First off, I'm not a runner. I do not run for recreation or fitness, I prefer other cardio with choreography. Having set that premise, this was my FIRST half marathon and I finished sub 2 hours! I ran it with my ultramarathoner friends and it was a wonderful experience. Great support from the locals throughout the route. Weather was overcast and cool. We came early for parking which is free on Sunday. Gear check had the most amazing volunteers and even when the organization system failed, they still had smiles on their faces. Please come and create your own adventure. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

Review #3001 Cross country meets are good---running for 30 minutes---1 hour etc Cross country is good..running with groups is good..because humans have to run This generation---YMCA 5k Turkey Chase! Berkeley was nice to visit---it's always a positive place--weather is good---fall is nice---campus is grand---fun to run and be out in a community read more

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Last one in the books... I was suppose to run the Berkeley half last year but due to the fires it was canceled. In lieu of being cancelled you had a choice of running 2019 or 2020. Of course I choose this year. I was bumbed last year I trained hard and it went to waste. I some what trained this year lol ehh I'm just glad it's over. So for all you half marathon runners you get to enjoy the route of the University into residential hills and down to the overpass next to the freeway and see the beautiful bay and turn around all the way back to city hall. Great experience! read more

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This was not my first half marathon but it was one of the more challenging ones due to the Berkeley hills. I would not recommend this race for first timers. I know this race is still fairly new but I felt the race was still fairly organized. I mainly signed up for the race because of the race challenge I saw the previous year where you ran the Berkeley Half Marathon on Sunday and then run the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot the following Thursday. Sadly, the only year I run this race is the year they did not participate in the challenge. The race begins with hills and ends with a hill. The broken streets were also not that pleasant to run on because I had to constantly look down to make sure I don't trip. Also, you don't really get a full picture of the city. It would have been nice to be able to run through The eyes Telegraph or the Cal campus. Lately, not all the roads has full closed and I was detoured a couple of times due to car traffic. Packet pick up at the Berkeley Sports Basement was a breeze and race day parking was easy. Don't worry about using Spot Hero to reserve an expensive spot because the parking garage downtown near the start of the race was open. They also advertised parking at Berkeley High School but we couldn't find the entrance to get in. My favorite part was post race because there are so many good food options to choose from. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Repping SF in Berkeley. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ran the half marathon in 2017. It was my first time running this race and overall I was pretty impressed with how everything went! The race packet pick-up/expo was held at Sports Basement a couple of blocks north of the Ashby BART station. It was well organized and well executed. First I picked up my race bib. My bib number was emailed to me prior to race weekend. I then followed the arrows on the ground to where I needed to go next. After picking up the race shirt, I came across several vendor tables before going through the rest of the store. The race started at the intersection of Milvia St and Bancroft Way. There was a huge cache of portapotties also located on Milvia St next to the Civic Center. The course was pretty much a large counter-clockwise loop of Berkeley. It's a challenging course with plenty of rollers, so make sure to do your hill training! The finisher medal was nice looking as well as the San Francisco/Berkeley Challenge medal. The post race organization was superb. Besides the medal, we were given a mylar blanket to stay warm, a banana, snacks, and drinks. There were people directing and funneling the finishers into the post race celebration area located in the Berkeley high school. The only thing that I would complain about was that the 10k participants were mixed into the half marathon crowd making the course a bit congested. read more

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I thought the race was great. The inaugural year they had a 10 mile race option and I ran that, I skipped year 2 cause I was out of town, last year ran the 10K and this year the 5K. The 5K is a challenging course, basically going slightly uphill the first mile, and mile 2 was definitely all uphill and it gets steep, but mile 3 is all downhill so you can make up for time lost. I thought the rain made the race even better, besides, real runners luv running in the rain!! I think the best part of this race is running through the streets of Berkeley, how often do you get a chance to do that?? This is on my list of favorite races and I'll try and run it every year if possible!! read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Start line... - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Sorry for the late review, did not realize I did not finish it back in November 2016, so here goes....Picked up my BIB from Sports Basement today and Expected to see more vendors there and instead, there were about a handful of vendors. Pretty non exciting. However sports basement was offering 20% off shoes and winter clothing. Unfortunately, on race day the weather was horrible...rain rain and more rain. Did not enjoy this run as much as my previous runs, major weather conditions spoiled it. Have to say, the event planners should have put up more tents at the finish line. There were literally no shelter around, apart from the usual food stalls, which was also limited. Everyone was drenched to the bone. Caught a cold too :( Overall, based on the weather, not an enjoyable run. Might run again and give a more positive review if it doesn't rain. read more

