Sunday, November 17, 2019 • San Francisco, CA • Course Map
Set to take place in the stunningly gorgeous — and very hilly and challenging — Golden Gate National Recreation Area just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, the North Face Endurance Challenge features a weekend filled with a variety of race distances, from a full marathon, 50-mile and 50K on Saturday to the half marathon, 10K and 5K on Sunday.
While full of scenic views and gorgeous trails, this course is not for the unprepared. Runners will experience plenty of climbing as they ascend a total of over 2,500 feet over the course of 13.1 miles. The terrain is not very technical and there are portions of paved areas throughout the course, but this is mostly a trail race.
Runners will begin in downtown Marin City and take Pacheco Street out of the main event site, which connects runners to the Alta Trail.
After that, runners continue on the Alta Trail for a couple of miles before making turning right and heading south onto the Rodeo Valley Trail.
This first section is tough — with almost 900 feet of elevation to climb right in the beginning on the Alta Trail. While the section (and the course as a whole)Â isn’t overly technical, the course consists of nearly constant elevation changes of several hundred feet.
After turning right onto the Rodeo Valley trail, the course continues downhill but continues with the nearly constant ups and downs. Near the end of this downhill stretch sits the first aid station, a brief reprieve for runners before turning right and heading uphill on the Bobcat Trail. This section takes runners uphill and downhill nearly constantly, with the second aid station waiting near the intersection of the Bobcat and Alta Trails (and near the end of the constant uphill climb).
The race is almost all downhill from here, heading onto the SCA trail and finally crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, where runners can take in the views and enjoy a flat course for a mile.
From there the race is almost over, as runners head into San Francisco and coast across the finish line at Crissy Field.
Race Weather & Climate
San Francisco features a mild Mediterranean climate with moderate winters. November temperatures average in the mid-60’s for the highs and low 50’s for the lows. It’s also one of the city’s wetter months of the year, as the summers are generally very dry while the fall and winter seasons bring more precipitation.
On race day (Nov. 17), the average low is 50ºF and the average high is 63ºF.
Past Results
- 2017 The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon Results
- 2016 The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon Results
- 2015 The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon Results
- 2014 The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon Results
- 2013 The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the race route map for the North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
- 8:00 AM – half marathon
- 9:00 AM – 10K
- 9:15 AM – 5K
Fees
- $80 – $120 for the half marathon
- $55 – $80 for the 10K
- $45 – $65 for the 5K
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2019 running of The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online at Active.com here.
Official Race Website
Facebook Conversations
Ever run in The North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon San Francisco? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.
[fbcomments]
