SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 16: Runners cross the Golden Gate Bridge during the 2013 San Francisco Marathon and Half-Marathon on June 16, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - The World Cup is over, but San Francisco isn’t done with major sporting events just yet. The San Francisco Marathon is being run on July 26, and residents and commuters should be prepared for road closures.
Over 30,000 runners are expected at the starting line at 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, but there will be events held throughout the weekend. The race route will wend its way across San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge to Fort Baker and back.
The weekend will also feature a 5K race and an Ultra marathon on Saturday, at 8 a.m. and 10:15 p.m. respectively. Sunday will also feature two half-marathons at 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., a 10K at 7:15 a.m. and a 5K at 9 a.m.
Street closures will go into effect at 9 p.m. Saturday night, and will be in place until 3 p.m. on Sunday, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced.
"We have a strong track record delivering service dedicated for special events in San Francisco, and as we prepare for these events every year, we're ready to move people to and form where they need to be. The unprecedented volume of traffic that caused gridlock on the Fourth of July was an anomaly constraining Muni service delivery," the SFMTA said in a statement. "Public transit is the most affordable and reliable choice for all special events in San Francisco."
Big picture view:
Spectacular views
The San Francisco Marathon is one of the premier marathons on the West Coast, largely because the race route covers so many landmarks.
"The spectacular view, in the morning. You get to run across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, you can't beat that," runner Randy Shirley said. "If you run it you'll see people taking selfies, taking viedos and so on."
In addition to the scenic views along the route, the city's hilly geography is also part of the draw.
"I heard it's really challenging," runner Brisa Garcia, said. "I think challenging myself is something that motivates me."
Organizers say about 70% of runners are from the Bay Area. The event pumps more than $50 million into the local economy.
Local perspective:
The race route
Multiple road closures ahead of the race are making runners and residents alike plan for the weekend well ahead of the event.
"I think we're walking to the start line, and then I think we're just going to go with it after," Garcia said.
Marathon participants will start their run at the Ferry Building. The route stretches north along the Embarcadero and through North Beach and the Marina before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. Runners will double back across the bridge and into the Presidio, then Golden Gate Park, Haight Ashbury, the Lower Haight, the Mission Potrero Hill and Dogpatch, before finishing at Rincon Park.
The Golden Gate Bridge will still be open to traffic during the race, and the sidewalks will be open for use: the east side bridge sidewalk will open at 9 a.m. to bikes and pedestrians, the west side bridge sidewalk will open at 10 a.m. to bikes only.
What we know:
Saturday Road Closures:
- Embarcadero between Folsom and Washington Streets
Sunday Road Closures:
From 12:01 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Northbound Embarcadero between King Street and Broadway
- King Street between 3rd Street and northbound Embarcadero
- Steuart Street between Howard Street and southerly Terminus
- Howard Street between the Embarcadero and Spear Street (local access allowed on Howard and Steuart Streets)
- Southbound Embarcadero between Broadway and 3rd Street
- Eastbound Washington Street between Drumm Street and Embarcadero
- Embarcadero between Broadway and Jefferson Street
- Jefferson Street between The Embarcadero and westerly terminus
- Van Ness between North Point Street and Northerly terminus
- Westbound Beach Street between Marina Boulevard and Baker Street
- Haight Street between Stanyan and Buchanan Streets
- Scott Street between Haight and Waller Streets
- Waller Street between Scott and Buchanan Streets
- Buchanan Street between Haight and Market Streets
- Hermann Street between Buchanan and Laguna Streets
- Duboce Avenue between Market and Guerrero Streets
From 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- Spear Street between Howard and Folsom Streets
From 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.
- Westbound Beach Street between The Embarcadero and Polk Street
- Polk Street between Beach Street and North Point
- Westbound North Point between Polk Street and Van Ness
- Southbound Van Ness between North Point and Bay Street
- Westbound Bay Street between Van Ness and Laguna Street
- Northbound Laguna Street between Bay and Laguna Streets
- Howard Street between The Embarcadero and Spear Street
- Spear Street between Howard and Harrison Streets
- Jefferson Street between The Embarcadero and Leavenworth Street
- Westbound Beach Street between Leavenworth Street and The Embarcadero
From 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
- Folsom Street between The Embarcadero and Spear Street
- Spear Street between Folsom and Harrison Streets
- Harrison Street between Spear and Main Streets
- Main Street between Harrison and Bryant Streets
- Bryant Street between Main Street and The Embarcadero
- Northbound Embarcadero between Broadway and Beach Street
- Grant Street between North Point Street and The Embarcadero
- Westbound North Point between Grant Street and The Embarcadero
- Spear Street between Howard and Folsom Streets
Dig deeper:
The following Muni routes will face delays, reroutes or cancellations:
- F Market and Wharves
- N Owl
- N Judah Bus
- T Third Street Bus
- 6 Hays/Parnassus
- 7 Haight/Noriega
- 8 Bayshore
- 12 Folsom/Pacific
- 15 Bayview Hunters Point Express
- 19 Polk
- 22 Fillmore
- 24 Divisadero
- 27 Bryant
- 29 Sunset
- 30 Stockton
- 33 Ashbury/18th Street
- 37 Corbett
- 39 Coit
- 43 Masonic
- 44 O'Shaughnessy
- 55 Dogpatch
The Source: San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority