Start at the southwest corner of Balboa Park. Climb north through Hillcrest, push east through University Heights, summit at Normal Heights around Adams Avenue (the high point — 412 ft, mile 5). Roll east into East San Diego, swing back south through North Park where the half splits from the marathon, then re-enter Balboa Park and descend all the way through to a steep finishing drop into downtown. Eight named neighborhoods, one mesa to climb, then a long arc home.

• Run the climb on effort, not pace— miles 2–5 are the PR-killer
• The course rewards a negative split: miles 7–13 are almost all downhill
• Don't bank time on miles 1–3 — the climb is real and it's longer than first-timers expect
• On a warmer-than-usual morning, add the heat tax from mile 1 — the marine layer hides it

• Rehearse short-stride climbing in the weeks before, not race morning
• Climbing: shorten the stride, keep cadence at 170–180,eyes 15 m ahead— not at the top of the hill
• Hands like a crisp potato chip— firm enough to hold, gentle enough not to crush. Tension is the enemy on climbs
• Breathing: 3 steps in, 2 steps out on climbs; 2:2 on flats — your anchor when pace feels wrong

• ~200–300 cal of easy carbs 60–90 min before the gun
• First gel around mile 4 — before the Normal Heights peak, not after
• A second gel around mile 9 — right as you re-enter Balboa Park, before the steep drop
• Sip water through the morning. The marine layer makes the air feel cool, but the air is salty — you're still sweating

Start on 6th Avenue at Quince Street, the west edge of Balboa Park (~292 ft elevation). Climb north on 6th through Bankers Hill into the heart of Hillcrest. The first mile feels flat — it's a runnable 2–3% grade hidden by the wide street. By mile 2 you turn east into Hillcrest proper, brushing past restaurants, hospitals, and the long Hillcrest tree-line on University Avenue.

• Run mile 1 5–10 sec/mi slowerthan your goal — give it back willingly
• Crowd surge in the first 400 m is real — let it go past, you can pass them back at mile 12
• Lock 2:2 breathing in the first 400 m and hold it as long as the terrain stays gentle
• A half marathon is run with your back half— the climb is borrowed, not free

• Short, quick steps off the line — don't lengthen stride to chase the surge
• Shoulders down, hands relaxed — you have 12 more miles of this
• Eyes 20 m ahead, not at your shoes, not at the runner in front of you
• Land midfoot under your hips — heels-out-in-front costs energy on every climb

• Skip aid station #1 unless you're genuinely thirsty — fluid takes 20 min to absorb
• Don't fire your watch lap button at every corner; let GPS settle
• Throwaway top off by mile 2 — you'll be dressed for 62°F running by the time you crest into Hillcrest
• The fast finishers are already 6 minutes ahead. Don't chase ghosts

From Hillcrest, the course bears northeast, picking up Park Boulevard and Adams Avenue. The grade is honest: roughly +20 ft per mile from mile 2 to mile 5, with the steepest section between mile 3 and mile 4 as you push through University Heights. Mile 5 marker is near Adams Avenue and 30th Street — the highest point of the entire half marathon. From here, every mile that follows is, on net, downhill.

• Expect to lose 10–20 sec/mi vs goal pacethrough here — that's the plan, not a failure
• Hold effort, not pace— the watch will read slow; your legs need to feel about an 8/10
• If you're still on goal pace at mile 4 you're overcooking it — ease off
• The math: 90 sec lost across miles 3–5 is recoverable on miles 11–12. Going into the red at mile 4 isn't

• Shorten stride, quicken cadence.170–180 steps/min, let the stride collapse naturally
• Eyes 15 m ahead, not at the top of the climb. Looking up makes it feel longer
• Arms drive the rhythm. When the legs fade, the arms keep the metronome going
• Form check every 60 sec: shoulders down, jaw open, hands relaxed. Tension burns calories you need

• First gel between aid stations in this stretch — before you reach the peak
• Water at every aid station from here on, even if you don't feel thirsty
• It is okay to walk a 20–30 sec section if a step gets steep. A controlled walk costs less than blowing up
• Mental cue: this is the hardest part of the day, and it gets easier from here

From the Normal Heights peak, the course rolls east along Adams Avenue and then swings south. You'll cross from Normal Heights into East San Diego (briefly), then back west through North Park — the neighborhood that gives mile 8 its character. Just past the mile 8 marker, the half marathon course splits from the full marathon. The marathoners continue toward Mission Valley; you turn west, back toward Balboa Park.

