Running Journal - 2026-03-22 (Oakland Half-Marathon Race - Oakland Marathon)

Results of the Oakland Half-Marathon race (Oakland Marathon 2026): Chip Elapsed Time 2:59:18; Overall Pace 13:41/mile; Age Place 137th (M45 - 49, of 156); Gender Place 1,526th (of 1,692); Overall Place 2,580th (of 2,960).

Hotel & Parking 

Parking overnight was in the lower level of the Alexan Wester Garage. We had no troubles. Used ParkMobile, paying a flat-rate fee through midnight Saturday, then paying a flat-rate fee through midnight Sunday when we woke up. It does not allow canceling the ParkMobile session, so we just let it expire on Sunday at midnight and that was that.

Hotel this year was one night at the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel. The lobby was a bit stuffy. Staff seemed oppressed by the stuffy temperatures but helpful. It seems we had vouchers for a drink at the bar, and some other discounts, but we chose to ignore them. Instead we ate dinner at Lula Restaurant (Ethiopian). It was about a 10-minute walk, and we tried the chicken tibs (Dawn) and vegetarian combo (me). Just a few other people, so it was quiet. The TV played soccer I think, and music was international pop. When we checked out the bartender/waitress asked us if we spoke Amharic 🤔 She was chatting with a man at the bar and perhaps was talking about sensitive topics?

Race gear

 

Race Day

Pre-race, walking along Lake Merritt in pre-dawn light

 

Crows cawed at us from trees as we walked to the starting line. Weather was clear and slightly cool but comfortable. 

In corral at 7:04 a.m. waiting for our wave to start

 

Arrived at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts around 6:30 a.m. A fluffy white dog reminded us of one from a previous year (maybe the same?). MC's for the pre-race identified themselves as Piper from Bay FC and Michelle (?) Dawn felt energized as the speakers began blasting Journey's 1981 hit Don't Stop Believin'. 

Ran the first 2 miles without stopping. Passed Clinton Square, the Little Saigon neighborhood arch on East 12th Street, Franklin Park, and back to Lake Merritt. 

On Grand, we passed by Tupac Shakur Way and Eastshore Park, then under Interstate 580 (I-580). The Grand Lake Theatre greeted us as the sun crested its roofline. 

Grand Lake Theater, Oakland

Grand Lake Theater, Oakland - Sinners is back, not sure if 70mm print 🤔

Grand Lake Theater, Oakland, on the way back downtown

At Elwood Avenue (~2.5 mile mark) we began one of a handful of steep ascents. A short distance later another short climb (Vernon Street, I think) brought us to the course height of ~180 feet. Then a steep descent down toward the edge of Morcom Rose Garden, then a turn onto Monte Vista Avenue and descending, finally dumping out onto Piedmont Avenue.

The Piedmont Theatre had a quote, "The language of film is universal, as is the love for our popcorn" 🌟

Piedmont Theatre, Oakland

Piedmont Theatre, Oakland - "The language of film is universal, as is the love for our popcorn" 💜

Piedmont seemed to have lots of eclectic small storefronts. Circled Piedmont Avenue Elementary School and retraced our steps back down Piedmont Avenue. 

Spectator Books' storefront tickled me, so grabbed a few photos. E.g., Jean-Luc Picard cardboard cutout saying "There are four rooms", and Dawn noticing the door had a poster for Assata Shakur. 

Spectator Books window and door displays 🖖

Spectator Books window and door displays 🖖

The course returned us to Grand Avenue by the Grand Lake Theatre. I was able to snap a photo of the Tupac Shakur Way sign. 

At this point we had completed roughly half of the half marathon. Still felt pretty good. 

Tupac Shakur Way commemorative plaque near Eastshore Park

Returning to Lake Merritt, we ran on the north side. Staff of Fairyland had temporarily remodeled their signage to honor 2026 Winter Olympics gold-medal figure skater Alyssa Liu, an Oakland native.

