I ran the first half of the SF Marathon, since I am in training for a full marathon in September. For a large event (20,000+ runners), it is well organized. The start area was clearly marked, and there were enough restrooms. The wave starts went off without a hitch. The first 4.5 miles are flat, except for one hill around mile 2.5. Then the challenge begins. You ascend to the Golden Gate Bridge, and then the first half of the bridge is uphill as well. Upon returning to SF southbound from the bridge, you turn right and are greeted by... another hill. Miles 11-12 are rolling hills, and mile 12 is uphill into Golden Gate Park, where the first half finishes. Full marathon participants tour the park until about mile 19 or so, then head back eastbound towards the Embarcadero. If you are looking to challenge yourself on a scenic course with well stocked aid stations and a well organized start and finish area, I would recommend it. I had a great time and finished in under 2 hours. If you are looking for thousands of screaming fans, bands, choirs, cheerleaders, a chance to achieve a PR, or a flat and fast course, you might want to look at something else.

This is a good marathon, but I think there's room for improvement from an organizer standpoint that could make it a great marathon.

To start, I think it would be better if the race started a couple of hours later. Basically, you end up paying the price on a rolling course with some substantial hills, but because the race is run early in the morning (5:30 a.m. start), you end up making a lot of deposits by going up and down the hills of San Francisco but not getting a lot of withdrawals because the fog and clouds at that time in the morning preclude you from taking in the breathtaking views you'd associate with San Francisco. It's a bit of a shame as you run through some really pretty parts of the city (such as the 5 or 6 miles or so run in the Golden Gate Park). Given that temperatures peak out late in the day in SF, I think organizers should consider pushing the start back: the change in temperatures would be immaterial, but the experience could be even better.

Second, the expo was a bit dark and depressing, held in a conference concourse resembling an old aircraft hangar that's a bit too far from city center (it's a $9 cab ride from the race hotel); and while everyone appreciates the environment, it would be nice to have a consolidated race packet that tells you the details of the race, how to put on the timing tag, etc. - rather than have to go to the website to print out part of the information, to figure out the red sticker is a timing tag and so on. This was not as straightforward for us out-of-town visitors as at other major marathons.

But that said, the race itself was very well-organized and the volunteers were enthusiastic, friendly and efficient. You wind through portions of the Presidio, the Golden Gate Park and get a fun SF tour on foot with friendly (if sparse) crowds.

One side issue: be careful of trying to run with the pace teams. The first 16 miles of the course are pretty slow because of the topography. I ran negative splits by 5 minutes or so using an even effort; and the pace team near my time (3:30) had more or less dissolved by the time I passed them. Being too focused on even miles will exact a big cost on this course, even if your end time is only 2-5 minutes off of your equivalent time on a flatter course.

This was my 58th marathon, and I usually find summer races a challenge. The sun and heat tend to sap my strength. If you're like me, this is the summer race for you! As is typical in northern CA, it was in the 50s, foggy, and dark at the wave starts before 6:00 a.m. At points in the race, the fog actually became more "misty," which was just perfect for keeping cool! I know race directors can't control the weather, but with this location, they probably don't have to worry much.

As for the logistics, it was easy to get flights into SF, and the BART was a convenient, inexpensive way to get from the airport to downtown in about 40 minutes. The expo was a little congested for my tastes, but packet pick-up was relatively easy. The host hotel (Hyatt) is ridiculously over-priced ($250 for one night with no extras), but is convenient to the race start/finish. With the early race start, cleaning up and checking out before check-out time was no problem.

The corral system was a little confusing (poor signage), but the wave start was definitely helpful in managing the crowds. The course itself was top-notch, but it is San Francisco (so think hills). There were PLENTY of port-potties on the course... how refreshing! The finisher's medal is one of the best I have (substantial, good quality), and I took the advice from last year here to order larger on the shirt and was glad I did. The post-race area was missing beer, but otherwise adequate. Having Bart Yasso announce as you finished was a nice touch!

Bottom line, this is a very nice race, well organized and enjoyable, but a bit pricey for lodging. I would do it again and again if they could get better hotel rates or if I had a friend in SF where I could stay!!

I wouldn't run this race again. I was very disappointed in the race support offered at this course. For a registration fee of over $100, you receive water stations every 2.5-ish miles, and 2 stations with GU. That's it! No oranges, bananas, or any other food during the race. I took a couple of PowerBars "just in case" and ate every one of them on the way because there was nothing else. I was really disappointed in the race support. I've never been to another marathon (I've run at least 8) that didn't offer anything during the course! I would have hoped the organizers could have spent a couple of hundred dollars for something besides water on the course! There was not much in the way of spectator support either. It was an interesting course because I LOVE SF and think that it is one of the greatest cities on the planet, but this marathon fell way short of expectations.

