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Marathon Details - Golden Hills Trail Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CA > Berkeley > Golden Hills Trail Marathon

Golden Hills Trail Marathon

Berkeley, CA USA

October 10, 2015

http://www.goldenhillsmarathon.com

Marathon Results

By Year:

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

Point to point trail marathon, follows East Bay Skyline National Trail from Berkeley to Castro Valley, CA

Contact Information

Name:	Julie Fingar
Address:
Phone Number:	916.765.6021
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (10)

Course 4.4

Organization 4.6

Spectators 3.2

Write a review

Number of comments: 10

K. M. from Calgary, Canada (10/14/2009) "What a race!!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My husband and I ran the marathon course. We both had been to Boston and were now looking for something a little different. Wow! Was this different! This was our second trail marathon - the other being the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon. The Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon would be considered a road race compared to this true single track trail marathon. This was by far the most difficult marathon we had ever completed, but it was very rewarding! The experience was great, but the course was very challenging - lots of hills straight up and lots of declines straight down. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The organization was top-notch and the aid station volunteers were excellent. Every few miles an aid station would appear that was stocked with everything a person could imagine. They were great! One neat part of the race was meeting the ultra-marathoners on the same course heading towards us while we were heading to the marathon finish line. What a great group of runners they are... very inspirational to say the least. It was nice to say hello and to give them some words of encouragement while they completed their 50-mile run. The finish line was great - lots of terrific food (burgers, salads, soup, carrot cake) and a nice, cold beer! We won't race this one again as we were out-of-towners, but it is definitely a run I will always remember. Oh, and for you competitive runners: yes, some of us added a good hour to our road marathon times. Be prepared for that. We knew that was going to be the case, so we just took it all in and enjoyed the whole experience.
J. W. from Oakland, CA (10/13/2009) "Extremely well organized, beautiful, challenging" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this event - the organization was great; the support was incredible; aid stations at every 2-4 miles, with helpful volunteers; and the after-race was the best (the food was great, and I especially liked the ART specialist). And the point-to-point course is amazingly beautiful, challenging with diverse scenery/elevation changes, and it keeps you interested and moving. I highly recommend this race, but it is not for everyone. If you have never run technical trails, then this is not your race - run a road marathon. For trail runners, you can't go wrong with this marathon.
Natasha Sandrock from San Diego, CA (7/1/2009) "Loved It" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Golden Hills Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Great event - I'll be running my 4th year this year. I'm looking to shave another 23 minutes off my time. The course is by far the most beautiful marathon course out there. My advice: look at the course before you run it. There are 5,900 feet of climbs. Great aid and after-race BBQ.
T. J. from United States (4/24/2009) "Not a positive experience" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I ran this marathon in 2007; and in all honesty, I did not enjoy it at all. I felt that the entire area was like running through a jungle; the hills were extremely steep, and parts of the trails were so narrow that I thought I would fall over the edge. Very dangerous! I will not ever run this marathon again
S. M. from Oakland, CA (10/12/2008) "Redwoods and jelly beans" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My first trail marathon. Really outstanding. The course is lovely. I live in Oakland and I never realized that there was this much natural beauty within 10 miles of my apartment. It's like running through a prehistoric forest. In the middle sections people tend to get a little bit spread out, so there's seriously nobody around, no noise from cars, no airplanes flying overhead. Amazing solitude. And for only $60, the race is put together ridiculously well. Aid stations have helpful volunteers to refill your water for you, jelly beans, potatoes, sandwiches, cut-up granola bars. Just what you need for the crazy hills at Mile 20. Definitely making this a yearly thing.
R. H. from Atherton, CA (10/25/2007) "Great course, well-run trail marathon" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 Golden Hills Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great point-to-point trail course. Lots of hills, varied scenery: great vistas in the beginning, cathedral-like redwoods in the middle (where the steepest trails are), more exposed and flatter at the end. The marathon is held on the same day as a 50-mile run, the Fire Trails 50, that shares much of the same course (the 50-mile run is out-and-back), and the marathoners use the same aid stations as the 50-milers. The aid station provisions are aimed at the 50-milers, so they tend to be more lavish than what you'll find at the typical marathon. There's no announced cut-off time for the marathon, but it's effectively 10 1/2 hours, based on the 50-mile cut-off time.
N. S. from San Diego, CA (10/15/2007) "Beautiful, Demanding Course" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Golden Hills Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Second year running this race - the course is simply beautiful. The support is the best of any marathon ever. This has become an annual tradition.
T. C. from Cleveland, OH (2/23/2007) "Amazing course, scenery, and volunteers" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was an incredibly beautiful and incredibly difficult course. I think I am permanently biased in favor of small trail races over the big-city road races after this one, though. The people running in it - and the people volunteering - were so nice and helpful, especially for me coming from out of town. The hills were very difficult, again especially for me, who lives in the Midwest. My time was 2 hours slower than a marathon I ran in April of the same year, but definitely well worth it!
Vic Culp from Virginia (10/9/2006) "Nicest Trails I have ever run" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 With 6,000 feet of up and down, this is not your PR course (add 1 hour to your road marathon time). Very scenic views of San Francisco, so stop and take in the sites. There is a four-mile section at miles 11-15 through Redwood groves that is like running on a groomed trail. There are 7 aid stations (you need to carry a water bottle) are oriented toward Ultra Runners with real food and drink options. Don't stay too long, the BBQ at the finish is waiting. Tech shirt for all entrants, wine glass for all finishers.
Joel Wilson from Berkeley, CA (4/20/2006) "beautiful and challenging course, great food!" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a small-scale marathon that crosses multiple parks in the hills behind Berkeley and Oakland. It is very beautiful with quite a few steep and challenging hills - close to 6,000 feet worth! There are very few if any fans along the course, but that is expected and makes it a quiet and peaceful run. The trails are fun, and the event was well organized. There's an aid station every few miles with lots of gels, bars, fruit, chocolate, and more. The food seems to keep getting better until you get to a really awesome BBQ at the end.