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Inaugural! I did this race since I had participated in the SF Half earlier in the year. If you completed both races, you ended up getting the SF and Berkeley Challenge medal. That was the primary incentive in doing this race. Secondly incentive was that I had never stayed in Berkeley and explored. This was my chance! Sadly, I was disappointed with this race mainly because of the course. I presumed it was flat and I was shooting for a PR. Well, it wasn't all flat and I didn't get a PR. The weather warmed up quickly and there were times during the course where there was no shade. At one point, we were running alongside the freeway, which wasn't too thrilling. What was weird was when the terrain changed. All of a sudden we were on a trail (gravel), which was totally unexpected. It was challenging trying to dodge slower runners. Then towards the end we had switchbacks through a parking lot. Ummm no... What took the cake was that big ass hill towards the end. WTF?! The start and finish were in 2 different and far places. I felt sorry for the bf since he walked from the start to the finish (several miles away) just to meet me. The shuttle didn't take guests without bibs back to the start. BUMMER. We ended up using Uber to get back to our hotel. It would be ideal to have the start and finish located near one another for convenience! I like the long sleeve tech we received. Packet pickup was at Pyramid Brewery, which was a distance from the start/finish. Again had to Uber it. The packet pickup was kind of dysfunctional since it was located upstairs and there was a long line to even pick up the packets. There were separate lines for the different races, which was not clearly defined. TOOK FOREVER!!! Oh well, best of luck to this race in the future! ================================================== Stats: Chip Time 2:07 read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Boom! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

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As someone who has run this event every year, there is some constructive criticism I will offer to make this great event even better: 1) Please move the date back to the second week of November. It's hard to do something like this right before a major holiday. 2) I've heard that there were a lot of pissed off elite Half-Marathoners at the point in the course when the 10k runners merged in from their start line. Fortunately, it didn't bother me by the time I got there, but I can understand that some people are running for prize money, rankings, etc. and unnecessary crowding affects your time! 3) Beer line was a bit insane. I think it took about 30 minutes to get a beer. 4) Can we PLEASE move the course away from the freeway?!?!?! Good things: 1) Beautiful course (except for the freeway part)! 2) Great shirts and medals! 3) Well supported course- 7 stations with water, electrolytes, and even Gu Chomps at Mile 6! 4) Very organized. 5) Love the 8:00 a.m. start time! So civilized :))) 6) Reasonable entry fee ($85) with early sign up read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - The best part of the run!! :) - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

I had to have it: the SF/Berkeley Challenge medal. I'd run the San Francisco half marathon and had also been wanting to run Berkeley, so having the opportunity to snag an extra medal made sense (as it always does, really.) I signed up, and upon a brisk, November weekend--it was 59 degrees on race day--we headed north. I expected hills, and there were;​ but the course, although challenging, was a lot of fun--changed a bit from years before, I'd heard. But I'd also expected a smoother packet pick-up. There's no race day bib pick-up. Stopping by the Sports Basement expo was mandatory, unfortunately. Usually, ​that means there will be a push for sales; but it also meant, upon this weekend anyway, for a very difficult time finding parking and a huge inconvenience. That aside, I enjoyed the race. Although I may run Berkeley again in the future, it isn't one I would register for consecutively. It's just a lot of work: driving from out of town, finding accommodations​, securing a place to park... But the medals, both Berkeley's and the SF/Berkeley Challenge's, are pretty cool. And so is Berkeley itself, and I'm glad I ran. read more

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Save $10 off 2018 registration for Half or 10K distance using my ambassador code: RUNBERKELEYSL Enter this promo under "event code" while registering- https://tinyurl.com/ycmwvn3g #eventcode #bhm #berkeleyhalf #halfmarathon #discount read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

Free shots in the middle of a half marathon? Don't mind if I do! Actually, I didn't, but seeing those college guys offering alcohol from the sidelines was hilarious. They were just a few of the many spectators and volunteers present at this race. The course itself provided a decent tour of the area, but the amount and length of switchbacks were annoying. Inhaling car exhaust while running alongside the freeway was no good either. On the bright side, runners were treated to nice views of the bay, San Francisco, and Golden Gate Bridge. The course was mostly flat, but there were some hills, especially a steep one towards the very end of the race. Some aid stations provided Gu Chomps for energy. Love those! The finish line festival was okay, but I've seen better offerings at other races. The finisher's medal was hefty and shiny. There was beer, some snacks, a long line for massages, and not much other freebies. This was the first place I tried those Inner Peas chips, which were pretty good. Because the start and finish lines were far away from each other, you had to catch a shuttle bus back. The wait was long, and the smell was bad with so many sweaty runners packed onto a single bus. I'd advocate for a looped course next time so we wouldn't have to travel so far to get back to where we parked. As a graphic designer, I appreciate a well-designed shirt. The one from here is definitely one of my favorites. Not too interested in running this race again unless they modify their course. The high price doesn't seem worth the hassle. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Finisher's medal! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

