Race Reviews

Naresh S's review of 2024 race.   

Review

Like: iconic views of the San Francisco waterfront and other landmarks and running on Golden Gate Bridge and through Golden Gate Park

Dislike: Tame start line announcements and no anthem, not much to the finish line festival, for an expensive race like these they should be providing fresh hot food (take a hint from Ventura). Mile markers were quite off. 24th mile came at 23.45 and 25th came at 25.1 miles (more than a mile and half between the two markers). The second half runs concurrent with the full and demotivating for the full runners to contend with the half runners speed. Course often intersects traffic which is managed by city cops. There are several runner valves some of which use valve banners but there were some where non-official looking people were just telling you to go the other way.

Last but not the least, the course is very hilly. Their website and pdf course map don't agree on elevation gain, but I would estimate it to be more like 1600 ft or more. Definitely not a PR course.

Race Tips

Negative splits are going to be hard on this course with the second half deceptively more hilly than the first. The pace groups go out too fast in the first half, so they must know the right pacing strategy.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Cynthia's review of 2024 race.   

Review

I've run SF 6 times and will be back! It's definitely the most scenic race I've ever done: the Embarcadero, the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise, Marin, the Presidio and Golden Gate Park are all just lovely. It starts at 5:15am, so you have to get up EARLY and there aren't tons of spectators out and about. I've always found it to be super well organized and love running it every year.

Race Tips

I live in Berkeley and would recommend just Ubering to the start line if you can; the organizers run buses from a couple locations but they show up super early (my 4:05am bus form MacArthur bart arrived at 4:25, and I'm not someone who needs to warm up for an hour before a 5:15am race).

It's hilly but it's San Francisco, so it's supposed to be hilly! As others have said, once you're out of Golden Gates Park (around Mile 19 in 2024) you're pretty much done with the hills except a short one on 16th St in the Mission.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

DC's review of 2023 race.   

Review

You can't beat running through the Golden Gate Bridge and the views from the different boroughs of SF.

The race was a bit chaotic in the corrals with pacers hidden throughout. There was also not much amp in the starting line, no national anthem or announcers calling out the corrals. Only way I knew it started was because the hoards of people started moving up. I even saw some running to catch up to their assigned corrala because of the early start time.

Not nearly enough portapotties, seemed like there was line no matter where you went. Overall lackluster with few crowds cheering you on and messy organization.

Race Tips

Just enjoy the views, the elevation gain isn't that bad with the great weather.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Get to your corrals very early and use the bathrooms in your hotel or home in order to avoid being late. Best to be in walking distance from the start as it's difficult to get dropped off.

AP's review of 2018 race.   

Review

I liked the route and the sights and the challenge, but I *really hated* sharing the course with half marathoners starting 1 hr 15 min after me. I was in corral A and got 3:20. What's the point of those corrals if you're going to congest runners halfway through? I'm not used to crowded races because I'm typically in a fast-ish corral. I think I was slowed down at least a minute because of this nonsense. I had to make my way through that entire second half marathon field up until the group arriving at 1:55-2:00. This is most of them. The streets were big enough, but paths through GG park and aid stops were not. The race starts at 5:30am. Cities that aren't hostile to their marathons host the marathon at more spectator-friendly times of day. It's an extremely expensive marathon.

Race Tips

All of the hills are runnable. None of those 30%+ grade streets are among the hills. There is a mile or two total on packed-dirt/gravel so don't wear the shoes that always get pebbles inside.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

laurarjay's review of 2018 race.   

Review

A well organized and beautiful race!

Race Tips

Train for the hills!

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Staying at a hotel near the start/finish makes logistics a breeze!

Doctor Nappy's review of 2022 race.   

Review

Lots of people apparently love the crowd support on this course, but I didn't care about it one way or another (I run all my miles alone at home, so I really don't need a crowd to propel me during a race) and it certainly wasn't enough to overcome some huge drawbacks.

I realize that routing 50,000 runners through one of the world's biggest and busiest cities presents some enormous logistical challenges, but the race directors really didn't overcome those challenges too well, in my opinion. Beginning with transportation to the starting line, all the way out of Manhattan on Staten Island, the website and email communication never outlined well the options, their advantages and drawbacks, and the means necessary to execute those plans. Runners were encouraged to choose a means of transportation - bus or ferry - and a time, and that was it. What TIME should I choose for the ferry? Who knows, especially since I hadn't received my corral assignment or my straying time yet when I made that choice? How does one who has never been in NYC get to the ferry, and what impact do those considerations have on where to stay in the city? Who knows?

Fortunately, I managed to figure most of that out or lucked into some good guesses but on race day, once we got off the ferry, the runners' troubles and confusion had just begun. Supposedly a simple bus trip awaited us after the ferry to shuttle us to the starting village, but no, not by a long shot. With no direction or queuing instructions, no one guiding foot traffic and no ropes or flags pointing out where to line up, we stood, shoulder to shoulder in a throng, some for (including me) for well over 90 minutes, less than 50 feet from the buses as they came and went, while the chaos built and the luck of the draw of where the next bus stopped and simple aggression determined which person or group got on next. Those who had run the race previously said this was unlike previous years, but someone somewhere apparently missed the memo, because the whole affair could not have been more poorly organized and it's lucky no one got hurt or trampled.

