Emerald Across the Bay

It’s too bad the cancelled the ‘Across the Bay 12k’ race. I got the email. I always enjoyed this race, really hope it comes back.

I decided to stay in town and luckily heard about this race through a friend. Although I hadn’t run since my Thanksgiving 10k, I threw caution (and good sense) to the wind, recruited a visiting friend to run with, and signed up. I’ve run across the GG Bridge before so I knew it would be a good course. We parked at the Sheraton on Mason Street which offered $ 10 parking for the whole day (until 5:00 p.m.) and ran the ½ mile to the start. Picked up our bibs at 7:20 a.m. then immediately boarded the waiting shuttle buses to take us across the Bridge to the Start Line in Sausalito.
We signed up for Wave 3 (the slowest runners). The first Wave started at 8:30 a.m. and the other two were staggered 15 minutes apart. There was never any bad congestion during the race. The weather was BEAUTIFUL so we lucked out! The GG Bridge was socked in with fog but as soon as we hit the SF side, the sun came out and it was actually hot! I was lamenting the fact that I had not run in almost four months as I hit Mile 5 but struggled through the remaining 2.5 miles, the thought of Irish Coffees at Buena Vista being the only thing keeping me going ;)
Great course, very organized and nice finish line festivities!!! You could get a PR medal if you signed up for it, and they had lots of free nibbles, drinks and fruit. And being walking distance from the Buena Vista made it all the more better for some St. Patty’s Day festivities :)

Aside from the ridiculous wait and disorganization just to board the shuttles (as mentioned in previous reviews — actually, my time and experience with waiting for the shuttles that I’ll explain below, was almost exactly as reflected in the reviewer who gave the 1 star), everything else was enjoyable and I would consider doing the run again. The weather during the 30^th Annual Emerald Across the Bay was clear & beautiful and the 12K was a good distance to either jog/​run/​walk. I walked the majority of it and jogged about 8 times sporadically. Some of the folks on the school bus with me who were sitting in the back were acting like fools, but I just kept listening to my music and ignored them.
In the future, the race organizers really need to come up with a better system for boarding the participants onto the shuttles, for example, have it so that it’s mandatory that the people with the yellow bibs (which were the ones in the first wave, this year) will need to show up to board first by a certain time (the earliest time and state that particular time in advance) and/​or separate the lines based on bib color/​wave # and make that clear. PLEASE, make some improvements and changes for next year, this same disorganized mess can’t happen again, seriously. Because everyone (from different waves) was all mixed up and after waiting for a while, you see the volunteers coming by shouting for those with the yellow and green bibs (the first and second wave) to get out of the line that they were standing in and to go ahead and move to the front, so those like myself with the white bibs ended up having to wait aside and kept getting delayed. Even though I was waiting since 7:25am, by the time I boarded a school bus, it was 8:40am and by the time I got to the actual start line for the 9am start, they announced that there was only 40sec remaining until start. I wasn’t doing this as a race or anything (or to try to beat my old time), but if I was, under the circumstances, I’d understandably be more upset about it, especially if you made the effort to get there early.
At the finish line, they give you a goody bag with small packs of Emerald Nuts (they also pass some around in the beginning while you’re waiting in line for the shuttles), bottle of water, energy gummies, fruit, etc. If you want your specific size of the finisher T-​shirt, specifically a smaller size shirt, you will need to finish the race in I’d say at the latest by 1.5hrs or earlier, since by the time I got to grab my shirt, there were only M’s, L’s and XL’s left and a little after 2hrs, I noticed all the M’s were gone. Again, even though I initially got annoyed at the disorganization of the shuttle boarding, I’d have to say that everything else — the actual course itself to get to the Golden Gate Bridge, running across the bridge and your time on the course after you get off the bridge to Aquatic Park, made up for it and by the time I finished the run, I didn’t regret doing this and that one negative in the beginning doesn’t deter me from ever participating in it. if you’re looking for a scenic run, this is probably one of the best out there.

I have done quite a few races in SF and I have really enjoyed running this one. It truly helped that weather was in our favor. This race basically goes through all the scenic spots around GGB and the view is simply breathtaking! I have done US Half which also goes across the bridge, but compared to that race there was no real bottleneck on the bridge with this one given that this race is a lot smaller and the wave starts solves that problem easily. It’s also a huge plus that you get the dreadful hill part out of the way early on and just cruise to the finish.
True, taking a shuttle of any kind can be annoying for a race. But the course truly makes up for it. I did have to wait about 15 – 20 minutes to get on the shuttle and they let the first wave runners get on first. I didn’t find this to be too much of a problem. And I liked that they arranged for a flat $ 10 parking fee at the numerous garages around Aquatic Park given how ridiculous parking meters can be nowadays even on Sundays.
I would highly recommend doing this race for anyone who likes to do a scenic run!

