Steph F.

This was not my first half marathon but it was one of the more challenging ones due to the Berkeley hills. I would not recommend this race for first timers. I know this race is still fairly new but I felt the race was still fairly organized. I mainly signed up for the race because of the race challenge I saw the previous year where you ran the Berkeley Half Marathon on Sunday and then run the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot the following Thursday. Sadly, the only year I run this race is the year they did not participate in the challenge. The race begins with hills and ends with a hill. The broken streets were also not that pleasant to run on because I had to constantly look down to make sure I don't trip. Also, you don't really get a full picture of the city. It would have been nice to be able to run through The eyes Telegraph or the Cal campus. Lately, not all the roads has full closed and I was detoured a couple of times due to car traffic. Packet pick up at the Berkeley Sports Basement was a breeze and race day parking was easy. Don't worry about using Spot Hero to reserve an expensive spot because the parking garage downtown near the start of the race was open. They also advertised parking at Berkeley High School but we couldn't find the entrance to get in. My favorite part was post race because there are so many good food options to choose from.

Emil C.

I ran the half marathon in 2017. It was my first time running this race and overall I was pretty impressed with how everything went! The race packet pick-up/expo was held at Sports Basement a couple of blocks north of the Ashby BART station. It was well organized and well executed. First I picked up my race bib. My bib number was emailed to me prior to race weekend. I then followed the arrows on the ground to where I needed to go next. After picking up the race shirt, I came across several vendor tables before going through the rest of the store. The race started at the intersection of Milvia St and Bancroft Way. There was a huge cache of portapotties also located on Milvia St next to the Civic Center. The course was pretty much a large counter-clockwise loop of Berkeley. It's a challenging course with plenty of rollers, so make sure to do your hill training! The finisher medal was nice looking as well as the San Francisco/Berkeley Challenge medal. The post race organization was superb. Besides the medal, we were given a mylar blanket to stay warm, a banana, snacks, and drinks. There were people directing and funneling the finishers into the post race celebration area located in the Berkeley high school. The only thing that I would complain about was that the 10k participants were mixed into the half marathon crowd making the course a bit congested.

Phil A.

I thought the race was great. The inaugural year they had a 10 mile race option and I ran that, I skipped year 2 cause I was out of town, last year ran the 10K and this year the 5K. The 5K is a challenging course, basically going slightly uphill the first mile, and mile 2 was definitely all uphill and it gets steep, but mile 3 is all downhill so you can make up for time lost. I thought the rain made the race even better, besides, real runners luv running in the rain!! I think the best part of this race is running through the streets of Berkeley, how often do you get a chance to do that?? This is on my list of favorite races and I'll try and run it every year if possible!!

Elaine Y.

Sorry for the late review, did not realize I did not finish it back in November 2016, so here goes....Picked up my BIB from Sports Basement today and Expected to see more vendors there and instead, there were about a handful of vendors. Pretty non exciting. However sports basement was offering 20% off shoes and winter clothing. Unfortunately, on race day the weather was horrible...rain rain and more rain. Did not enjoy this run as much as my previous runs, major weather conditions spoiled it. Have to say, the event planners should have put up more tents at the finish line. There were literally no shelter around, apart from the usual food stalls, which was also limited. Everyone was drenched to the bone. Caught a cold too :( Overall, based on the weather, not an enjoyable run. Might run again and give a more positive review if it doesn't rain.

Maria C.

Inaugural! I did this race since I had participated in the SF Half earlier in the year. If you completed both races, you ended up getting the SF and Berkeley Challenge medal. That was the primary incentive in doing this race. Secondly incentive was that I had never stayed in Berkeley and explored. This was my chance! Sadly, I was disappointed with this race mainly because of the course. I presumed it was flat and I was shooting for a PR. Well, it wasn't all flat and I didn't get a PR. The weather warmed up quickly and there were times during the course where there was no shade. At one point, we were running alongside the freeway, which wasn't too thrilling. What was weird was when the terrain changed. All of a sudden we were on a trail (gravel), which was totally unexpected. It was challenging trying to dodge slower runners. Then towards the end we had switchbacks through a parking lot. Ummm no... What took the cake was that big ass hill towards the end. WTF?! The start and finish were in 2 different and far places. I felt sorry for the bf since he walked from the start to the finish (several miles away) just to meet me. The shuttle didn't take guests without bibs back to the start. BUMMER. We ended up using Uber to get back to our hotel. It would be ideal to have the start and finish located near one another for convenience! I like the long sleeve tech we received. Packet pickup was at Pyramid Brewery, which was a distance from the start/finish. Again had to Uber it. The packet pickup was kind of dysfunctional since it was located upstairs and there was a long line to even pick up the packets. There were separate lines for the different races, which was not clearly defined. TOOK FOREVER!!! Oh well, best of luck to this race in the future! ================================================== Stats: Chip Time 2:07

