I loved the course. I had heard about the hills but they were short and nothing to worry about. I like a hilly course so this was perfect for me. The Golden Gate Bridge was great, flatter than I thought. If you live in a flat area and are worried about the hills, just do a a few hill workouts on the treadmill and you'll be fine.

Only drawback was the convergence of the full and half marathon courses. If you are in the full be aware there are several merge points (there are two half marathons) and you will be merging and diverging many times over the full marathon course and will end up behind slower half marathoners (many many more half marathoners than full). This got a bit crowded at times (and somewhat confusing) - having to move around the half marathoners added a half mile my total distance run (as per my Garmin). After 26.7 (yes that's right!) miles I was sooo glad to see the finish! However I'm still giving the course 5 stars 'cause I loved it. GG Park, the bridge, the neighborhoods and the SF people at the end were very cool. Unlike comments about previous years I thought the post-race refreshments were plentiful and good. It has a 5:30 am start so not alot of spectators but the ones there were great. Temp is perfect that time of day too! Oh, and the medal is a coaster! I would definitely run this race again!

Loved this race. The course was just FABULOUS and the views were Awesome!!! The hills were killers and I took it nice and easy and surprisingly (!) got my personal best and a Boston qualifier. Yay!!! enjoyed it so much that I want to definitely do this marathon the next year.

This was my first San Francisco marathon. The course is outstanding, running over the Golden Gate Bridge is worth all the training and pain of the hills.

Weather - The weather was perfect! High clouds, very slight breeze. Sun came out for the celebration after.

Course - The course was very scenic, and running over the Golden Gate bridge is singularly the coolest thing I have ever done running. The course does have some hills, so unless this is your first marathon, let go of the PB and just have fun.

Organization - The organization was great. The volunteers were where you needed them and the aid stations were well stocked.

Spectators - Where are the spectators? There were some at the start and finish area and around Golden Gate Park, but very lackluster compared to other races, a big disappointment! Though, thanks to those w/ the keg at mile 15.

One word of caution, and I hope the planners change this for next year, the PASTA DINNER WAS HORRIBLE!!!!! The food tasted okay but it was a VERY SMALL portion. FYI, marathon runners want massive portions of pasta the night before, not a gourmet meal. FIX THIS FOR 2012!!!

Why don't you add bib number to the fields to locate results? Very difficult finding results.... No advertisment to solicate spectators....No signs posting the SF marathon......I have run Chevron Houston 5 times. So much more advertisement, so many more spectators, (makes a big difference, especially here with such more challenge running your hills). Do not think it is fair adding 2nd half marathon runner with full marathon runners that have already run the roughest 1st half, so that the 2nd half runner can be added for a faster time....so not fair....

Having finished this marathon for the ninth time, I must have a love affair with this extraordinarily challenging race. I do. And I look forward for number 10 SFM next year.

As always, the weather is gorgeous for the race. At mid 50's and overcastted, it felt good to run, even when your legs are hurting from the hills. There is no fog this year, giving you a beautiful view of Golden Gate Bridge and downtown San Fran. Aside from not being as windy as I liked, there is no better running weather in my 28 marathons career.

As for registration and expo, it is still the same. Still not sure why the expos is at a convenience center far from everything else, but after complaining for 4 years, I don't think they will change anytime soon. Otherwise registration and expos are smoothly run.

As for complaints, it is my same usual. Mile markers are still a big problem. I counted 5 mile marker for first 13 miles. Since I started using my Nike GPS App (which I absolutely loved, for those of you with an iPhone), I know where the miles are. However, as a 10+ year marathon veteran, I had depended on mile marker to pace myself. SFM will not be at top of best marathon without correcting such easily fixable issue. Also, mile markers that are present are 0.1 miles longer than my GPS, which recorded a 26.3 miles that I ran today.

This race is getting bigger, and the eave system works well. There were lots of portapotty and 3 Goo stations, but we could use a few more water stations. Post race food was a handout bag of bakery and banana, but you can get more if you like. At least they are not stingy with water this year. Metal was nice and big, doubles as a coaster.

All in all, I love this race, no matter how hilly it is. I wish the organizers would actually read some comments, but for their sake, they really need to fix the mile marker issue. On the other hand, if that is all I can complains about this race, it must be pretty darn good. Well, it is truly a beautiful experience.

This was my first marathon and I loved it! I grew up in the bay area and so had to go back for my first marathon. Warning: if you do not regularly run on hills, do not do this as your first marathon. I live in a fairly hilly area, so it was tough but doable. If you live somewhere flat, don't do this. This hills start at 2.5 miles and continue til 23. The scenery more than made up for the hills though. I loved the inspirational sayings on sign posts along the way (especially those halfway up the hills). All in all a great experience but not good for those unprepared for hills

Like many other runners, I had major concerns about the hills on this course and wondered if i would end up regretting signing up for it on whim. After running the full marathon in 2010 I can say it was one of the best impulsive decisions I've made. The weather was perfect, the scenery was unmatched, the aid stations were plentiful and well placed, and the pace group (3:50) was great. I live in Chicago, so I was nervous that my lack of hill training would be a problem. It wasn't. I stuck with my pacers during the big hills before and after the golden gate bridge and I was fine. I would highly recommend this race to all that are considering it.

The race had a lot of hills and challenges. It also had nice scenery. The race had a lot of spectators too.

Having read reviews of the 2009 marathon, my expectations were very low. I planned to run it at a leisurely pace while on vacation with my family in California.

The race was very well organized. There were enough water stations and the course was clearly marked. The terrain was not too challenging (except the downhill parts, probably) and the vistas simply superb. The weather was just ideal. I would run it again without hesitation. After all, I run my personal best there.

Great tech shirts (they offer women's shirts that fit properly!). Running over the GG Bridge is lovely.