Sooo much fun to run!
Here’s a tip: If you plan to indulge in lots of St. Patty’s Day festivities filled with wonderfully high caloric libations and food — Start the morning with a 12k run! Then all the calories are negated before you even show up to meet your friends ;-)
This was a great run. You couldn’t have asked for better weather while running from Sausalito to San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. Beautiful scenery, lots of costumed runners in the St. Patty spirit, and everyone having fun.
You don’t have to run, you can walk too; lots of people did. The point is the healthy nature of the activity and the camaraderie of those around you. AND the post race music was pretty good with plenty of swag give aways.
There were some problems with the shuttle transportation from parking to the starting line (this is the reason I didn’t give 5 stars), but everything in life should be taken in stride («taken in stride». foot race… too punny?). I see some 1 star review based on this problem, but there is a lot more to consider than shuttle service when looking at the big picture.
Next year, this lesson will most likely be reflected in great shuttle service; so I look forward to a 5 Star on the 2014 version.

WARNING: I want to express my extreme disappointment in the organization of the race yesterday. The lines for the bus were long, disorganized and I got re-​rerouted and sent to the end of the line 2 times. I got in line at 7:30 am and boarded a bus at 8:35. That is unacceptable in my eyes. Additionally, by the time I got to the start line, it was announced I had 70 seconds until the race started leading to confusion and chaos at the start line with no warm-​up time. Additionally, there were people biking on the race route. Beautiful scenery but there was no benefit versus doing the run on my own.
I want to let my fellow runners know not to sign-​up for this race in the future due to the extreme disorganization and poor experience.

I loved this race! I don’t usually run races with shorter distances than 13.1 miles but I made an exception because I didn’t want to miss the chance to conquer some hills and run across the Golden Gate bridge.
The scenery can’t be beat because it starts in Sausalito at East Fort Baker which means you get a great view of SF from the other side. The first mile is a bit down hill with the looming GG bridge in the distance. I say looming because you know there is some gnarly hill work to get to that bridge. After a fairly flat with some slight downhill first mile, it is essentially a corkscrew run from sea level to the start of the Golden Gate bridge that left many people walking early in the race. I thought I’d be home free and headed down hill after I hit the bridge but who knew it’s actually an incline until midway on the bridge? I never notice that while driving into SF! The wind was ferocious but it was essentially at my back and side so it didn’t bother me much. After the bridge there is a lot of downhill that just kills the knees but once you get to Crissy Field it’s easy coasting and flat most of the way. Just beautiful scenery overall and once you’re back at Aquatic park, you can gaze across the bay and practically see where you started from. It’s a great feeling.
The race was surprisingly well organized. I’m sure they know what they were doing seeing how 2012 is the 29^th year of the race. It was a pretty cheap entry fee ($ 42 advance and $ 50 day of) considering race entries seem astronomical these days. I really appreciate a well organized race and look for a few things: 1) number of porta-​potties available before and during the course; 2) number of aid stations; 3) smart decisions made by the race organizers to help make the race fun and efficient. Everyone on this side of the bay gets dropped off at Aquatic Park and shuttles take you to the start in Sausalito. Not only was there plenty of shuttles, but also ample porta-​potties both at Aquatic Park and Fort Baker. I was even able to sneak a banana before the run from the finish line.
The race had a 3 wave start with 15 minutes in between each wave. It was great that they roped off the start so only those in the first wave could get near the start line. Nothing worse than maneuvering through runners as you try to start and they dont’ start for another 15 minutes! I do have to say though that no matter which wave you are in, if you choose to walk, please wait towards the end of your wave to cross the start line! It’s pretty annoying for those who want to get a great start to have to try not to stumble over you. It’s just the polite thing to do!
The race had some good swag at the end, a long sleeve cotton shirt, some free drinks and snacks, overall a pretty decent goodie bag with a lot of things ending up in my race food stash.
This is a fun race and a great opportunity to run across the Golden Gate bridge and do some hill work without having to sign up for a much longer race. Kudos to the organizers, job well done.

The whole experience of getting picked up and stuffing into a school bus and getting transported to Sausailito is awesome!!! Bottom line is there is no ride back! You have to run back across the bridge. It’s a 10k, so 7 miles. Even though I have experience running long distances. The last two years I’ve run this race, it has rained. Running drenched for 7 miles is like gaining 50 pounds… no joke. Sometimes it’s so positive to see the city from a different point of view and remember why it is you love living here. That’s what the Emerald Run does