Craig F.

I had to have it: the SF/Berkeley Challenge medal. I'd run the San Francisco half marathon and had also been wanting to run Berkeley, so having the opportunity to snag an extra medal made sense (as it always does, really.) I signed up, and upon a brisk, November weekend--it was 59 degrees on race day--we headed north. I expected hills, and there were;​ but the course, although challenging, was a lot of fun--changed a bit from years before, I'd heard. But I'd also expected a smoother packet pick-up. There's no race day bib pick-up. Stopping by the Sports Basement expo was mandatory, unfortunately. Usually, ​that means there will be a push for sales; but it also meant, upon this weekend anyway, for a very difficult time finding parking and a huge inconvenience. That aside, I enjoyed the race. Although I may run Berkeley again in the future, it isn't one I would register for consecutively. It's just a lot of work: driving from out of town, finding accommodations​, securing a place to park... But the medals, both Berkeley's and the SF/Berkeley Challenge's, are pretty cool. And so is Berkeley itself, and I'm glad I ran.

Wendy N.

As someone who has run this event every year, there is some constructive criticism I will offer to make this great event even better: 1) Please move the date back to the second week of November. It's hard to do something like this right before a major holiday. 2) I've heard that there were a lot of pissed off elite Half-Marathoners at the point in the course when the 10k runners merged in from their start line. Fortunately, it didn't bother me by the time I got there, but I can understand that some people are running for prize money, rankings, etc. and unnecessary crowding affects your time! 3) Beer line was a bit insane. I think it took about 30 minutes to get a beer. 4) Can we PLEASE move the course away from the freeway?!?!?! Good things: 1) Beautiful course (except for the freeway part)! 2) Great shirts and medals! 3) Well supported course- 7 stations with water, electrolytes, and even Gu Chomps at Mile 6! 4) Very organized. 5) Love the 8:00 a.m. start time! So civilized :))) 6) Reasonable entry fee ($85) with early sign up

Stephanie L.

Save $10 off 2018 registration for Half or 10K distance using my ambassador code: RUNBERKELEYSL Enter this promo under "event code" while registering- https://tinyurl.com/ycmwvn3g #eventcode #bhm #berkeleyhalf #halfmarathon #discount

Tanya A.

Free shots in the middle of a half marathon? Don't mind if I do! Actually, I didn't, but seeing those college guys offering alcohol from the sidelines was hilarious. They were just a few of the many spectators and volunteers present at this race. The course itself provided a decent tour of the area, but the amount and length of switchbacks were annoying. Inhaling car exhaust while running alongside the freeway was no good either. On the bright side, runners were treated to nice views of the bay, San Francisco, and Golden Gate Bridge. The course was mostly flat, but there were some hills, especially a steep one towards the very end of the race. Some aid stations provided Gu Chomps for energy. Love those! The finish line festival was okay, but I've seen better offerings at other races. The finisher's medal was hefty and shiny. There was beer, some snacks, a long line for massages, and not much other freebies. This was the first place I tried those Inner Peas chips, which were pretty good. Because the start and finish lines were far away from each other, you had to catch a shuttle bus back. The wait was long, and the smell was bad with so many sweaty runners packed onto a single bus. I'd advocate for a looped course next time so we wouldn't have to travel so far to get back to where we parked. As a graphic designer, I appreciate a well-designed shirt. The one from here is definitely one of my favorites. Not too interested in running this race again unless they modify their course. The high price doesn't seem worth the hassle.

Laura R.

