California > The Santa Rosa Marathon & Half Marathon
Santa Rosa, CA • Sunday, August 26, 2012 • Course Map
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The largest city in Northern California's wine growing region opens up the pathways along its Santa Rosa Creek and Prince Memorial Greenway park areas for the Santa Rosa Marathon & Half Marathon, which marks its fourth annual running in the late summer of 2012. Open to both runners and walkers, the race features plenty of sights that make for a memorable run, from the trestle bridges runners cross over the creek to the vineyards and farm fields filled with rows of corn along the race route.
Most of the race takes runners just west of the city's downtown along the paved, natural surface and gravel pathways that parallel the meandering Santa Rosa Creek, much of which has undergone restoration efforts in recent years to reintroduce more natural environments and habitat for the native species of fish and birds that once thrived there, but had long since migrated elsewhere as the creekbed was paved over and became a haven for homeless encampments and vandals.
Starting in the 1980s, groups of concerned citizens in Santa Rosa began turning their attention and their fundraising efforts toward the creek, and since then many areas have opened up once again with trees and parkland, as well as paved pathways for running, walking, hiking and biking along the creek, which extends out west from Santa Rosa's downtown district, and even passes by its City Hall building, which lies just a couple of blocks north of the race starting line, in Julliard Park.
Known for its gorgeous green grassy lawns and its plentiful oak and redwood trees, the park bears the namesake of "that" Julliard -- yes, the family whose son August founded the famous Julliard School of Music in New York City. The land for the park was donated by Frederic Julliard (August's nephew) in 1931, after he moved from California to New York, and today the park is famous also for its contribution to the arts in the local area, as it hosts the city's annual Live at Julliard summer concert series.
From the park, those running in the 13.1-mile half marathon follow the route first north a few blocks and then onto the pathway that leads along the Prince Memorial Greenway that runs alongside the creek. Runners (and walkers) follow the course all the way westward out to the turnaround point along Willowside Road, at about the mile 7 marker. On the way out for the first half, runners remain on the portion of the trail that run's along the creek's northern bank; the second half of the race brings runners back eastward largely along its southern bank.
Runners re-join the northern side of the creek at Stony Point Road, just before hitting the 11th mile marker. With only gentle (and mostly imperceptible) rises and falls in elevation here and there, the course is virtually flat the entire way, and features a mixture of terrains, from gravel and dirt paths to paved paths.
Race Weather & Climate
Nestled among the Northern California wine country and just north of the Bay Area, roughly 55 miles north of San Francisco, Santa Rosa typically sees its warmest and driest weather conditions of the year during the late summer. In August, the city's average monthly temperatures range between 83°F and 53°F, while rainfall totals average just under a tenth of an inch for the month. On the day of the race (Aug. 26), the average high is 83°F and the average low is 53°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Santa Rosa Half Marathon
Fees
$75 for the half marathon, if registered by December 31, 2011
$80 between January 1 - March 31, 2012
$90 between April 1 - June 30
$95 between July 1 - August 25 (or earlier if the race sells out)
Registration
To reserve your spot in the late summer 2012 running of the Santa Rosa Marathon or Half Marathon, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.thesantarosamarathon.com
Leave a Comment
Ever run in California's annual Santa Rosa Marathon or Half Marathon? Share your impressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the event.
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