I run like a girl.

Sunday was the Nike Women’s Marathon , and JNC and Hoov and I did the half. Unfortunately, I stopped for a brief visit to the portas at mile 3, whereupon my phone died an untimely death (contrary to the popular belief, it did not fall in, it just doesn't work any more). As a result, I was unable to find my companions again and ended up running the next 10 miles alone. That's not bad considering I've run 26.2 miles alone, but it was kind of a bummer because I was expecting to run with them and was really looking forward to experiencing it together. Fortunately, we had pre-arranged a meeting spot at the end so we were eventually reunited.

If you are interested in doing a marathon or half-marathon, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this event! However, the vast (VAST) majority of entries are reserved for TNT. So if you want to run it as an individual, you must, must, must register on the first day because it will sell out. If you are thinking of doing your first distance race and you really want to do this race, you might want to consider joining your local TNT team. My running buddies know I have my issues with their training program (that I won't go into here) but it is a great cause and I know many people who had a great experience with TNT.

Here's the review I wrote about the event on Yelp:

"Overall, a great event for a great cause. If you are not currently partaking in an "active lifestyle" and you want to take on a big challenge and do a marathon or a half marathon, or if you have been affected by leukemia or lymphoma and you want to do something to raise money for that cause, I highly recommend this event.

You hardcore runners out there who are trying to PR, qualify for Boston, hate people who listen to music on the course and get annoyed when slower people do not stay to the right? This may not be the race for you. This is kind of the "fun run" of marathons.

PROS:
It was great to see people from all over the country running through San Francisco. Coming downhill, when you first came around the corner and saw Ocean Beach, you could hear the runners gasp at the view. "It's so beautiful!" I hear people saying. And in that moment, my heart felt like it would burst with pride. I am so lucky to live here! Thank you to all the people who traveled so far to participate, for your great energy and being stoked to be here (thanks for spending all that money, too, we need it!). Your enthusiasm made me appreciate San Francisco all over again.

The event was well-organized. The packet pick-up was smooth, there were plenty of volunteers and food. The aid stations along the course were well-stocked. Great volunteers: they got out of bed at o'dark thirty in the morning to help out and they had an amazing attitude.

The positive energy on the course was great. I had been warned that if you are not sporting a TNT jersey that you might be in danger of not getting handed water at the aid stations, or that the people on the course would be conspicuously silent as you ran by. I'm not on a TNT team, but I have made many donations to my friends who have done TNT events, including several hundred $ to people in this race alone. After the event, I can say I have absolutely nothing bad to say about TNT's involvement in this race. $18.5M was raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and you can't argue with the impact that amount of money has. Plus, seeing so many people running for a cause really makes the race more meaningful. There were posters along the side of the road with photos of TNT honorees, and even reading the names on people's jerseys was inspiring. Most of the support is for TNT because that's where most of the people in the race are from. The whole event is geared at being a TNT fundraiser, and I found the overwhelming TNT presence made it a positive experience.

CONS:
Because this is a Nike event, there was no evidence that any other sportswear companies exist on the planet. Usually there's some interesting gear at the expos. This expo was brand-alignment central: Apple and Nike. I felt a little overwhelmed with Nike branding by the end of the weekend and I ended up blowing off some steam and some $ at the New Balance store. Ha!

Most of the post-race amenities were swamped with people, so that whole "get a massage and a pedicure" after the race? Uh, yeah, if you're willing to wait an hour in line to get it! If you just ran 26.2 miles (or even 13.1), you are not up for waiting in long lines. You want a shower and something to eat. Which reminds me...

You have to pay extra for transport back. An extra $10 in advance or $15 at the expo. The lines for the buses were INSANE. Way, way longer than the post-Bay to Breakers line that took an hour. There were plenty of buses there, but there was no one directing people to the buses or helping out with that. Despite paying extra for the transportation back, we ended up getting a cab back because the thought of standing in line for two hours was not appealing.

I was disappointed to see in another review that the race organizers don't flyer the neighborhoods that will be affected by the event. It went along with the attitude of "We are Nike, and we'll do what we feel like doing."

But at the end of the day, this event raises EIGHTEEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS to fight blood cancer. That is simply incredible, so an event that would otherwise deserve three stars gets four."