2018 San Francisco Marathon

Organizers of the annual San Francisco Marathon are predicting 27,500 participants for this month’s big run, but many may be surprised to learn they won’t get to cross the Golden Gate Bridge as they have in the past.

“The board of directors has decided that it is not going to be closing down the bridge for special events,” said Priya Clemens, the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District spokeswoman.

For years, the bridge district had allowed the annual marathon to cone off two of the northbound lanes to accommodate the popular run. And for just as long, race organizers have made crossing the span a big selling point.

But all that changed after a series of car and truck terror attacks in Europe and the subsequent need for increased security. The result was a complete, three-hour shutdown of the bridge’s northbound lanes for last year’s race.