Travel & Lodging Information

The San Francisco Marathon has partnered with San Francisco hotel and transportation authorities to help you plan an outstanding race weekend, stress-free, whether you’re traveling across the city or across the globe.

Race Start Times and Locations

Runners are encouraged to review their race start info below and then plan transportation options to make sure they get there on time.

Full Marathon
Waves Begin at 5:30am at our Main Start Line (Mission St. and the Embarcadero)

1st Half Marathon
Waves begin at 5:32am at our Main Start Line (Mission St. and the Embarcadero)

2nd Half Marathon
Waves begin at 7:30am at our 2nd Half Start Line (John F. Kennedy Dr. and 47th Ave.)

5K Race
Waves begin at 7:45am at our Main Start Line (Mission St. and the Embarcadero)

Visit our Race Weekend overview page for more detailed information on wave start times, wave maps and how to enter your specific wave.

Race Morning Runner Shuttles in San Francisco

2nd Half Marathon: Shuttles are provided for 2nd Half Marathon runners from the Main Start Line near the Embarcadero to the 2nd Half Marathon Start Line located in Golden Gate Park. Shuttles will pick up from Howard St. and Spear St. between 6:00am to 7:00am and drop off at Fulton St. and the Great Highway, one block from the 2nd Half Start Line.

1st Half Marathon: Shuttles are provided for 1st Half Marathon runners from the finish line in Golden Gate Park back to the Main Finish Line Festival on the Embarcadero. Shuttles leave from Fulton and 10th St. periodically between 7:00am to 10:30am.

Race Morning BART Busing

BART doesn’t run early enough to get you to The San Francisco Marathon Embarcadero Start Line, but don’t fret! The San Francisco Marathon offers early morning bus service from six Bay Area BART stations, so you can forget the hassle of driving and focus on the race.

Buses transport runners from the Walnut Creek, El Cerrito Plaza, MacArthur, Bay Fair, Daly City and Millbrae BART stations on Race Morning and arrive by 4:45am at the Main Start Line on the Embarcadero.

Bus Schedule Options: Bay Fair (San Leandro) at 4:05am; Daly City at 4:20am; El Cerrito Plaza at 4:20am; MacArthur at 4:20am; Millbrae at 4:15am; Walnut Creek at 4:10am.

Plenty of free parking is available at each location. 2nd Half Marathon runners may use the BART Buses to get to the Embarcadero Start Line, and then take the free runner shuttles to the 2nd Half Marathon Start Line. BART will be running normally after you cross the Finish line, so just buy a BART ticket, hop on, and head home. The BART Station Bus Ticket does not include return BART Ticket Fare.

BART Bus tickets are limited and sell out quickly. We cannot guarantee tickets will be available at the Expo and highly recommend purchasing your ticket online in advance.

BART Bus Tickets for 2018 are coming soon.

Reserved Parking with SpotHero

Reserve your parking in advance and get to the Start Line on time, stress free!

We have partnered with SpotHero, the nation’s leading parking reservation app, to make it easy for our runners and spectators to book convenient and affordable parking for race weekend and beyond. To reserve your guaranteed parking spot for the race, use the map to search or visit The San Francisco Marathon’s SpotHero Parking Page and book a spot with rates up to 50% off drive-up.

Parking information for 2018 coming soon.

Rideshare with Lyft

We are excited to partner with Lyft, our Official Rideshare Partner this year, to help our community get around race weekend. Booking a ride with Lyft is an easy, affordable way to get around the city. The Lyft app matches you with local drivers at the tap of a button. Just set your pickup location, request a ride and get going within minutes. You can even schedule your trip in advance. 2018 information coming closer to race day.

How to Download Lyft App

To get started, enter your phone number here and click ‘Get Download Link’.

1. Download the Lyft app from the Apple or Google Play store
2. Enter your phone number and wait for a text with your verification code
3. After signing up and entering your details, click on the image icon in
the top left corner and choose “Add payment”
4. Book a ride whenever you need it
How to Request or Preschedule a Ride

Request a Ride: To request a Lyft ride, just open the Lyft app, select your ride type, set your pickup and destination locations, and then request a ride. Learn more on Lyft’s support page.

Scheduled Rides: Use Lyft’s Scheduled Rides to plan your trip in advance. When selecting your pickup location, tap the clock icon on the right, set the desired time, and Lyft will schedule your ride. A ride will arrive within the 10-minute pick-up window you selected. You can schedule up to seven days in advance and update or cancel up to 30 minutes before. Learn more on the Lyft Blog and Lyft’s support page.

Bike Valet

We encourage locals to bike to the Expo and to the Start Line on Race Day and enjoy our complimentary bike valet service. The Expo Bike Valet will be open outside the Expo at Fort Mason Festival Pavilion on Friday, July 27th from 11:30am to 7pm and Saturday, July 28th 8:30am to 5pm. The Race Day Bike Valet will be open at Market St. and Embarcadero from 4:30am to 1:00pm on Sunday, July 29th. Bikes that remain in the bike valet after close will be transported to the vendor’s office at the owner’s expense.

Public Transportation

We encourage all runners to drive or carpool, have a friend or family member drop them off, or taxi in to make it to the start on time. Alternatively, expand the tabs below to learn more about your public transportation options or plan your trip here. Click Muni below to learn more.

MUNI • Travel in and to San Francisco
Plan your trip with The San Francisco Trip Planner – an easy to use site that allows you to put in your starting point and destination and then gives you the easiest option to arrive at your destination using public transportation.
AC Transit • Travel between the East Bay and San Francisco
AC Transit operates service between San Francisco and the East Bay along the Richmond and Fremont BART lines.
From the East Bay: Route 800 West, AC Transit, runs from Richmond BART Station to Market and Van Ness in San Francisco, making stops along the way in Berkeley and Oakland. Transfers from Routes 801, 802, 805, 820, 840, and 851 to Route 800 can be made at 14th Street and Broadway. A Sunday/Holiday timetable for Route 800 West can be found HERE.
BART • Travel between San Francisco and the East Bay
Plan your trip with the BART Trip Planner by inputing your start and end destination. Important: BART does not operate early enough to get you to the Start Line on time on Race Day. We recommend using our BART Buses instead. See our Race Morning BART Busing section above to learn more.
SamTrans • Travel between the Peninsula and San Francisco
From the Peninsula: SamTrans 397 North OWL services the South Bay to San Francisco, beginning at the Palo Alto CalTrain Station and ending at Mission and Transbay in San Francisco, making stops in Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont, San Mateo, Burlingame, South San Francisco, and San Francisco International Airport. A Sunday timetable for can be found here.