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K. M. from Calgary, Canada (10/14/2009) "What a race!!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My husband and I ran the marathon course. We both had been to Boston and were now looking for something a little different. Wow! Was this different! This was our second trail marathon - the other being the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon. The Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon would be considered a road race compared to this true single track trail marathon. This was by far the most difficult marathon we had ever completed, but it was very rewarding! The experience was great, but the course was very challenging - lots of hills straight up and lots of declines straight down. Definitely not for the faint of heart. The organization was top-notch and the aid station volunteers were excellent. Every few miles an aid station would appear that was stocked with everything a person could imagine. They were great! One neat part of the race was meeting the ultra-marathoners on the same course heading towards us while we were heading to the marathon finish line. What a great group of runners they are... very inspirational to say the least. It was nice to say hello and to give them some words of encouragement while they completed their 50-mile run. The finish line was great - lots of terrific food (burgers, salads, soup, carrot cake) and a nice, cold beer! We won't race this one again as we were out-of-towners, but it is definitely a run I will always remember. Oh, and for you competitive runners: yes, some of us added a good hour to our road marathon times. Be prepared for that. We knew that was going to be the case, so we just took it all in and enjoyed the whole experience.
J. W. from Oakland, CA (10/13/2009) "Extremely well organized, beautiful, challenging" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this event - the organization was great; the support was incredible; aid stations at every 2-4 miles, with helpful volunteers; and the after-race was the best (the food was great, and I especially liked the ART specialist). And the point-to-point course is amazingly beautiful, challenging with diverse scenery/elevation changes, and it keeps you interested and moving. I highly recommend this race, but it is not for everyone. If you have never run technical trails, then this is not your race - run a road marathon. For trail runners, you can't go wrong with this marathon.
Natasha Sandrock from San Diego, CA (7/1/2009) "Loved It" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Golden Hills Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Great event - I'll be running my 4th year this year. I'm looking to shave another 23 minutes off my time. The course is by far the most beautiful marathon course out there. My advice: look at the course before you run it. There are 5,900 feet of climbs. Great aid and after-race BBQ.
T. J. from United States (4/24/2009) "Not a positive experience" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I ran this marathon in 2007; and in all honesty, I did not enjoy it at all. I felt that the entire area was like running through a jungle; the hills were extremely steep, and parts of the trails were so narrow that I thought I would fall over the edge. Very dangerous! I will not ever run this marathon again
S. M. from Oakland, CA (10/12/2008) "Redwoods and jelly beans" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My first trail marathon. Really outstanding. The course is lovely. I live in Oakland and I never realized that there was this much natural beauty within 10 miles of my apartment. It's like running through a prehistoric forest. In the middle sections people tend to get a little bit spread out, so there's seriously nobody around, no noise from cars, no airplanes flying overhead. Amazing solitude. And for only $60, the race is put together ridiculously well. Aid stations have helpful volunteers to refill your water for you, jelly beans, potatoes, sandwiches, cut-up granola bars. Just what you need for the crazy hills at Mile 20. Definitely making this a yearly thing.
R. H. from Atherton, CA (10/25/2007) "Great course, well-run trail marathon" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 Golden Hills Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great point-to-point trail course. Lots of hills, varied scenery: great vistas in the beginning, cathedral-like redwoods in the middle (where the steepest trails are), more exposed and flatter at the end. The marathon is held on the same day as a 50-mile run, the Fire Trails 50, that shares much of the same course (the 50-mile run is out-and-back), and the marathoners use the same aid stations as the 50-milers. The aid station provisions are aimed at the 50-milers, so they tend to be more lavish than what you'll find at the typical marathon. There's no announced cut-off time for the marathon, but it's effectively 10 1/2 hours, based on the 50-mile cut-off time.
N. S. from San Diego, CA (10/15/2007) "Beautiful, Demanding Course" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Golden Hills Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Second year running this race - the course is simply beautiful. The support is the best of any marathon ever. This has become an annual tradition.
T. C. from Cleveland, OH (2/23/2007) "Amazing course, scenery, and volunteers" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was an incredibly beautiful and incredibly difficult course. I think I am permanently biased in favor of small trail races over the big-city road races after this one, though. The people running in it - and the people volunteering - were so nice and helpful, especially for me coming from out of town. The hills were very difficult, again especially for me, who lives in the Midwest. My time was 2 hours slower than a marathon I ran in April of the same year, but definitely well worth it!
Vic Culp from Virginia (10/9/2006) "Nicest Trails I have ever run" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 With 6,000 feet of up and down, this is not your PR course (add 1 hour to your road marathon time). Very scenic views of San Francisco, so stop and take in the sites. There is a four-mile section at miles 11-15 through Redwood groves that is like running on a groomed trail. There are 7 aid stations (you need to carry a water bottle) are oriented toward Ultra Runners with real food and drink options. Don't stay too long, the BBQ at the finish is waiting. Tech shirt for all entrants, wine glass for all finishers.
Joel Wilson from Berkeley, CA (4/20/2006) "beautiful and challenging course, great food!" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Golden Hills Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a small-scale marathon that crosses multiple parks in the hills behind Berkeley and Oakland. It is very beautiful with quite a few steep and challenging hills - close to 6,000 feet worth! There are very few if any fans along the course, but that is expected and makes it a quiet and peaceful run. The trails are fun, and the event was well organized. There's an aid station every few miles with lots of gels, bars, fruit, chocolate, and more. The food seems to keep getting better until you get to a really awesome BBQ at the end.

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Marathon Details - Golden Hills Trail Marathon