Super Bowl Races 2016

The Super Bowl is coming, which means one thing. You’ll likely be overindulging in buffalo wings, nachos, pizza, beer, and a variety of other unmentionables. 

We’re optimists here at SportMe, but we’re also realists. It’s hard to resist temptation at every turn. We also think it’s ok to periodically indulge (or overindulge). 

All we ask is that you log a few miles (using SportMe Runner of course) in the morning before you segue into the football inspired bacchanal known only as The Super Bowl.

To help you burn a few calories and minimize any guilt associated with any overindulging you might do later in the day, we’ve identified a handful of excellent races (road and trail) in the Bay Area taking place on the weekend of the Super Bowl.

Golden Gate Trail Run 5M/Half/30K/Marathon/50K (2/6/16)

If you’re looking to rationalize any Super Bowl overconsumption ‘prior’ to the ‘big game’, give the Golden Gate Trail Run a look. It goes down on Super Bowl Saturday.

You’ve got FIVE distances to choose from including the marathon and 50K. Consider the fact that you burn roughly 100 calories for each mile you run. That mean’s you’ve got 2,600 calories to play with after tackling the marathon or 3,100 if you conquer the full monty of 50K!

Just make sure that if you opt in for either of these distances, you’ve been logging some quality miles with beforehand! For those not interested in tackling 26.2 or more, there is the 5-mile, half marathon, or 30K option. 

Bear in mind that there’s some serious climbing involved with all of the distances covered in this race. The 5 miler includes over 1,000 feet of ascent/descent meaning if this is your distance you are definitely not a coach potato.

But, the climbs are well worth it as this race includes some of the most epic, inspiring views you can find.  

The Golden Gate Trail Run takes place in the Marin Headlands in Sausalito just a few minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Click here for more details and registration. Enter code SportMe10 for 10% off race entry.

Rattlesnake Ramble 5K/10K/Half (2/7/16)

The Rattlesnake Ramble 5K/10K/Half is produced by the folks at Sasquatch Racing.

This race goes down at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley (roughly 45 minutes East of San Francisco).

There’s something for everyone at this race. If you’re brand new to running, the 5K takes place on a paved path that runs along Lake Chabot. The 5K is very friendly to trail running neophytes as there really isn’t any ‘trail’ per se to run.

For 10K/half marathoners, it’s a different story. There are hills, trails, mud (assuming El Nino continues its dirty work), and epic views of Lake Chabot and the surrounding area.

Rounding things out is a veritable post race party including technical shirts for everyone, medals (for half marathoners), woodallions (5K/10K runners), beer from Cleophus Quealy Beer Company, Hint Water, Mamma Chia snacks, Perfect Bars, and they’ve even thrown some massage from PSOAS Massage/Bodywork into the mix.

For more details on this ‘trail party’ (as Sasquatch Racing likes to describe their races) going down on Super Bowl Sunday, click here. Enter code SPORTME for $5 off entry.

Spreckles Lake 5K & Lightning Mile (2/7/16)

The Dolphin South End Runners are an institution in San Francisco. They are the very first run club and are perhaps best known for their eccentric, irascible, and endearing founder Walt Stack who was featured in a Nike video years ago.

Dolphin South End is a non-profit organization that produces races nearly every week of the year. Given how many races they pull off each year, they’re well produced, well managed, and well attended. DSE races are relatively Spartan, bare bones affairs. The $5 registration for non DSE members reflects this.

The nominal registration fee means you won’t be getting a shirt, a medal, beer, or a lot of the other bells and whistles you might see with a larger race, but the DSE races have an undeniable grassroots charm and appeal.

If you’re looking for a smaller race with a grassroots feel and a registration fee that is easy on your wallet, DSE has their [Spreckles Lake 5K & Lightning Mile going down Spreckles Lake 5K & Lightning Mile going down on Super Bowl Sunday in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

For more details about the Spreckles Lake 5K & Lightning Mile, click here.

Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon® & 5K (2/14/16, normally takes place on Super Bowl Sunday)

While this year’s edition of the iconic Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon does NOT take place on Super Bowl Sunday, it typically does. So, we’re including it.

This year Kaiser takes place the following week on Valentine’s Day (run love anyone?). If you can’t make it to any of the aforementioned races, consider participating in the Kaiser Half or 5K to make amends for any Super Bowl Sunday gluttony from the previous week.

This race has been around for more than 30 years. Helmed by local race producer Dave Rhody and his team at RhodyCo Productions. Visit the website here and use discount code SPORTME to get $7 off your entry (offer expires 2/7/16). This race attracts 10,000 every year. For many runners, Kaiser is their first serious road race of the year.

If you’re looking to run your first half marathon or post a personal best for 13.1, it behooves you to give Kaiser a look. The race starts in the middle of Golden Gate Park before heading out onto the panhandle.

The first six miles of the race are largely in Golden Gate Park. These miles are largely flat and downhill. Once you’ve conquered Golden Gate Park, the course drops you onto the Great Highway.

From here, there’s a long stretch to the end of the Great Highway before heading back and finishing the race in the southwest corner of Golden Gate Park, where a great post race expo awaits you.

This race is flat, fast, and well managed by Dave Rhody and his team.

BTW, there’s a 5K for those not quite ready to tackle the half marathon distance. For more details about The Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half and 5K, click here to see elevation charts for both courses.

However you decide to spend your Super Bowl morning, we hope its spent running and we hope you take SportMe with you.