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Marathon Details - The Santa Rosa Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CA > Santa Rosa > The Santa Rosa Marathon

The Santa Rosa Marathon

The Santa Rosa Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Santa Rosa, CA USA

August 24, 2025

http://www.santarosamarathon.com

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Name:	Orhan Sarabi
Address:
Phone Number:	707-542-4500
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (53)

Course 4.0

Organization 4.0

Spectators 3.4

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Number of comments: 53 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]

Wayne Wright from Palmdale, California USA (10/1/2018) "Sonoma County's Answer to Napa Valley" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:21:20. The Santa Rosa Marathon was my fifty-first 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: weather at the downtown Santa Rosa start line was 52 degrees, 100 percent relative humidity, calm, and overcast. After meandering downtown for a little over a mile, we embarked westward on the 5.7 mile long Prince Memorial + Santa Rosa Creek Trails. Accommodating three runners across, the heavily shaded trail left Santa Rosa at Fulton Road and entered into vineyard properties. Five and a half miles into the course, we left the paved trail and traversed out-and-back alongside Peterson Creek on gravel trails totaling 1.1 miles. At the end of the Santa Rosa Creek Trail at Willowside Road, we began our 12 mile clockwise loop around West Sonoma County, including the highlight of the course, a tour of the DeLoach Vineyard property at mile 10, including going inside their barrel room. Most of this course wound its way through wine country and farmland. We engaged the only significant exception to the largely flat course at mile 12, where we encountered a pair of back-to-back short interval down-and-ups on Oakwild Road before turning on Woolsey Road. Just past mile 20, we retraced our steps on the entire length of the Santa Rosa Creek + Prince Memorial Trails back into downtown, where a half mile later, we crossed the finish line just past where we started at Courthouse Square. Finish line temperature was 58 degrees, 87 percent relative humidity with overcast skies and wind from the south at 5 mph. ORGANIZATION: Well executed event; responsive race staff. Small expo located in the local sporting goods store south of downtown. Excellent swag: for the tenth anniversary, each marathon runner received a hooded windbreaker jacket, and as in previous races, a bottle of DeLoach Runners Red Cabernet Sauvignon distributed only to the marathon participants. Excellent course support, especially the chardonnay shots received upon exiting the DeLoach barrel room. Traffic control started to deteriorate around mile 15. Although we were allotted one lane in the West Sonoma County portion of the course, a few of the residents decided to take both lanes, apparently with the blessing of the local authorities. SPECTATORS: Apart from downtown Santa Rosa, none to speak of. Excellent drum corps upon leaving and re-entering the Santa Rosa Creek trail at mile 8 and 20. One can hear them a mile away. CONCLUSION: Impressive race management, and with the generous support of DeLoach Vineyards, a unique, scenic course. The event is not quite as polished as its marathon neighbor to the east, but definitely more enjoyable. Well done, Sonoma County.
B. C. from Eastern Oregon (8/30/2017) "Substantial Marathon in Wine Country" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Course: I was concerned after reading the comments on the 2016 marathon that this event might suffer from poor organization, but this was certainly not the case. The beautiful route was very well marked. Mainly flat, this is a good course to shoot for a BQ. I only wish I ran as fast as my car did on the windy road cutting through the forest as I approached from the northeast. Stunning beauty. Pace Setters: I really wanted to break 3h 40m, and found the 3h 38m pace setter to be just the ticket. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to the fact that the pacesetter was as fast as my car. Now that I look at my Garmin results, I find that the pacesetters handily beat the 8m 18s goal for 11 of the first 13 miles and left me in the dust for the second half. This will be the last time I put my trust in pace setters. And besides, staring at the bobbling pace sign for 90 minutes misses the point of enjoying the rest of the view. Returning to the Scene of the Crime: If I were not on this quest of 50 states, I would consider running this again. But given that I am 54 and only at 11 states, it is time to head east. I am told that marathonning after age 90 may prove treacherous. In Conclusion: But overall, I raise my glass of Runners Red to the event organizers and volunteers. Cheers!
