San Francisco Marathon

Course & Elevation

The San Francisco Marathon is a USATF-certified road marathon held on a Sunday in late July, with a 5:15 am start. The 2027 race is the 50th edition, following the first race on 10 July 1977, which was organised by the Pamakid Runners club. The marathon starts on the Embarcadero at Market Street and finishes on the Embarcadero at Howard Street, a 26.2-mile loop around the perimeter of San Francisco. According to the organisers, it passes iconic landmarks and historic neighbourhoods, goes through Golden Gate Park and crosses the Golden Gate Bridge. The course has a 6-hour time limit and counts as a Boston Marathon qualifier. The race weekend also includes the China Airlines Bridge Half Marathon, a second half marathon, the City Half, which starts in Golden Gate Park, a 10K, 5Ks, a 1K kids' dash and an ultramarathon. Nearly 30,000 runners take part across the weekend, according to the organisers.