Really nice, well-​organized race (in contrast to another RhodyCo race, February’s KP half-​marathon, which was poorly managed IMHO). I look forward to doing the Emerald Across the Bay again.
Registered online, and my bib, timing chip, and course map/​directions were delivered in a single packet via mail. School bus shuttles take you from Aquatic Park to the start in Sausalito. Bag-​check at the start, and there was no problem picking up my stuff at the finish. I LOVED that there was a staggered start! First wave started at 8:30am, second wave at 8:45am, final wave at 9am. No tripping over walkers, easy to navigate the sidewalk on the GGBridge if I wanted to pass someone… or needed to pull over to be passed :-)). Don’t let the initial downhill start fool you; you’re going to have to make those feet up with a pretty steep climb up onto the GGB. Bear in mind that you’ll be running on the west side of the bridge, and that the wind can gust pretty strong. Otherwise, the race is on a very forgiving course. Plenty of volunteers, clearly marked course, ample water stops. The post-​race expo has lots of snacks and swag. (The T-​shirts run large, BTW.) The only criticism I have is that I saw mile markers for only #1, #5, and #7. If you’re huffing and puffing and chugging along like I am, it’s a long haul from miles 1 to 5. :-)

This year was my first time running a race. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start! The scenic view and the team spirit from all the volunteers and participants make the cold weather and sometimes rain worth the while! I loved it and I’ll do it again!

another 12k besides bay to breakers that runners should take advantage of because of the great route.
the race shuttles runners from ghiradelli square and takes you across the golden gate bridge to the start line. the toughest part of the run is making your way up the hill to get on the bridge. but when you’re on the bridge, it’s pretty amazing. the dowhill to the presidio is a nice cool down and you’ve just got to push your way through crissy field and one more hill at fort mason before you hit the finish.
last year, i ran most of the race in the rain. by the time we got to the finish, it was light showers so we were able to enjoy some down time before heading back home.
i love this run just because you get to cross the bridge. i had never walked across the entire thing, let alone run it. and please hug the huge bottle of emerald nuts.

This was really nice run, well organized and lot of fun. We parked at the Sheraton Hotel which held a special flat rate for 10 dollars. We walked about 10mins to the aquatic park where several school buses already started loading up people to the start point across the bridge. Yeah, school buses, can you believe it !? I climbed in, introduced myself as Forrest Gump and sat next to a nice girl named Jenny.
The course itself is not at all difficult. A good uphill battle to the Golden Gate Bridge followed by a few downhill sections. Then a flat stretch all the way to the finish line. I took full advantage of the free booze they had at the Budweiser booth. Victory with the King of Beers

I give 4 stars because they were not clear about the new timing chip issue. When I received my race packet in the mail, I didn’t find my timing chip. When I called the production on Saturday it was already too late. No one was at the office. I live far from the city & my family all go together (my hubby & 20 month old) so if we could leave our house late as possible, we can sleep longer =) We originally planned to arrive in Sausalito downtown at 8am for me to take the shuttle but since I was missing my timing chip, I had to be dropped at Aquatic park location & they required 1^st wave to be there before 7:30am. So I got there at 7:15 to find my timing chip at the registration & guess what. They told me no more timing chip this year. The bar code on my bib will do the job. Why didn’t they mention it anywhere on the web site or the race packet? Did I miss it?
When I got to the start line, it was 7:40 & I was freezing standing there for 50 minutes until the race to started. I dropped off my jackets at the sweat check when I got off the bus which I should never have done. I should have waited & then drop it off. I thought the start line was far from the sweat check but it’s not.
The race was fun. What not to love about it? The hills were not that bad as I thought. I tried running slower pace than usual so I guess it helped. I enjoyed running across the bridge looking at the beautiful views around me! The weather was really nice. Not raining & not cold at all after running for a while, of course. There are 2 water stops. Not as frequent as the Bay to Breaker but I didn’t mind. There is a hill right before the finish line so save some energy until the end. Plenty of waters for the runners, of course, free nuts are delicious! Some energy drinks, coffee & much more.
I’d love to do this race again next year. Pretty cool race to start the new running season!

What I love most about this race is getting Emerald nuts at the end. You meet at Aquatic Park and they shuttle you to the start line at Fort Baker. You start on a downhill, but that quickly changes as you make your way up to the GG Bridge. You run across the bridge back into the city and end back at Aquatic Park. You can enjoy a nice little finish village, a long-​sleeve participant’s tee, and of course, nuts!

It was raining cats and dogs. I am not sure where that phrase came from, but it sounds about right.
This was my first time running Emerald. I ran US Half and SF Half, and what amazed me here was the organization of the event. A lot of people showed up despite of downpour. A line for the bus was twisting and curling around palm beds, but everyone made it to the start line.
A very smart idea to have divided the runners in waves. Wave 2, which I was the part of, rocked of course. It was slippery, my clothes were soaking wet even before I started running, my iPod began playing some weird songs I didn’t remember ever downloading, despite all this — I enjoyed the run and I finished in 1 hour 4 minutes and 34 seconds.
Minus one star for not giving any kind of a medal or at least a ribbon for finishing. What can I say, I am vain…

Even though it was pouring rain in the beginning, this was a phenomenal way to spend a Sunday morning!
Views of the city, crossing the Golden Gate (my first time!), and the beautiful Marina… lovely!