K. R. from Eugene, Oregon (8/29/2017) "Solid marathon in beautiful setting" (about: 2017) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Santa Rosa was my first full marathon experience, and overall, it was a really solid event that I would run again. I have run several half marathons and this one is on par with other good experiences. The best things about this race were the scenic, mostly flat course (for an out-and-back route, it was surprisingly enjoyable); the really well-staffed aid stations (at least every 2 miles), with water and Gatorade, some with bananas/oranges, and the volunteers always ready; and the expo and finish-line events were really nice with plenty of perks. Additional fun aspects of the race were shots of Chardonnay at mile 10 (I didn't take it, but it made me smile), a complimentary Lagunitas pale ale at the finish line, and the unique fact that the race shirt is a nice lightweight running material jacket. Aspects that could really use improvement are the race website and email communication (for example, multiple emails stating there will be no on-site parking at the expo, but only in one email was it listed where you could park to catch the shuttle, which for our-of-towners like my group was more of a challenge); and clarification at the start line regarding where the starting corrals are (a start-line map would be helpful!), and getting the runners to stay on course (I heard that the first runners went straight at the first turn, which could easily have been blocked off, and it sounds like course issues is a recurring challenge for this event). Overall, this was a solid event, and the spirit of it was very fun and supportive. Temperatures were very high race day, which was an unexpected challenge, but outside of the race organizor's control. Thanks, SRM, for helping my first full marathon experience be a great one!
S. M. from Davis (8/28/2017) "Decent course, average organization" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 There was a lot of talk about extreme heat before this race and Facebook suggestions to move the start to 5:30. It actually started pretty chilly at 6:30 and by the time I finished around 9:45 it was just in the 70s so not a big deal for me. It is a nice shady course for the first 6-7 miles (and last 6 miles) along a river walk. Once out in the fields it was a lot of road running but also some nice vineyards to look at. I wouldn't say a beautiful course, but it was a nice run. Organizationally, this marathon has had some challenges. They had some big problems last year and I could see this year they were trying hard to get it right but some simple things weren't done. (i) the entry to the corrals was completely disorganized and didn't happen until 6:25 so the race started late. The person on the mic could barely be heard and didn't seem to know what was going on either. They just kept saying that the process for corral loading would be 'revealed at some point'. In the end it was a bit shambolic as we crammed into the corrals without anyone checking bibs. (ii) the overall course was accurate this year! However, the mile markers were definitely off. I've never had my garmin beep for 20 miles EXACTLY as I run past a 20 mile marker before! I'm honestly not that good at running the tangents! It looks to me like they had measured the course properly but then set the mile markers out using a garmin. Not a huge deal but it just meant that the distance from 26 to the finish was longer than expected. (iii) With all the talk about heat, the race director promised extra water stations, misters, and sponge pools. None of these were on the course. I'm not sure they were actually needed but if something is promised, it should be delivered. Overall, a decent marathon that still needs to improve on organization
h. e. from Syracuse, NY (4/17/2017) "Very disappointing" (about: 2016) 1 previous marathon \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Entered the Santa Rosa as it has a reputation for being very fast, and I was in the area. The expo was small, which is fine, but unorganized. Had a hard time finding out where it started to get my bib and amenities. The pullover shirt was basically a throw away and am still sitting on the bottle of wine, so hopefully that'll be nice down the road. The next day parking was easy at the parking garage, but on the way out it was a cluster as there were so many people and the machines only took exact change or cc, so that was an issue, got to the start, no National Anthem (yay California) and off we went. Off we went in the wrong direction, which i am guessing cost me 4 minutes or so. Got back on course and ran. At Mile 22 hit a wall, had to believe the misdirection and excessive early speed were factors, and slogged to the end, which is a long mild upgrade that felt to me like climbing the K2. Finish, got a medal and the line for any of the goodies (beer, pancakes, etc) was so long i just bailed. Also, during the run, there was a wheelchair participant who kept on cutting in front of and in back of me, really throwing me off and actually cutting me off from a water table once. Thanks dude whoever you are. Wd I do it again: No, not for that price and for that experience. Thanks Santa Rosa, but no thanks.
