The Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K is one of my favorite races of the year. It’s just fun to run over the Coronado Bridge. Last year, I surprised myself and was the top overall woman. I had a great day, and I just felt good. Those kinds of races and days set the bar high for the future.
This year, I have been really busy. I started a new job and am learning that, and it’s just been a lot. I have been tired, my legs have been tired, and running has not felt “great.” I didn’t really want to race, but I also didn’t want to miss this one, so I opted to drive down anyway. The day before, I ran with friends, and I was struggling more than I should for 10-minute miles. I tried to remind myself things change daily.
Before the Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K
We got to Coronado early, and I went to bed early. It seems to be the weekend theme lately. The morning came, and I felt like I slept pretty well. I arrived at the buses on Coronado around 6:45. The line was super long, and I started to panic. I ended up getting to San Diego around 7:30, which left me enough time to run a mile warmup and go to the bathroom. Typically for a 10K, I would have run two miles, and to be honest, I felt like I may have needed a longer warmup than that. But we do what we can do.
Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K
The Navy Bay Bridge Run 4 Mile and 10K start together and go over the bridge together. As mentioned, my legs were just feeling tired. I told myself to take it “easy.” You have 6 miles to go after all. Something happened during the first mile that I have never experienced, and that is we got stopped for a trolley. It was only a couple of seconds for me but still a new experience. I’ve run a few races in downtown San Diego, and I’ve never been stopped by a trolley before. Ir probably worked in my favor as the leaders got stopped longer…not like I ran with them. I ran a 6:40 first mile.
The second mile of the Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K goes over the Coronado Bridge. You are basically climbing for a mile straight. While it’s tough, I don’t think it’s the “worst ever.” I ended up running a 7:41 mile, which I was pleased with. We were facing some not-great headwind, and I told myself: at least it will only be half the race, until I remembered it was a point-to-point, and we really had headwind until around mile 5. LOL.
I was hoping for a cruisy, fast downhill next mile, but that was hard with the headwind. I ended up running a 6:38. Since it was going downhill, I was really hoping for something more like 6:10.
From there, you head into Coronado. The 4 Mile turns toward the finish, and the 10K goes out and back another couple of miles. After the 4-milers turned, I realized I was in second place for women, but third place was not far behind me. Do I think the Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K is better than the 4 miler? Eh. You are getting a flat 2 mile section, but you aren’t getting anything super scenic.
I was kind of tired, and this is where my legs really felt “it.” I told myself: just two more miles, then one. I ran a 6:52 and 6:50. I was happy with that for the day.
As we headed toward the finish line, we came back onto the narrow bike path with the 4 Mile runners. This meant it got very chaotic and congested. The races both finish on the grass.
Truthfully, the finish line here is not my favorite, although I see why they do it this way. I wish there could be more separation between the 4 Mile and 10K. Different lanes? I don’t know. I crossed the Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K finish line in 43:04. Last year I remember being disappointed that when I won, I just finished in a very congested scene.
Navy Bay Bridge Run 10K Thoughts
I’m happy with how I ran on the day, plus second place is never shabby. Would I have liked to have felt better? Of course, but you can’t control what you can’t control. I’m happy with the effort and 43:03 10k over the bridge.
Navy Bay Bridge Run 4 Mile and 10K FAQ
Where does the Navy Bay Bridge Run start and finish?
The Navy Bay Bridge Run starts in downtown San Diego near the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and San Diego Convention Center. Both the 4-mile and 10K races finish at Tidelands Park in Coronado, so this is a point-to-point race. That means your biggest race morning planning piece is transportation, not just parking.
After the race, participants can take transportation back toward the start area, including shuttle or ferry options. I chose to stay in Coronado and take the shuttle in the morning. The first year I did it, I took the ferry back to downtown San Diego and that line took over 2 hours.
What is the Navy Bay Bridge Run course like?
The 4-mile course starts downtown, goes over the Coronado Bridge, and finishes at Tidelands Park. The 10K uses the same bridge route, then adds more distance through Coronado before finishing at Tidelands Park. You do not usually get to run across the Coronado Bridge since it’s not pedestrian friendly.
Is the Navy Bay Bridge Run hilly?
Yes. The Navy Bay Bridge Run is hilly because you run over the Coronado Bridge. For the 4-mile race, the bridge takes up a bigger portion of the race, so it can feel harder than expected if you go out too fast. The 10K gives you more distance after the bridge, which can help you settle back into a rhythm once you are in Coronado.
Should I run the Navy Bay Bridge Run 4 Mile or 10K?
Run the 4-mile if you want the classic Navy Bay Bridge Run experience, want to cross the bridge, or prefer a shorter event that is still different from a normal road race. It is also a good option for walkers, newer runners, and anyone doing the race mostly for the course.
Run the 10K if you want a standard race distance, more mileage, or a stronger race effort. The 10K is the better choice if you care about having an official 6.2-mile result while still getting the bridge experience. The miles between the 4 mile race and 10k race aren’t super exciting and mostly flat.
Is the Navy Bay Bridge Run good for beginners?
Yes, especially the 4-mile race. The event has runners, walkers, strollers, and multiple corrals, so it is not only for competitive runners. They have competitive corrals to non timed corrals…so there is truly something for everyone.If you are newer to running, I would practice some incline running or hill walking before race day. You do not need anything crazy, but you do want your legs to know what climbing feels like before you are on the bridge.
Is the Navy Bay Bridge Run good for a PR?
The 4-mile race can be a fun automatic PR if you have never raced four miles before, but it is not a standard distance most runners chase. The 10K is the better option if you want an official race distance.
That said, the Navy Bay Bridge Run is not the fastest 10K in San Diego because the Coronado Bridge climb is part of the course. It can still be a strong race effort, but if your only goal is a flat PR, this may not be the best course for that.
What should I know about the Navy Bay Bridge Run packet pickup and race morning?
If you purchase the race earlier enough, they mail your number. Packet pickup is usually offered before race day, with race morning pickup also available. I would choose the earlier packet pickup if you can because this is a point-to-point race with downtown parking, corrals, bridge logistics, and post-race transportation to think about.
On race morning, give yourself more time than you would for a small local race. Between getting downtown, finding the start, using the bathroom, and getting into the correct corral, this is not a race where I would cut timing close. I’ll probably get to the Navy Bay Bridge Run start line at least an hour early and plan around that. (probably getting to the Coronado busses around 6:30 am).
Is the Navy Bay Bridge Run worth doing?
You get downtown San Diego, the Coronado Bridge, bay views, and a finish at Tidelands Park. I would run the 4-mile for the classic bridge experience and the 10K if I wanted a longer race with the same main draw. Either way, I would respect the climb, plan transportation ahead of time, and enjoy the fact that you are running somewhere you usually cannot run.
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Questions for you:
Have you ever run the Navy Bay Bridge Run?
What is your favorite race?