Running in Los Angeles

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Running

Exposition Park has a scenic course popular with students and downtown workers. The jogging trail circles the Coliseum and Sports Arena, with pull-up bars and other simple workout equipment placed every several hundred yards. San Vicente Boulevard in Santa Monica has a wide, grassy median that splits the street for several picturesque miles. The Hollywood Hills' Runyon Canyon has a 3-mi loop with a steep section for those seeking a rugged run. The reservoir at Lake Hollywood, just east of Cahuenga Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills, is encircled by a 3.3-mi asphalt path with a view of the hollywood sign. Within Hollywood's hilly Griffith Park are thousands of acres' worth of hilly paths and challenging terrain; Crystal Springs Drive, from the main entrance at Los Feliz to the zoo, is a relatively flat 5 mi, and near its midpoint is a ranger station where you can get a park map. Circle Drive, around the perimeter of UCLA in Westwood, provides a 2 1/2-mi run through academia. Running along the outer edge of the campus can enlarge the jaunt to just under 4 mi. Near several major hotels, lovely Beverly Gardens extends along the north side of Santa Monica Boulevard through Beverly Hills; bracketed by ornate fountains, its leafy paths pass by the Beverly Hills Library and City Hall and through a delightful, block-long cactus garden. Continuing around on Wilshire to Whittier and right onto Elevado, or at the other end up Doheny and left onto Elevado, yields a 3 1/2-mi route. The 22 mi of bike path known as the Strand, along the coast from Will Rogers Beach to Torrance Beach, is a great place for a run -- especially in the Venice Beach and Santa Monica sections. Beware of cyclists and skaters zipping by at high speeds. If you like races, you'll want to check out Raceplace (www.raceplace.com) in advance of your trip. For you long-range trail runners, see the Topanga State Park listing above in Hiking. The truly ambitious can check out 50 Trail Runs in Southern California, by Stan Swartz et al. (Mountaineer Books, 2000).

Tourism on the Run

Those who like to combine a workout with a bit of sightseeing will want to sign up for Cheryl Anker's Off N' Running Tours (310/246-1418), which takes runners and walkers on 3- and 8-mile tours through Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. The $45 tours cater to all fitness levels and include breakfast and a T-shirt. Check out www.offnrunningtours.com.