Kirstin Karipides from California(CA) (9/13/2016) "beautiful course in the country" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 CONS: 1. If there was a National Anthem, you could not hear it from the back. 2. Confusing course at the beginning and end of the marathon (in Downtown). I was a 5:30 finisher, and I had to ask people not associated with the marathon if they had seen any runners, and which way I should go- at mile 25.5! Course markings/marshals were inadequate. 3. The medal is 3 times larger than my other marathon medals; just a personal preference, but it looks silly when displayed. PROS: 1. Beautiful course once on the bike path and in the country. 2. With the 6:00 AM start, the weather is cool and foggy. 3. There's hardly any spectators (which was expected), but the finish line and beer festival were awesome. 4. The parking garage is one block away. Easy logistics.
N. M. from Bay Area, California (9/9/2016) "Disorganized again" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 The Santa Rosa Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Organization: Full disclosure: I was part of the 3:03 pace group that was led off course and had to run an extra 0.85 miles. I ended up just missing a BQ when my first 26.2 would have qualified me by 6 minutes. The pacer was probably following the person ahead of him off course, but still, he should have known the course better. Also, there were two volunteers at the turn who saw us all go off course without saying anything. The fuel was incorrectly advertised. The sporks drink was a no-calorie option and I heard gels were only at the mile 13 aid station. Luckily I carry my own so I can't verify the gel claim myself. Lastly, the marathon and half marathon share the last 5 miles so marathoners have to run past a lot of walkers and joggers. This made pacing significantly more difficult and tends to subconsciously slow you down (besides the constant need to alert 'runner on your left' every 30 seconds). Course: It's ok. It's rural if that's your thing. I wouldn't call it beautiful. Just running past a bunch of farms and fields. Spectators: Good. Probably their strongest feature. Not a lot of people but every few miles you get a pocket of spectators which is not bad considering the rural nature of the race. Definitely not as many people as a big city race but you shouldn't be expecting that in a city like Santa Rosa. Overall: I had a pretty mediocre experience in 2015 and only decided to run it again to BQ. It didn't work out and I have no intention to run this one again.
K. B. from Boston (8/31/2016) "Good course, but worst racing experience" (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 My boyfriend and I both ran the SMR on 8/28 and we ended up brokenhearted at the end of our trip. We flew in from Boston, in order to return to Boston (to qualify for Boston Marathon). Sadly, about a mile in, some runners were off-course and the pacers followed/lead the others to the wrong direction. My bf ended up running an extra 0.8 mile -which with the actual 26.20mi course he would have BQed, but with the added time/mile and the entire race knowing he'd have to catch up to make up for the mess he ended up missing the qualifying time just by a few minutes. I also started in Corral 1 and I could testify that there were few blockades/cones/volunteers around, and the biggest problem is it was DARK and nobody knew where to run! People were cursing along the way and different pacing groups were bumping into one another. Cars were honking at the groups that ran the wrong course. What a mess. And, during the last 5 miles, the 3h marathon runners were met with the peak of half marathon finishers on a narrow paved-trail. People had to weave through the crowd to maintain their pace. Also the medal no indication of year. The sports drink Ultima they provided had no calories. Etc etc. The course was flat, the weather was beautiful, but the organization was unreliably poor. I would not recommend this marathon for anyone traveling from outside of CA. Apparently this was about the 4th time within a 5 year span that they messed up. The race has probably grown too big for a small town marathon.
H. E. from California (8/28/2016) "Santa rosa. Beautiful but error filled" (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Oh boy. So I blew up at mile 22 but this review is not about me, but the race. Perfect weather, nice swag, great communication leading up to the race, a few issues: 1: at about mile two or so everyone on a 7:45 pace or faster ran at least 100 yds in the wrong direction, and some ran a mile off. For a race a lot of people wanted to be in, this is almost inconceivable. 2: they should have started the wheelchair athletes a good thirty minutes earlier. Speaking for myself I was running around a wheelchair athlete and it was a nightmare for ten miles. 3: everyone loves pancakes, but no one likes seeing a monster pancake line. 4: the parking at Santa rosa plaza took cc or exact change only. People should have been told. It is a very rural run w little fan support, but the volunteers did a great job and if not for the early screw up, and me blowing up at mile 22, I wd rate it higher.
J. M. from Oakland, CA, USA (8/28/2016) "Confusion reigns in 2016" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 The Santa Rosa Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Love this marathon. Great weather. Great course. Great beer. But this year's race was marred by poor organization near the start. Around 1 mile in, many runners went of course owing to poor race marking / direction. Need organizers to be super alert for these 6:00am starts! Had a great time running my first 27 mile ultra, though!

