San Diego has a plethora of great running routes, ranging from foothills and canyons to beaches and estuaries, and even some amazing multi-use paths. Considering the amount of coastline and our great weather, it’s easy to find a beautiful 3-5 mile stretch at one of our many great beaches. Here is my list of 3 favorite places to run when the weather is starting to warm up, flowers are blooming, and the sun is going down later each day.
Sunset Cliffs
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone for making my list. It’s one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in all of San Diego. The distance from the start of the cliffs, at the State Park sign, to the end of the road where you can find dozens of surfers waxing their boards, is about 1.5 miles. Once at the parking lot you can meander through the trails to extend your out-and-back another half-mile or so. Just up the hill from the parking lot is Point Loma Nazarene University, where you can find the best track in San Diego. This track is open to the public as long as it’s not being used by one of the PLNU athletic teams. Lastly, possibly my favorite part about running at Sunset Cliffs is Hill St. This street lives up to its name. It’s a beast of a hill, right on the coast. Kill your quads on the way up, and on the way down, try to catch your breath while watching waves roll in. A perfect spot for beginners, masochists, track stars, and even run-date during sunset.
Embarcadero
Again, we are by the water, but this time we are running along the San Diego bay. Harbor Drive is a filled with tourists all year long, but it especially packed during the summer. Spring time provides a bit of relief from dodging families while soaking in the sites and sounds. Running south past the Star of India, cruise ships, and USS Midway, seaport village welcomes you with lots of good people watching. Don’t expect to run your fastest pace because ithere is a lot of distractions. Stop by the Tuna Dockside Fish Market to see what locals are pulling up that day. You might luck out and catch a concert at the Rady Shell, which you can hear as you run around the amphitheater. Keep heading south and over the walking bridge to Petco Park. As long as there isn’t an event, you can run through Gallagher Square and sneak a peak into baseballs best ballpark. Finish your run at waterfront park, cooling off in the fountain. Again, this isn’t a place to go train intervals, but spring time is a great time to explore one of the most tourist friendly areas in San Diego. A true “fun run” experience.
Sweetwater River Trail
San Diego has a lot of great trails for running, mostly due to our lack of elevation. My favorite for running this time of year is the Sweetwater River Trail because it is relatively flat with the opportunity to add incline by taking any of the many offshoots to the main trail. Unlike most of San Diego, fresh water is nearby, hence the name. During the spring time, the river emits cool air, waters the nearby plants, providing for a very pleasant scenery. This trail even has history. At the start of the trail you cross a bridge that was originally built in 1929. While I do love this trail anytime of year, the winter mud, summer heat, and Santa Ana winds can make this a less enjoyable experience in the winter, summer, and fall.
There are plenty more places to run and enjoy all that San Diego has to offer, these are just my 3 favorites for the spring.