The last time I ran this race, I started 5 hours before everyone else and had run 26.2 miles BEFORE the race even began. That was back in 2014 when I was running the Ultra distance for the San Francisco Marathon. Last year, I took a break and went the cheerleader route. @nycsweat was running the 52.4 mile ultra, so I met him at the start at midnight, ran with him for a few miles along Great Highway, then set up camp in Golden Gate Park to cheer on the runners.

This year, I’m joining my fellow runners at the start line for the 26.2 mile option.

Goals:

Finish. There are no time goals, I know I’m not in PR-shape, I know I’m not in sub-4 shape, so it will be a matter of seeing what the day gives me.

Meetup:

You know we had to set something up. We are giving race-day a try. Part of seeing when is an ideal time for the most people to be able to partake in our social meetups is trial and error. Some we have perfected (like Disneyland), others we are trying to see what will work.

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When:
Sunday, Race morning at 5:10am
Where:
At the fountain on the corner of Howard/Embarcadero – this is outside the wave 2/3 corrals, and also a couple blocks away from the shuttle pickup for the 2nd Half Marathon (swing by and say hello before).
Who:
Everyone. The #WeRunSocial crew will be there, we are hoping the SF November Project tribe will bring their bounce our way, and anyone and everyone is welcome to jump in a photo, share a hug or a high-five, and wish each other strong running vibes as we get ready to run the streets of San Francisco.

At the corner of Howard and Embarcadero.

History:

This will be my 7th time participating in SFM weekend. I ran the full in (’07, ’08, ’09, ’13, and the 52.4 in ’14). I have run the half once, in 2010. I’ve had my shares of ups and downs on this course, most of them being a struggle in the early years as I was still trying to figure this running thing out. My best run on the course was in 2013 where I pulled off an epicly-consistent race with almost identical splits (1:55:53, 1:55:14) for a 3:51 finish. In 2014, I had an amazing experience with the ultra, one I will never forget. I wanted to do it again this year, but it just wasn’t in the cards. With those wonderful moments being said, this course has also brought me to tears, I’ve injured myself, and I’ve been humbled. Running in your own backyard can be a tricky thing, and just like most runs, sometimes you aren’t sure what to expect.

Wishing you all the best:

Whether you are running the ultra, full, 1st, or 2nd half, wishing you the strongest legs, the best miles, and all the wonderful experiences that the city has to offer.

Is there a race that you have run several times?
Why do you keep running it?