Definitely a fun race with lots of fun people and some seriously fun costumes…read more Good Stuff: The course, through Golden Gate Park, is beautiful. A bit hilly at times, but manageable. It was easy to get in and out of the event and we arrived an hour before the start time and had no problem finding free street parking. It was also not too congested at the start and, although they didn't do waves, they kept it slowly moving through. Nice shirts and medals. The Not-So-Good Stuff: There were a few narrow spots along the route and apparently a lot of people don't understand the concept of "slower people on the right, faster people on the left." Seriously. Stop walking four-wide. More importantly, what was with the lack of water stations?! And by "lack" I mean there were none. Zero. When we got to the end, they were handing out water bottles but is was a flavored kind...tasted good but I would have preferred plain water.

I know that races that are more of "fun runs" are not generally as organized. And I completely…read moreunderstand that as the first time to be hosted in SF, there might have been a few glitches. But seriously - the ENTIRE race was poorly organized and there was NO SUPPORT on the field at all. If I were you, I would save my money for the Color Run. Awesome support and atittude by staff and volunteers, as well as participants.

This was my second mermaid run this year. This race offered a 10 miler, 10k, 5k, and mini-mermaid…read morerun for girls. I did the half marathon in May at Quarry Lakes in Fremont and signed up for the Sirena 10 Miler run this past weekend. Since I'm from the south bay, I appreciated that they had a packet pick up location in Sunnyvale. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to that one or the second pick up day the following day in San Francisco. I ended up picking up my packet on race day. The mermaids series does a great job informing runners on race day information, including where to park. I do love races that offer free parking too. I arrived with 10 minutes before starting time and barely got my bib in time before the race began. The packet pick up lines could be more efficient... maybe more volunteers helping with the Sirena 10 miler would have been better since that race started first. The race itself was 100x better than the race I ran earlier in Fremont. It was great just being able to run across the Golden Gate Bridge. Just be prepared for some fog. Since it's a race in San Francisco, be prepared for some hills... It's not too bad. It's definitely easier than the hills we encountered during the Nike Women's Half Marathon last month. Overall, I enjoyed the race and the scenery. I got a cute necklace at the end with the same "Run Strong" theme as the tech shirt. After the race, you'll be in line for the post-race food that included bagels, Clementine, and juice. The expo is a bit small and crowded. Don't forget to join others at the photo booth area afterwards.

This is gonna sound weird but I had a great time running the 10K. Truly! I was a little nervous…read morerunning my 1st race in 3 years and though I hadn't trained as much as I should have, I finished at least 10 minutes under my goal time. I gave it my all! So much easier to do that when everyone around you is doing the same! I feel so good, I'm already planning my 8th half-marathon with my husband. The race was very organized. Signage was clear, there were enough water stations, and for the 10K, it was obvious where you need to turnaround for the loop back to Fort Point. The volunteers were handing out water, sports drinks, and chunks of Luna bars. The only thing I didn't like was having to loop back to Fort Point at Mile 3. But I am thankful that I didn't have to go up the hill like the 10 Miler runners. This is a small race, so the Little Marina Green was a perfect place to have the start/finish line. I got my bib a few days before the race in Berkeley, so I didn't have to get in line that morning. I tried my hand at Bra Pong, but only one of throws was successful, so I only won a Spork. Parking at the Marina Green was very convenient. It's only a short walk from there to the Little Marina Green. We got there around 6:40 am, so there were still lots of spaces. Get there early for no hassle parking. The food after you cross the finish line consisted of ripe bananas, yogurt, bagels and cream cheese and some pastries. Volunteers also hand you bottled water at the end. I was going to brunch with my husband and friends, so I didn't bother with such sugary food! I ran the inaugural Title 9K a while back in San Jose, and I have to say that this is a much better venue! The services are better too on the course. I 'm glad I learned about this race from a friend! It's always fun running a race with friends!

I have been attending the Celebrity golf events for a few years now. Each year gets better and…read morebetter! See you in Sept!!!

We went to compete, volunteer, and cheer in 2011. Last year was just competing and cheering. I'd…read moresay we have a pretty good idea of how this triathlon holds up to others and it's terrific. Things of note to racers: - The race talk is important. - Pay attention when they tell you about the currents. They're not kidding! - There's a bagpiper at the start of the race (LOVE!). - They sang the national anthem. - There's carpeting leading in and out of the water so that racers don't hurt their feet on stones. - Some parts of the course are confusing. The bike and run involve a few loops and are sometimes biking/running along side one another. It's not always clear which way bikes should go and which way runners should go. - Both the bike and run start and end near a challenging hill. Things to note for volunteers: - Although there's a sign-up online, it's not necessary to do so. You can volunteer where needed the day of the race. - The volunteers are SUPPOSED to have specific time slots, but I witnessed several volunteers who were never given relief and felt compelled to stay MUCH longer than they agreed. Things to note for people cheering: - Be careful not to walk on the course. There are many places where it seems okay to stand or walk where it's not. - Since everything starts and ends close to the transition area, it's convenient to set up camp in a single location and cheer on your racers. - You should bring snacks and drinks as there isn't a whole lot available at the race. Not to say that there's nothing. Just not much. - Cell phone reception is spotty. We had three different carriers between us and none of us had a consistent signal. There were times when we didn't have signal at all.

Absolutely awesome race. I ran the Half Oyster race on Sep 26, 2009 with two of my friends (Team…read moreTree!). The race started a bit early-- at 9 AM. Unfortunately, we had some bike problems at the start of the race and didn't get out of the gates until 9:35 AM. We knew we were in dead last. We rode our bikes over to the Ferry Building farmer's market and had to find objects that began with the letters in Oyster--orange, yellow lemon, star ruby grapefruit, tamil almond, extra virgin olive oil, and red pepper. After dropping off our bikes at the transition area, we had to go over to the Lyon Staircase and go through Lover's Lane and find letters on trees. We were completely out of breath at the top of the stairs. We ran along the path, occasionally into the woods, looking for letters around trees marked with pink string. One lady looked at me strangely as I ran into the woods to find my next letter. "Is there supposed to be something back there?" she asked. Finally, we unscrambled our word, which was "Bowling" and headed over to the Presidio bowling alley, where we had to bowl a strike or spare. It was odd bowling while all sweaty and somewhat out of breath. Finally, after heading back to the transition area, we had to find an ad in the SF Weekly, which then told us to go to the Ghirardelli Square pub, where we had to match four beers. We were very lucky to get it on our first try. We finished in a little under 3 hours, which was not bad, considering our late start. It was an awesome race, tons of fun, and they provided cliff bars, water, and burritos for us afterward. It was awesome checking in between legs, with people cheering and ringing some cow bell. Definitely check out the race if you enjoy adventure and running around. Having an iphone is a pretty big help.

We had a great time! Our team of 5 did the full Oyster and…read morefor 3 of us it was our first. Our first challenge was a long ride from the Persideo to South of Market where we got to identify herbs and then toss fish between team mates. For future racers, be warned...WATER IS INVOLVED. We cycled over to Pier 40 where 3 of our team had to use paddle boards to navigate a simple course. Not tough, but i'm not a big fan of deep water...and there weren't that many safety people on the water. Ok...I'm paranoid so there you go... The race is a mixture of running and cycling to different challenges. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, ran down to the yacht club and then finally up to Alta Plaza park...the hill climb nearly killed me. For next year, I will: * Begin running well in advance of the race. 1 week before is not good. * Drink more water! My tips for future racers: * Dress in layers. People not used to SF weather were not happy. * Bring another outfit. Several people who ended up in the bay were soaked all day. *The event provides a transition area....bring some shade. * Turn it down a notch...we saw more than a few racers loose it. The prizes aren't so big that you need to kill people to win. Breathe. You're tossing fish...this is not the olympics. * This would be a good event for older, athletic, kids. I saw 1 or 2, it would be cool to see more. My kids would love this. Especially the challenge where we used a sling-shot to fire our shoes into the air. * Burritos at the end! They are awesome!

This is my second year running this race and I absolutely love the course. There are some beautiful…read moreviews of the bridge and of the city while running this race that it is hard not to stop and take a picture (hopefully it won't slow you down too much!). Surprisingly for a race in SF, this is a relatively flat race. Most of the tough hills are from mile 3 to 5. After you get across the bridge to Marin, there is a downhill portion that is all gravel and one year it was really foggy so the ground was a bit slippery. Even when it is dry, because it is loose gravel, be careful. After that portion there is a steep uphill to get back to onto the bridge but thankfully it is on paved ground. This race is tough for spectators to get to the course and show their support. A lot of the course is not accessible by car due to it being on paths and also many of the streets being closed. So when getting to a particular segment they might find that they're walking a bit to get a good spot to support the runners. I think SoFi puts on a great event and am looking forward to running this race again in the future.

