A Look Inside the Mecca of Urban Running: San Francisco, CA

There are many narratives that surround the Bay Area: an eclectic and inclusive culture, creative architecture, the Spanish Mission, huge fishing wharfs, colorful houses on steep hills, cable cars weaving through the city, the Chinatown district and of course, the tech boom and stratification of the city. I’d like to add one of my own to the list: the best urban running in the entire country, bar none.

I started running around the Bay the first day I moved here in January of 2012. I ran through downtown Oakland, around Lake Merritt—a paved 3-mile footpath—and through the Temescal and Rockridge districts.

Since that first wandering run I’ve logged thousands of miles across the metro area, from regional parks in the hills to lunch runs along the Embarcadero, to hot laps in Kezar Stadium, a beautiful track open to all. The options are endless, from a casual 3-miler along the waterfront to 20-plus miles entirely on dirt.

Here’s a list of the best runs across the Bay Area.

All photos by Andy Cochrane.

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