2009 San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Guide

Beware.  Be very aware.   On Sunday, May 31, 2009, the streets and freeways of San Diego become a raceway for runners, walkers, wheelchair racers, and all things Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Starting at 6:30am, in San Diego’s Balboa Park, the 12th Annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon takes off. This wildly popular and rockin’ 26.2-miles of blood, sweat and tears marathon concludes at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD).  This event ties up traffic and makes a mess of things, but it’s an incredibly fun and challenging event for over 21, 000 runners. For visitors, it’s a great chance to follow the course, listen to 45 bands play along the route, and be part of the mix of spectators, weekend warriors, elite athletes and the family and friends of runners who swarm to this huge event.

Related Links: AIDS doesn’t slow runner | Bands to watch | Salazar suggestions

What is there for you to do if you are visiting San Diego during the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon? Let’s just say that there is enough going on during the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon weekend to knock your socks off.

Starting on Friday, May 29th,  11am - 7pm and on Saturday, May 30, 9am - 5pm, you can forage through the 100 exhibitor booths of the Health and Fitness Expo.  It is free and easy to get to at the San Diego Convention Center (Halls A & B).  The Convention Center is along the San Diego harbor at the foot of Fifth Avenue, where the Gaslamp Quarter ends.

On Sunday, May 31^st, the race starts at Balboa Park at Sixth Avenue and Palm at 6:30am. Here is a map of the race.

The race runs north through San Diego’s most walker-friendly/urban community of Hillcrest.  It passes the San Diego Zoo,  goes down Park Boulevard, continues through downtown San Diego and then follows San Diego bay through many of our most popular local beach communities (Mission Bay, Crown Point, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Clairemont). The course finally ends at the Parade Deck at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Point Loma.

Most of us are not into running or even walking 26.2 miles. It is fun to watch the brave men and women who don the appropriate apparel, losing some along the way, and watch as they fight their inner demons to complete such a challenging course.

While the human racers make their way around San Diego, the rest of us can enjoy The Running Elvi. Yes, ladies and gentleman, the Running Elvi.  The Running Elvi will receive a special “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” race bib.  What is the Running Elvi? Think  of Elvis, the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and think of zany dudes who impersonate Elvis and run in the Rock n’ Roll Marathon.

The Running Elvi will also be making a special appearance at the Health and Fitness Expo on Saturday, May 30th  at 3pm.  You’ll find them on the marquee as the “Running Elvis Fashion Parade.”  These guys stand out in the crowd as the runners take to the streets, but you can also spot them at the finish line/stage on Sunday, May 31st where the Top 3 Fastest Elvi will get their due.

On Sunday, at the finish line, the public is invited to catch the free headliner concert when the hit British band, the English Beat, performs from 1:15pm-2:30pm. This great band known for their unique Ska beat with big hits including, “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Save it for Later.”

Six Spectator Tips:

1. Parking

Before 10am - park for free at the Airport Authority Parking Lot adjacent to the Finish Line between 6:45am and 10 am and take a free shuttle to the Finish Line area. The Finish Line Festival starts at 7am and elite athletes will finish the race just after 8:30am. Yes, you read that correctly.

After 10am - park for free on a first come, first serve basis at the County Administration Building North Lot downtown on Pacific Highway. Free street-side parking will also be available. Take the Trolley from the County Center/Little Italy Station to the Washington Street Station near the finish. Be sure to remove your car from the Airport Authority Parking Lot and the County Administration Building North Lot by 5 pm on race day. Qualcomm Stadium will also be used for overflow parking. Take the Trolley from Qualcomm to the Washington Street Station near the finish.

2. Entering the Marine Corps Recruit Depot

Please pad your arrival time by one hour to ensure that you see the runners cross the Finish Line. Be aware of the rules enforced at MCRD:  no vehicles (including bicycles) and no pets will be allowed to enter the military base. All persons, bags, packs, camera bags, etc. will be searched. Pack light - this will facilitate quick entry.  Not surprisingly,  weapons of any type, alcohol, glass bottles and illegal drugs or paraphernalia are strictly prohibited. You don’t want to mess with the U.S. Marines at the security gate.

3. Take the Trolley

If you are staying in a hotel near a local Trolley station, hop on (or transfer to) the Blue or Green Line to access your desired viewing location.

