Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz has that lovely coastal California climate of year-round mild temperatures. Average highs range from the mid-60s (16-18C) in winter to the mid-70s (23-26C) in summer. Nights are cool all year, from the low-40s (5C) in winter to the mid-50s (14C) in summer. Most of Santa Cruz’s 31 inches of annual precipitation falls from November-April. Summers are dry. Note: there can be coastal gog at any time of year, and it can creep in at any time. Often, just a few miles inland, it’s sunny. Always good to bring an extra layer.

Santa Cruz is a fairly popular visitor destination and there’s a good selection of hotels. There’s a good cluster of hotels west of Rt. 1 toward the coast. Try to stay near the river (Riverwalk run) or close to the pier/coast for easy access to great running.

Running Stores

Fleet Feet Santa Cruz. Located in Aptos, is a great indy running store. Group Runs Saturdays 8am.

Santa Cruz Running Company. Another great indy local running store.

Santa Cruz has an active running community and there are great running events throughout the year. See the Fleet Feet site for some upcoming events.