California > Bay Breeze Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
San Leandro, CA • Saturday, February 15, 2014 • Course Map
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Compared to many of the other races staged by the locally-based Brazen Racing group -- which hosts road and trail races around the San Francisco Bay Area throughout the year -- the Bay Breeze Half Marathon, 10K and 5K is aptly named, the organizers say, as the course is definitely a "breeze" compared to most of its other, hillier events.
Set for its 5th annual running in the late winter of 2014, after a 2013 race that saw more than 1,400 runners cross the finish line in all races combined (and just shy of 400 runners complete the half marathon alone), the race will move back to San Leandro Marina Park from Quarry Lakes Recreation Area in nearby Fremont, where it was run last year.
Like its counterpart race the Summer Breeze Half Marathon, which is also run through San Leandro Marina Park, the half marathon here offers a refreshing mostly trail run that never strays too far from the water along the Hayward Seashore area, which features a mixture of paved and gravel trails that wind their way through its salt and freshwater marshes, instead of miles of single-track trails through hilly and sometimes mountainous forest areas.
Cobbled together over the years from a combination of natural marshes along the bay as well as man-made marshes (part of restoration and enhancement projects to bring the area closer to its original, natural state), Hayward today is a magnet for runners, walkers, hikers, bikers and fishermen amd women, who venture out onto its five miles of trails along the seashore and wander out to watch the birds who nest here throughout the year.
The race starts and finishes at the San Leandro Marina Park, a small 30-acre park that lies alongside the shoreline overlooking the San Francisco Bay, and hugs the shoreline for the entire race route. From there, runners follow southward along the shore, all the way down to the turnaround point just north of the San Mateo Bridge. Once runners hit the turn, they then head back along the exact route they've just run.
Runners will have 4 hours to complete the half marathon. For those who'd like to hike or walk the course and believe they'll take longer than 4 1/2 hours to finish, there's also a hiker/walker division that starts at 7:30 AM.
Race Weather & Climate
Located in the area known as the East Bay, roughly 10 miles southeast of Oakland and about a 22-mile drive across the bay from San Francisco, San Leandro typically sees some of its coolest and wettest weather of the year in February, when average monthly temperatures range between 43°F and 61°F.
On the day of the race (Feb. 15), the average low is 43°F and the average high is 61°F, while rainfall totals average just over 4.6 inches for the month.
Course Map
See the race route map for the Bay Breeze Half Marathon
Starting Time
8:00 AM - half marathon
8:15 AM - 10K
8:30 AM - 5K
Fees
$55 for the half marathon, if registered by January 6, 2013
$60 between Jan. 7 - February 3
$65 after Feb. 3
Registration
To reserve your spot in the late winter 2014 running of San Leandro's Bay Breeze Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.brazenracing.com
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