Children's FairyLiu - temporary rebranding of Fairyland to honor 2026 Winter Olympics gold-medal figure skater Alyssa Liu

We noticed a pair of runners in our "pace cohort", playing leapfrog with them a bit. I.e., we'd run, pass them, take a walk break, then they'd pass us. One wore a handmade sign honoring the recent passing of 
American Olympian and run/walk advocate Jeff Galloway, who died at the age of 80 on February 25, 2026. She eventually fell back or sped ahead, and we lost sight of her. However, we recognized her companion as a woman we had also kept pace with during the 2025 San Francisco marathon (City Half) 🙂 We think she recognized us too, as she later briefly said hello and we exchanged a pleasant but short conversation before she continued past the half-marathon turnaround point at Bush Street. 

Speaking of the half-marathon turnaround, I randomly found the social media account of the volunteer stationed there, telling marathon runners to keep going and telling half marathoners to turn around 👍🏻

The rest of the run was very familiar to us (unlike the 1st half), as this was our third year running the downtown route. One nice sight--the Fox Theatre, which was used as the exterior establishing shots for the "The Lair" in SNEAKERS. Ran right past it (no photos turned out) 🌟

Just before the half-marathon turnaround, a DJ was hyping-up runners outside Line 51 Brewing. He was dancing and had big smiles to everyone. Bravo.

Line 51 Brewing - DJ was pretty great

Water management: Dawn ran out of water sometime in the 2nd half, but between water stations and sharing mine, we were mostly OK. 

The final time was our 2nd-best effort! If I hadn't stopped to take as many photos, I'm 100% sure we would have had a PR. The last run through the tunnel was challenging to make in one running interval, but the cheering crowd carried us. 🏃🏻🏃🏻‍♀️ We made a sub-three-hour half marathon, which was our overall goal 🎖️

Post-event activities: We collected snacks into provided reusable bags, then walked the length of the tabling area to get medals. Watched briefly the musical act performing. We didn't stay for long though. The walk back to the hotel was about a mile and uneventful. 

Showered, packed, checked-out (same attendant as the previous day), then drove to Almond and Oak for our brunch reservation. 

Saw a few other runners seated inside. We requested a patio table and got seated about 15 minutes early, which was appreciated. Food was excellent. Cell reception was limited.  

This year might represent our favorite time at the Oakland running festival. 

Oakland Half Marathon 2026 medal (front)

Oakland Half Marathon 2026 medal (reverse)

 

Swag and post-race snacks & drink handouts

Post-run brunch at Almond & Oak, Oakland

Running Journal - 2025-03-23 (Oakland 10K Race - Oakland Marathon)

