Flat Can Be Boring: Why You Should Be Excited For Those San Francisco Hills!
When San Francisco Marathon runners are asked what makes the race course unique to other races, they talk about seeing all the iconic sights in the city, the majestic experience of running across the Golden Gate Bridge, the views of the ocean and the Bay, the amazing San Francisco weather, and the fact that it’s the only full marathon available in San Francisco.
Conversations about hills are inevitable when it comes to this race. It is San Francisco after all! It’s a city known as the hilliest in the country and the second hilliest in the world after La Paz in Bolivia. Tourists even flock to Lombard Street, one of the steepest (and crookedest) streets, just to see if they can attempt to climb it or drive down it. And you know you ride the cable cars just to see those operators use the brakes on the way down to Fisherman’s Wharf!
Knowing all this, many runners will have questions. Can they make it up the hills? How much will they slow them down? And why on earth would anyone try to qualify for Boston at this race?
Views for Days
“It’s a tough marathon, but I do it year after year. It has hills, but it’s kind of nice to have hills. With the hills come the views. If it’s flat, it can be boring,” said Charles Lim.
Mike Dasalla agreed: “People dread the San Francisco hills. But the views will be your reward. You suck it up and you climb those hills. When you go up, you’ll eventually come down.”
Up for the Challenge
“The San Francisco Marathon presents a challenge,” said says Vanessa Wallace. “It is not an easy course. And that excites me. I am not one to look down at a challenge. Knowing every year that there are going to be some hard hills and some beastly course parts, that’s exciting to me and I always look forward to it. I absolutely love running in San Francisco!”
For many, it’s not just the uphills that presents a challenge; sometimes, the downhills can be just as scary.
“If it’s your first marathon, do it for fun. The downhills are challenging. Take it easy. Enjoy it,” says Ron Poggi.
Yes, there are hills in the San Francisco Marathon, and you should be prepared for them. But you should also know that you will be rewarded for your hard work of climbing those hills with amazing views and an experience like no other.
Here’s Your Know-How!
You can find lots of content about training for a hilly race, be it on social media, YouTube, or on our own blog. Here’s a compilation of past blog posts from San Francisco Marathon runners to help you prep for the challenge.
- Tackling San Francisco’s Hills: Tips From Dean Karnazes: 7 tips from “one of the fittest men on the planet” (as named by Men’s Fitness) and ultramarathon runner.
- Where To Train For Hills In San Francisco: 5 hills in San Francisco you can use for training from Charles Lim, race ambassador and 8-time San Francisco Marathon runner.
- Conquering The Fear Of Hills: How an SF local is overcoming her fears of the San Francisco hills.
- Course Tips From A 7-Time Loyal TSFM Marathoner: Good tips from a long-time SF runner who says, “there are a lot less hills than you can imagine.”
If you want to experience the San Francisco Marathon and you’re not quite ready for those hills, fear not; the second half marathon might be the race for you. It’s a much flatter course overall, but you’ll still get to see some amazing parts of the city!
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