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]



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Wayne Wright from Palmdale, California USA (10/1/2018) "Sonoma County's Answer to Napa Valley" (about: 2018) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:21:20. The Santa Rosa Marathon was my fifty-first 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: weather at the downtown Santa Rosa start line was 52 degrees, 100 percent relative humidity, calm, and overcast. After meandering downtown for a little over a mile, we embarked westward on the 5.7 mile long Prince Memorial + Santa Rosa Creek Trails. Accommodating three runners across, the heavily shaded trail left Santa Rosa at Fulton Road and entered into vineyard properties. Five and a half miles into the course, we left the paved trail and traversed out-and-back alongside Peterson Creek on gravel trails totaling 1.1 miles. At the end of the Santa Rosa Creek Trail at Willowside Road, we began our 12 mile clockwise loop around West Sonoma County, including the highlight of the course, a tour of the DeLoach Vineyard property at mile 10, including going inside their barrel room. Most of this course wound its way through wine country and farmland. We engaged the only significant exception to the largely flat course at mile 12, where we encountered a pair of back-to-back short interval down-and-ups on Oakwild Road before turning on Woolsey Road. Just past mile 20, we retraced our steps on the entire length of the Santa Rosa Creek + Prince Memorial Trails back into downtown, where a half mile later, we crossed the finish line just past where we started at Courthouse Square. Finish line temperature was 58 degrees, 87 percent relative humidity with overcast skies and wind from the south at 5 mph. ORGANIZATION: Well executed event; responsive race staff. Small expo located in the local sporting goods store south of downtown. Excellent swag: for the tenth anniversary, each marathon runner received a hooded windbreaker jacket, and as in previous races, a bottle of DeLoach Runners Red Cabernet Sauvignon distributed only to the marathon participants. Excellent course support, especially the chardonnay shots received upon exiting the DeLoach barrel room. Traffic control started to deteriorate around mile 15. Although we were allotted one lane in the West Sonoma County portion of the course, a few of the residents decided to take both lanes, apparently with the blessing of the local authorities. SPECTATORS: Apart from downtown Santa Rosa, none to speak of. Excellent drum corps upon leaving and re-entering the Santa Rosa Creek trail at mile 8 and 20. One can hear them a mile away. CONCLUSION: Impressive race management, and with the generous support of DeLoach Vineyards, a unique, scenic course. The event is not quite as polished as its marathon neighbor to the east, but definitely more enjoyable. Well done, Sonoma County.
B. C. from Eastern Oregon (8/30/2017) "Substantial Marathon in Wine Country" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Course: I was concerned after reading the comments on the 2016 marathon that this event might suffer from poor organization, but this was certainly not the case. The beautiful route was very well marked. Mainly flat, this is a good course to shoot for a BQ. I only wish I ran as fast as my car did on the windy road cutting through the forest as I approached from the northeast. Stunning beauty. Pace Setters: I really wanted to break 3h 40m, and found the 3h 38m pace setter to be just the ticket. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to the fact that the pacesetter was as fast as my car. Now that I look at my Garmin results, I find that the pacesetters handily beat the 8m 18s goal for 11 of the first 13 miles and left me in the dust for the second half. This will be the last time I put my trust in pace setters. And besides, staring at the bobbling pace sign for 90 minutes misses the point of enjoying the rest of the view. Returning to the Scene of the Crime: If I were not on this quest of 50 states, I would consider running this again. But given that I am 54 and only at 11 states, it is time to head east. I am told that marathonning after age 90 may prove treacherous. In Conclusion: But overall, I raise my glass of Runners Red to the event organizers and volunteers. Cheers!
K. R. from Eugene, Oregon (8/29/2017) "Solid marathon in beautiful setting" (about: 2017) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Santa Rosa was my first full marathon experience, and overall, it was a really solid event that I would run again. I have run several half marathons and this one is on par with other good experiences. The best things about this race were the scenic, mostly flat course (for an out-and-back route, it was surprisingly enjoyable); the really well-staffed aid stations (at least every 2 miles), with water and Gatorade, some with bananas/oranges, and the volunteers always ready; and the expo and finish-line events were really nice with plenty of perks. Additional fun aspects of the race were shots of Chardonnay at mile 10 (I didn't take it, but it made me smile), a complimentary