4. Best Spectator Areas Along the Course

Stage 9 - Broadway & State Street (Mile 6.8;  6:50am - 9:15am)

Stage 13 - Fashion Valley Mall, Friars Rd. (Mile 11.6;  7:20am - 11am)

Stage 17 - Mission Bay Park Visitor’s Center (Mile 16.3;  7:40am - 12:15pm)

Stage 21 - Friars/Frontage Rd. Exit (Mile 22; 7:55am - 1:30pm)

Stage 24 - Perry’s Café (Mile 24;  8am - 2:15pm)

Stage 26 - MCRD (Mile 25.6;  8:10am - 2:45pm)

5. Go to the Finish Line Festival - MCRD (10:30am - 1pm)

Then, comes the party!  As the last of the runners lean into the finish line,  you can enjoy the tunes of  Bedford Grove. This group brings their new-age swing sound, a mix of a high energy show and their own brand of  New Orleans soul. It will be a perfect way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon in San Diego.

6. Stay for the Headliner Concert - MCRD (1:15pm - 2:30pm)

This concert is FREE to the public! The English Beat, that great Ska band from the 80s, is back in San Diego. For those who love to dance to the English Beat, get out the Vespa, dust off your pointy shoes or Doc Martens and rock to the hip British beat.

Freeway Access & High Traffic Areas

Experienced San Diegans know to clear the streets for the Rock n’ Roll Marathon.  Truth be told, it can be mayhem to try to get where you want to go.

Here are some tips if you don’t want to get trapped by the various road closures:

(Please note:  the only major freeway that will be closed on race day is southbound Highway 163.)

I-5, I-805, I-94 and I-8 will be open on race day, but expect delays.

Southbound Highway 163, between Interstate 805 and downtown, will be closed for 10 hours from 2am until 12pm.

Watch out for Southbound I-5 between SeaWorld Drive/Tecolote and downtown and on I-8 between Mission Bay Drive and Morena Boulevard as these areas  have the potential to cause headaches.  Avoid those areas, if you can.

Trouble Spots to Avoid:

Sea World Drive
North Mission Bay Drive
Friars Road West of 163
Morena Boulevard/Linda Vista Road
Interstate 5, use Interstate 805 instead
Interstate 8 - use 94 Highway 94, 52, or 54 to travel between I-5 and I-805
Ingraham Street, south of Crown Point Drive
Rosecrans Street
Southbound Highway 163 between downtown and I-805

Going to the Airport?

With the exception of Pacific Highway and southbound Highway 163, all major highways and roads surrounding the airport will be open. However, delays should be expected, especially during peak marathon finishing times (10am - 2pm)  due to the close proximity of the finish line at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

Recommendations to Access the San Diego Airport

For alternative directions and access routes, check with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon website.  Give yourself plenty of time!  Remember to allow extra time (1-2 hours) for airport drop-off and pick-up.

San Diego residents are strongly advised to access the airport from the south to avoid race and Padre game traffic delays. Use I-805 to connect with Highway 94 west. Merge onto northbound Interstate 5. Exit west onto Hawthorn and turn right on Harbor Drive. Follow signs to airport.

If residents are coming from San Diego areas north of the airport, they are advised to use Highway 52 east to I-805 south. If I-8 is used as the east-west artery between I- 5 and I-8, expect delays. Once on I-805 south, exit Highway 94 west and merge  onto northbound I-5. Exit Hawthorn and follow signs to the airport.

Specific Road Closures Impacting the San Diego Airport

Southbound side of Highway 163 will be closed between downtown and Washington Street from 2am to 10am.

Avoid Sassafras and Washington Street between 5am and 6:30am and also between 10am and 2pm due to the close proximity of the marathon finish line at MCRD

Going to Downtown San Diego?

The downtown area will be open and completely clear of marathoners by 10am.

Again, the only major downtown access route that will be closed is Southbound Highway 163.

Northbound Harbor Drive will be closed from Market Street to Broadway until 9:30am.

Southbound 163 will reopen at noon.

Recommendations to Access Downtown Areas

Avoid southbound I-5 if possible, due to increased vehicle traffic.

Access Downtown via Highway 94 (connector to I-805). Westbound Highway 94 turns into F Street or from I-5 use Cesar Chavez Pkwy to Harbor Dr. to access the Convention Center, Seaport Village or Gaslamp Quarter prior to 9:30am.

From the beach communities and northern San Diego, take I-805 south to Highway 94 west, or from I-5 take 52 east to I-805 south to connect with westbound Highway 94.

Julie Gelfat is the co-editor of the Visitors Guide for SDNN and the co-owner of San Diego Travel Tips.com. Email  Julie at: sdtips(at)sandiegotraveltips.com

Tags: SDNN

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 at 12:22 pm and is filed under Visitors Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.