Oakland Running Festival

This year was my first time participating in the Oakland Running Festival. I ran the 5k with 3,000+ other participants and stayed in Snow Park afterward to enjoy the post-​race festivities. There were a ton of event sponsors giving out snacks and samples! There were over 10,000 racers total, most of them running the half and full marathon distances.
The 5K course through the streets of Oakland was very well organized and lots of volunteers kept you headed the right direction. Oakland PD officers were on the course smiling and helping out as well. Many other people stood by to encourage the runners — there were some groups with hilarious motivational signs. There was even a DJ playing music at one point. Very cool!
I was out of town during the two days of the health expo and packet pick-​up, so I had to send my dad to grab it for me. He said the lines were very long, but that it was pretty well-​organized and went relatively fast.
Oakland is such a beautiful city and this event was wonderfully planned and organized. Thousand of runners participated and so many people worked hard and volunteered to make it such a success.
I finished in 27:07 — hope to beat that time next year. Registration is already open for the March 26, 2017 race (only $ 30 before April 1^st, 2016 for the 5k). The included shirt was really nice, and so were the finishing medals! Can’t wait to be one of the 11,000 expected runners next year.

Ran the full last year. Well supported event. Fairly good crowd participation for a medium size race. Very hilly course but you get to see a lot of the city as the it weaves throughout the entire city.

Well! After my son broke the age group Half marathon World record here a few Sunday’s ago what can I say!!! I wrote the promoters and asked for permission for a 10 year old to run in it as needed because you must be 14 in the US to run in such distance certified courses! After explaining our family history of world records and my sons breaking of the half marathon world record in practice… they were very inviting, helpful and inspirational in my son achieving his goal of breaking the world record! It was truly awesome! The welcome, the TV interviews, the news reporting leading up to it were overwhelming… for ME, not Elliot, my son but for me! I think there were around 4000 runners and my son came in 51^st to an enormous screaming, cow bell ringing clapping applauding crowd! He crushed the world record by almost two minutes climbing his tired legs u[p that last big hill to the finish line while the announcer cheered his name on! I met two old ladies who called out:“it’s him! it’s number 2004*, the ten year old who got his number to denote his young age in the event! I will write more, want to publically thank the Corrigan family for promoting my son’s successful run… it was sheer joy for him and our family and our history and heritage or running! Thanks greatly! We shall return to climb that hill again! :)
MY son ran his heart out to the tune of a new World record time of 1.29.14***
The website —
has him plastered on it if you let it scroll by to the fourth photo !

Without a doubt, my favorite race. I haven’t missed this race since it started in 2010. Love the energy in Oakland, a good representation of the city, excellent course, running through fire, and finishing around the Lake. I look forward to this race every year (I do the Half Marathon).

2014 Half Marathon:
Bib pickup: either in Oakland or at a sporting goods store in the boonies of SF. This was a little bit of a pain. I picked up in SF, and they didn’t have the t-​shirts there and you were to get them after the race. I was the 38^th female to finish the race and they had no size small t-​shirts left. Sounds like they didn’t bring enough stock! They were quick to give a solution (gave me an email address) and said that they were in a warehouse somewhere, but basically it wasn’t until a few emails and 1.5 months later that I actually got the t-​shirt. Not that this is a big deal since we all have way too many race t-​shirts at this point anyway, but this should be a no-​brainer. Why didn’t they just bring t-​shirts to the bib pickup!!!
Pre-​race: really easy. I took BART, bag drop was quick and painless, there were enough bathrooms for everyone, and accessing the start line was pretty easy. (Had to jump a metal barricade but I was a few minutes later to get into the corral than I should’ve been.) Had to push my way through a bit to get up to the sub-​seeded section.
Race itself: course was flat but super boring and not pretty. It seems ORF is trying to promote Oakland, and the entire middle section of the race didn’t really accomplish that. Water/​gatorade on the course was fine, and volunteers were great. There were a few pockets with spectators, but again, running through a crappy part of town means not a ton of people will be out. I think some of the mile markers were a little bit off (but we all have garmins anyway).
Post-​race: the best!!! 21^st Amendment beer and random goodies and chilling out with friends in the sun in Snow Park. (Given my mediocre running performance) this was my favorite part of the day :)

