- Weather
- 34°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~2,000-3,000 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 900 ft gain
Pacific Northwest staple; chilly weather
PR5Weather8Experience8
Late July · West Coast · Loop
San Francisco Marathon
San Francisco, CA · Sunday, July 25, 2027
Crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, and the course backs that up with genuine climbing, San Francisco is one of the hilliest major cities in the country, and this course does not avoid that. Not a course for a first marathon or a fast one.
Crosses the Golden Gate Bridge
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
61°
Cooler than 5% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
1,200ft
Flatter than 5% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
6K
Larger than 94% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
5.0/10
Ahead of 9% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
1,200 ft gain
Hilly course, loop.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
53°
Start
61°
Midday
68°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 61°F, warm for racing.
Typical dew point 49°F, 16% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
This one is about the day, not the clock.
San Francisco Marathon is a strong choice for runners who like a course with real character, and the climbing is the point here. The tradeoff is time: race it hard early and the hills will collect later.
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around San Francisco, CA, with real climbing that will cost you time if you race it hard early.
The case for it
- Not enough verified data yet.
The tradeoffs
- You are chasing a flat-course PR
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Hilly
- Total gain
- 1,200 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~6,000 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Steady crowd support
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Late July
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, July 25, 2027
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Loop course
- Hilly course
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 35°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~500 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,100 ft gain
Deception Pass bridge and Puget Sound
PR5Weather8Experience7
- Weather
- 39°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~600 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,200 ft gain
Spokane River gorge and "Doomsday Hill"
PR5Weather9Experience7