Nice course, and generally good organization, but giving us a quarter of a Dixie cup to drink every two miles? Come on. How could such a race make such a silly mistake?

The course is a great tour of the city, with a good mix of bay/ocean views, very nice neighborhoods, Golden Gate Park, the Haight, etc., plus a good mix of flat running, inclines and declines.

I actually was a little disappointed with running across the bridge. It was so foggy that we couldn't see anything but gray, and the lanes were quite narrow and difficult to navigate. This was partially my fault for signing up so late and getting put in a late wave; I got caught behind a lot of slower runners and had a VERY hard time passing people during the bridge segment. So learn from my mistake and sign up early if you want to ensure you get placed in the appropriate wave for your pace!

The race was very well organized, though: the expo was well-stocked; there was plenty of GU, Cytomax, water, and porta-potties for everyone; and the sweats area was well-run. Do get some hill training in, but I didn't think it was murderously bad or anything. There were a lot more steep downhills than I expected, which ended up being more painful than pleasant!

My only complaints are that there wasn't a lot of variety in the finish line food - just bananas, granola, and chips, really - and the spectators are on the sparse side for some stretches. But those are small beans compared to the great course and well-run race. And it's hard to beat 55-60 degrees in July!

Great race. This is my 12th marathon and I was able to PR. The hills are tough, and I definitely would do some hill training. The second half is much easier than the first, as well as less scenic and downhill. The 3:40 pacer was awesome and kept the group motivated. My recommendation to improve would include adding a family meeting point. Spectators were great, especially through Haight Ashbury.

This is my seventh consecutive San Francisco Marathon. Having seen it evolve over the years, from a small race with fewer than 2000 participants to this huge race, I am glad to be part of it and hope my comments can be used to make this race even better.

However, the biggest complaint I have this year is the lack of mile markers. Having run this race multiple times, I know roughly where the mile markers should be. However, my timing was off this year due to interruption with my training, and this mile marker issue really threw me off. I swear I only saw three mile markers in first half - 3, 5, and 10. For the second half, there was probably one marker missing every two or three miles. That really is unacceptable for a race of this size. I remember some mile marker problem a few years ago, but I have never experienced any marker issue as bad as this in my 24 marathons.

My second concern involves the Golden Gate Bridge, which has some metal bracing we have to run past. It was wet and slippery, which I think can be hazardous runners. We also have to dodge water sprinkler at Fort Mason, which should have been turned off in anticipation of the race.

As for the rest, the review is mostly rosy. The San Francisco Marathon remains one of the most beautiful and challenging races in my running career. The temperature was in the 50's to 60's, and it was overcast and misty most of the race. Its course ran through much of San Francisco. There were plenty of water and medical stations. There were also two gel stations - at 5 and 17 - but I missed the one they had at 20-21 a few years ago. The medal is beautiful and can be used as a coaster. I wished there were more food and more water at finish, but it's not horrible like some other races. I do miss the good food they used to have here at SF, from lamb to Starbucks to ice cream. How about getting more sponsors?

The expos was moved to a new location that was a bit of pain to get to, but it was huge - one of the biggest expos I have been to. Pick up was quick and painless, and the shirt was nice.

All in all, I love this race. It always have a special place in my heart - my second best personal time was achieved here, and I intend to be back again. It would be wonderful to get some of these issues solved so I have nothing further to complain except the pain of going 26.2 miles up and down through one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I love running this marathon. It was definitely what I expected. I trained for hills and, yes, there were some hills; going up was easier for me than going down on those hills. I love running on the Golden Gate Bridge. What a thrill!

The weather was great, the organization was great, and the spectators were also great. However, there were some spots with very few spectators; but I understand, after all, that this was my race, not theirs.

It was very funny that at one of the water stops there was also a beer stop, and a guy with red horns. I think there was a girl dressed like a devil too (around mile 12 or 13). I do not quite recall.

Anyway, I LOVE this marathon, and yes, I will do it again and again and again.

This was my first marathon, so nothing really to compare to. However, it still goes down as one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

I flew out for this race from NYC.

Agree with some of the others in terms of crowd support... and lack thereof. There are some desolate areas of the course, particularly on the back half... probably miles 17-21 or so. That being said, overall I think it's a great course in a great city. Also, if this is your first race, you'll be so pumped up that you probably won't pay that much attention to the crowds anyway.

Perfect running weather: at the start time, it was probably around 50, and at the finish, probably 58. Another advantage of running in SF.

We got lucky and didn't get much fog over the Golden Gate (I've heard that this can be a drag). In terms of hills, they weren't as bad as I was expecting. Don't get caught up looking at the topography maps too much or you'll psych yourself out. The steep hills are in the front half of the course when your energy level is high. Take them at a moderate pace and you'll be fine.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this race, even for first-timers.