Running

San Francisco is spectacular for running. There are more than 7 miles of paved trails in and around Golden Gate Park; circling Stow Lake and then crossing the bridge and running up the path to the top of Strawberry Hill is a total of 2½ miles. An enormously popular route is the 2-mile raised bike path that runs from Lincoln Way along the ocean, at the southern border of Golden Gate Park, to Sloat Boulevard, which is the northern border of the San Francisco Zoo. (Stick to the park's interior when it's windy, as ocean gusts can kick up sand.) From Sloat Boulevard you can pick up the Lake Merced bike path, which loops around the lake and the golf course, to extend your run another 5 miles.

The paved path along the Marina provides a 1½-mile (round-trip) run along a flat, well-paved surface and has glorious bay views. Start where Laguna Street meets Marina Boulevard, then run west along the Marina Green toward the Golden Gate and St. Francis yacht clubs, near the docks at the northern end of Marina Boulevard. On weekends beware: you'll have to wind through the crowds—but those views are worth it. You can extend your Marina run by jogging the paths through the restored wetlands of Crissy Field, just past the yacht harbor, then up the hill to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The San Francisco Bike Map and Walking Guide , which indicates hill grades on city streets by color, is a great resource. Online, check the San Francisco Road Runners Club site (www.sfrrc.org) for some recommended routes and links to several local races.

Events

Bay to Breakers. First run in 1912, the 12K Bay to Breakers race, held on the third Sunday in May, is one of the world's largest footraces—but in true San Francisco fashion there's nothing typical about it. About a third of the more than 50,000 runners are serious athletes; the rest are "fun runners" who wear famously wacky costumes—or attempt to wear no costumes at all. The race makes its way from the Embarcadero at the bay to the Pacific Ocean, passing through Golden Gate Park. San Francisco, California. 415/231–3130; www.baytobreakers.com.

San Francisco Marathon. The marathon, usually held on a Sunday in late July, starts and finishes at the Embarcadero. Thousands of runners pass through downtown, the Marina, the Presidio, and Golden Gate Park and cross the Golden Gate Bridge, tackling some of the city's milder hills along the way. San Francisco, California. 888/958–6668 ext. 1; www.thesfmarathon.com.