Destination: Golden Gate Park -- 13.1 miles
Sunday is the San Francisco Marathon and I'm getting ready to do a Half Marathon (13.1 miles). This will be the the third time I've done the race and always enjoy the view and the people.
Here is a picture taken today when I picked up my bib at the Expo.
The Course - The Start Line is conveniently located in downtown San Francisco along the waterfront, on the Embarcadero at Mission Street. The staging area will be held steps away from the Start and Finish, in Justin Herman Plaza, across from the Ferry Building at Market and Steuart Streets.
The 1st Half follows the first half of the Marathon course. The 1st Half Marathon starts along the famed Embarcadero - at the newly renovated Ferry Building and Food Mart, going west along Little Italy, through Fisherman's Wharf and passing the fishing boat marina. Running just feet from the Bay in Aquatic Park and up Fort Mason hill, spectacular views of the Bay and of the Golden Gate Bridge greet you at the top.
You continue west along the Marina, where the course takes you past private yachts. Then Crissy Field in the Presidio shows off the some of the most beautiful San Francisco coastline with sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean.
You will then run up to the Bridge entrance, enter the road bed and cross the amazing Golden Gate Bridge. The high, reddish beams will tower over your head as thousands overtake the Bridge for the marathon. At the Bridges end, you will exit the roadbed and loop around Vista Point only to return back across the Bridge. Heading southwest, you will continue on through the Presidio, past Baker Beach and through the magnificent Seacliff neighborhood. Turning south you will exit the Presidio running through the Richmond Neighborhood District entering Golden Gate Park. Turning east you will finish along John F. Kennedy Drive at the Rose Garden.
The starting line for the race is a block to the right of the Ferry building (towards the SF Bay Bridge). If running across the Golden Gate Bridge is anything like last year, it should be foggy and wet.
The race starts at 5:30 AM so I need to get some sleep!
Comments
Wow, what a great post on what looks to be a great Marathon!
I just started running again, and with the investment I put into the Nike+ kit (new nano, shoes, armband and sport kit) I'm going to really get serious about it this time.
Living in NY, I've always wanted to be at the center of tech, in CA. I visited California for the first time this May for the E3 convention for my website, but was in the LA/Carlsbad areas, didn't get to visit SF.
I'm hoping to train this entire year and run this race next year, for perhaps my first marathon, or half marathon. My fathers run the Boston 3 times completely, so I'm sure I'll make him proud if I continue the tradition and run at least one. It sounds like a beautiful way to really see the area.
Great blog by the way, lots of great running & tech stuff, just like mine! I added you to my neighborhood, hope you don't mine.
Feel free to check out my blog too.
http://iancube.vox.com