply of medium, large and extra large t-shirts at the finish and expo. We are not all small!! Necklaces were very nice!! Also, the July '06 SF Marathon had a much better display of results online (Nike's was very limited).

I was in the minority as a male running the event (though I did it with TNT, so I had great support throughout the course). My wife did the half marathon (her first) and we both had a great time. My only complaint was the packet pickup for TNT runners (we waited in a line for almost an hour to get into NikeTown while non-TNT runners walked into the tents and got theirs immediately). Overall, a great race, and as a married father of four, I'm proud to wear the shirt they gave me. I was just glad they had a male-styled version for us guys. : )

Let me start with saying I finished the marathon on time and got that beautiful necklace & the fantastic finishers shirt. This was my first Marathon and I ran with TNT and the entire experience is one I will never forget! My only gripe was for the runners that came in after the 7 hour time limit. There were few spectators and frankly it was unfair that everything was being disassembled. If there is anyone that needs to see that 'FINISH LINE' sign, have that necklace & t-shirt it's those few that stayed determined and finished regardless. So, I say next year - don't forget those few determined folks that need the most support!

This was my 5th marathon and definitely one of my faves. Course was challenging, but not too bad considering it is in San Francisco! The only reason I give the course 4 stars instead of 5 is because I thought the section around Lake Merced was quite dangerous. Instead of having runners run along the paved trail that follows the perimeter of the lake, they had runners funneled down a narrow shoulder on a very busy street with cars whizzing by. Not sure if this can be changed next year, but I sure hope additional safety measures are included!
Otherwise, I thought everything was well-organized and done with class. Loved the finisher's necklace and the dry-fit Nike marathon finisher's shirt.
I also thought the post-marathon 'Nike Village' was perfect. Not too much fanfare and just the right kind of recovery foods (bananas, Luna Bars, Granola w/ yogurt). Same goes for the 'Expotique'....low-key and minimalist. But unlike others, I prefer the no-nonsense approach to the Expos and post-race festivities. Who wants to spend a lot of time on their feet at either of these events? As long as I can get in and out quickly with little fanfare, I am happy!

This is my third year doing the race and I have to say that it seemed like the port-a-potties were WAY worse this year. 1 potty at the firt few stops, we've got women running this race. People stood in line for 15 minutes to go. The water stops were also horrible. No one was actually handing out the water at the first few stops, it was more like a self serve. It was a big traffic jam with people scrambling to grab their own cup and their pour their own water. I was pretty disappointed with the water stops. I agree with the comment below, what guy is going to wear a shirt that says RAN LIKE A GIRL. If they are going to allow men to run then they should have a decent shirt for them. Not sure that I'll do this race again even with the T&CO bling being given away.

I really enjoyed this marathon. It was my second TNT event & the scenery was lovely and the hills were not too bad. Training on hills over several months really helped. There seemed to be
plenty of potty stops along the way. We ran out of chocolates at mile 12 for the slower runners/walkers.
In addition, the lines at the expo were too long and the wait time was unbearable. The expo needs some major improvement. The only complaint I have is this: is this race for women ONLY or unisex? The 6% of men that entered were sorely out-numbered. Plus, not all men want a Tiffany necklace or a 'Ran Like a Girl' finisher shirt. Nike needs to decide if this is going to be an all women's race or a unisex race. Other than that, I enjoyed my whole experience.

For my first half this was great but the down hills were killers!!! Very well organized EXCEPT this is a womens race & there wasnt nearly enough porta-potties in the early miles. The necklace & shirt are nice. It was hard for spectators (especially if not from SF) to get to mile 6-9 to cheer you on. Very disappointing that Ghiradelli ran out of chocolate before we got to mile 11.5&. it was our goal to get to for the previous 3+ miles. Weather was beautiful, a great experience for my first.

This is my first half marathon & loved it, except the down hills are killers!!! Very well organized EXCEPT not nearly enough porta-potties for a race that has 10,000+ women involved. The necklace & shirt are great. It was hard for spectators (especially people not familiar with SF) to get in place from mile 6-9. Weather was perfect. Overall a good experience for my first half.

This was my first marathon and first with Team in Training. I hit the wall at mile 18-22. There needs to be more spectators or entertainment between these miles. Everyone I talked to said these were the hardest miles. Then I saw two people, a lady standing on the side thanking everyone for her life gift and another holding a sign that said 'Pain is only temporary, Pride lasts a lifetime'. I knew I would finish this race even if I had to crawl. I saw my daughter screaming and waving at the finish and that sealed the deal - I knew with absolute certainty that I had done more than run a race. I was helping to change lives. This was an awesome experience and I look forward to next year. Was everything with the race perfect, probably not but I didn't have anything to compare it to and I also know everyone will not like everything... Thank you Nike for sponsoring the event and supporting Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Overall, it was a good first marathon experience. The hills at the beginning were challenging and frustrating when getting stuck behind lots of walkers (walkers that should have begun the race at the back of the crowd not at the front which many of them did). I enjoyed the run through Golden Gate park. The weather was awesome. Aid stations were good with lots of fluids. I really like the music/DJ's-this helped :-) The expo was a bit disappointing. Although, I really enjoyed the one girl talking us through the course..her advice was awesome --> Break the course up into thrids...Run the first third with your head...run the second third with your personality and smile....and run the last third with your heart. I loved this advice and it helped me through the race! Thanks :-)

My biggest thing was how absolutely discouraging it was to have TNT people only cheering for other TNT runners. I agree with other peoples comments on this subject. It felt really weird and I kind of felt out of place not being with TNT. None of the TNT runners spoke a word to me the entire 26.2 miles. I even tried to encourage one of the TNT runners that was by herself towards the end of the race and she didn't even acknowledge me??? I just couldn't understand this whole phenomenon. I appreciate their fundraising efforts and the support that they offer their members but why snuff the other runners in the race??

Anyway, I enjoyed the experience but probably wouldn't run this one again.