The San Francisco Marathon
Reviews and Complaints

My husband, ***, ACCIDENTLY signed up for a virtual marathon. He never received an email confirmation of the virtual marathon, and was charged. When he contacted the San Francisco Marathon to request a refund, he was denied. This issue is ongoing with other members of the running community. There are several YELP reviews that have stated the same problem. I have asked the marathon customer service to provide a screen shot that shows they sent an email confirmation, and they have ignored my request.

I signed up in March for the *** Marathon on July 24, 2022. They said I could get my money back if I needed to. But when I signed up, they didn't make it clear how that works. I ended up having trouble breathing, so I had to stop training and asked for my money back in April. They told me I needed a doctor's note. I don't want to push myself when I'm not feeling well just to get a note. And their refund policy doesn't seem fair. Can you please look into this so other people don't get tricked into paying extra for a refund that's not so easy to get? Thanks.

I paid SF Marathon extra for a refundable ticket. In early September I was diagnosed with COVID-19 and as a result have been very sick, making my pre-existing heart problem worse. When I asked for a refund, following the refund rules, they ignored my positive test and asked for a note from a doctor. When I gave them a note from a doctor, they said the note wasn't properly signed by the *** and it needed to be from an MD. When I showed them the same note, signed by an MD, they said it wasn't written right. This happened a few times until they flat out said no to my refund request.

I signed up and paid the full amount of $123.65 to join the 2021 San Francisco Marathon Virtual races that happened on Sat. 9/18 and Sun. 9/19. Specifically, I registered for their "Virtual Double Up Challenge" (5K and 1st Half) on 8/14. The races took place both in person in San Francisco and virtually on Saturday, September 18 for the 5K, and the 1st Half on Sunday, September 19. Virtual Race participants were supposed to claim their race profile online for each race, which I did. And we were supposed to use the associated mobile SFM Tracker app to record our running times. I did this and have a screenshot from the app showing my completion of both races. However, up until now, I still haven't received the promised participant merchandise, a shirt 1/4 zip, and the 3 medals (1 for the 5K, 1 for the 1st Half, and 1 for the Double Up Challenge). These were supposed to be mailed out to virtual registered race participants. I have been sending requests to the San Francisco Customer Support email since 10/19 without receiving any information about when my package will be mailed out or a tracking number for the package. The emails I receive are quite vague and seem to be generated from a Zendesk ticketing system. I also tried reaching out via LinkedIn to *** (who claims to be the CEO and President of The San Francisco Marathon) for assistance, but I haven't received any response. I really want to receive my 2021 package from the San Francisco marathon organization. I want them to provide a real mailing date and a genuine tracking number. Additionally, I would like to know what my options are if I don't receive what I purchased. I have attached proof of my race registration and payment, proof of completing both virtual races, and my email correspondence with SF marathon's customer support from 10/19 to [protected]. Please let me know if there's anything else I can provide to help resolve this issue. Thank you.