2014 Half Marathon
This year seemed to have much more support by the city!!! Lots of people out cheering! Loved the green theme this year!
Course: Same course, flat and takes you through many different parts of Oakland. Lots of signs indicating what mile you are on. Not too crowded so that you have to weave through lots of people.
Pacers: This year they added pacers. The pacers were great, what a great idea. For the half, the fastest they had was 1:45. They had increments of about 5 minutes.
Medal: I liked the 2013 medal a little more, but still a great medal.
Expo: Expo was great. Lots of cool merchandise. Everyone took credit card. My only complaint is that it gets very crowded in downtown and it’s very hard to find parking. I ended up paying for parking at the Marriott.
Swag: Throughout the course, they have many water and gatorade stations. At the end of the race, they handed out lots of water, gatorade, and snacks (granola bars, fruit cups, cold oranges, etc.). At the expo, I picked up the shirt (really liked it this year), we also got a Kaiser bag, and some other items from the sponsors.
Transportation: Accessible via BART. You can look for parking around the city, but you’ll probably be paying at least $ 10-​$ 20 if you park in a lot. Some street parking available, but hard to navigate around the street closures. It’s probably best to BART it.
Start time: I still love that the half starts around 9:15 in the morning rather than the usual 6 or 7 am start times. The Full starts earlier.
Side note: after the race, there was an ice cream man walking around. I chased after him. It was the best $ 2 I have ever spent. After you finish, look for him!
***Great race! It seems to be expanding each year. Can’t wait to participate again next year!***

A truly outstanding race that seems to have been planned with both runner and spectator in mind. I know the road closures must be a nuisance for local residents, but there was fair warning by race management and clear signage.
The marathon course is beautiful with plenty of aid stations, great volunteers handing out water, awesome spectators, and a super well-​organized expo and post-​race experience. It’s always been PERFECT weather when I’ve participated.
My only critique is that the aid stations were repeatedly placed on downhills… sometimes near the very bottom of a really significant hill. I had to seriously put the brakes on to get a cup, and lost a lot of precious momentum. If I had realized that beforehand, I’d definitely have run with a fuel belt.

I just ran the half marathon yesterday and it was such a great experience! I have ran races in Castro Valley, Berkeley, Marin and San Francisco, but this has been the best one (surprisingly) overall so far for several reasons. I am already looking forward to next year’s race! Just don’t tell my feet I am already thinking about the next race as they are still recovering :)
Why I loved the Oakland Running Festival:
1. Amazing enthusiasm by the volunteers and spectators… hardly any dead space, no strips without someone egging you on! Bay to Breakers is hard to beat in enthusiasm but Oakland pulled it off!
2. All the entertainment along the route (some of which I am sure was not part of the actual Festival such as the fun drunken group of A’s fans) including numerous bands, dancing groups, radio stations, East Bay Loop with a DJ, Salsa dancing in front of Brown Sugar Kitchen (which is a place I’d love to Unilocal now), the ring/​arch of fire, the dragon/​horse carriage spewing fire that appeared fresh from Burning Man, Raiderettes at the start line, oh and my favorite the Raider Nation, which was strategically placed I’m sure, in the darkest tunnel on the route as I picked up my pace because I was flaunting my 49er hat (thankfully they still cheered me on), and other amazing signs by groups «Your perspiration is my inspiration,» or «Matthew McConaughey is at the Finish Line» All of it made this run so much fun! How did I manage to run 13 miles without snap-​chatting any of this!!!
3. The route! It was flat, lots of shade and trees, and toured us through so many neighborhoods… some that I would otherwise never drive let alone walk through. I also really liked the urban art… a lot to look at on this run. In a perfect ending, we looped the beautiful lake to the finish line.
4. Endless supply of water, Gatorade, energy gels and gummies, and fruit! I have never had bananas, apples, or oranges on the actual run (sometimes bananas are given at the end)… so it was such a nice treat to have bananas and oranges on the second half of the run. There was no way any runner was going thirsty or missing fuel on the run. But those porta potty lines sure were long. I managed to sweat out any need to stop and use them… thank goodness!
5. The police offers stopping traffic for us as we ran by… I felt like I was «big time» Then again, this was also a little concerning because we were actively sharing cross streets with vehicles. A nice thrill I guess…
6. The post-​race festivities at the Lake felt like a concert and picnic all in one! I didn’t stay too long after wards but man, what a treat for the city! The area was definitely rocking!
7. Oops, I almost forgot… the pace setters! Holy cow, what an amazing idea! For the full and half marathon they had pacers with signs. Brilliant! I wish every race had this!
8. Packet pick up in SF and Oakland. Pretty clever!
What impacted the 5-​star rating:
1. No post-​race stretching area or guides to help you stretch
2. No race morning packet pick up — and packet pick up ended at 5pm on Saturday. I was surprised given how many volunteers and other stuff was going on that morning. Thankfully my BFF lives near the lake and was able to pick mine up for me since I was at a family party all day Saturday.
3. I wish we had ran along the shore… but the Lake was still nice!

