San Diego is one of our favorite cities in the world for running. The combination of great weather, varied & scenic geography from harbor to runnable beaches to inland canyons, and an excellent network of multi-use paths and trails add up to heaven for runners. Our guide to running in San Diego includes the city proper, and the North County communities from La Jolla to Oceanside.
In the downtown/airport area, there’s nice waterfront running along the Embarcadero and the Mission Bay/Mission Beach area. Balboa Park is one of the most beautiful urban parks in the country. Coronado Island is a destination itself for running! For fantastic coastal sunset views, run Sunset Cliffs or La Jolla Cove. North of San Diego, there are fantastic beaches, scenic coastal roads, and lagoon trails in Torrey Pines, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, & Oceanside. Just inland, there’s scenic trail running for all abilities featuring hills, canyons, & grasslands in Los Peñasquitos Canyon, Mission Trails Regional Park, Tecolote Canyon, and Guajome Regional Park. For trails around lagoons and lakes, enjoy Lake Murray, Miramar Reservoir, San Elijo Lagoon, Batiquitos Lagoon, and Tijuana Slough.
San Diego has famously fantastic weather year-round, though runners should note there’s often a difference in temperature between the coast and just inland.
