United States

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento is the capital of the U.S. state of California and its fourth largest city. It is at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California’s expansive Central Valley. Due to the city’s high vulnerability to floods, much of the land to the west of the city is permanently reserved for a vast flood control basin. There are some good spots for running in Sacramento, focused on routes along the water, and some pleasant parks and residential areas downtown.

The best places to run in Sacramento are paths along the American River, several centrally located parks, our ‘runseeing’ tour of the Capitol,  some of the areas around UC David, and a taste of some of the farmland near town.

Runners should note that summers in Sacramento can be quite hot.

Editor's Picks

Some of our favorite runs in

The Capitol

This route runs around the entire capitol park, past Fremont Park, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, and... more...

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  • Weather & Climate
  • Where To Stay
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Sacramento is known for its Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by damp to wet, yet mild winters, and hot, dry summers. Temperatures range from 46.4 degrees F in December, to 75.5 degrees F in July. October through April is generally known as the “wet season.”

Known as the “delta breeze,” the summer heat is often moderated by a sea breeze which comes through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from the San Francisco Bay.

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Sacramento has a fairly compact downtown, with numerous places to stay. The nice thing about staying downtown, is that nearly all of the routes are accessible on foot. While you may want to call a quick cab, depending on what part of the downtown area you’re staying in, the only significant public transportation you’ll be taking is back from the Sacramento Northern Bike Trail route.

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Running Stores and Group Runs

Downtown

Fleet Feet Sports: Group runs Tuesdays at 6:00PM. Runs leave from the Sacramento store location. 3 to 5 miles routes available.

Outside Downtown

REI – Periodically host group trail runs. For specific dates see REI Trail Run Club.

The Running Zone – For information on group runs, see The Running Zone Running Club.

Looking for road or trail races in this area? Find them on RaceRaves, the best online race calendar and reviews community for runners!

Find races in Sacramento, CA

Blue Diamond Almonds Shamrock’n Half Marathon – Sacramento  Happens around March

Fleet Feet FREE Holiday Classic 5K – Sacramento. December

The Color Run – Sacramento.  Summer

The Color Run is the world’s first COLOR 5k event. Founded in March 201, this event promotes healthiness and happiness by bringing the community together to participate in the “Happiest 5k on the Planet.”

Birthday Run – Sacramento.  This super fun “birthday” run is a 5k trek with lights, lasers, party hats and lots of wonderful surprises! A great running event to attend with family or friends.

Fro Yo Run – Sacramento. Summer

This event offers both 5k & 10k routes along the river. It is a flat, fast course designed with PRs and scenic river views in mind.