I signed up for this race as soon as I first heard about it - MONTHS in advance - because I wanted to have the chance to run on the streets of downtown Berkeley without all the traffic congestion. The date was perfect. The tshirt was fantastic - the best tshirt I've had from any event ever - great design, great color - I like the big logo on the back and the small logo on the front breast area (and it wasn't covered with sponsor logos like so many shirts!). The route was very well marked, and the folks handing out beverages did not miss! I want to give it 5-stars because I want to see this event again next year on the weekend before thanksgiving, perhaps a bit later start time - and more running on the streets of Berkeley. Humans are the only animals who use machines to travel the surface of this planet that we all share -- what I like best about these kinds of urban runs is the fact that we get to close down the streets to all those machines, even just temporarily, and do what we're meant to do -- travel the earth under our own power. We pay taxes to build and maintain these streets -- why shouldn't we get to run on them once in a while and enjoy them safely without fear of being struck by a car (speaking as someone who has been hit in a crosswalk at a 4way stop -- and you know it's not that rare!). People who live in the neighborhoods might complain about the inconvenience - but I find it far more inconvenient to always have to live thinking about cars traversing the streets. Why not embrace the peace and the humanity of streets cleared for a footrace for a few hours? I'll pay for any event that does that - even if it turns out I can't do the run! There were a few areas for improvement: ROUTE: Honestly, I was a bit disappointed at the route -- it was rather poor with all the doubling back along I-80, bottlenecks and crowding (faster runners going into oncoming runners along Bayshore). And the horrible bit of running back and forth in the cones like airport xray screening lines? At least we didn't have to take our shoes off! EXPO & BEER GARDEN: tiny expo, not quite up to the challenge of the crowds. Beer garden featured long lines (though not as bad as the bus) SHUTTLE BUS: please make this a loop next year - I can't bear waiting for an hour for the shuttle again. I was just about ready to walk back except I was having so much fun talking with another runner who I met in the beer garden... the shuttles were a horrible experience. It took nearly as long to leave the event & return to the finish line as to run it! PHOTOGRAPHY: Please invite amateur photographers to snap away and post in a Flickr pool or something - similar to what Brazen Racing did at the Quarry Lakes run in February. The picture thumbnails are SO small and overlaid with a horrible watermark that it makes it impossible to decide whether it is good enough for me to pay the extravagantly expensive prices for *digital* downloads of bad pictures. Please don't go with the horrible pirate marathon foto people next year! read more

Only about 3,600 people ran the race this year (second year). I paid $115.19 with the measly $10 discount from the SF Half Marathon and signed up for the extra medal (really). But towards the race, there were discounts for at least $30 off. The week before, the entrance free was BOGO. I would wait until last minute to sign up for this race to get the best deal. Maybe as the race gets more popular, there won't be these deals but I'd expect them for 2015. There was plenty of parking if you got there early (around 6:45 a.m.). We parked at the Promenade on Addison and MLK and it was $20 cash. I would reserve parking at that location for $24.95 just in case next time since it filled up in 10 minutes and they were only taking prepaid cars. If you're running the 5K - take BART. There were plenty of port-a-pottys at the start with no wait unless it was RIGHT BEFORE the race. They were passing out Nuun and water before the race and there were plenty of water stations along the way. The volunteers at this race were really awesome. The motorcycle gang helped the police and the college students gave out the food and medals at the end. Problem with the pacers was they were in the WRONG WAVE. On the website it says that 1:55 and 1:50 pacers are in Wave 3 but they were in the rear of Wave 2. Also, the pacers do not stop at the water stations so you have to catch up to them. Also, the wave signs the pacers carried were hard to read. The person who designed them obviously has not run a half marathon before. The pacer signs were cute and all and matching the Berkeley/California signs but they were extremely hard to read and only utilized 1/4 of the top of the sign. The course itself was not bad other than the neverending 3K up and down the marina. It was way too long! I ran this course only a minute faster than the new Nike Women's Half course in SF since I was bored out of my mind and not used to running mostly flat, boring ground. Tip on the course is not to go out too fast and save some energy for the marina and the last 3K - even though it's mostly flat, it's challenging because it's boring and seems really long. I ran the first hilly half of the course much faster than the latter flat end of the course. Pace yourself and practice the course. The tech shirts are the same material and sizing as the ones for the SF Marathon. They were selling leftover shirts from the SF Marathon after the race. The race was very well organized and there were some sponsors (Nesquik, Whole Foods, SunRype, Ketiva). They had Parrot coconut juice, bananas and plain bagels at the end of the race. Also, the reception really sucks in Berkeley compared to SF so my iphone 5s ran out of battery at the end of the race so I had to use my BF's phone for photos and calling friends to meet up. Spotify had weak reception and I had no music most of the second half of the race. This never happens to me in SF. I'd recommend paying the extra $10 for getting your bib mailed. It saved me a lot of time and trouble and I just picked up my shirt after the race. Happy training and racing, IG: christinerunssf read more

I received a bib for this race from a friend who couldn't run. I wasn't interested in signing up myself. However, I'm down to run and took the opportunity to make it happen. I knew it would be a flat course and thought maybe I could squeak out a PR. The course starts in downtown city center Berkeley. It runs down and alongside University out to the freeway, over the overpass and about half the course is run along the freeway on the trails parallel to 580. I was not a fan. Between the smell of exhaust and the repetitive looping of the course to make up the mileage it was the most boring course I have ever ran in my 8 years running half marathons. I have never wanted to cheat and get off course so badly. There was an option to divert and go on the 10k course which I was VERY tempted to do. However I didn't and stuck it out against my yearning desire to be done. I didn't get a PR on this course because I couldn't get out of my head how horrible the course was. I'll never do it again. Pro's: (there are a couple), it was well marked and supported for direction and nutrition. And the shirts are cool. read more