Once we finally made the starting village, which fortunately featured plenty of room for relaxing (finally!), stretching, and preparation, along with ample toilet facilities, I found communication about timing of corral entry and other details sorely lacking. Sparse signage and very few PA announcements out me in grave danger of being closed out of my corral.

Having just barely made the corral, I managed to start on time (super late for a marathon, by the way, in case you are considering this as a future race—waves begin around 9:00 and continue for a few hours after - so biorhythms and warm weather be damned, you are running into the afternoon), I found the race itself frustrating. Though I ran slower than I had estimated because of the unseasonably warm and humid weather, I passed infinity other runners along the course. This was especially challenging and frustrating on the narrow streets and rolling hills of Brooklyn, and it continued almost until the end of the race? How would this be possible if waves and corrals were organized by pace? One might argue that I simply encountered others also going slowly because of the conditions, but no. Many of these folks were clearly older, less fit, or otherwise clearly not capable of keeping a pace consistent with the wave they were assigned. Again, this suggests to me poor organization on the part of the race planners. More than that, perhaps because of the crowds and sheer volume of runners, I found this race much more riddled with people who walked or stopped abruptly in the middle of the road than any other I have run. Maybe these are just casual running "tourists," who don't know the unwritten rules or marathoning?

Finally, I found the finish support and exit procedures cumbersome and subpar. No chocolate milk? No bananas? No carbs beyond a small bag of pretzels? No cold drinks at all except water? Top it all off with a nearly one-mile walk to the bag check (don't get me started on the lack of bag check at the starting line and the need to check finishing gear a day or two ahead of time at the finish line in Central Park), and it felt like a trudge, not a celebration, after a long run.

As to "running all five burroughs?" Meh. I know it's very difficult to pull it off in a city that size, but maybe they shouldn't even try. You really don't see anything of Queen, The Bronx, or Staten Island. Your time in each is passing and perfunctory. The race is basically all Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Race Tips

Start planning your trip to the starting line a long time in advance and don't rely on the race itself to give you meaningful guidance on this. Check other websites or YouTube videos for practical advice.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

ASC's review of 2018 race.   

Review

The marathon was well organized. Plenty of security, water stops and people cheering. Didn't like the long walk to exit Central Park but its for the runners security.

Race Tips

Hold back for the first few miles. Going out to fast will end up burning you out. The Queensboro Bridge is a tough climb. Once on first Avenue it's amazing with the crowd cheering. You are a rock star for a day.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

The Ferry is the best way to get there.

ML's review of 2018 race.   

Review

Being from Chicago, I didn't want to like NYC but NYRR really do put on a great race! The spectators were great and were out in full force. There were maybe 3 spots on the entire course where there weren't any spectators, 2 of them being bridges. The hills were just always there, nothing major but just rolling nearly the entire way and you don't really notice them until the last 5-10k.

Race Tips

Be patient in the first half, its easy to let the spectators pump you up but really try and be conservative in the first half. The rolling hills sap your legs and you'll feel it that last 10k.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Stayed at the Marriot Vacation Club - Pulse. Had a great view of the Empire State Building, super close to the expo and the Midtown Library pickup. The hotel had bagels, fruit, water, and Gatorade for guests the morning of the race.

Jt's review of 2018 race.   

Review

Race Tips

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

L's review of 2018 race.   

Review

I was really excited to run this marathon. After applying for the lottery 4 years in a row, I finally got in and the hype was huge! Unfortunately, it wasn't as great as I thought it would be. There were crowds in some places, but not all along the course like Boston. The expo was okay, but not nearly as big as Boston or LA and CRAZY EXPENSIVE in comparison too. When you crossed the finish line it was a solid 10 minutes before you got just 1 bottle of water (the only one they give you) and you have to walk a mile before getting your poncho and to get to the family meeting area. Honestly after the bad racing experience I had, these things made it so much worse. This is my 10th marathon on 9 different courses and only the second one I've said I definitely wouldn't want to run again. It's just too expensive and way too much extra work for too little return.

Race Tips

I was warned that the bridges make it a hilly experience, but I didn't expect my quads to completely cramp up at mile 16-17, making the rest of the race a literal uphill battle. By the time I made it to Central Park, I was barely able to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage because I could barely bend my legs. Even if you love downhills like I do, I would advise you to go out extra slow especially on the first big downhill over the bridge because it will kill you later on. Besides that first hill being a little fast, I stuck to my racing strategy, not going out too fast and still completely died despite having really solid training runs at faster paces on hills that I thought were similar though not as long. Don't listen to those who tell you to bank time because of the hills in Central Park, it's not worth the pain!

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

I stayed at a pretty conveniently located hotel just outside of Times Square, but it still took almost 4 hours to get from there to the starting line on race morning. They had barely any restrooms en route because the lines at the ferry terminal were too long to wait in and we waited in the line for the busses after the ferry for 45 minutes with no bathrooms whatsoever, and we were on the busses for 30-45 minutes after that. I just barely made it to my corral on time because they close them 20 minutes prior to when your waive starts without making any announcements until right before.

Stay as close to the finish line as possible because they make you walk a really long way in Central Park and we got completely screwed by a pedicab getting back to the hotel when it was the only means of transit we could find.

Getting to the city, we parked at the Harbor Point Garage at the Stamford, CT Metro North Train stop and it was pretty convenient and only $12 for every 24 hours. The train ride from there was about an hour to Grand Central.