New to bay area, would like to find a quality summer race.

Kenwood 10k on 4th of July.

You can check if Berkeley has any open track meets, or the Sac area as well for right now.

If you can get in, they do a lottery, the Dipsea is fantastic and challenging. It's the oldest trail race in America. I did it one year in pretty bad shape and I paid dearly (there are about 50 stories worth of steps near the beginning of the course), but the rest of it was amazing with the greatest views of any race I've ever done.

mar 14 the double dipsea reg closed, mar 15 the dipsea lottery closed

the SF marathon is in july, do the first half, it will be fairly competitive

summer isnt a great month for fast 5ks here

Do the Second Half of the SF marathon that is the competitive and faster half. You will probably miss the opportunity to run Wharf to Wharf in Santa Cruz as that sells out in 10 minutes and has 15K runners. It's late July.

I'd recommend the Summer Breeze half-marathon in San Leandro, normally in early August (I haven't checked this year's schedule yet). Low-key but very well organized, flat and fast, right along the bay so the temperatures are pretty reliably moderate, and CHEAP as bay area races go. Brazen Racing does a great job of putting on high quality events that don't cost you an arm and a leg. I live 2 hours from San Leandro but have found it worth the drive to run both the Summer Breeze and its winter equivalent, the Bay Breeze.

cannot handle wrote:

Do the Second Half of the SF marathon that is the competitive and faster half. You will probably miss the opportunity to run Wharf to Wharf in Santa Cruz as that sells out in 10 minutes and has 15K runners. It's late July.

You can just pick which half you'd rather run and sign up? I've never heard of that before.

Thanks everyone for the responses!

BayAreaBae wrote:

I'm currently in about 18:30 shape, hoping to find a fast 5k, 10k, or HM in June, July, or August. I'm a female, if this helps.

The Mammoth race sounded cool since it's at altitude. I'm new to this side of the country and wanted to see if there were any great races that I should try. Every race seems so expensive out here, I'd hate to waste money on a bad experience. My main criteria is the time of year. I just want to run fast!

There's a PA 5k July 4th, so you'll get some competition if you run it. The course isn't that fast, though.

SF 2nd Half you can get free entry if you are moderately fast. It also is not the fastest race mainly b/c you have to fight through 4 hour marathoners on the course.

There are plenty of other events at all distances around the Bay Area over summer. It's hard to predict where you'd get a good race.

Are you looking for a club to train with?

Where are you based? I'm also female, recently moved to the bay area and trying to get a scope of the training/racing scene around here.

also here... wrote:

Where are you based? I'm also female, recently moved to the bay area and trying to get a scope of the training/racing scene around here.

If you guys are SF based, then you should check out Impalas or West Valley TC. They both train at Kezar. Impalas is female only, btw.

If you're in the East Bay I would recommend dropping in on Strawberry Canyon for a workout. They use Cal's track.

For the peninsula, I think WVTC has a group down there, too, but I'm not too sure on the details.

Marin Memorial Day Races in Kentfield, 10K , is flat fast certified and on the PA calendar so there will be plenty of competition for you. End of May. Checkout the link someone posted above.

forthekeeeuds wrote:

Marin Memorial Day Races in Kentfield, 10K , is flat fast certified and on the PA calendar so there will be plenty of competition for you. End of May. Checkout the link someone posted above.

Yep - this is a good race.

speaking as a 4 HR marathoner, who recently went through the SF marathon course [last year, and hey, I was only trying to jog it/first time/but my 5K masters/current PR is about 2 minutes over the OPs], the congestion on course in the GG park makes me wonder how anyone is able to run it anywhere near as quickly as they do [winners go under 1:10 I guess]

I think the trick is the 4HR marathoners like myself kinda match up with the 2H half seeded times so the faster 2nd half people are actually out of the crazy congestion I experienced on the 2nd half course through the GG park. There was literally nothing I could do when I got surrounded by all the yellow shirts on a similar pacing [8:30 to 9:00 lol], we were just boxed. Not until mile 18 did it open up again

BayAreaBae wrote:

cannot handle wrote:

Do the Second Half of the SF marathon that is the competitive and faster half. You will probably miss the opportunity to run Wharf to Wharf in Santa Cruz as that sells out in 10 minutes and has 15K runners. It's late July.

You can just pick which half you'd rather run and sign up? I've never heard of that before.

Thanks everyone for the responses!

Warf To Warf.

Aye... wrote:

BayAreaBae wrote:

You can just pick which half you'd rather run and sign up? I've never heard of that before.

Thanks everyone for the responses!

Warf To Warf.

Warph to Warph

Yes and you want to run the second half if you want a more competitive field and faster race time. Crowds are a bit of an irritant but if you are under 90 minutes it should not be too bad.

also here... wrote:

Where are you based? I'm also female, recently moved to the bay area and trying to get a scope of the training/racing scene around here.

I'm in the Redwood City area. I have no idea what sort of clubs are out here so far.

The "Across the Bay 12k" (formerly Houlihans to Houlihans) is usually a scenic, competitive, large field. The first mile is slow climbing from sea level up to the Golden Gate Bridge deck. This was a March race that is now held in July.

http://race415.com/

The silicon valley Turkey trot has an elite wave, figured I'd mention it. No Thanksgiving is not in the summer, I know

Anecdoter wrote:

The silicon valley Turkey trot has an elite wave, figured I'd mention it. No Thanksgiving is not in the summer, I know

No it doesn't have an elite "wave". There is an elite race though. 5k road. No joggyhobbers need apply. Once saw Alan Webb beat Galen Rupp in that race.