Short version: great race, one star off for the freeway section. Long version: I signed up for this race because I got a good deal on entry and they were offering the SF/Berkeley challenge medal for running both back-to-back. I like Berkeley and it seemed like a nice race. I struggled with training, having just done a half the previous month on an injury, and decided to just run the race and do the best I could. I was nervous about the hills, but they really weren't that bad. Just when they start to get gnarly, you get a nice flat spot or healthy downhill to recover. Things were going great up until Mile 7.5. Then you get what seems like an endless stretch of freeway to run down. They call this the "waterfront" section of the race, and there is indeed a body of water on one side of you. The other side, however, is Highway 580. At around 9 am on a Sunday morning, this freeway gets pretty packed, so you get to listen to the fun sounds of traffic on one side and birds calling to each other on the other side. Water, Gu Chomps, and Nuun electrolytes were plentiful, so no worries there, which is good because it warmed up promptly at 8 am. After the hellish freeway experience, we got to run through leafy neighborhoods with lovely spectators yelling encouragement. That made it really hard to walk (even when you really want to walk), because how can you not run with all that great encouragement coming your way? The race itself was pretty well organized. I used GottaPark to reserve a space and it was really convenient. I could have probably left half an hour later, because I hit the corral with an hour and fifteen to spare, and the corrals were empty right up until about ten minutes before the gun. Traffic control could have been a bit better; Berkeley drivers are not shy about slipping between barricades and mowing down pylons to get where they need to go, and no one really seemed to notice or care. Getting out of town after the race was a bit tricky due to traffic backups, but my GPS didn't notice that half the road was still blocked, so I got the added fun of driving a stick shift through the backup on my 13.1-mile sore legs. Corral enforcement was pretty solid, although with only four corrals, there wasn't a whole lot of confusion or rule-breaking. The announcer at the start was pretty cool, didn't go overboard with the enthusiasm but still managed to get us pumped up. The Beauty & the Beast (which was a guy in a dog costume) cart was really cute. The race t-shirt was very nice. I don't tend to wear race t-shirts because I'm sentimental and save them, but it seems like it would be a good tech shirt to wear for a run in cooler weather. I skipped the expo--Berkeley is too far for me to drive to an expo just to pick up my bib--so fortunately they offered bib mailing for $10, which I was all over. They didn't mail me a wrist band to pick up my Challenge medal, but it was printed on my bib so I didn't miss out. I love the idea of having my bib and chip mailed to me; saved me a ton of time. Overall, the course was nice (except for that heinous freeway stretch) and very well supported, and the runners and spectators were great too. I'll probably sign up for next year's race ASAP. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - SF/Berkeley Challenge on the left, Berkeley Half on the right. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

The inaugural Berkeley run was my first race ever! I ran the 10k. The volunteers were awesome! Shirt and medal were fabulous! Route was great until you get to the freeway/Marina area. I was not a fan of the gravel section as it was a very narrow footpath. There also was one big muddy puddle which made it a terrible bottleneck. The zigzagging towards the end was kind of annoying. I'll definitely run this again next year...hopefully they could work out some of the course kinks. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Woohoo!! :-D - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My Sweet 16th Half Marathon! Though I came in with the last wave of joggers, I had a great race and improved my time over my 15th half by 11 minutes. I chose to park in the lot near Memorial Stadium so I got to preview the hilly first part of the course(don't they know the first two miles are always the worst two miles?) so I knew it would be a rough beginning. I walked the hills but still managed to keep a good pace. Bib number pickup was held at the Berkeley Sports Basement. It ran smoothly. I wasn't a big fan of the unflattering green shirt though I'm sure I'll train in it for my next event. Why not blue and gold in honor of Cal or black and yellow in honor of the BHS yellowjackets? Sweats check was well-organized by event and bib numbers. Race corrals were started at different times to deal with pacing though runners basically chose when they wanted to start. The course itself was what I expected. We went through campus, the Gourmet Ghetto, through part of North Berkeley, down Fourth Street, to the shoreline trail and back to Berkeley High. The race monitors were awesome and provided lots of moral support. The post-race snacks were lacking. Sure, a Lagunitas beer was welcome but all they offered for food were bananas. Smaller races(we probably numbered in the thousands yesterday) roll out the red carpet when it comes to taking care of tired, hungry runners. The medal was awesome. I run for the bling and for the reminder that I can accomplish the goals I set. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Dancers and runners; w my samba sisters at the starting line - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

