OLYMPIC DREAMS

Contributed by Erin Mara, a writer and runner living in San Francisco. Above: August 19, 1984 – San Francisco, California, United States: Runners in Golden Gate Park, with the Conservatory of Flowers in the background, during The San Francisco Marathon. (Steve Ringman / San Francisco Chronicle / Polaris) The San Francisco Marathon has ... More

MORE THAN JUST A RACE | WHAT RUNNING THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON MEANS

THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON IS MORE THAN A RACE FOR SOME RUNNERS — IT’S A TIME TO HEAL AND PERSEVERE. CANCER SURVIVORS, STROKE VICTIMS, AND OTHERS PUSH THROUGH STRUGGLES AND SADNESS WITH EVERY MILE. Contributed by Erin Mara, a writer and runner living in San Francisco. Illustrations by inoutlines Carol Dellinger, 54, Spokane, ... More

WHY RUNNERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD RUN THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON

Contributed by Erin Mara, a writer and runner living in San Francisco. Illustrations by inoutlines We polled San Francisco Marathon runners and asked them what they loved about the race, plus what lessons running has taught them along the way. A few common themes came up, so read on to learn about why racers love running in San ... More

HOW THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON GOT ITS START

Above: August 19, 1984 – San Francisco, California, United States: Runners in Golden Gate Park, with the Conservatory of Flowers in the background, during The San Francisco Marathon. (Steve Ringman / San Francisco Chronicle / Polaris) Contributed by Erin Mara, a writer and runner living in San Francisco. The San Francisco Marathon — ... More

WHY LOCALS LOVE RUNNING THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON

Contributed by Erin Mara, a writer and runner living in San Francisco. Illustrations by inoutlines Jorge Leiva, 45, San Francisco Loves the beauty of the city, as he realized while running. Jorge grew up in San Francisco, but now fully appreciates the city’s scenery after running two San Francisco Half Marathons. This year, he ... More

How A Health Scare Motivated This Runner To Run A 50K For Her 50th Birthday | Runner Spotlight Series

“I don’t know how to swim, I don’t know how to ride a bike, but I can run!” San Francisco Marathon runner Marlena said when she decided to start running. At the age of 43, Marlena thought she may be having a stroke. She’s a nurse, so she knows the symptoms, and she ended up in the emergency room while she was having a really bad ... More

Welcome To San Francisco | Your SF Marathon Race Weekend Guide

Welcome to San Francisco! Where the city meets the bay and Karl the Fog (yes, he has a name) glooms over to cool you during the hot summer days. With so many places to eat and see, knowing how to plan your trip can seem overwhelming. The San Francisco Marathon team has put together a must-see list of attractions and entertainment while ... More

Gold Story: 2019 San Francisco Marathon Male Winner Achieved His Childhood Dream Of Competing In The Olympics

“I knew I wanted to be an Olympian when I grew up,” Greg Billington, the 2019 male winner of the San Francisco Marathon said. In 2000 Greg eagerly watched the Olympic Games as an 11-year-old. He says he remembers watching Lenny Krayzelburg, a swimmer, earn a bunch of gold medals and he wanted to do that too. Greg started out as a ... More

Gold Story: Running To Heal – How Having PTSD Helped Me Qualify For Boston

“My mantra is Run Positive,” Nathan says. Running has become Nathan’s therapy, his calming force, and his way of moving forward after suffering a brutal attack in front of his home in Santa Clarita and years of PTSD afterwards. On July 11, 2013, a group of kids in their teens and early 20s who had been partying at a condo across ... More

Gold Story: Fighting Cancer One Mile At A Time

“If you don’t keep the pace, we all lose our way.” This statement from Joel’s high school band director has stuck with him over the years. He was a drummer, although he says he wasn’t very good at keeping tempo for the band. But, now he thinks of this statement on a more philosophical level because in 2015 he was diagnosed with ... More