Vibha Bay Area Dream Mile Half Marathon

Vibha volunteers have run this Bay Area fundraiser for more than two decades. The charity side is the reason it exists, but the racing side is handled properly: the half is chip timed with checkpoints, pacers cover seven target times, and the 10K and 5K fields come in close to the same size.

The event has moved among flat Bay Area park venues, most recently the baylands edge in Sunnyvale, and the character holds across them: minimal elevation change, paved paths and park roads, and long exposed stretches. Wind off the bay does more to splits here than any climb.

Early September mornings near the bay usually start cool and grey, often in the upper 50s, then clear fast. The exposed baylands sections offer little shelter once the marine layer lifts.