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An endurance tester from one high point to the next! The highlights of running this half marathon: ~ Pretty organized. No issues with the BART ride pick up or drop off. Staff told you where to go. ~ Hand wash pumps after using the porto-potty. ~ Gear check, easy! In a gymnasium, so lots of runners stayed warm and stretched. ~ The Starting Line was kind of crammed, but really what running event isn't. ~ Cutting through Cal Berkeley (mile 3), while the band and cheerleaders root you on! Flyin' skirts and pom-poms really got my adrenaline goin'! ~ Seeing that bigger hill through a residential street (mile 4.5); Thoughts of disgust, but turning a negative into a positive! Then pushing yourself to the limit and to never give up! Do it for the Gu Chomps at mile 6! ~ Coasting down down down the street with ease towards the marina (mile 7 & 8). ~ Mile 9 & 10 along the freeway and next to the marina. I actually hated it! Fairly noisy, and seemed to never end. I can see why runners needed medical attention through this. It was grueling for a straight away! ~ 3.1 miles to go, zig zagging through residential and headed towards the Finish Line! ~ A pretty decent looking winners medal that's like no other. ~ The SF/Berkeley Challenge Medal is shiny, way bigger, and heavy. I liked it! So, overall I gotta say its a half marathon that'll really test you wills! Would I run it again next year? I'd love to, but most likely won't, only because I'm gunning to run the Long Beach Full next year. I say, if you like my descriptions in this review, then challenge youself! Happy runnings y'all!!! read more

This was my 3rd half and 13th race overall. I ran this race because I had to drop out last year, and I wanted to get my challenge medal. This year, I made up for my previous failures and broke 2 hours, so I'm happy. However, I'd say the race organization/course is average or even mediocre overall, since there are a lot of small issues that drag down the experience. It's fun to run it if you need to complete the challenge medal, but a lot of times I didn't feel like I was racing so much as I was out for a regular weekend run, and there are essentially very few things to see or course highlights to remember. It's not a bad race but it's far from essential, especially if you're coming from out of town. PRE-RACE *Registration: look for online discount codes posted in other reviews or in association with its sister race, the SF Marathon. *Expo: bib pickup was held in a sports store, where I followed colored tape on the ground to wend through narrow aisles. It would be significantly better if the expo was in a back room or a big open space where people can move around. As it was, it was nearly impossible to backtrack. Furthermore, it was already very crowded when I went on Friday night. I can only imagine the congestion on Saturday, the day before the race. Additionally, it almost goes without saying, but holding the event in a store meant there were ubiquitous discount offers of stuff bought in store - annoying and unwise, since one of the cardinal rules of racing is "nothing new on race day." *Race shirt: BLACK?! Black race shirts are good for nothing but increasing your risk of being hit by a car. It was long sleeved though. *Shakeout run: unlike most pre-race shakeout events organized by the race staff, this one was at noon rather than in the AM. RACE DAY *Bag check: In every other race, checking my bag meant handing it off to a volunteer who stowed it away in a restricted area. This bag check was unmanned, meaning all the bags were self-sorted by runners who piled them near poles bearing number ranges corresponding to bib numbers. The lack of personnel continued with the post-race bag check, meaning there was nothing preventing someone from taking my bag or vice versa. *Porta-potties: toilets farther from the start line were less crowded, a fact that few people picked up on. *Start line: asinine setup meant people moving to their start corrals were forced to needle through a packed sidewalk while the space on the other side of the corrals was roped off but completely open. *Start time: very civilized 8 AM. *Mile 1: there need to be many more porta-potties at mile 1. I definitely wasted a lot of minutes there. *Crowd support: low but steady throughout the race. *Sights: not much to see past Gourmet Ghetto. Many times it felt less like a race and more like a regular weekend long run. This race no longer goes through the UC Berkeley campus and while the marina offers good views of SF and the ocean, it is also terribly crowded (see below). *Hills: there is 1 big hill in North Berkeley, but they're very manageable if you've done any hill training. *Bridge to/from the marina: unlike the Golden Gate bridge portion of the SF Marathon, this was much less crowded. Each side had 2 car lanes and a sidewalk. *10k runners: the organizers should have timed the 10k runners to start earlier or later than the time when the half runners got to where the two courses linked. Instead, the bulk of the 10k runners fought with the bulk of the half runners, resulting in severe congestion. Along the marina (see below), it was absurd. At no point in the race did I feel tired enough to need to walk because I took so many microbreaks doing stop-and-go as if I was on the freeway. *Marina: it's not really a marina so much as an oceanside paved street that is 1 lane wide on each side (!), resulting in massive congestion. Furthermore, the innermost lane is 1 concrete divider and fence away from a very active freeway (!!). I ran on one of the nosiest and most polluted course sections I've ever encountered. After a hairpin turn, the course ran on the ocean side of the road, next to an empty bike path. After debating whether to stick it out on the main crowded road, common sense prevailed and several other runners and I opted to go on the bike path, where we were able to practically fly past dozens of people. *Equipment: hats, sunglasses and gels are always a good choice, especially along the start during sunrise and the marina where there's glare reflecting off the ocean. POST-RACE *Photos: unlike every other race I've been to, there are NO photographers in the post-race food area to take a picture of you posing with your medal. The only photographers are in the beer garden, which is age-restricted and always takes a long time to enter. LAST WORDS I won't travel for this again, and I'd be reluctant to recommend it to anyone. Run it if you live in the Bay, but know this race has a long way to go before it can be considered good. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - The center part of the challenge medal spins, SF's "Haight/Ashbury" & Berkeley's "Berkeley/California" on opposite sides. - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