Time: 8:30-9:47 a.m. (~1 hour, 17 minutes)
Resting heart rate: 67 bpm (several hours after exercise)
Weight (after run; clothed): -- kg (-- lb)
Body Mass Index (BMI; note criticisms of BMI): -- (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): -- cal/day
Distance (running): 10.01 km (6.22 mi)
Cumulative distance (2024; ignores XT days): TBD
Calories burned: 781 kcal
Average heart rate: 124 bpm     
Max heart rate: 152 bpm
Weather: sunny ☀️14° C (57° F), Humidity 77% Wind: 11 km/h
Terrain: 108 ft elevation gain
Avg Pace: 12'22" /mile
Best pace: 11'49" /mile
Stinkiness air level (0=No smell; 10=☣️): 0/10 (not stinky)
Comments: Results of the Oakland 10K race (Oakland Marathon 2025): Chip Elapsed Time 1:16:44; Overall Pace 12:11/mile; Age Place 57th (M45 - 49); Gender Place 731st (of 872); Overall Place 1,435th (of 1,935). Weather was perfect. We awoke around 5:00 a.m., left home by 6:00 a.m., and arrived in downtown Oakland around 6:35 a.m. Parked for free along the street in the same place as last year, well away from the race start on surface streets. Overheard another racer complain (post-race) about the traffic jam to access the Alcopark Parking Garage on Jackson Street, between 13th & 14th Street, as suggested by the race web site. So glad we skipped this year! Instead of taking the I-880 41A exit, we took exit 41B, which led us to within a few blocks of our parking spot on 8th Street, across from Green Fish Seafood Market (E&F inc). Walked a few blocks to Cafe Uccello on 14th Street. Even though we left 30 minutes later than last year, we arrived before it opened at 7:00 a.m. We watched as first one employee opened the door, then 2 other employees arrived and were let in, then finally the shop opened. We were the first 2 customers. I asked for an espresso shot and got...maybe 8 ounces of espresso (Dawn suggested perhaps they diluted it?) 😅 Dawn got a lavender latte. I used the restroom. Cafe Uccello encourages visitors to use provided markers to decorate the walls with art & messages 💜 This year, I left a heart with text "K+D 2024+2025 Oakland Marathon". Left Cafe Uccello and walked with coffees down an empty 14th Street, past the Little Stars Pre-School & Oakland Public Library & Alameda County Superior Courthouse & Oakland Museum of California, arriving at Lake Merritt & the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. We checked our consolidated gear in a provided clear plastic bag, writing my bib number in black marker. Stood around and took a few selfies in front of the event social media walls. We walked around a bit to warm up, then eventually made our way back and stood in the chute by the 12-minute sign, across from the steps to the Oakland Museum of California at the intersection of 11th Street & Lake Merritt Boulevard. People-watched. A white fluffy dog was super cute and looked happy. Remembered the other 2 things I should always do: 1) Garmin HRM-Pro Plus Heart Rate Monitor; 2) Anti-chafing. Watched the confetti explosion when the overall half-marathon winner crossed the finish line. Our race seemed to start on time. First wheelchair athletes, then in waves. We ran with walk breaks this year: 2:30 running, 1:00 walking. Runners sorted themselves and eventually we had a relatively stable group around us at our pace. Lake Merritt was very pretty today. Volunteer tables were well staffed and we got electrolytes several times along the way. Live music: no Garfield the Cat costumed DJ or jazz band this year, but taiko drums, as well as amplified music at many points along the way and at the start/finish. We ran by gentrified areas and not-so-gentrified areas. Lots and lots of beautifully colorful graffiti artwork. The ending seemed a bit different: we ran down a street and through a tunnel, popping up into the sunlight right before the finish line. Finished without injury, and a bit winded, but feeling OK. After finishing, we somewhat confusingly walked around trying to figure out what the crowds had surrounded (i.e., snacks vs. medals). It was difficult to see. After grabbing a few snacks, we queued and waited patiently. Got a tote bag to hold snacks which was helpful. Got the medals. Snacks were standard fair: bananas, Pirate Booty popcorn, Kirkland chocolate chip bars, gummy snacks, Open Water aluminum bottles, and Plezi electrolyte drinks. It was very crowded as people collected medals. All medals seemed the same design. We then walked to the entrance of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center and waited in line for the 10K gear check (maybe 15 minutes). Decided we didn't need the free beer from the Beer Garden area. We exited out onto 10th Street and walked back to our car. Drove to Almond & Flour, but the wait was 45 minutes, so went bakc to a German restaurant, Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten in Oakland. I had challah French toast & shared home fries, a black lager (1 pint), and shared Dawn's Grapefruit Radler (Pilsner & fresh grapefruit juice with a grapefruit wedge). Dawn also had a mango bellini and eggs benedict. The drive home afterward was uneventful and also very slow on I-880.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Bit tired (mostly from lack of sleep)
Foods eaten today: Kashi GO Toasted Berry Crisp Cereal with nonfat milk, Kirkland Cold Brew (half a can), electrolytes (x4), GU Strawberry Banana energy gel (1.1 oz), banana, espresso - 8 oz (Cafe Uccello), Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten - challah French toast & home fries & black lager (1 pint),

