As a marathon coach for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program, I took a group of 32 runners to San Francisco to participate in the 2008 Nike Women’s Marathon and Half-Marathon.

The event is a massive annual gathering for Team In Training fundraising groups.  There were groups from all over the United States here to run or walk the marathon and half-marathon, which are held concurrently from Union Square and finish a little north of Lake Merced.

The location couldn’t be better for running, nor could the time of year.  Race day for us was cloudy and cool (about 55 degrees all morning) which is perfect weather for endurance sports.  I wore sleeves, tights and gloves and was totally comfortable from start to finish.  As an added bonus, this means I had some extra layering after running 29 miles during the events.

I’d definitely recommend the event to anyone looking for a fun destination race.  If you can train somewhere that is not flat (in other words, not somewhere like Florida) then I would also recommend this is a great first marathon.