Before the 2017 Berkeley half, I had previously finished it twice before in its first 2 years. For the most part, I actually really liked this race. The only unpalatable component of it that stood out to me was how excessively congested the course got at times. Everything else, in terms of bib pick-up/expo, the visually appealing course, the amenities with mactrucks of free stuff everywhere, the exceptional functionality of the water stations, and how organized everything generally worked out to be definitely made it well worth coming. More specifically on the course itself, there is definitely a plentiful amount of variety to it. You'll run through pretty neighborhoods, unique Berkeley cityscapes, and next to the ocean. Some people like hills, others clearly don't, but I think that some of these negative reviews are exaggerating how bad these ones are. By the time you reach the top in all of them, you barely realize the slight slants were there at all, and you're rewarded by a downhill to cruise down anyway. I've run 17 half marathons to date, and Berkeley is one of the flattest courses I've ever run through. Listen, even if you're intending to run the race over the 2 hour mark, register with an expected time of 1:59 or lower (to avoid being categorized into later waves). I'm not claustrophobic, but this race definitely tested my tolerance toward large clusters of people in close proximity. Best be in Wave 2 because you won't have to put up with that as much. To illustrate how overcrowded this race actually got at times, I created a youtube video pointing it all out (It's not up yet; I'll link it here when I finish editing/uploading it). Again, nearly everything else was fine. If you haven't done a half before, and that you're not afraid of being compressed into assembly lines of other runners, then this race would probably be a great choice for you. read more

I ran the 2016 Half and my sister ran the 10k. Overall, I would say it was a great race that I would do again. PROS: -The course was beautiful and challenging. Tough hills in the beginning through residential neighborhoods (but that means fast downhills, too!) and some gradual, steady inclines through town. Be ready for a steady incline coming back from the marina during the last 2 miles or so. -Great crowd support, and the course was well sectioned-off and easy to follow. -The shirts are cute! RECS for next year: -Open up the gymnasium bathrooms to runners after the race to clean up. It was rainy this year and it would have helped tremendously. -Start all races on time. My sister said the 10k started a 1/2-hour late even though the half marathon started on time. That is a bit weird and should be avoided, esp. on a cold day when runners don't want to be waiting for a long time. read more

Awesome course. Very organized. The community was awesome. Many neighborhoods got into it and handed out beer!! :D fun food and beverage tables. Lagunitas was even giving out beer at the end of the race. Also free food here and there (bananas, fruit, nuts, etc). Nice people, beautiful course. All around great event read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - Under two hours! - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

I wish I could motivate to keep my running up all year but alas, I need a deadline to keep me focused so enter The Berkeley half Marathon in November as my next training goal! I ran The San Francisco Marathon this past June and read that they teamed up with the Berkeley Half Marathon to offer a new challenge. Runners who participated in The 2013 San Francisco Marathon and plan on running the 2013 Berkeley Half Marathon (November 24--the weekend before Thanksgiving) will receive a special San Francisco/Berkeley Challenge medal commemorating this Bay Area running feat (bling!). The course for the Berkeley race starts at Civic Center Park, wraps around the west side of the UC Berkeley Campus, then continues straight to downtown Berkeley on University Ave, on the way to the marina. At mile 4, the course turns south along the waterfront, along the Berkeley Marina, turns around to head north to Cesar Chavez Park, looping around the park, to take in the sights of the SF skyline and the Bay. Finally, the route heads north for a finish at Golden Gate Fields. They have the usual stuff-- aid stations, toilets on the course and good stuff awaiting us at the finish. I love the logo so hoping the tech finishers shirt does not disappoint! The course is a point to point and promises to be flat and fast which sounds good to me! I am doing the half, but they also offer a 10 mile or a 10K distance. Looking forward to a great event. read more

Berkeley Half Marathon - On Sunday, November 24, 2013 Berkeley, Calif. will witness it's first-ever half marathon! - See more at: http://berkeleyhalf.com - Races & Competitions Near Me - Berkeley, California

First year for this race (I ran the half) and obviously there are bugs to be worked out. Starting area: There simply wasn't enough space for each wave to line up for the race creating way, way too much spillover into side areas. Also the start was late. Switchbacks: One or two switchbacks is fine, but there were six of them for half marathoners. As a runner it feels like you are running in circles for the second half of the race. Trail: At about mile 11 the trail gets really rocky (rocks way too big to be gravel) and there was a very thin strip of dirt to run on. Runners were forced to go single file through this area or run on the rocks. Neither is ideal. Additionally there were still some very big mud puddles that forced single file lines to get past without getting your shoes wet. If there was rain closer to the event it would have been a huge mess to run in. Merging Half Marathon/10 Mile/10k runners late in the race: For the last two miles there is a very large traffic increase as you are merged with slower runners on the already problematic trail section. Berkeley: It would have been nice to run around the UC campus, or down Telegraph. It seems the course was designed to get out of Berkeley as fast as possible and down to the shore line. I had to give up on my goal of getting a personal record on this course. There are just too many obstacles in the way. read more

