Monday, March 30, 2009

Popular running events in San Francisco

Here I summarize the most popular running events in San Francisco


1. Bay to Breakers in San Francisco

May 17, 2009

This is the biggest running/walking event in San Francisco. A lot of fun and very good for beginners. Many people run with costumes. This is the first event I joined when I moved from NY to SF.

It's 7.5 miles (12K). It starts from Market Street (Financial District) to Golden Gate Park.

2. San Francisco Marathon

July 26, 2009

It has four courses: 5K walk/run, two half marathons (first half and second half) and a full marathon.

I ran the 5K in 2005, the second half marathon in 2006, and the first half marathon in 2007.

The first half marathon starts at 5:40 AM near Ferry Building (the whole marathon starts at 5:20AM), crosses the Golden Gate Bridge and finishes in the Golden Gate Park. The route is more hilly, but you get the chance to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and back to the Golden Gate Park.

The second half marathon starts in the Golden Gate Park and finishes in front of the Ferry Building. It starts at 8:20AM and the route is flatter than the first half marathon.


3. Bridge to Bridge Run

October 4, 2009

This has a beautiful route. It has two courses: 7K and 12K. I joined 12K in 2004 and 7K in 2007. It starts at Ferry Building and finishes in Presidio Park.

You can walk or run for the 7K course, so it's a very beginner friendly race. You get to see one of the most beautiful areas in San Francisco.

I started to enjoy running, since I joined this race.

When I crossed the Crissy Filed, I got a feeling just like the movie, Forrest Gump.




4. Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco

October 18, 2009

It gives Tiffany necklace and gifts at the finish line for whole marathoner and half marathoner. The registration is always full in one or two days when they open the registration online.

It’s the most difficult run to get in, because it usually sells out in a few days. If you want to get a Tiffany necklace, you need to pay attentions to the registration open days.

5. U.S. Half Marathon in San Francisco

November 1, 2009

This race has some kid friendly runs of three age groups: 4/5 years old – ¼ Mile, 6/7 years old – ½ Mile, 8/9 years old – ¾ Mile.