No Olympic event can rival the rich history and grand spectacle of the marathon. Created for the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 as a commemoration of the legendary run by the Greek messenger Philippides, the race has endured like no other, producing a century of awe-inspiring competition and unforgettable stories. This definitive resource, written by world-renowned Olympic marathon experts David Martin and Roger Gynn, goes beyond statistics to offer readers a vivid chronicle of the athletes and their memorable marathon performances.
For each race, The Olympic Marathon provides the following:

• A summary of the geographical setting and political climate surrounding the Olympic Movement


• A course map and detailed street description


• A step-by-step narrative of how the race was run


• Biographical sketches of the top three finishers


• A “Looking Ahead” section, which summarizes marathon highlights leading up to the next Olympic marathon

With nearly a million acres of beautiful parklands, countless breathtaking mountain and canyon trails, spectacular cityscapes around every corner, and hundreds of miles of gorgeous coastline, the toughest part of running in San Francisco may be deciding on a route to explore first. San Francisco Running Guide was written to help make the difficult decision of where to run in the Bay Area an easy one. The book introduces local and visiting runners alike to 35 of the best running routes, plus it gives complete course information about the top 10 races-from 5Ks to marathons-held annually in the Bay Area.
For each running route included, the book provides:

• an explanation of why it was selected;


• a detailed map showing roads and trails to follow on the route;


• an icon key that shows route distance, scenery, terrain, hill ratings, and available facilities;


• access information that tells how to get to the starting point;


• course information that describes every step of the run; and


• "Foot Notes" that provide additional information to make the run more enjoyable.