Short version: great race, one star off for the freeway section. Long version: I signed up for this race because I got a good deal on entry and they were offering the SF/Berkeley challenge medal for running both back-to-back. I like Berkeley and it seemed like a nice race. I struggled with training, having just done a half the previous month on an injury, and decided to just run the race and do the best I could. I was nervous about the hills, but they really weren't that bad. Just when they start to get gnarly, you get a nice flat spot or healthy downhill to recover. Things were going great up until Mile 7.5. Then you get what seems like an endless stretch of freeway to run down. They call this the "waterfront" section of the race, and there is indeed a body of water on one side of you. The other side, however, is Highway 580. At around 9 am on a Sunday morning, this freeway gets pretty packed, so you get to listen to the fun sounds of traffic on one side and birds calling to each other on the other side. Water, Gu Chomps, and Nuun electrolytes were plentiful, so no worries there, which is good because it warmed up promptly at 8 am. After the hellish freeway experience, we got to run through leafy neighborhoods with lovely spectators yelling encouragement. That made it really hard to walk (even when you really want to walk), because how can you not run with all that great encouragement coming your way? The race itself was pretty well organized. I used GottaPark to reserve a space and it was really convenient. I could have probably left half an hour later, because I hit the corral with an hour and fifteen to spare, and the corrals were empty right up until about ten minutes before the gun. Traffic control could have been a bit better; Berkeley drivers are not shy about slipping between barricades and mowing down pylons to get where they need to go, and no one really seemed to notice or care. Getting out of town after the race was a bit tricky due to traffic backups, but my GPS didn't notice that half the road was still blocked, so I got the added fun of driving a stick shift through the backup on my 13.1-mile sore legs. Corral enforcement was pretty solid, although with only four corrals, there wasn't a whole lot of confusion or rule-breaking. The announcer at the start was pretty cool, didn't go overboard with the enthusiasm but still managed to get us pumped up. The Beauty & the Beast (which was a guy in a dog costume) cart was really cute. The race t-shirt was very nice. I don't tend to wear race t-shirts because I'm sentimental and save them, but it seems like it would be a good tech shirt to wear for a run in cooler weather. I skipped the expo--Berkeley is too far for me to drive to an expo just to pick up my bib--so fortunately they offered bib mailing for $10, which I was all over. They didn't mail me a wrist band to pick up my Challenge medal, but it was printed on my bib so I didn't miss out. I love the idea of having my bib and chip mailed to me; saved me a ton of time. Overall, the course was nice (except for that heinous freeway stretch) and very well supported, and the runners and spectators were great too. I'll probably sign up for next year's race ASAP.

Denise M.

The inaugural Berkeley run was my first race ever! I ran the 10k. The volunteers were awesome! Shirt and medal were fabulous! Route was great until you get to the freeway/Marina area. I was not a fan of the gravel section as it was a very narrow footpath. There also was one big muddy puddle which made it a terrible bottleneck. The zigzagging towards the end was kind of annoying. I'll definitely run this again next year...hopefully they could work out some of the course kinks.

Julie C.

My Sweet 16th Half Marathon! Though I came in with the last wave of joggers, I had a great race and improved my time over my 15th half by 11 minutes. I chose to park in the lot near Memorial Stadium so I got to preview the hilly first part of the course(don't they know the first two miles are always the worst two miles?) so I knew it would be a rough beginning. I walked the hills but still managed to keep a good pace. Bib number pickup was held at the Berkeley Sports Basement. It ran smoothly. I wasn't a big fan of the unflattering green shirt though I'm sure I'll train in it for my next event. Why not blue and gold in honor of Cal or black and yellow in honor of the BHS yellowjackets? Sweats check was well-organized by event and bib numbers. Race corrals were started at different times to deal with pacing though runners basically chose when they wanted to start. The course itself was what I expected. We went through campus, the Gourmet Ghetto, through part of North Berkeley, down Fourth Street, to the shoreline trail and back to Berkeley High. The race monitors were awesome and provided lots of moral support. The post-race snacks were lacking. Sure, a Lagunitas beer was welcome but all they offered for food were bananas. Smaller races(we probably numbered in the thousands yesterday) roll out the red carpet when it comes to taking care of tired, hungry runners. The medal was awesome. I run for the bling and for the reminder that I can accomplish the goals I set.