No reviews for Golden Gate Half Marathon? Hmmm.... I wonder…read morewhy? Well this past weekend I embarked my 15th half marathon? and sadly but surely I thought this event was going to be a blast but I was left feeling disappointed. I felt the race wasn't hyped up as it should be... Let's start off with the Pro's and Con's Pro's -registration was easy Confirmation emails were sent Pick up packet-easy, but I read many complaints on FB that, why couldn't they have a pick up the day of without paying a fee of $39.00????? Con's I couldn't find the check in gear station Barely any signs were listed on which mile you were at? Previous run, they are listed each mile. Me trying to gauge how many miles did I just run was annoying... Not a lot of supporters The Golden Gate bridge lanes were not open for the runners, the walk way was very slippery. In fact I saw someone injured on the bridge. The SF half has had previous lanes open to runners, why not GG half? The end.. I felt kind of cheated, we were rewarded a water bottle with no water in it? We had to fill our own water. And stand in line for a banana or nutrition bar? From previous runs, its usually handed out to the runners right after the race. For those of you wanting to know the course: Start at Aqautic Park Crissy Fields Fort Mason Presidio GG Bridge underneath GG bridge turn around back towards the end of Marina Green. Thank you GG Half Marathon, but I won't be participating next year.

We just did the race this past weekend and we definitely got a run for our money, in a good way…read morethat is. It is a photo scavenger hunt so one person on the team need to have a camera for you to take the pictures for proof. Each team member needs to be in the photo so you will need to either rely on the kindness of strangers to take the picture for you or bring a tripod. Having a smart phone is also a huge advantage for looking up answers or locations of things. Not having one for us ended up being a challenge so to even out the playing field, it might be a good idea for them to either have a smart phone or tablet at the departure point for those without smart phones to use at the start of the race.

I did this race last weekend with a group of friends and as a fan of the Amazing Race TV show, I…read morewas very excited to see what kind of event this would be. In reality, this is a city-wide scavenger hunt so don't expect any big physical challenges or activities like the show. There are clues, which you need to read carefully to complete, and tasks you have to complete within time constraints. There was one 'ice breaker' activity that took place before the race started and my only complaint would be that that wasn't explained very clearly so it ended up counting for way more points than I thought it should have. The race itself is really fun and a great way to explore the city -- we were all current or former SF residents and we agreed that there were plenty of new places we discovered during the race. The weather was really beautiful when we did this race, so we worked up a sweat running around. I'd recommend comfortable shoes and if you have a Muni pass, bring it along because you are allowed to use PT. You also need a camera to take photos of all the items you have to find -- we designated one person's phone camera as the one to take pics and that system worked well. Also, you may want to think of a team name before the event bc you get points for originality on your team name too. Overall, a super fun way to spend the day and I definitely have a whole new appreciation for the people that compete on the real show. After 3+ hours of running around SF, we were all exhausted!

