John Muir Marathon Recap

Now that I'm recovered from last weekend's marathon I want to share some photos from the race.

The race starts on the beach, just a few feet from the Pacific Ocean.



Turning around, this is the view from the start line, over the beach, and up into the mountains where we would run the rest of the race.



We ran a few hundred feet on a side street to get to the trails, and the rest of the race was off-road. We started on the famous Dipsea Trail and ran through Golden Gate Park, the John Muir Woods, and Mount Tamalpais Park.



The sun was HOT and the trails were STEEP!



Within ten minutes this was the view from the trail back to the beach where we started.



Once we got into the woods it was much cooler and offered nice shade. Running through the redwoods, across streams, and by waterfalls was an amazing experience.



I've run a lot of interesting marathons, but this is the first marathon I've done that included a LADDER on the course!



Coming down the last few miles of trails I stumbled upon this heart-warming sign.



The hills and heat were tough on me, but it was a great experience. Here's one of my favorite shots from the day which is a nice panoramic shot o the trail on the side of the mountains overlooking the ocean. You can see the trail on my left and right cutting across the ridge. Click the thumbnail below for a larger, interactive version in a new window.