wejo wrote:
san franciscan wrote:there is a brand new 9 lane mondo track at kezar stadium, old home of the 49ers, in the heart of the city.
I was driving through San Fran to the airport and we went by that track and I said, "Why don't they have nationals here?" Then I figured the surface of the track must be shit. Turns out that isn't the case.
The runners can adapt to not having a warm-up track.
I was at the meet and asked Vin Lananna about Kezar stadium. He said they considered it but ruled it out because of the weather. I know San Francisco well and can say that area gets cold and raw in the evening and can get very foggy (perhaps not as bad as the outer Avenues closer to the beach but still pretty cold). San Francisco is cold in the Summer. Parking is non-existent near Kezar. Also not easy to get to with public transit.
The second best option after Stanford is Edwards stadium at Cal. Two blocks from a BART station. Tons of good restaurants all around downtown Berkeley within easy walking distance of the stadium (many right across the street). Parking is difficult but there is an parking structure on campus about a block from the stadium on Bancroft Way that is often set aside for special events where you can park for around $10-$15. Being two blocks from a BART station is a big deal because BART goes right to SFO and can get you to OAK and also into downtown San Francisco. Edwards has a good track and enormous seating compared to Stanford. I personally prefer Stanford but have to acknowledge Edwards is better is every way except parking and perhaps the weather is not quite as good. The urban vibe of downtown Berkeley turns me off. Downtown Berkeley can at times be dangerous (yes, it is so don't try arguing it isn't because I know for a fact an element of danger exists) but you have to deal with that crap in any downtown urban area these days. Overall, downtown Berkeley is safe enough with good police presence. Lots of very intelligent people from all over the world walking around downtown Berkeley at night going out to restaurants and enjoying the music venues and Berkeley Repertory Theatre which are also close to the stadium.
Edwards stadium has a rich track and field history. Jim Ryun ran a 3:51 mile there.
Edwards stadium also doesn't have a warm up area as far as I can remember.