• Settle into goal pace once the road levels — don't suddenly chase pace back, you'll pay for it at mile 11
• Use the rolling terrain to switch on and off— surge the downs by 5 sec/mi, ease the ups by 5 sec/mi
• At the mile 8 split: take a gel, take a few sips, take a beat. The hardest two miles of the day are right behind you — the easiest five are ahead
• Resist the urge to celebrate the descent by pushing the pace. Earn the time across miles 9–13, not in one mile

• On the downhills: lean slightlyforward from the ankles, don't lean back into the brake
• Quiet feet on descents — loud feet are pounding feet
• Cadence stays at 170–180; stride lengthens naturally on the down
• Mental check at the split: are your hands relaxed? Is your jaw open?

• Second gel at the split— mile 8, before you re-enter Balboa Park
• Water at the aid station nearest the split — not Gatorade if you took the gel
• The field thins after the split as the slower marathoners disappear ahead — good, less weaving
• North Park has spectators concentrated near the split — ride the cheer for 30 seconds, then settle

After the split in North Park, the course re-enters Balboa Park along Pershing Drive. You'll cross through the eastern half of the park — eucalyptus trees, the old Naval Hospital site, the Botanical Building roof in the distance to the west. The route descends gently from the park's mesa edge (~330 ft) toward the south edge (~230 ft) over the next 2.5 miles. The crowd thins here; the work is internal.

• This is where your race plan pays out. Settle into your goal pace as the road tips down
• Don't turn the descent into a sprint — the steep section is still coming, mile 11. Save your quads for it
• Mental cue: controlled negative split— you're running 5–10 sec/mi under goal, not 20
• If you have a target time, this is the section to set up the kick — not the section to spend it

• Downhill form: lean forward from the ankles, not from the waist. Hips stay tall
• Don't over-stride. Quick feet, soft landings, gravity does the work
• Arms relaxed and low — high arms on a descent waste energy
• Form check: is your jaw open? Are you breathing evenly?

• Water at the aid station in Balboa Park — this is the last good sip before the finishing drop
• If you took both gels, you're done fueling. Cruise to the finish
• The park's tree cover is real — if it's warmer than expected, this is your last shade
• Pick a runner 10 m ahead and track them. Pass at mile 11

Exit Balboa Park at the southwest corner, joining 6th Avenue southbound through Bankers Hill. The road steepens as you cross Cedar, Beech, Ash streets toward the downtown grid. By mile 12, you're at ~100 ft elevation, having dropped 130 ft in less than two miles. The Coronado Bridge silhouette is visible to your left; the Pacific Ocean to your right.

• Run this controlled, not full-tilt.Pace should sit 10–15 sec/mi under goal — not 30
• Quads start tightening if you brake. Lean forward; let cadence carry you
• If you've trained for this race, this is your section. Pass runners who pounded the descent and are seizing
• Save 10 seconds for mile 13. You will want them

• Lean slightly forward, not back. Leaning back is the brake; forward is the accelerator
• Quick cadence, short stride, soft feet
• Eyes 20 m down the road, not at your watch, not at your feet
• Arms drive backward, not across the body — across-body arms break form when tired

• No more aid stations matter here — you're 12 minutes from the medal
• Mental check: this is fun.You're running through downtown San Diego at goal pace with the ocean in the distance
• If your legs are screaming, walk 15 seconds on a flat block, then resume. Don't walk on a descent — you'll cramp
• Spectator density picks up as you near the waterfront — ride it, don't fight it

Out of the steep drop, the course flattens onto the downtown grid. You'll work west through Cortez Hill toward the waterfront, passing the County Administration Center. The mile 13 marker is on the final straight; the finish chute opens at Ash Street & Union Street, with Waterfront Park and the bay on your right. After the line, the Secure Zone awaits — medal, photo, water, gear retrieval.

• Last 600 m: lift your cadence, don't lengthen your stride
• Race the person in front of you. Pick someone in the last quarter mile and chase
• Don't look at your watch in the last 400 m — you can't make the time, you can only run hard
• You'll never regret finishing hard. You will regret finishing with anything in the tank

• Arms drive back, not across the body— tight form to the line
• Eyes on the finish line, not at your watch, not at your feet
• Don't lean back when you tire — it stalls you 10 m before the line
• Run through the timing mat, not to it. Cadence high all the way past

• After the line: walk 100 m in the Secure Zone. Don't stop cold — heart rate needs a runway to come down
• Medal, water, photo, snack — in that order
• Eat 200–300 cal of carbs + protein within 30 minutes (chocolate milk, the post-race food bag, or a real meal soon after)
• Gear bag retrieval is just outside the Secure Zone — you can't re-enter once you leave, so grab everything before you head to the Finish Line Festival