Bayshore Marathon Course

I know it's still a little early, but to those that have run this do you have any insights on the course? Did anything on the course catch you off guard like a big hill you weren't expecting or something like that? Is there anything to train specific for? Thanks.

I'm bumping this with the hope that somebody has something. Thanks.

I'm curious about this too. I have read that the course is not as "flat" as the race website claims and that the road is rather cambered.

From the time I ran it, I thought it was more rolling than I expected, but nothing really bad. Of course I was taking it easy and running to pace someone so I wasn't really concentrating on the course like I normally would. I thought it was a fair course, but be mentally prepared for some hills. It's a nice race and I hope you hit your goals there.

Matt W wrote:

From the time I ran it, I thought it was more rolling than I expected, but nothing really bad. Of course I was taking it easy and running to pace someone so I wasn't really concentrating on the course like I normally would. I thought it was a fair course, but be mentally prepared for some hills. It's a nice race and I hope you hit your goals there.

I would have to agree with Matt on the above. Him and I ran together for a while durning this race and I remember us talking about it a little durning the race. When we split apart due to pacing to other people, I remember saying to myself this course is not as flat as one would have thought it would be.

There are no real huge hills or decants but enough little hills that makes you feel them as the race goes on if you were not really prepared for it. Again it's not Boston or flat like Chicago but like Matt has said it is an honest course.

See you there.

I'm from the flattest lands around. I've run Chicago 8 times, and I have to say that I have a harder time running the perfectly flat roads of Chicago than I did in Bayshore. I'd describe Bayshore as minimal rolling hills. Just enough to mix up the muscles from a perfectly flat race but not enough to beat your legs up by the constant ups and downs.

And, this is where I ran my first BQ, so it's a course I love and that I'll also be going back to this year.

I've run the HM 3 times...(the marathon is the HM out & back). It is run entirely along the lakeshore. Maybe I have a horrible memory but I can't recall a single grade that could be called a hill! Check the link and elevation. I guess it does vary some but very little from start to finish.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=5365707

Bob wrote:I'm from the flattest lands around. I've run Chicago 8 times, and I have to say that I have a harder time running the perfectly flat roads of Chicago than I did in Bayshore. I'd describe Bayshore as minimal rolling hills. Just enough to mix up the muscles from a perfectly flat race but not enough to beat your legs up by the constant ups and downs.

And, this is where I ran my first BQ, so it's a course I love and that I'll also be going back to this year.

Sounds like I will like the course then. I prefer light rolling over totally flat. I think that the way it switches up muscle use does help, especially for a slower runner like me. Those flat courses are killer over 4-5 hours! I have been doing some hills, both steep and long low grade in training too, so I figure I'll be ready for anything.