It's about time Berkeley got a major road race. The course was flat and fast and ran straight through the heart of Berkeley and along the waterfront. On a clear day (which it was), we could see Mt Tam, the Bay Bridge, and SF city skyline. For the first year, there was great spectatorship. I can see why some people didn't love the out-and-backs, but I liked being able to wave at friends who were ahead of me or behind me. It added to the excitement and kept me motivated. The t-shirt was simple, and loved the long sleeve. It was a huge medal for a half marathon, and the beer garden after the race added to the community feel. The race was affordable and had great perks. I'd definitely run Berkeley again. read more

Everyone else that reviewed is quite correct. The course should have been called "The I-80 1/2 Marathon featuring Berkeley". I read an article about the organizers and apparently they are working with the city of Berkeley to get better permits for next year and that would be crucial. I hate "up and backs" where you run one thing only to run back from it. This course was full of them and almost all of them ran right along I-80. Traffic noise, traffic exhaust- blech. If we must run the Emery Bay section- why not make it a loop include part of Emeryville and have it run back on city streets... but whatever. We won't run this again unless there's a major course change with a lot less (hopefully none) I-80. read more

Um, how did I forget to review this race? Oops. Anyhow. I was looking for a half in November that wasn't too far from home, so when I got an invitation for a seeded spot in the inaugural event, I couldn't pass it up. I'd never run a race in Berkeley & I was excited to see what they'd do with it. PROS: * Well-run & well-organized * Awesome sweat check setup given that it's a point-to-point course. * Nice schwag * Great, super-helpful volunteers * Reasonably priced compared to other half marathons in the area CONS: * The course. Oooohhhh, the course. A promising start in downtown Berkeley, but there were just WAY too many miles in this race spent running out-and-backs along the 80 W frontage road, on gravel, and the uneven, broken-up pavement in the Marina / Cesar Chavez Park. * Shuttles to take people back to the start. Kind of a mess. A bunch of us just ended up walking ~4 miles (after running 13.1!) back to our cars. * The sports drink. Served on the course. Had no carbs. Bottom line, I think this race has a lot of potential & some great people running it, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done on the course before I'll run it again. Full race report here: http://sfroadwarrior.blogspot.com/2013/11/race-report-berkeley-half-marathon.html read more

I know it was the inaugural race, so that poses some challenges, but there are definitely some huge things to be improved upon: 1. THE COURSE. Ugh... running through the actual neighborhoods of Berkeley for more than 3 miles would be a HUGE improvement. 3+ miles right next to the freeway were fairly unpleasant, even with the beautiful views. Merging with the slower 10K runners on a narrow gravel path during the last 2 miles was also not the greatest. And the switchbacks! At point, the course makes 3 hairpin turns in a parking lot, which was just ridiculous. 2. The finish area was pretty challenging for spectators, who were told they couldn't park in the massive parking lot and instead had to walk all the way in from a neighborhood. 3. The shuttles. The line was massive! Glad I didn't have to wait in it. I like the shirt and the medal, but unless the course is significantly changed, I won't be back. read more

This review is for the 5k only (cause a half marathon makes me run...away haha). GOOD: -The expo was quick and easy. -Volunteers were super nice. -Race course was fun- a hill in the middle but the finish was perfect- downhill with the Cal band & cheerleaders right before the end. -Very well organized with the 2 wave corrals. -Different finish area from the half marathon so no congestion or lack of food for the 13.1 runners. -Race included all kinds of people including kids and was walker friendly. -Nice swag- free ticket to a Cal game, finishers medal & nice long sleeve tech tee -Free race photos! -Good start time & location for 5k run because it was very BART friendly! ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: -The e-mails detailing info a week or two before the race were helpful (although I think I got too many e-mails (I counted 10?!!... 2 max would suffice). Overall, I thought it was a great run and the organizers' attention to detail and improvements made from the previous year made it awesome. read more

Don't run the 10k expecting a fast time or PR if you're a sub 7 min/mi runner. You'll be weaving in and out of the middle of the pack half-marathoners especially during the out and back portion near the HWY. Other than that, well run race for half-marathoners. Is someone really faulting the race weather because they didn't take it upon themselves to check the weather? Especially since it was raining the day before. Hilarious! Thanks to all the volunteers that gutted it out in less than ideal conditions. It's truly much appreciated. read more

I didn't run the inaugural race last year but it seems like the organizers have ironed out a lot of the complaints. For example, the start and finish are right next to each other (you actually run through the start line to get to the finish). Also, there is less time spent running along the freeway. It was nice to run along the water, but the bumper to bumper traffic takes away from it. It's not a flat course by any means but I think the hills are definitely more manageable than the first half of the sf marathon. read more