Lagunitas pale ale at the finish line, and the unique fact that the race shirt is a nice lightweight running material jacket. Aspects that could really use improvement are the race website and email communication (for example, multiple emails stating there will be no on-site parking at the expo, but only in one email was it listed where you could park to catch the shuttle, which for our-of-towners like my group was more of a challenge); and clarification at the start line regarding where the starting corrals are (a start-line map would be helpful!), and getting the runners to stay on course (I heard that the first runners went straight at the first turn, which could easily have been blocked off, and it sounds like course issues is a recurring challenge for this event). Overall, this was a solid event, and the spirit of it was very fun and supportive. Temperatures were very high race day, which was an unexpected challenge, but outside of the race organizor's control. Thanks, SRM, for helping my first full marathon experience be a great one!
S. M. from Davis (8/28/2017) "Decent course, average organization" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 There was a lot of talk about extreme heat before this race and Facebook suggestions to move the start to 5:30. It actually started pretty chilly at 6:30 and by the time I finished around 9:45 it was just in the 70s so not a big deal for me. It is a nice shady course for the first 6-7 miles (and last 6 miles) along a river walk. Once out in the fields it was a lot of road running but also some nice vineyards to look at. I wouldn't say a beautiful course, but it was a nice run. Organizationally, this marathon has had some challenges. They had some big problems last year and I could see this year they were trying hard to get it right but some simple things weren't done. (i) the entry to the corrals was completely disorganized and didn't happen until 6:25 so the race started late. The person on the mic could barely be heard and didn't seem to know what was going on either. They just kept saying that the process for corral loading would be 'revealed at some point'. In the end it was a bit shambolic as we crammed into the corrals without anyone checking bibs. (ii) the overall course was accurate this year! However, the mile markers were definitely off. I've never had my garmin beep for 20 miles EXACTLY as I run past a 20 mile marker before! I'm honestly not that good at running the tangents! It looks to me like they had measured the course properly but then set the mile markers out using a garmin. Not a huge deal but it just meant that the distance from 26 to the finish was longer than expected. (iii) With all the talk about heat, the race director promised extra water stations, misters, and sponge pools. None of these were on the course. I'm not sure they were actually needed but if something is promised, it should be delivered. Overall, a decent marathon that still needs to improve on organization
h. e. from Syracuse, NY (4/17/2017) "Very disappointing" (about: 2016) 1 previous marathon \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Entered the Santa Rosa as it has a reputation for being very fast, and I was in the area. The expo was small, which is fine, but unorganized. Had a hard time finding out where it started to get my bib and amenities. The pullover shirt was basically a throw away and am still sitting on the bottle of wine, so hopefully that'll be nice down the road. The next day parking was easy at the parking garage, but on the way out it was a cluster as there were so many people and the machines only took exact change or cc, so that was an issue, got to the start, no National Anthem (yay California) and off we went. Off we went in the wrong direction, which i am guessing cost me 4 minutes or so. Got back on course and ran. At Mile 22 hit a wall, had to believe the misdirection and excessive early speed were factors, and slogged to the end, which is a long mild upgrade that felt to me like climbing the K2. Finish, got a medal and the line for any of the goodies (beer, pancakes, etc) was so long i just bailed. Also, during the run, there was a wheelchair participant who kept on cutting in front of and in back of me, really throwing me off and actually cutting me off from a water table once. Thanks dude whoever you are. Wd I do it again: No, not for that price and for that experience. Thanks Santa Rosa, but no thanks.
Kirstin Karipides from California(CA) (9/13/2016) "beautiful course in the country" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 CONS: 1. If there was a National Anthem, you could not hear it from the back. 2. Confusing course at the beginning and end of the marathon (in Downtown). I was a 5:30 finisher, and I had to ask people not associated with the marathon if they had seen any runners, and which way I should go- at mile 25.5! Course markings/marshals were inadequate. 3. The medal is 3 times larger than my other marathon medals; just a personal preference, but it looks silly when displayed. PROS: 1. Beautiful course once on the bike path and in the country. 2. With the 6:00 AM start, the weather is cool and foggy. 3. There's hardly any spectators (which was expected), but the finish line and beer festival were awesome. 4. The parking garage is one block away. Easy logistics.
