Sport Today

Do you need to qualify for this marathon?
What is the course and terrain like?
Anything else you can add to this would be appreciated.

Thanks

:> Do you need to qualify for this marathon?

No, it is open for everyone

:> What is the course and terrain like?

um...hilly :-)  Terrain is city streets.  Nice, scenic course

:> Anything else you can add to this would be appreciated.

It is _definitely_ not a PR course, but I had fun (as much fun as one can
have running 26.2 miles ;-).  Great way to see a lot of the city.

--
/*----------------------------------------------------------*/
/*  Mike D. Kail                 |  voice:  (619) 793-3359  */
/*  System Administrator         |  fax:    (619) 793-2950  */

/*----------------------------------------------------------*/

the conditions on '95 race day were brutal. it was clear, sunny, and 85
degrees instead of overcast, foggy, and 65 degrees (which i expected).
the course starts by running across the golden gate bridge...a very
scenic and inspiring beginning. then, you run through the city's
ethnically diverse neighborhoods...the presidio, north beeach, little
italy, chinatown, the financial district, the embarcadero, the mission
district, filmore, haight-ashberry, sunset, and golden gate park.
running through these neighborhoods eliminates boredom and really makes
one appreciate the city's diversity.

for me, the challenge of the course starts at mile 11...at maraposa
street...when you begin to run the hills.  at mile 14, you encounter
the haight street hill...a 200 foot incline over 1/4 of a mile.  a mile
or so later you enter golden gate park and begin running downhill for a
few miles to the pacific ocean ( a 200 foot drop).  then, you run a 5
mile loop in the sunset district...re-enter golden gate park... running
back up-hill for 2 to 3 miles, finishing inside kesar stadium.

i proudly finished in 5:07 in good shape (no injuries).  the experience
of overcoming the heat and hills increased my mental toughness and
fortitude. three months later, i ran the marine corps marathon and
finished in 4:22.  the marathon time improvement has given me added
incentive to train more.

Others are warning you that it's hilly, but to me Hayes Street was the
only real *hill*.  Otherwise, rolling terrain along the former dunes.
The start goes almost level out onto the GG Bridge, then downhill and
into the Presidio area, then fairly level till Hayes Hill.  From there,
rolling all the way till the end.  I think it ends now at Kezar Stadium;
my version ended in the Polo Grounds (sorry, New Yorkers).

Some are saying it's not a PR course; I _felt_ slow, but finished within
2:00 minutes of my Portland PR a year earlier--and I'm a four-hour +/-
runner (almost always + now :-( ).
---
Don Kirkman          
If I had a life I'd be having a mid-life crisis

Hi,
No, you don't need to qualify but you would need to go through plenty of
hills to the finish line. Tough course, great crowd, great weather. The
***mile across the golden gate bridge is a heavenly mile.

Bye