I almost decided not to go today because it was raining when I woke up. But I figure the weather might be different up in SF as it usually is so I headed out. When I arrived, the Ghiradelli parking lot was already full so I headed down Beach St to The Anchorage garage. Unfortunately it was still raining, and consisted of drizzle alternating with light rain.
The starting area is at Fort Baker and in order to get there the runners had to take buses from Aquatic park on Beach St. The line for the bus was very long, had to wait and stand in the rain for over ½ hour. The bus dropped us off at East Fort Baker. There was a long line for the porta potties as well but fortunately it moved fairly quick.
The first mile is probably the toughest of the whole course as it consist of a gradual uphill till you reach the Golden Gate Bridge. On a good day the view from the GGB is usually fantastic but today it was raining so I didn’t spend much time taking in the view. After going over GGB, the runners head down to Fort Point where they make a turn and head towards Crissy field. From there the runners past Marina, Fort Mason, and eventually back to Aquatic park.
The finish area was great, lots of sponsors and live music. The freebies were awesome and included emerald natural walnuts & almonds, noah bagels, powerbar gel blasts, powerbar trailmix bar, hand sanitizer, arrowhead water, biscotti, and of course the free long sleeve t-​shirt. Even with the rain and having to constantly avoid pools of water, I definitely had a great time and look forward to next year.

So, I guess I can call myself a runner. I usually run on my own time (up to 6 miles) and tend not to participate in races.
My sister, a half marathoner, encouraged (maybe forced) me to run with her in the Emerald Across the Bay 12K (translation 7.46 miles). I haven’t really ran a race before. Ok, so I ran a 5K but that doesn’t really count does it? So, I decided to humor her and myself and join her in Emerald’s Across the Bay 12K
The race begins «across the bay» at East Fort Baker park, so you have to arrive early at Aquatic Park to make the bus. We were told to be there before 8am to catch a bus over the Golden Gate. Parking is a bitch, so arrive early. Most parking garages in the area will fill up… fast. Also keep in mind that it’s FREEZING waiting for the bus and before you start. Bring extra layers to wear before the race as they do transport jackets/​sweats you leave at the start line to the finish line. I wish I knew this ahead of time or I would have brought a heavier jacket.
The course itself is beautiful. I would like to point out that there’s a MAJOR hill in the beginning of the race leading up to the Golden Gate Bridge. However, after the hill the rest of the course is pretty easy with minor hills. The course basically takes you across the Golden Gate to Aquatic Park. Having the ocean/​bay beside you the majority of the time makes the perfect combo for a relaxing and cool run. Most participants are laid back (many walk/​jog the entire race), so it’s not stressful or competitive.
The «after the race» goodies were good, which included many bags of (you guessed it) Emerald nuts and snacks. Plus you get a free long sleeved tee. The event ended around noon so you still have the rest of your Sunday to relax.
I’m definitely going to be participating in this race next year.

A must for any runners out there! It’s a wonderful 12k race that reads like a tour bus route.
Except you’re outdoors on foot with three thousand other runners from all over the bay area and all walks of life reveling in the amazingly beautiful sights that we are normally too busy to appreciate. Running on the Golden Gate Bridge, the sun was shining, the wind was on our backs and I had the Ramones on my ipod helping me keep pace. Really, it doesn’t get any better than that.
It’s a well organized event that’s easy on the logistics. I finished the race, walked around the after party near the Ghirardelli square for a while, ate and drank some free and healthy goodies and was home before noon to enjoy the rest of my Sunday.
****
okay, so that was only the glamorous part of the truth. i should share the not so glamorous part of my experience which is that I hit a wall at mile 5, kicked myself for paying to suffer and swore like a sailor under my breath all the way to the finish line. it’s been 3 days since the race and people are staring at me with pity because I am still walking like I should be in the special olympics. I hope to regain the use of my legs again some day.

March 16^th is the Emerald Across the Bay race in SF. You start the race north of the Golden Gate Bridge early in the a.m. By the time you get up to the bridge at about mile 2 the sun is rising just over the water and the view is AMAZING!!! It is by far the coolest road race I’ve ever been involved with. The backdrop if soo spectacular it is easy to forget you were suckered into running 12k on a perfectly good Saturday a.m.
This race is put on really well by Rhody Productions and the sponsors do a great job. Once you complete the race in Aquatic Park there is a pretty rockin party. You get tons of free stuff and awesome certificates and discounts for running gear. The party environment helps ease the pain of your sore legs.
If you are a road runner you MUST do this race at some point.