Santa Rosa Marathon

Santa Rosa Marathon

Santa Rosa Marathon

( 24 reviews )
91% of reviewers recommend this race
  • Santa Rosa,
    California,
    United States
  • August
  • 3 miles/5K, 6 miles/10K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon, 26.2 miles/Marathon, Virtual Race
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Beth Nixon

Winters, California, United States
5 16
2022
"BQ in wine country "
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Beth Nixon's thoughts:

The typical Bay fog lingered all morning for the 2022 Santa Rosa Marathon. This kept racing conditions perfect with temperatures in the low 60s. I arrived to Old Courthouse Square 45 minutes before the 6:30am start, quickly and easily found parking close to the start line then headed to gear check and porta potties which both had no waiting. Since I opted for the “Mail me my bib” option for $25, I had not attended the expo. Race management, however, did a spectacular job keeping runners informed, excited, and organized down to the details in the weeks leading up to the event weekend. There was a 5k and 10k on Saturday and the half marathon and full on Sunday. Challenges were available for those who wanted to run both days. I decided to focus on the full and try for a BQ. Both the half and the full courses are certified if your looking to qualify for NYC as well. Beast pacing is on hand with motivated professionals to help you achieve your goals. My goal was to stay with the 3:40:00 pacer as long as I could. I made it to mile 24 with her, finishing at 3:44, reaching my BQ and NYQ goals with plenty of time to spare. The course views are beautiful as a majority of the time your running on the Santa Rosa Creek Bike Trail which is lined with vineyards. At mile 10, you’ll take a detour through DeLoach Winery, running through their barrel room! Be ready for your photo shot as you exit! You’ll experience a few small rolling hills between miles 12-14, but for the most part the course is flat. My watch measured about 400 feet of gain total. The aid stations were every few miles and offered water and electrolytes. One station I saw around mile 9 had GU energy gels. The volunteers were enthusiastic and helpful on course and at the post-race festivities. This is where I collected my fabulous swag including my finisher’s jacket, free bottle of DeLoach Vineyard’s “Runner’s Red” wine, tote bag, free beer vouchers (4of them!), and of course my finisher’s medal! The party at the finish was energized with music and the announcements of the winners. Hen House Brewery outdid themselves with a customized beer can for all finishers this year that I really thought was a cool perk. Results could be scanned from your bib and were available immediately. If you’re looking for a flat, end of summer (last chance BQ), professional, well executed race in Northern CA, I’d definitely recommend the Santa Rosa Marathon events weekend in late August. I’m already looking forward to 2023!

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