FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Dave Stringer
Chronicle Marathon PR
415-383-8418
dave@nnsllc.com
Peter Nantell
Chronicle Marathon Race Director
peter_nantell@westendmanagement.com
What's Shakin' In San Francisco?
JULY 28TH CHRONICLE MARATHON CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF SAN FRANCISCO RUNNING
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 6, 2002) - The Chronicle Marathon San Francisco is
ready to welcome runners to its 25th Anniversary Baghdad by the Bay
Birthday Bash. The July 26-28 race weekend activities will include the
marathon, a half marathon, a 4-person relay marathon, a 5K run/walk, as
well as a 3-day health and fitness expo and related events.
With the sport booming once again, legions of new runners are seeking
fitness and fun and are more interested in special races in exotic places
than in "competition" or "PR's" (personal records). And there is no
better place to combine fitness and fun than in "exotic" San Francisco.
San Francisco has always been a Mecca for Marathoners. Upwards of 8,000
runners have taken part in previous marathons and the City by the Bay has
never disappointed anyone looking for a cool place to race; especially in
the summertime. July's average temperature is 60 degrees. Mother Nature
may give the Bay Area an occasional quiver but she also provides the City
with its summertime shiver: the cooling fog that comes rolling in off the
ocean. A long distance runner couldn't ask for more ideal weather.
Of course, a long distance runner could ask for a fairly flat racecourse.
And, in the past, San Francisco was hard-pressed to come up with anything
resembling flat. However, the 25th running of the 26.2-miler in SF will
introduce a loop marathon course that is flatter and faster but is still
as scenic as ever.
San Francisco may be famous (or infamous, according to former SF marathon
runners) for its hills. But this new course manages to run around all the
big ones while running up only a few of the little ones, just to keep
things interesting. After all, nobody ever raves about the views from the
bottom of a hill! And the last 6 to 7 miles, that crucial final 10K, are
down hill or flat.
The new start/finish is in front of the historic Ferry Building at the
foot of Market Street. For visiting runners, it's barely a warm-up jog
away from all the hotels (downtown, financial district, Fisherman's
Wharf). And the Ferry Building area is a hub for all public
transportation including the Cable Cars.
From the Ferry Building start, this new Chronicle Marathon course
provides runners with a 26.2-mile "best of San Francisco" tour heading
west through Fisherman's Wharf to Aquatic Park. Spectacular vistas of the
Bay and Golden Gate Bridge will be visible from Fort Mason, the Marina,
and the Presidio National Park.
The course also winds through 1017-acre Golden Gate Park west to Ocean
Beach before heading back east to the City through the legendary Haight
Ashbury District and historic Mission District. It then passes PacBell
Park and scoots under the Bay Bridge along the shoreline back to the
Ferry Building finish and post-race bash.
Those runners who may not be ready for the full marathon can challenge
themselves with the Half. It covers those last 13.1-miles of the marathon
course from ocean to bay.
If the half is still too long, four running buddies can take on the
4-Person Marathon Relay with legs of just 10K-11K each along the marathon
course.
Finally, the out-and-back 5K Run/Walk along the Embarcadero from the
Ferry Building promises a super-fast course for runners and super-scenic
one for walkers.
Regardless of event distance, all runners and walkers are encouraged to
take part in the "Cause to Train" and "Progressive Marathon" pledge
programs that will raise funds for the event's official charities: the
Bay Area Fire Department's Emergency Response Team Program, the Volunteer
Center of San Francisco, the Bay Area Red Cross, the Child Abuse
Prevention Society, and the San Francisco Health Department's Treatment
On Demand substance abuse project.
Information on the pledge programs and race beneficiaries, online race
registration and pledge collection, printable registration forms, course
maps, elevation guide, lodging suggestions, and much more is available at
the event web site: http://www.ChronicleMarathon.com.
Those without Internet access may call the Chronicle Marathon
San Francisco race hotline at 1-800-698-8699.
******************************
The Chronicle Marathon San Francisco 2002 is sponsored by the San
Francisco Chronicle, Northern California's largest newspaper, and by KPIX
Channel 5, SFGate.com, 96.5 KOIT, UPN 44/Digital 45/Cable 12, San
Francisco Toyota, Albertson's, the San Francisco Municipal Railway, the
Port of San Francisco, Webb Design, and the Embarcadero Center.
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