Running in San Fran (Read 105 times)

Hi everyone,

I am heading to San Francisco on Tuesday and will be there for a full week.  I am looking for a few good running routes if there are any locals that can suggest them.

I will be staying in the SOMA area and won't have a vehicle so that adds a little bit of a challenge.  I'm sure most of my runs will be along the Embarcadero, but I also wanted to do a longer run to the Golden Gate Bridge and back.  Just wondering if there are any particularly good routes (or neighborhoods) to hit between SOMA and the Presidio area?  I figured that one direction I would run the Embarcadero and then through some of the neighborhoods on the way back?

It's been a while since I ran in the city but one pro tip is don't call it "San Fran".

Or "Frisco".

Don't know what SOMA is, but from your description of geography...

Running the Embarcadero to the Golden Gate is not all that bad as long as you avoid peak hours.  The worst choke point is Fisherman's Warf, it is likely you will have to run in the street for part of it.  But it's pretty short.  Otherwise, you are running through parks from there to the Golden gate.

From downtown SF to the far side of the Golden Gate and back is roughly 17 miles.  It's a run I look forward to, when I have enough time off work and in town to squeeze it in.

(SOMA = South of Market)

Ordinarily, Fisherman's Wharf would be the worst choke point if you ran down Embarcadero to the bridge.  It's also currently pretty congested around the Ferry Building, on Embarcadero at the foot of Market Street where there's a massive "Super Bowl City" fan extravaganza.  (I work two blocks from there.)  From anywhere in SOMA, go down to AT&T Park then basically follow the SF Marathon route to the bridge.  The only change I'd recommend is to take the footpath up to the bridge (behind the Warming Hut at the bridge end of Crissy Field, on the way to Ft. Point) instead of running up Lincoln Blvd like the marathon does.

You asked about neighborhoods between SOMA and the Presidio. If you don't run the Embarcadero route, you could go up and over Pacific Heights and/or Nob Hill.  Hilly, but nice mansions and Victorians.   Alternatively, you could go through the Financial District to North Beach (detour up some stairs to check our Telegraph Hill if you're so inclined) then take Bay Street to the Marina.   Problem with any of these routes is that you'll be stopping a lot for traffic lights and cars since these are city streets.

I agree with Redrunner that Golden Gate Park would be worth a trip.  Take Uber or Muni to Ocean Beach, run through the park to 25th then to Lincoln Blvd.  This is Sea Cliff neighborhood, which is quite fancy and ritzy (more mansions, ocean views, quieter streets).  If you go left on Lincoln, you can continue to Camino Del Mar then catch a path that goes to Land's End.  If you go right on Lincoln, you'll go up a long hill to the bridge.

SF is a great place to use one of my favorite unfamiliar city running route finder options:  bike routes.  The city has lots of streets that have designated bike routes, and they're generally also going to be pretty good running routes (on quieter streets, not up the worst hills).  They're also signed, so you can follow them without having to be too map-conscious or phone-dependent.  So, for example, look at the bike route maps of SF and you'll find "The Wiggle," which is a great way to get from downtown SF to GGPark.  Mind you, I'm not advising running in the bike lanes, just piggybacking off their routes.  Google for SF bike route maps and you should get to an sfmta.gov site that will have a map.

Embarcadero is already ridiculous with the "Super Bowl City," and they've closed a number of heavy-traffic streets for it, which will push traffic elsewhere through SoMa and FiDi, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria.  For a game that is 50 miles away.