I ran the half marathon today — and have to say it was a great experience.
I can only compare it to the ½ Rock-​n-​Roll in San Jose — which isn’t bad but I liked Oakland better. Why?
— Very enthusiastic support!
— More interesting scenery and neighborhoods
— They had bib pick-​up not only in Oakland, but also in SF — and one is allowed to pick up for others
— 9:15am start time is awesome!
Everything was organized well, and I loved the volunteer and spectator enthusiasm. The course was flat and fast. Lots of water and Gatorade stations.
I live just a few miles from Oakland for the last 15 years, but got to know many new beautiful corners of the town.
I really don’t have anything bad to say, keep up the great races!

I feel like I’ve been giving a lot of 5 star reviews recently, but so many events and adventures have merited them. The Oakland Running Festival is one of these awesome events. I will definitely be participating in it again next year (maybe the full marathon this time? eek!)
I loved the super flat half marathon course route! For a new-​ish runner, it allowed me to branch out from my usual double and triple lapping of the lake route. I’ve been hesitant to explore new running routes in Oakland and the optional training runs that were hosted by the race sponsors were a great way to do this.
In previous years I had come to cheer runners on but being on the other side this time felt awesome. It is really incredible to run in a race where you get high fives from members of the Raider’s black hole, cheered on by the As bleachers, you hear great live music and there are tons of fun Deejays.
I loved the generous goodies provided by Gu, Sports Basement, Zico Coconut water and the other sponsors. While the registration fee was a little more than some other half races it was totally worth it!

Another great event put together by the organizers this year! The route was pretty much the same with a few notable changes compared to last year, but everything else remained top notch. Now, I shouldn’t have ran this year because of a sprained ankle that hasn’t healed at all, but my dumba** decided to «walk» it still because I loved this event so much from last year (that and I was too cheap to pay the $ 25 deferral fee). I seriously wanted to quit every single mile. I’m sure a lot of people thought I was just cramping up by the way I was limping, but I wish that was the case. The amazing support from the citizens of Oakland, Oakland PD and other volunteers along the route truly helped me get past the finish line. They told me to keep going when I wanted to quit so many times. Without that, I would have easily quit at mile… well, not even at mile 1, so thank you to all those involved with this wonderful event for the wonderful support and encouragement.
I will now let my ankle heal properly and make next year’s Oakland Running Festival my comeback to half marathon running!

This race snuck up on me pretty quickly. I registered 8 months in advance and nearly forgot about it. A few weeks before the race date I found out that the start time was at 9:15am. I was thrilled to know that I wouldn’t need to get up at the ass crack of dawn. Granted, this also meant that it was warmer out during the entire run. My friends and I sauntered up just before 9am and had no difficulty navigating our way into the corrals.
The race was flat and wound its way through Oakland. There were a few unnecessary quarter mile loops, but I understand that they were trying to get the perfect length. Great support from the locals and I loved the DJs rockin’ out along the course. My only complaint is that the finish line is up the steepest hill of the entire course and I finished at 13.33 miles. That being said, the weather, course, and support helped push me to a PR, so I can’t complain too much…
There was a debacle with the women’s half marathon shirts, but I was able to pick mine up at the finish line. The medal is pretty awesome, I’ll definitely be showing it off with my collection.
Note: If you sign up at the San Francisco Marathon expo the race is significantly discounted. I registered 8 months before the race date and paid less than $ 50 for my entrance fee. If you are planning to run next year, I’d suggest registering early. I’m definitely planning to do it again. Who can say no to a flat, beautiful race?

