New course for the Oakland Marathon: Paradise for course cutters?

Doubtful that many people would cut the course in OAKLAND.

Course cutters have rights too.

miles 15-20 look like a nightmare. Overall way too many turns and u-turns. Seems like a poor design in general. The short out and backs between 21-22 and 12-13 seem like an adjustment factor ("it is only 25.7 miles...how do we tack on some distance without a complete redo?")

Someone needs to come up with a race of this type of design, with no timing mats, no mid-race photos allowed, a subway system throughout, free bike access throughout, luxurious portapotties strategically located at the beginning of loops, etc. etc. and guarantee a BQ for ALL entrants. We'll call it the Ruiz-Rossi-Litton Challenge marathon, and it is any distance you damn well like, as long as it is a MASSIVE PR!

notjerrybrown wrote:

miles 15-20 look like a nightmare. Overall way too many turns and u-turns. Seems like a poor design in general. The short out and backs between 21-22 and 12-13 seem like an adjustment factor ("it is only 25.7 miles...how do we tack on some distance without a complete redo?")

I figure that anyone could cut out 1 mile from miles 6-7, 1/2 mile from miles 12-13, 4 miles from miles 15-20, and 1/2 mile from miles 21-22. That would cut down the race to a more manageable 20 mile run. Seems like a suspicious Mexico City style course especially since the race has spotted runners time in the past:

I did the Oakland half last year and the most exciting parts were definitely the extensive tours of the homeless communities and all the dudes with shopping carts we had to dodge as they kept trying to cross traffic

I also was a bit deflated when a homeless dude much older than I just decided to jog with us in his jeans and open/torn boots and easily kept up with my 7:15 pace for better than 2 miles. I swear that just nuked any mojo I had to be able to finish strong/have a good race lol. This homeless dude is in better shape than me and making fun of me right now. Lol

Sit and kick wrote:

I did the Oakland half last year and the most exciting parts were definitely the extensive tours of the homeless communities and all the dudes with shopping carts we had to dodge as they kept trying to cross traffic

I also was a bit deflated when a homeless dude much older than I just decided to jog with us in his jeans and open/torn boots and easily kept up with my 7:15 pace for better than 2 miles. I swear that just nuked any mojo I had to be able to finish strong/have a good race lol. This homeless dude is in better shape than me and making fun of me right now. Lol

did he bum a cig after the 2 miles? That would be the "coup de grass"

This race may be a big disaster. The start and finish line is near a part of Lake Merritt that does not have much parking.

I've run both the full and the half and have never really liked either course. The half isn't as bad, but the hills for the old marathon course were terrible. The climbing, I can deal with. But losing all the elevation in less than a mile with a straight shot down Lincoln was insane!

I'm glad the course doesn't go up into Montclair anymore (it's just too out of the way), but they really should go more down International and really get the East Oakland neighborhoods involved. Instead, folks are stuck running through industrial areas and on streets that have terrible footing (Martime). Plus, the path through Emeryville has way to many sharp turns.

As an Oakland resident for 15 years, I've run EVERYWHERE in the city. There are so many options for a great course, and this new one especially misses the mark. I'd be pissed if I was registered and they changed it into essentially a two loop course.

Oh, and two more things:

1) The view of the Bay and SF from Middle Harbor Shoreline Park is amazing! Hopefully they'll have some photographers set up out there for photos with it in the background.

2) Starting the half at 9:30 so that it merges with the marathon the second half is dumb. The leading half runners who are likely running at a faster pace will have to weave through crowds of slower runners (no offense) near Jack London and West Oakland.

Looks like the Oakland Marathon moved about 10 miles of the course to the bike bridge. Seems like anyone can stop, stretch, and turn around without even having to run through the bushes like that half marathon in China

http://oaklandmarathon.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/oak-marathon-map-1.jpg

You should run the ghetto half marathon in Baltimore if you want to see urban blight. Makes Oakland look like Beverly Hills.

I live in Baltimore and was thinking of doing the full 'thon this fall. But then I looked at the course map and scratched that idea. I get not just running around the harbor, but I'd far rather fly out to Chicago or another fast and flat-ish course that's actually scenic.

Look at between miles 17 and 19 on google maps. It's insanely hilly and also completely run down.

Say la vee.