This was my first Double Race and wasn't really sure what to expect. Sure, I've ran 2 races in one…read moreweekend.. even 2 Half Marathon's in one day but never 2 races with less than hour in between the 2. First race - 5k Second race - 3k I discovered this event via Groupon where a deal was being offered, when I purchased the deal the race was due to be in San Francisco on a trail and the reason why I purchased the deal. I love trails, it's my happy place. But then later the location changed to a flat, paved course at Oyster Point and I was unable to get a refund, If you're going to change the location then there should be a chance for Runners to get refunds regardless of any special deals. Anyway, I also signed my Husband up for the 5mile Hike (he was expecting a trail too) and we arrived early on race morning to pick up our packet which was quick and relatively easy. For some reason they had my Husband down as ''no shirt'' despite me selecting his size and it being part of the Groupon. The set up was smaller than I expected with an area set up with mats and foam rollers, a tent with containers of food laid out (chips, oranges, apples, nut bars and water) and a Coffee station. M Husbands Hike was due to start 30 minute before my first race and was very disorganized, they had no real announcement, just one person rounding those wearing red bibs up and it started almost 10 minutes later than planned. My first race start was also much the same to the point I actually missed the start. Again no announcement was made and I thought I had time to use the restroom which was situated right next to the start line. I heard no announcement or horn to indicate the start so when I came out of the bathroom I saw everyone had already started and it was a mad dash down the shute and over the start line fumbling with my pace trackers and IPod. At the time I didn't think my starting late would be a problem as the race bibs had timing chips on the back like any race would but as it turned out it was not officially timed and the clock was just there ''for show''. I caught up with the other Runners fairly quickly, zig-zagging through them and into the front of the pack and finished placing 1st overall. Although they saw I started late and it was clear I finished first I had to give the organizers my time.. I was wearing 2 pace trackers of which they said they had to take the slowest time which was fair but not completely accurate as I started both before crossing the start line and after crossing the finish line adding time. Given that this is an event with cash prizes this is not at all how timing should be done. The second race went a little smoother and being 1st place in the 5k I was asked to start right at the very front of the pack for ''picture purposes'' where I was given a yellow tank to wear. All eye's on me was kind of awkward. Despite the cold and my Leg's becoming incredibly stiff I amazingly outran track runners half my age and placed 1st overall again. Say what?! The awards ceremony took a while to start where awards were given to 1st overall (trophy and $100) with awards to the top 3 in each 10 year age group (a large medal). All finishers got a smaller medal, shirt and bag. Despite the organization of this event I had a great morning, I bumped into a fellow Represent Running Ambassador who was also racing and everybody was so encouraging and friendly although I'm not sure if I would do another. Personal: After Running over 500 miles in the 5 weeks previous and considering how cold it was I am amazed I ran so well. 20 minute something 5k and 12 minute something 3k.. not even close to my PR's but still in the 6 minute mile bracket. The cash prize was great but the highlight of this for me was the comment from a girlfriend ''Girl you really are an Elite Athlete. You inspire me every day''. Key word making me smile being Inspire, that made my day. - Crazy Runner Girl

5K review only. Now it may seem bizarre to pay to run a course that is completely open to the…read morepublic and that anyone could run on their own time, but I am happy to support a small local race like Zombie Runner. After all, I can't name any other race in SF that boasts beautiful views of Golden Gate Bridge, has plenty of parking, and has race day bib pickup! Because the race takes place in September, you're pretty much guaranteed to have nice weather too (cool and ideal running conditions in the morning but nice and sunny by the time you finish and are ready to enjoy the day!). We chose this race because it was convenient for the reasons above plus the 5K started at 9:40AM. I'm a night owl so all those early morning races over the years have been brutal. The half-marathon has an 9AM start which is unheard of (imagine waking up and the sun is out as you prepare for a half!). You can get a shirt when you sign up but we opted out of that to save a few bucks. Don't expect to PR. There is a section in the course that requires you to go up a set of stairs as you make your way to the bridge and there are other joggers and bikers throughout the course you need the maneuver around. But overall it's a really lovely course and well organized (yay for cupless aid/water stations!), all things considered. You get a cute medal when you finish and there is a little refreshments table with some post-run fuel (e.g., orange slices, granola bars, etc). Finally, another reason this race rocks is that there are nicer bathroom options than most races. The start was at East Beach Park in the Presidio which has clean bathrooms. The half marathon takes you to Land's End which also has real bathrooms. It's the little things :)

There were no zombies on this race, but you'll probably feel like one after finishing! Considering…read morethe 7:00am start time, you'll probably feel like one in the morning, too. Arrive well before the start time to pick up your packet, which is only available on race day. You'll also need the time to walk over the to the start line, which is a few minutes' walk away from the parking. Be prepared for challenging terrain and inclines. Half marathoners travel all the way from the Marina Green to Land's End and back along the Golden Gate Promenade and Coastal Trail. Though the Golden Gate Promenade is flat, trickier parts of the course include tall staircases, rocky terrain, and steep hills. The course was well-marked with brightly colored flags, so I never worried about getting lost. Despite the overcast weather, the ocean and various San Francisco landmarks made for a scenic course. Runners pass by Crissy Field, the Golden Gate Bridge, Battery Chamberlin, Baker Beach, Land's End, the Sutro Baths, and other sights. Being new to San Francisco, I appreciated this tour. The aid stations were well-stocked with drinks as well as an array of snacks. The small number of port-a-potties worked well for the smaller cohort of runners at this event. There were also actual restrooms at the Land's End Visitor Center. If you're feeling up to the challenge of a trail run, ZombieRunner San Francisco is a nice race to consider!