Silicon Valley conjures up images of tech, cars, and sprawl. But if you plan it right, the opportunities for running in Silicon Valley are fantastic, featuring a great variety: gorgeous trails by the Bay, rolling, open hill runs, redwood forests; a great series of bike trails and linear parks; and beautiful residential neighborhoods. The caveat is that it takes some planning — you can easily get stuck at hotel on a busy road where a pleasant run is not outside your doorstep.
Since Silicon Valley is a region and not a city, we’ve laid out this guide in a different way. Starting at San Francisco Airport, we head south along the 101 to San Jose, pointing out the best runs in the cities along the way. East of the 101, the best runs center on the Bay are more water-centric, incorporating the Bay Trail closer to SFO and the Baylands areas from Palo Alto to San Jose. West of the 101, and near I-280 are some of the best places to run in Silicon Valley, focused on parks, hills and trail running. We’ve focused on runs near major corporate HQ and hotels — where travelers to Silicon Valley will end up — plus some ‘destination’ runs if you have time and a car. Palo Alto, the ‘heart’ of Silicon Valley, is also the location of some of the best and most accessible running in the area.
