My first half marathon! This was an awesome intro course for a 1/2 marathon newbie like myself, and…read moreI'm glad that my inaugural race was on such a breathtakingly beautiful course. Here's my lowdown:
The Expo:
+ We went to Sports Basement around 2:30pm the Saturday before, and there was slight congestion in the Presidio. There were energy drinks, electrolyte chews, Clif Bars, Zico coconut water, 5 hour energy, and some other stuff I can't remember. Quite small for an expo, but I was happy for the freebies.
+ You pick up your racing bib and t-shirt here. I liked the t-shirt design this year, but I would've preferred a long sleeve shirt. They're warmer and more useful. Don't be cheap, guys; make a long-sleeve shirt next time.
The Race: The Good:
+ Like I said, the course is breathtakingly beautiful. I took the 28 bus around 6am to the end of the line at Fort Mason, and I walked through the Fort Mason Green as dawn was breaking. As you walk up the hills and then down another hill, you're greeted by a tranquil and gorgeous view of the Bay, with the shadowy currents and the purple-pink colors of the dawn. There are boats and piratey ships floating in the distance, and the lights of Ghirardelli Square twinkle against the retreating darkness. A beautiful scene. I almost feel like that view alone make this race worth it!
+ The course is so pretty! You start at Aquatic Park, and run up into the Marina District, along the Marina Green and Crissy Field, into the Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge, into the Marin Headlands, and then loop back around the same way. For SF-ers, I think this race is enough to make you fall back in love with this City. For visitors, this race could very well make you see why people are infatuated with this City.
The Race: What Needs Improvement:
+ There needs to be more mile markers. I think I only saw a few, and it would be helpful to have more of them - this is something that can be easily fixed, without much work.
+ More water stations. The website advertised 6 water aid stations, but I only counted 5. I feel like an extra station would've made a big difference. Also, some of the stations were spaced out really far apart, and at many points, I found myself really hoping for and needing water and getting somewhat irritated that there weren't more stations. Don't be cheap, guys. It's just water. We need it. But, I honestly can't count on the race organizers to add more next time, so if I run this course again, I will definitely bring my own water bottle.
+ Bottlenecks on the GG Bridge. I read that during past races, they only had ONE side of the bridge open for runners, which just sounds pretty insane to me. This time, they opened both sides of the bridge for runners, and even with that, there was still congestion at certain points. It's hard to pass people, and this definitely slows you down. I read that the SF Marathon manages to get the City to close down a few lanes of traffic, and I think it'd be a good idea to do that here too.
+ At the finish line festival, there needed to be more water. That tank of water was out of water not long after the race. Come on guys, you really need to step it up and give us more water here. I feel like this whole not-enough-water thing could be a potential liability (yes, I'm a law student) - I mean, you don't want people to pass out or have something worse happen to them. Don't be cheap - get more water. The other things being passed out - coconut water, Pop Chips, Peasant Pies, etc. - were alright.
So, I'd say that the positive aspects of this race are largely due to the scenery itself. So props for choosing a really pretty race course. As to the organization of the race, it could be improved so that the running experience is even better for everyone. I'd still recommend this race to anyone looking to run a 1/2 marathon, but I'd caution them as to the above points.
