I have done this race three times now. I haven't enjoyed it a single time. I do believe that it has potential though, that's why I keep going.
Year 1 that I went was very, very hot. It had an 8am start in the middle of summer and there is not much shade at all on this course. Quite unforgiving!
The next year was better, but we got a late start and spent most of our energy weaving through people, and seeing a lot of people tumble and fall in the process because you can bypass people by hopping up onto the cobble stone road center which is pretty unsafe and you're just asking for a sprained ankle.
This year was more like last year. My running buddy realllly wanted to do the race because they showed a picture of a very sparkly medal that is supposed to be like the World Series rings (I guess). I'm not a sports fan, and me getting into the Giants now would just not be very genuine of me.
An entry into the race (I think I got it when it was $90) gets you a shiny medal, a pretty nice t-shirt, and the infamous bobble head that some people stand outside the expo to try to buy off of you. I don't see the appeal in those either. I do like the t-shirt though, and I would actually wear it unlike most of the race shirts I get.
My friend and I are training for a marathon so today's run was supposed to be 16 miles. We arrived at 6:15 so we could squeeze in a 3 miler before the race. There was already a lot of traffic coming in at that time, but we snagged a pretty ideal parking spot. My boyfriend got stuck in the awful traffic and made it to the race in the nick of time. We decided to do a more relaxed start since it's chipped, and we went to the portapotties before while the race started. Oh, and the portapotty lines are kind of ridiculous. There are definitely not enough at the start and there's a GOOD chunk of people that start this race late due to the bathroom lines and the parking situation.
Naturally starting later does pose the problem that we are behind EVERYONE and have to weave around walkers and joggers that aren't really paying attention. It was really frustrating because there's so many runners and not enough road. Nobody responded to my shouts of "to your left" which got pretty tiring. I ended up tacking on another half mile to the race just from weaving back and forth.
It didn't seem like there were that many aid stations, but I honestly rarely stop at them if ever, so I can't tell you how great it was.
The course is nice, especially if you're new to SF and want to see the city. It takes you along Embarcadero and through the Fisherman's Wharf, and down toward the bridge (but not over it). It's a pretty flat course, but there are two noticeable 80ft hills that might take your breath away for a bit if you're not prepared for it. It's mainly concrete except for the gravel section through Chrissy Field. I used to hate that part, but now I'll take anything that's not concrete and rejoice at the extra give.
Probably the coolest part about the race is that you finish on the field. I finished in 2:00:49 which was disappointing but my legs are tired and I'm definitely feeling the effects of over training. (I also had to make a quick portapotty stop) The post-race food is alright, they are sponsored by Safeway so you get a grocery bag and then fill it with pita bread, a greek yogurt, a banana, and some chips. They heavily promoted reusing your water bottle and had several coolers at the aid stations and the finish of cold water to refill with.
All in all, part of my bitterness is my own fault for always starting late at this race and not getting to my proper corral a the right time. I find the race just to be mediocre though, nothing wows me, but I'm pretty sure if you're a giants fan or a baseball fan at all, that this would be a pretty great race for you to do. The race is also pretty young (4 years) so I imagine that it will improve year after year.
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