I am glad that I participated in the inaugural Berkeley Half Marathon. Logistically, everything was good. The opportunity for improvement is the course. More information is below. Course: The first three miles was in Downtown Berkeley, however, the next ten miles was along the Marina. Although the weather was nice and the marina was pretty, there were too many switchbacks and random turns along the course. It was a bit boring along the marina. The course also had some "trail" aspects with the mud, rocks, and dirt. I know many people complained about the congestion as there were the 10k and 10 miler also sharing the same path as the half marathon course. Hope the course can have more running through the Downtown Berkeley area. Communication: Plenty of email communications via email and Facebook. Expo: I don't even call the expo an expo. It took less than five minutes to pick up my bib and long sleeve shirt (which is a really nice Greenlayer shirt) at Pyramid Brewing House. I drove over 40 minutes, so it would have been nice to see other vendors. As with t-shirt exchange, volunteers said that the shirts must be exchanged after the run. Water Station: Plenty along the course. There was water and energy drinks. One station had Gu Chomp giveaway. I thought the Gu Chomps was an odd choice since it required chewing as opposed to the Gu gels. Amenities: After the race, you receive your medal, bagels, fruit, Zico water, and the opportunity to view vendors for more giveaway items. Transportation: After the race, we received free transportation from Bauer Transportation back to the start line. For next year, hopefully someone will direct traffic as cars and buses had to leave the parking lot at the same time. Parking: We parked on the street as there was free parking on Sunday. Berkeley Half recommended three parking garages, but it wasn't necessary to pay for them. Plus, I read that the owner of the garages overbooked for pre-registration. read more

I ran it with a hangover from a friends wedding the night before. Dehydrated as hell, I broke my personal record (sub 2 hours) probably because it was relatively flat except for the hill behind the race track at the very end of the 13.1 course... that sucked. I thought the event was well put together but could the course have any more u-turns?! I just wish that there was more city/campus highlights to run through than the starting point. Tip: don't pay for parking and just go 3-4 blocks south of Berkeley High. Free and less traffic read more

Wow, what a thrill to run through the streets of Berkeley! Thousands of runners with a generous time limit (4 hours / 18:00 minute miles) makes for a fun tour of the beautiful city. The expo is cute and quaint, but could use more signage inside the halls, or more volunteers (which I know is out of their control) to direct people around. Course was challenging in a good way, but man Berkeley's got hills! LOL.. Start line was kinda crammed and a little disorganized, but being that it's a new race (2nd year this year), they have plenty of things to improve on, and lots of things that prove that it's a race to stay. Medals: Legacy runners get a different medal than the regular runners get, as does the SF/Berkeley Challenge runners, if you did that previous years vs first timers. I would do this race again, maybe in a few years after they have some experience under their belts, provided they take runners' suggestions for improvement. read more

The race had too many switchbacks, went along a smoggy freeway (80), the start line was way too cramped (like most races), and the end was bottled necked with slower 10 mile runners. The race was relatively cheap though, and I enjoyed running it. I just wanted to warn perspective runners, and pressure the race organizers for a more creative route. Thank you for putting it on. read more

I've done this event twice now and think the cheer section and aid station volunteers are always some of the nicest folks I'll meet at a race. The finish line food could use a little more carbs, but the main reason this almost five star race gets three is the course. Right by the ramp to the freeway on university where there are some cars still allowed to travel, the 10k runners start their race and are tightly packed. That's an uphill considerably far in for a half runner, so to get stuck in human traffic when you most need to motivate yourself is really no fun. At times I found myself darting into runners going the opposite direction just so I could keep some semblance of my pace. I'd really, really reconsider this part because I got so frustrated I considered walking. I'm so glad I've done this twice and may do it again-- but without expecting to beat any personal records. read more

In an article in the Daily CAL the race organizers are quoted as saying that they were limited in their choice of the streets they were allowed to use by the City of Berkeley. I imagine that they, too, would prefer not to have 4 miles of the course run alongside a freeway. I hope the City of Berkeley relents, loosens up a bit, and allows for a more creative and true tour of Berkeley: Telegraph, Gourmet Ghetto, maybe go around or through the campus, etc. I've lived in Berkeley since 1976 and I have maybe visited the Marina three times in that period. I think it's not your typical destination for a Berkeley resident whereas Telegraph and Shattuck and Solano Avenues are. I want to reiterate that the race organization was as professional as can be. Again, they succeeded in staging a large road race in a town where something like that is almost impossible to imagine. read more

GREAT EVENT!! There wasn't any rain so that was perfect though there was definitely a chance of bad weather. This half is pretty tough because of the many hills and changes in elevation, but the track is beautiful and the after race snacks and space is really nice. Just don't use spot hero for parking, it's not worth. There's plenty of parking garages for cheaper that will be open. Just get there before 7:30 and you're good. read more

Wow this year the race sucked! I'm not gonna participate next year. I don't think it's a good headstart for first time runners either. They were super unprepared for the heavy rain! They could have gave people covers or at least heads up about the weather through their social media, gosh or at least acknowledge that there will be rain during the course in the start line! I would have had time to ask friends to bring me clothes! A lot of people were freezing in the cold without a second shirt or a place to change out of their wet running clothes! Also while people were getting out of their wet clothes, the sponsor tents totally ditched the crowd early. The only thing that didn't fail about this race was the water stations and their service. The finish and start line was a huge mess without any music. There was no hype from the DJs/ speakers. This was a sad, quiet, and mellow half marathon. Not for me. read more