Did you know there are numerous health benefits to be derived from being near bodies of water? I’m not blowing smoke. It’s SCIENCE!

Some of my best runs ever have taken place near bodies of water. The first race I ‘nearly’ won was the ‘Gobble Wobble’ at Lake Quivira. The first race I won in California was the Stinson Beach Relays. There’s just something about bodies of water that just ROCKS!

Given that I’ve got water on the brain, we’re spending some quality time at Lake Merced for our latest/greatest adventure run! This route includes a loop around Lake Merced (4.5 miles) with additional mileage on Sunset Boulevard for those looking to tackle the LONG option.

Saturday’s Adventure Run (4ish or 7ish miles)!

This run is pretty straightforward. EVERYONE will do a full loop around the circumference of Lake Merced in a clockwise direction. There is a paved bike path that runs all the way around Lake Merced, so this should be manageable for everybody.

Roughly halfway through the loop around Lake Merced (2-2.5 miles), there is a port-a-potty and a couple water fountains if you need to make a pit stop.

After 2-2.5 miles, there is a decent stretch where you will be running slightly uphill, so pace yourself accordingly.

After completing a full loop of Lake Merced, you will have logged 4.45 MILES (roughly). Those tackling the SHORT course are wrapped after conquering the ‘lake loop’!

For those going LONG, you’ll head NORTH on Sunset Boulevard There is a path that runs parallel to Sunset Boulevard on the LEFT. This is where you want to run.

The cross streets are ‘roughly’ alphabetical so pay close attention to the cross streets as you are running. Everyone will run along Sunset heading North towards Golden Gate Park.

Eventually, you will arrive at the intersection of Sunset & Quintara. Turn around here and head back to the Lake Merced parking lot for 7ish MILES!