Alan C.

This was my 3rd half and 13th race overall. I ran this race because I had to drop out last year, and I wanted to get my challenge medal. This year, I made up for my previous failures and broke 2 hours, so I'm happy. However, I'd say the race organization/course is average or even mediocre overall, since there are a lot of small issues that drag down the experience. It's fun to run it if you need to complete the challenge medal, but a lot of times I didn't feel like I was racing so much as I was out for a regular weekend run, and there are essentially very few things to see or course highlights to remember. It's not a bad race but it's far from essential, especially if you're coming from out of town. PRE-RACE *Registration: look for online discount codes posted in other reviews or in association with its sister race, the SF Marathon. *Expo: bib pickup was held in a sports store, where I followed colored tape on the ground to wend through narrow aisles. It would be significantly better if the expo was in a back room or a big open space where people can move around. As it was, it was nearly impossible to backtrack. Furthermore, it was already very crowded when I went on Friday night. I can only imagine the congestion on Saturday, the day before the race. Additionally, it almost goes without saying, but holding the event in a store meant there were ubiquitous discount offers of stuff bought in store - annoying and unwise, since one of the cardinal rules of racing is "nothing new on race day." *Race shirt: BLACK?! Black race shirts are good for nothing but increasing your risk of being hit by a car. It was long sleeved though. *Shakeout run: unlike most pre-race shakeout events organized by the race staff, this one was at noon rather than in the AM. RACE DAY *Bag check: In every other race, checking my bag meant handing it off to a volunteer who stowed it away in a restricted area. This bag check was unmanned, meaning all the bags were self-sorted by runners who piled them near poles bearing number ranges corresponding to bib numbers. The lack of personnel continued with the post-race bag check, meaning there was nothing preventing someone from taking my bag or vice versa. *Porta-potties: toilets farther from the start line were less crowded, a fact that few people picked up on. *Start line: asinine setup meant people moving to their start corrals were forced to needle through a packed sidewalk while the space on the other side of the corrals was roped off but completely open. *Start time: very civilized 8 AM. *Mile 1: there need to be many more porta-potties at mile 1. I definitely wasted a lot of minutes there. *Crowd support: low but steady throughout the race. *Sights: not much to see past Gourmet Ghetto. Many times it felt less like a race and more like a regular weekend long run. This race no longer goes through the UC Berkeley campus and while the marina offers good views of SF and the ocean, it is also terribly crowded (see below). *Hills: there is 1 big hill in North Berkeley, but they're very manageable if you've done any hill training. *Bridge to/from the marina: unlike the Golden Gate bridge portion of the SF Marathon, this was much less crowded. Each side had 2 car lanes and a sidewalk. *10k runners: the organizers should have timed the 10k runners to start earlier or later than the time when the half runners got to where the two courses linked. Instead, the bulk of the 10k runners fought with the bulk of the half runners, resulting in severe congestion. Along the marina (see below), it was absurd. At no point in the race did I feel tired enough to need to walk because I took so many microbreaks doing stop-and-go as if I was on the freeway. *Marina: it's not really a marina so much as an oceanside paved street that is 1 lane wide on each side (!), resulting in massive congestion. Furthermore, the innermost lane is 1 concrete divider and fence away from a very active freeway (!!). I ran on one of the nosiest and most polluted course sections I've ever encountered. After a hairpin turn, the course ran on the ocean side of the road, next to an empty bike path. After debating whether to stick it out on the main crowded road, common sense prevailed and several other runners and I opted to go on the bike path, where we were able to practically fly past dozens of people. *Equipment: hats, sunglasses and gels are always a good choice, especially along the start during sunrise and the marina where there's glare reflecting off the ocean. POST-RACE *Photos: unlike every other race I've been to, there are NO photographers in the post-race food area to take a picture of you posing with your medal. The only photographers are in the beer garden, which is age-restricted and always takes a long time to enter. LAST WORDS I won't travel for this again, and I'd be reluctant to recommend it to anyone. Run it if you live in the Bay, but know this race has a long way to go before it can be considered good.