California > San Francisco Marathon, Half Marathons & 5K
San Francisco, CA • Sunday, July 29, 2012 • Course Maps
For runners considering taking part in San Francisco's summertime
Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K running event, you'll face a
choice not found at most other races -- there are actually two
half-marathon events to choose from at this race, as runners may run
either the first or the second 13.1 miles of the full marathon course.
Both races show off different parts of what makes the city what it is,
from the Embarcadero and Fisherman's Wharf in the first half to the
scenery of the second half, including gorgeous Golden Gate Park, Haight
Ashbury district and AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco
Giants.
The course for the first half marathon starts on the waterfront
downtown, at Embarcadero and Mission Street, and takes runners on a
point-to-point course that follows a mostly westward route along the
waterfront through the city, all the way to Golden Gate Park. Along the
way, runners are treated to sights such as the sea lions barking on the
shore along Fisherman's Wharf to local architectural icons like the
Transamerica building and the Coit Tower. The course also takes runners
past the gorgeous homes and yachts in the Marina, as well as past the
wetlands areas of the Presidio.
For the second half marathon, the race picks up quite literally where
the first half left off, starting runners off in Golden Gate Park and
taking them on what is largely an eastward route through the city, on
the way toward the finish line on the waterfront at Embarcadero and
Folsom. From the start inside Golden Gate, the course first half
unfolds almost entirely along roads through the park, taking runners
past Strawberry Hill, the Conservatory of Flowers and Stow Lake.
The second half course exits the park on Haight Street and takes
runners through a neighborhood that will take you back in time to the
1960s, past Sharon Meadows and through the Alvord Lake Tunnel on your
way to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. From there, the course takes
runners next toward the Mission District, which has a distinctly Latin
vibe, and along the promenade behind AT&T Park, where Major
League Baseball's San Francisco Giants play.
After the baseball park, the course takes a quick run under the Bay
Bridge on its way toward the finish line for the second half, along the
Embarcadero at Folsom Street. The race is run entirely on paved city
streets, and for what is in many places a very hilly city, the race is
thankfully free of any steep, sudden changes in elevation, either
uphill or downhill. There are hills, to be sure -- most notably between
mile markers 5 and 6, and 9 and 10 -- but runners won't have to climb
the intimidating hills that the city is known for.
Race
Weather & Climate
San Francisco's weather was perhaps best described by Mark Twain, who
famously noted that "the coldest winter I ever saw was a summer I spent
in San Francisco." In July, the city's weather is typically mild to
moderately cool, as monthly average temperatures range between
68°F and 54°F -- on the day of the race (July 29), the average high is 69°F and the average low is 55°F. Rainfall amounts during the month are
almost nonexistent, averaging less than a tenth of an inch.
Course Maps
View the race route maps for the San Francisco Half Marathons
Fees
N/A
Registration
To reserve your spot in the summer 2012 running of either of the half
marathon events at the San Francisco Marathon, Half Marathon &
5K, register online at the event website.
Official Race Website
www.runsfm.com
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