Beautiful day for this beautiful course through beautiful Oakland with it’s beautiful folks! The race organizers have done a great job in making this a true Oakland race — weaving through downtown, Chinatown, West Oakland, around the lake and back, the half marathon lets you see some of Oakland’s most unique spots. I’m usually not a huge fan of «on course entertainment,» but the booming DJs, Raiders fans, Burning Man types, «Let’s Go Oakland, Let’s Go“ers, and old tyme washboard players were all a true delight that got me stoked on running the race. I’ve also never experienced such tasty snacks on a race course. In addition to your usual gels, water, and Gatorade, I enjoyed fresh oranges and bananas, granola bars, fruit strips, and a Brown Sugar Kitchen brownie. Having port-​a-​potties, water, and Gatorade all at ONE station every few miles is a stroke of genius.
In sum, A+ — would run again.

I’ve ran the full mary twice (2010 and 2013) along with the half once (2012) so I’ve got some experience with the race organization and the course itself. As someone who’s also run the SF marathon (and half) several times as well, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that Oakland eeks out as the best Bay Area running event for me. Here’s why:
I’ve never noticed anything about the race organization. When you don’t really notice anything, that’s usually a good sign meaning the organizers know what they’re doing.
The half mary course is a nice, pretty flat course. As others have mentioned, the late start time is nice. If you’re looking to PR, this is a great choice (though SJ Rock n Roll may be a bit faster).
The full mary course is why i really like this race as it takes you through pretty much all of Oakland. Yes, you do run through areas that are known to have a bit of crime. I’m glad the race organizers decided to take you through all of Oakland, not just the touristy parts. I’ll be honest, I think it’s pretty cool seeing people come out of their homes to cheer the runners on. It proves a positive experience for everyone.
And I think that’s why I like this race so much. It really brings a sense of community to the city and people of Oakland. If you’re a Bay Area runner, this is a must race, race. Please support this running event as it does our town good.
Thank you Corrigan Sports for organizing such a great race and thank you Oakland for allowing us runners to run wild in your streets!

I had a great run! The half marathon course was well designed (loved the relatively flat course) and there were 8 water stations along the course, not including the starting line and finish line. Runners also received so much cheering and support from the community. My favorite were 3 super adorable kids who dressed up as winnie the pooh characters to cheer for passing runners.
The finish line support was also phenomenal with a large crowd, tons of food and drinks, and music. Definitely recommend this race and I will run it again!

Yesterday I ran the 5K with charity Team Run BRL (Beats, Rhymes, and Life)!!! It was an amazing experience, and I vote it’s one of the best ways to see Oakland and absorb all of its glory.
The 5K started at Snow Park across the lake from Fairyland. When the race started, confetti shot into the air to kick off the run, and we proceeded through downtown Oakland, the Uptown, past Preservation Park, back toward downtown, through part of Chinatown, past the Oakland museum and the main Library, and along Lake Merritt back towards Snow Park.
One of the best parts of the day is that there were so many people cheering runners on throughout the race. Made you feel like a superstar! There were also so many children running which was super cute. The energy was high and positive, there were great snacks and refreshments from sponsors, sliced oranges, coconut water, granola bars, bananas, Jamba Juice) and they even gave out metals to half marathon runners.
It was an all around GREAT day and I hope to make this an annual tradition!

