Why I Run The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon

Written by Jeanne Corey Marchand. Jeanne is a 2019 Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon Ambassador and this 2019 Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon will be her 5th consecutive year running! You can read more from her on Instagram at @jeannecorey64

 

There are so many reasons why I keep coming back to run the Biofreeze San Francisco marathon. It’s not just for the love for the San Francisco area, but it’s this amazing race and so many great things about it that keep bringing back!

Here are some race highlights:

• Perfect Weather:  Running in New England in July proves to be very difficult and HOT!  Running a marathon in the heat and humidity is tough let alone training for a marathon!  I coach a fall marathon group that begins the first week in July.  Due to the heat and humidity, we have to include water stops every 2-3 miles. It is also critical for the runners to have ice buckets with cold clothes at the end to cool down. Last year, one of our new participants experienced heat exhaustion; it was quite scary. The San Francisco Marathon has had perfect running conditions the last 5 years. The start of the race is chilly and by the time we head over the famous Golden Gate Bridge, the sun is beginning to poke out and the fog acts as a blanket to keep us cool. I can recall looking down on my arms as I crossed the bridge thinking “This can’t be sweat, I’m not even warm”, but then soon realizing moisture was from the mist of the fog. Having ideal weather also is a nice way to PR and/or just to have an enjoyable race experience.

 

• The Expo: If you run a lot of races then I’m sure you’ve experienced a bunch of Expos. How many Expos did you enjoy enough to sign up to volunteer? Well, I technically volunteer each year at our local marathon, but I also volunteer each year at the Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon expo. Last year, I volunteered as a greeter. How cool was that I was able to meet the runners that were participating. One guy I greeted ended up running with us around mile 18! That was pretty cool! I loved that I had the opportunity to meet so many great people in California. Not just the participants but also the vendors.  They get top notch vendors where I’ve been able to sample product that I love and still train with! Some of these products aren’t available yet on the East Coast. Lastly, the vendors are pretty generous and helpful providing samples to bring home which I end up ordering more of when I run out.

 

• The Course:  I can’t tell you how many people have approached me and said “Wow!  San Francisco has to be one hilly course, are you crazy?  That has to be so hard”!  I have to admit, of all the marathons I’ve run (60 to date), San Francisco is one of the fastest courses. The hills aren’t so long that they are overwhelming, they are short enough to be able to power up and then get the downhill to recover. I think having hill training is important, but not so much for the uphill but more for the downhill so you don’t power down too fast and get hurt. There are also certain sections that stand out to me as the most beautiful scenic parts of the course.

 

• The Marathon Start Line:  Running through Fisherman’s Wharf is pretty cool. If you’ve ever experienced this area in the day time, it’s typically pretty jammed with tourists and street vendors. It’s not very calm or quiet, as the area seems to be non-stop with activity. Getting to run though this area early in the morning is quite surreal. The sounds of the crowds in the day time are replaced with the silence of the footsteps of runners. This loud silence is too hard to describe unless you’ve run here. You also get the opportunity to see so much more that you would have missed during the daytime.

 

• Golden Gate Bridge:  My bucket list had always been to run over the Golden Gate Bridge. This race is so spectacular that not only do you get to run over it one time, you get to enjoy it again; it’s an out and back. Looking ahead at all the runners coming back from the turnaround and getting to cheer for the elite runners is pretty cool! The experience also gives you bragging rights forever! For example, when I watch TV with friends and see the Golden Gate Bridge; I nod with a smile saying, “I ran over that bridge.”

 

• Lincoln Blvd:  This section comes as quite a treat after a big climb of rolling hills. The view as you crest the top are the most beautiful ocean scenes. I can recall last year hearing runners saying “OMG – Look at the ocean!”  It’s just breathtaking.

 

• Golden Gate Park:  Where else can you see Bison and botanical gardens in the same location? Certainly not in Connecticut! This is also the finish for the First Half Marathoners so you get quite a big cheering section when you run by.

 

• The Marathon Finish Line:  What a fun post-race party!  From the crowd support to the vendors serving samples, there is so much going on! Last year we stuck around and were able to get so many free samples and make a bunch of new friends.  The positive flow of people is pretty unique.  I can’t help but think that these folks just experienced this amazing marathon.  How can they NOT be positive!

The Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon is one of the bigger races that I’ve run, but the logistics, volunteers, and the spectacular course gives this big race the same comfort of a hometown feeling as I’ve experienced at smaller venues. There seems to be a new experience each year I run. It’s hard to take it all in when you’re running a marathon, simply because you ARE running a marathon!  I love that I can come back year after year to enjoy this beautiful city, run these amazing streets, and relive my bucket list! I hope to see you there on July 28, 2019.