Running Journal - 2024-07-05

Time: 9:24-10:19 a.m. (55 minutes) 
Resting heart rate: 76 (15 minutes after exercise)
Weight (running clothes): 82.92 kg (182.80 lb)
Body Mass Index (BMI; note criticisms of BMI): 24.1 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,004 cal/day
Distance (running): 6.57 km (4.08 mi)
Cumulative distance (2024; ignores XT days): 830.97 km (516.34 mi)
Calories burned: 502 kcal
Average heart rate: 115 bpm
Max heart rate: 161 bpm
Weather at start: mostly sunny 🌤️ 24° C (75.2° F), Humidity 54% Wind: 2 km/h
Terrain: 200 ft elevation gain
Avg Pace: 13'30" /mile
Best pace: 12'46" /mile
Stinkiness air level (0=No smell; 10=☣️): 3/10 (noticeably stinky)
Comments: Remembered the 4 things I should always do: 1) Garmin HRM-Pro Plus Heart Rate Monitor; 2) Anti-chafing; 3) Moleskin; and 4) Sunblock ✅ Heatwave diminishing but still hot. Hamstrings really sore. Especially after driving. After walking for awhile, they are fine. Both had the day off so we visited Delah Coffee in Oakland, then the Legion of Honor in San Francisco to see exhibition "Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World" (through August 18). Saw a print of Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave), by Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849). In 2007, we filled a wall with it. Seeing it in person was a bit anti-climactic. However, seeing all the other prints was a very pleasant way to spend a few hours. We had the unexpected company of an older gentleman who was sharing insights with others. It turned out he had some connection to the exhibit, as he mentioned acquiring a number of the prints! Perhaps a member of the Achenbach Foundation (?) He was extremely informed and offered measured commentary, which was a pleasure to overhear. Ended the afternoon in Mountain View with spicy ramen, then a bookstore visit where I bought a 1000-piece puzzle of Edward Gorey, and the book 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, by Eric Cline. Ending tonight with a soak in epsom salts. 😛
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Hamstrings really sore
Foods eaten today: Banana (x2), Equator Coffee black coffee (4.25 oz), Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen - Chicken Karaagre (x0.5) & Kakuni Ramen & Sapporo Black, Delah Coffee - Sana'Ani coffee & chocolate cheesecake (x0.5) & spinich pie (x0.5), Nature's Bakery Fig Bar - 2 oz twin pack (Raspberry; x0.5), Tailwind Nutrition Recovery Drink Mix - Chocolate - 16 oz, Will's Fresh Foods San Francisco Potato Salad

Running Journal - 2024-03-17 (Oakland 10K Race - Oakland Marathon)

2024 Oakland Marathon - 10K Finisher Medal

"Designer Blakely Dadson honored the Coastal Live Oak Acorn and the energy it has provided the region"

