Did you know there are numerous health benefits you can derive 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 looping around Stern Grove for those going long.

Saturday’s Adventure Run (4ish or 8ish 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.

• Once you reach Sunset @ Wawona (5.08 miles), turn RIGHT!
• Take a slight RIGHT onto Trocadero Drive (5.27 miles)
• Follow Trocadero Drive for roughly 1/2 a mile and veer LEFT onto the trail (5.78 miles)
• Follow the trail to 19th Ave and head SOUTH on 19th AVE (6.31 miles)
• Turn RIGHT onto Winston (6.85 miles)
• Follow Winston to Lake Merced Blvd. Cross over to the WEST side of Lake Merced Blvd and turn RIGHT (7.48 miles)
• Finish at the NORTH parking lot of Lake Merced (8.23 miles)!