One of my favorite half marathons ever (and yes, I’m biased because I PR’ed)! First of all, the starting time is at 9:15AM, which is GLORIOUS. In the past, I usually ran races off of 4 – 5 hours of sleep and I almost always got sick in the days following. It makes a huge difference to be able to get a full night’s rest before running. The only downsides to a late start time are that 1) it makes it tough to meet up with friends or loved ones running the 5K (which starts at the same time as the full at 7:30AM) and 2) the weather is much warmer. Fortunately for us, even though it was very sunny yesterday, the weather seemed to stay below 60 degrees until the very end.
As for the course, it’s a loop, which is the best kind in my opinion. You get to run through arguably the highlights of Oakland – including Downtown and Chinatown (my turf!). The last couple of miles take you around Lake Merritt, which was my favorite part of the race. It was so beautiful and scenic, with lots of sun and duckies! It’s also worth mentioning that the course is EXTREMELY flat (unfortunately, the same can’t be said of the full). The organizers did a great job in determining where to place water/​aid stations. I think there are about 8, with more towards the middle and end of the course than in the beginning. My only minor complaint is that I didn’t see any mile markers until mile 4… where were they???
Oakland community spirit ROCKS! I don’t think there was every more than a quarter of a mile where there wasn’t cheering. Can’t thank the folks and volunteers who came out enough! The costumes, the food/​drink, the music… seriously incredible! It was as good, if not better, than the RNR I ran in San Diego, and that’s saying a lot!
Expo wasn’t huge but it was easy to get to, street parking wasn’t too bad (we parked in Chinatown and walked over), and it was opened all day (9AM-​5PM) the Saturday before the race. Tons of Zico coconut water and Gu samples to be had! There was a bit of a snafu regarding the women’s half marathon shirts and we had to pick up ours on race day (I got mine after the race). Not a big deal, but a bit of a bummer for those who wanted to wear them for photos during the race. I LOVE the tech shirts though! Great color and design for both genders.
The online gift bag didn’t appeal to me much except that they offer a code where you can get $ 10 off for registering for the San Francisco marathon or half in June. Unfortunately, I already registered for mine so I couldn’t take advantage of it (PM me if you want my code though).
As for logistics on race day, you can easily BART and then walk to the starting line. We ended up parking on 8^th and Harrison in Chinatown and walked over. If you plan on driving in via 880, I would recommend this. You will be able to find parking as close as 14^th or even 17^th ave, but you’ll also be stuck in the middle of traffic after the race. We were a block or so away from the Jackson street on-​ramp and didn’t have to deal with bumper-​to-​bumper traffic once people were getting ready to leave. A little walking before and after a run is good for your body anyway!
See you next year, ORF! And who knows, maybe I’ll try the full?

I’m finally back, after 65 days of eating right and cleansing. What a great way to Unilocal my first half marathon of the year. YAY!!!
If your not interested in running a half, Oakland Running festival offers a kids fun run, 5k, Team Relay and Full Marathon.
Who says running in the ghetto is bad??? RUN FORREST RUN!
Sunday 24^th 2013, I participated in Oakland’s Half Marathon. The Route?
Out and back loop through Oakland
Broadway, Paramount Theatre and onto Grand Ave.
Martin Luther King Jr, Lafayette Park, 8^th St.
Chinatown, Harrison St, 14^th St.
Madison St, 10^th St, Laney College
5^th St, Oakland Waterfront, Oakland Harbor
Cypress, 26^th St, Lake Merritt
Dam did I just run through all that in the dreaded sun? With the weather at 75 degrees, made it a beautiful day. A well organized run, and full on supporters!
My only wish was if they started the Half runners early versus last!

I love Oakland immensely, and this race offers a distance for every person in this city– a 5K, an half, a full, a fun run for the kids, which is a block or two blocks depending on age (7±). My 4 and 7 year old girls really enjoyed themselves. I like that during the races (especially the fill marathon) you get to see all the neighborhoods and so many locals come out to cheer– even that three mile stretch up Mountain Boulevard for the marathon isn’t so bad.
The ending in Snow Park has good beer and sparkling wine and all the local food trucks, including 510 burger and their delicious truffle tater tots which is the best post run food ever.
I’ve had the pleasure of doing most distances over the years, and there is honestly not a bad race among them. It’s great way to engage with your fellow Oaklanders, show some city pride to the visitors, and get some exercise. See you there?

My first full marathon and although it was torturous, I did not quit and I prevailed. Lots of watering stations. Very well organized looping course. But the route sucked! It was hard! Up to the Morman Temple and back down! It was nuts!
I liked how they separated the start time from the full marathoners and halfers. That help out a lot. But the con I did not like is the last stretch to the finish line was uphill. Damn you! Torture to the finish. I was also bummed that there were barely any choices in fruits other than bananas. You need orange slices in there. But nevertheless, I had an awesome time and this deserves 5 stars!