Time: 8:30-9:45 a.m. (1 hour, 15 minutes)
Resting heart rate: 69 bpm (several hours after exercise)
Weight (after run; clothed): 84.64 kg (186.60 lb)
Body Mass Index (BMI; note criticisms of BMI): 24.6 (Overweight = 25–29.9)
Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR): 2,030 cal/day
Distance (running): 10.04 km (6.24 mi)
Cumulative distance (2024; ignores XT days): 248.14 km (154.19 mi)
Calories burned: 784 kcal
Average heart rate: 127 bpm     
Max heart rate: 148 bpm
Weather: sunny ☀️11° C (51.8° F), Humidity 97% Wind: 6 km/h
Terrain: 108 ft elevation gain
Avg Pace: 12'02" /mile
Best pace: 11'52" /mile
Stinkiness air level (0=No smell; 10=☣️): 0/10 (not stinky)
Comments: Results of the Oakland 10K race (Oakland Marathon 2024): Chip Elapsed Time 1:15:00; Overall Pace 12:05/mile; Age Place 47th (M45 - 49); Gender Place 538th; Race Place 1074th of 1617. This was a fun run and we ran mostly comfortably without stopping to walk. We awoke around 4:30 a.m., got out of the house by 5:30 p.m., and arrived in downtown Oakland around 6:10-6:15 a.m. Our parking destination was the Alcopark Parking Garage, on Jackson Street, between 13th & 14th Street, as suggested by the race web site. We took the I-880 41A exit, crossing Oak Street and continuing on 6th Street. Traffic was gridlocked. It seemed cars had converged from every direction and for whatever reason traffic was backed up and not moving. After maybe 30-40 minutes we had succeeded in turning right onto Jackson Street and crossed 7th Street. It was bad. We gave up and turned left onto 8th Street, drove up about 2.5 blocks and found plenty of free on-street parking (we parked next to Saint Anna Coffee Shop & across from Green Fish Seafood Market (E&F inc). Walked a few blocks to Cafe Uccello on 14th Street and got coffees and admired the art. Cafe Uccello encourages visitors to use provided markers to decorate the walls with art & messages 💜 Left Cafe Uccello around 7:05 a.m. and walked with coffees down an empty 14th Street, past the Little Stars Pre-School & Oakland Public Library & Alameda County Superior Courthouse & Oakland Museum of California, arriving at Lake Merritt & the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Some of the small businesses we passed on the way reminded us of the small business Haruki Murakami started--we started listening to their 2015 audiobook Novelist as a Vocation. We watched the start of the Half-Marathon which had apparently started late. Stood around and took a few selfies in front of the event social media walls. It was a bit confusing as we did not know where to wait; we ended up waiting about where we should have, by the steps to the Oakland Museum of California at the intersection of 11th Street & Lake Merritt Boulevard. People-watched. Looked at branded clothing in a vendor tent (Under Armour "UA Qualifier Run 2.0 1/2 Zip" in turquoise) but ultimately decided against buying it. A number of people warmed-up aggressively, others leisurely. Dawn stretched her knees. I played mobile phone games & setup my watch for the run. Forgot to apply sunblock before leaving the car 😛 Remembered the other 2 things I should always do: 1) Garmin HRM-Pro Plus Heart Rate Monitor; 2) Anti-chafing. Oakland District 3 (which seems to encircle Lake Merritt) Council Member Carroll Fife spoke a few words. Our race started just a bit late, with a puff of white smoke at the starting line. The initial countdown was a bit off--we heard "3, 2, " and then it cut off. After a minute or so delay the race started with the smoke. We ran without stopping. Runners sorted themselves and eventually we had a relatively stable group around us at our pace. Lake Merritt was very pretty today. The announcers said the 2023 race was rainy and muddy. Volunteer tables were well staffed and we got electrolytes several times along the way. Live music: there was an ensemble playing jazz (trombone, etc.--wish I knew the tune), at least two DJ's, a drum corps, and of course amplified music at the start/finish. A person in an inflatable Garfield the cat costume was by one of the DJ locations. A number of men with denim biker jackets with large patches on the back reading "Survivor" (sp?) helped with security. We ran by gentrified areas and not-so-gentrified areas. Lots and lots of beautifully colorful graffiti artwork. Then we rounded the last corner. The finishing line was crowded by lots of people, so many it was unclear whether we had enough room for all of the people around us to fit. Finished without injury, and a bit winded, but feeling OK. After finishing, we walked around a bend to the area with refreshments: Gatorade, Open Water ("Canned water for clean oceans"), and bananas. It was very crowded as people collected medals. Eventually we realized we had to switch to the 10K line. We had not seen its sign clearly through the many crowd members. Volunteers started handing out ribboned medals to anyone who wanted one. The marathon medals had purple ribbons, half-marathon was red, 10K was gold/yellow, and 5K was cyan/blue. All medals seemed the same design. We used the toilets, then walked through the vendor tables and to the entrance of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. One of the signs had advertised "Beer Garden", for which each runner had a ticket for a free beer. However, we guessed that the long, non-moving line was for this free beer, and we had had enough of lines for one day. We exited out onto 10th Street and walked back to our car. We recharged our phones, and decided to celebrate at a German restaurant, Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten in Oakland. I had challah French toast & shared a Nutella cheesecake. For drinks I had a Russian River Imperial Stout (1 pint) and Dawn had a Lokal margarita. The drive home afterward was uneventful and also very slow on I-880.
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: Bit tired (mostly from lack of sleep)
Foods eaten today: Kashi GO Toasted Berry Crisp Cereal with nonfat milk, Bizzy Cold Brew Organic Espresso Blend (4 oz), electrolytes (x4), GU Vanilla Bean energy gel (1.1 oz), banana, coffee latte - 16 oz (Cafe Uccello), Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten - challah French toast & Nutella cheesecake & Russian River Imperial Stout (1 pint), Kirkland Signature Sparkling Water - Lime (12 Oz), plain bagel with Kirkland Signature Organic Hummus - 2.5 oz