N. M. from Bay Area, California (9/9/2016) "Disorganized again" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 The Santa Rosa Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Organization: Full disclosure: I was part of the 3:03 pace group that was led off course and had to run an extra 0.85 miles. I ended up just missing a BQ when my first 26.2 would have qualified me by 6 minutes. The pacer was probably following the person ahead of him off course, but still, he should have known the course better. Also, there were two volunteers at the turn who saw us all go off course without saying anything. The fuel was incorrectly advertised. The sporks drink was a no-calorie option and I heard gels were only at the mile 13 aid station. Luckily I carry my own so I can't verify the gel claim myself. Lastly, the marathon and half marathon share the last 5 miles so marathoners have to run past a lot of walkers and joggers. This made pacing significantly more difficult and tends to subconsciously slow you down (besides the constant need to alert 'runner on your left' every 30 seconds). Course: It's ok. It's rural if that's your thing. I wouldn't call it beautiful. Just running past a bunch of farms and fields. Spectators: Good. Probably their strongest feature. Not a lot of people but every few miles you get a pocket of spectators which is not bad considering the rural nature of the race. Definitely not as many people as a big city race but you shouldn't be expecting that in a city like Santa Rosa. Overall: I had a pretty mediocre experience in 2015 and only decided to run it again to BQ. It didn't work out and I have no intention to run this one again.
K. B. from Boston (8/31/2016) "Good course, but worst racing experience" (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 My boyfriend and I both ran the SMR on 8/28 and we ended up brokenhearted at the end of our trip. We flew in from Boston, in order to return to Boston (to qualify for Boston Marathon). Sadly, about a mile in, some runners were off-course and the pacers followed/lead the others to the wrong direction. My bf ended up running an extra 0.8 mile -which with the actual 26.20mi course he would have BQed, but with the added time/mile and the entire race knowing he'd have to catch up to make up for the mess he ended up missing the qualifying time just by a few minutes. I also started in Corral 1 and I could testify that there were few blockades/cones/volunteers around, and the biggest problem is it was DARK and nobody knew where to run! People were cursing along the way and different pacing groups were bumping into one another. Cars were honking at the groups that ran the wrong course. What a mess. And, during the last 5 miles, the 3h marathon runners were met with the peak of half marathon finishers on a narrow paved-trail. People had to weave through the crowd to maintain their pace. Also the medal no indication of year. The sports drink Ultima they provided had no calories. Etc etc. The course was flat, the weather was beautiful, but the organization was unreliably poor. I would not recommend this marathon for anyone traveling from outside of CA. Apparently this was about the 4th time within a 5 year span that they messed up. The race has probably grown too big for a small town marathon.
H. E. from California (8/28/2016) "Santa rosa. Beautiful but error filled" (about: 2016) 2 previous marathons \| 1 The Santa Rosa Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Oh boy. So I blew up at mile 22 but this review is not about me, but the race. Perfect weather, nice swag, great communication leading up to the race, a few issues: 1: at about mile two or so everyone on a 7:45 pace or faster ran at least 100 yds in the wrong direction, and some ran a mile off. For a race a lot of people wanted to be in, this is almost inconceivable. 2: they should have started the wheelchair athletes a good thirty minutes earlier. Speaking for myself I was running around a wheelchair athlete and it was a nightmare for ten miles. 3: everyone loves pancakes, but no one likes seeing a monster pancake line. 4: the parking at Santa rosa plaza took cc or exact change only. People should have been told. It is a very rural run w little fan support, but the volunteers did a great job and if not for the early screw up, and me blowing up at mile 22, I wd rate it higher.
J. M. from Oakland, CA, USA (8/28/2016) "Confusion reigns in 2016" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 The Santa Rosa Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Love this marathon. Great weather. Great course. Great beer. But this year's race was marred by poor organization near the start. Around 1 mile in, many runners went of course owing to poor race marking / direction. Need organizers to be super alert for these 6:00am starts! Had a great time running my first 27 mile ultra, though!

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Marathon Details - The Santa Rosa Marathon