Hi, my name is Christina and I am crazy enough to have made the most-definitely-not-flat Oakland Marathon my first full 26.2. Thankfully, I knew that going in I was going to be encountering hills, hills, and more hills, which made it not bad. ;) Full disclosure, I was so enamored of it that I signed up for the 2015 event within three days after running it! I ended up having to defer to 2016 when I found out I was pregnant, and look forward to toeing the line again.

Rating notes:
- I didn't stick around the expo long. It's a smaller expo, especially since my first expo exposure was at a runDisney event, so I compare all things to how massive and thorough that was.
- Elevation I gave a four because for a road race, there's a lot of climbing, but there isn't nearly as much climbing as some other road or trail races.
- Parking near the lake is hard even when there isn't an event, so add an event and it's hard to come by. My husband had a hell of a time finding parking when he came back from seeing me on course to meet me at the finish.
- The scenic portions are beautiful, but be prepared to run through some urban parts of Oakland. There were some portions where I was basically running alone for a mile or three, down roads, hoping I was still on course.

Perks:
- getting to see many facets of Oakland in a new way
- many DIY aid stations on the course thanks to awesome residents (there was a mimosa station I totally should have stopped at)
- running local is awesome, period
- embroidered long sleeve shirt with thumbholes
- good bling
- volunteers who helped me do things like open my water bottle (I was tired)

Bummers:
- some unsupported sections, but that's to be expected; would you go sit on a random residential hill and cheer runners on?
- where's the fruit at? I only recall seeing bananas at an aid station around mile 12 and I wasn't quite ready for one yet. After that I probably would've given someone $10 for half of a banana. I didn't see one until the finish line, so this year I'll be carrying my own non-gel/non-hydration/non-drop fuel as well as my usual arsenal to be safe. Like I said in my 408K review, I've basically been trained to run for a free banana. Where's my banana?

To me, this event was "very Bay Area" with a wonderful mix of people of all different walks participating in, aiding and cheering the event. I was the only person I saw on course rocking Sparkle Athletic gear (skirt, visor, sleeves) and loved all the little kids who yelled things like "Mommy look at the fairy princess!" There were some great signs on the course, various spots with music and dancing and a very "all are welcome" vibe. I saw some folks who definitely looked like this was their first event ever, others who had clearly trained hard and long for this. All different bodies and speeds, ages and backgrounds -- it was beautiful to see. This is why I love running: there's a place for everyone and a place for every pace.

I really appreciated that this was a big event that felt like a smaller event. There were no designated corrals at the start and there was only a small arch with a small pre-race area on the grass where folks were congregating and stretching. It was a trip basically running to my father in law's house from the lake; my husband and FIL were at the Safeway in Montclair to say hello mid-run. Now when I drive through the Oakland Hills, I laugh when I see the trails on behind the fences of the freeway; it's crazy to think "I ran that."

And I can't wait to run it again.

Full recap:
2014 - http://littlebeastling.com/2014/03/29/archive-oaklandmarathon/