Bridge to Bridge 10/4/09

The Bridge to Bridge 12K is promoted as America's most beautiful race.  It starts in front of the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero.  This is more or less (actually, less) in the shadow of the Bay Bridge.  This race has been run for over 30 years.  It probably started under the Bay Bridge, but the course has changed over time.  Originally, the Embarcadero Freeway was in this location.  It fell down in the Loma Prieta Earthquake 20 years ago (1989).  After a fight, the freeway was not rebuilt and San Francisco regained its waterfront.  In hindsight, a good trade off.

The race proceeds in the direction of the Golden Gate Bridge.  In 1993, the Sixth U.S. Army turned the Presidio of San Francisco over to the National Park Service.  The finish line was moved from the Marina Green (within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge) to the Presidio Parade grounds. 

This is the fifth time I have run this race - every year since I started spending time in San Francisco.  I warmed-up and saw a few people from the DSE Running Club.  Paul M. was there.  So, there are even a couple of pictures of me before the race.

It was a beautiful day.  Clear sky, warm (but not hot) temperature.  There was a stiff breeze that I would feel as we got into the race.  This race includes both a 12K (close to 7.5 miles) and a 7K (a little over 4.3 miles).   Between the two races, there were more than 4,500 people running.  I picked a spot about 10 feet back of the start line.

We started on time and my first mile was just under a 6:00 min./mi. pace.  Too fast, but it still felt comfortable  We were running down the Embarcadero, past a variety of piers.  At Jefferson, we made the turn to the Fishermans' Wharf area.  We had traveled along the East side of the peninsula and were now moving across the North side.  Second mile, at 6:15, was more manageable.  Next, it was into Aquatic Park and over the McDowell Grade at the back of Fort Mason.  The downhill takes the race through The Great Meadow and into the Marina District.  With the hill, turns and such, my next couple of miles were in the 6:30 area.  We went past the Marina Green and into Crissy Fields, turning around at the Fort Point parking lot.  I lost concentration on the Crissy Fields path.  Along with that, running into that stiff breeze and on dirt, I fell off pace for the sixth mile.  After the turn-around, we headed back on Old Mason and I picked-up the pace.  Then it was a right turn into the Presidio, up a hill and to the Parade Grounds.

I finished in 48:55, a pace of 6:34 per mile.  I took second in my age group, out of 164 finishers.  I was 26th overall, out of 2,303 finishers.  Not as good as the Lake Merced Half Marathon a couple of weeks earlier, but still a good result and one of my faster 12k's. 

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