Great Runs in Los Angeles
Sun. Beaches. Stars. Canyons. Hills. Those words describe the running scene in Los Angeles. L.A. is the second most populated city in the country and it is geographically huge. There are fabulous options for running, with some of the most variety of any city anywhere. There are beautiful runs along the beaches in Santa Monica to the north, and Redondo beach to the south. Fabulous urban parks such as Griffith Park. Closer to downtown and the Hollywood areas, running along the wide sidewalks of famous Wilshire Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and into Beverly Hills is a must-do. To the north, enjoy the rugged beaches around Malibu and the incredible, but challenging running trails of Topanga canyon and the Santa Monica hills.
Los Angeles is very spread out. Runners planning a trip to L.A. should know the principal ‘areas’ of L.A. We’ve attempted to group the runs by ‘theme’ and ‘geographic area’. See the ‘stay’ section below for info about clusters of hotels in proximity to those areas. Note also that public transportation options in L.A. are famously limited.
L.A. of course is known for its near-perfect weather: almost always sunny, and rarely too hot or too cold. That might be monotonous for those who live there, but visitors rarely complain…
The Iconic Routes
To tick off the five ‘iconic’ routes, we’ve grouped them by theme, with some choices. Completing one or two routes within each of these categories will provide a real L.A. flavor.
- Beach
- Parks & Canyons
- Famous Boulevards, Drives, & Homes
The Routes
Since L.A. is so large and features such a great variety for running, we’ve grouped routes by type and geographic area.
Theme (some overlapping)
Beach: Santa Monica-Venice Beach; Manhattan Beach to Redondo Beach; Zuma Beach (Malibu)
Parks: Runyon Canyon Park; Griffith Park; Elysian Park, Pallisades Park; Ballona Creek/Dockweiler Beach; Palos Verdes Park
Boulevards: Wilshire Bvd; Sunset Blvd.; San Vincente Blvd; Melrose-Beverly
Hollywood: Wilshire Bvd; Sunset Blvd; Beverly Hills tour
Canyons/Overlooks: Topanga Canyon, Griffith Park, Palos Verdes
Area
Downtown: Wilshire Blvd; L.A. River Trail
North: Griffith Park; Runyon Canyon Park; Hollywood Hills; Lake Balboa
Near LAX: Santa Monica, Playa Del Rey, Manhattan Beach, Ballona Creek
East L.A.: Elysian Park, Los Angeles River Trail
Hollywood/Beverly Hills: Sunset Blvd; San Vincente Blvd; Melrose/Beverly
West L.A./Santa Monica: San Vincente Blvd; Sunset Blvd; Pallisades Park
South Bay: Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes
Beach
Few cities in the world rival L.A. for fantastic beach running options. In the north are Malibu, and Santa Monica/Venice beaches; further south are Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach.
Note that it is possible to run on a 22-mile paved path from Rogers Park in the Pacific Pallisades in the North to Torrance Beach in the South Bay. Below are three sections of that run.
Ballona Creek/Playa Del Ray
This is an interesting area near the Los Angeles Airport, combining a unique and scenic trail along Ballona Creek and wetlands and a run along the beach in Playa Del Ray. There are numerous options here. You can run along the Ballona Creek bike path, and then along Dockweiler State Beach. Our route starts in the wetlands preserve at Lincoln Blvd., continues along the trail, and then along the beach to W. Grand Ave. Runners can of course do any of this route or access it at any point.
The Ballona Creek bike trail follows the channelized Ballona Creek for 7 miles, from Syd Kronenthal Park in east Culver City (National Boulevard) to the Pacific Ocean, where it connects with the Santa Monica Beach and South Bay Bike Path. Along the way the trail passes through residential neighborhoods and then opens up into the Ballona Wetlands, with vistas and wildlife viewing. The path can be accessed off of many of the major streets; there is a pedestrian bridge at Ocean Drive
Manhattan Beach to Redondo Beach
7.4 miles RT. Can be shorter or can also extend 2 mi. one way to Hermosa Beach. Start: Ocean Dr. at Manhattan Beach Blvd. or any other point. MAP
Manhattan Beach to Redondo Beach and back is one of the iconic L.A. beach runs. The mostly wood chip path runs pleasantly along Ocean Ave. The highlight is “The Strand”, which pokes out for nearly 1 mile, affording a great view of the beach. It’s possible to continue another two miles to Hermosa Beach. It’s possible to run on the beach as well. The sand can be adequately firm close to the water during the right conditions.
Santa Monica Beach to Venice Beach
6.1 Miles, RT. There & Back. Start at Santa Monica Pier or any point along the way. MAP
This is another famous L.A. beach run. Starting at Santa Monica Pier, this dedicated paved path goes 3.3 miles to Venice Beach, ending at Washington Blvd. It’s 2 miles from the Santa Monica Pier to the Venice Beach boardwalk, if you’d like to cut the run a little short, taking in including Muscle Beach, the famed outdoor basketball courts, and Venice Skatepark.
Palos Verdes Peninsula
The Palos Verdes Peninsula offers significant opportunities for running. There are some runnable roads affording incredible ocean views. There is also a huge network of trails, some suitable for running, others more rugged.
It is difficult to describe a particular run here because the geography is so large. The Village Runner in Manhattan Beach has created a series of routes in Palos Verdes, from a casual Saturday group run to a “run the peninsula” 21-mile spectacular. Some recommended spots for running in PV:
- Paseo del Mar. The road closest to the beach, goes for ~4 miles
- Palos Verdes Dr. North: the best for running, with bike/bridle path
- PV North to PV East to PV South - stopping at Trump National course is 7 miles one-way
- Abalone Cove. A hidden gem
Village Runner running options for Palos Verdes HERE
Palos Verdes Nature Preserve trail info HERE
Palos Verdes map with area descriptions HERE
Zuma Beach, Malibu
3.3 miles, RT. Start: intersection of Westward Beach Rd. & Beach Access Rd. MAP
Zuma Beach is a very runnable beach in Malibu. It’s about 1.5 miles on way along the Beach Access Road, or on the beach, which has fairly packed sand. You can continue 1.6 miles one way from the southern end of the beach to the changing station at the northern end. There are also opportunities to combine this with jaunts up into the canyon trails behind Zuma Beach.
Parks and Canyons
Pallisades Park
3.25 miles RT. Start at Ocean Ave. & Colorado Ave. at southern end. MAP
Pallisades Park is a real treat: a beautiful, palm-lined greenway with lots of star-gazing and views of the Santa Monica Pier. It’s a pleasant 1.6 miles from end-to-end, and includes 30 varieties of plants and trees, sculptures, cannons, and a unique landmark, and the 19th-century Camera Obscura. A great idea is to do a loop of the park one way and then return along Ocean Front Walk. Access from the park to the beach is at **.
Runyon Canyon Park
2.7 miles with various options. Dirt paths. Start: Fuller Gate, 2 blocks north of Hollywood Blvd. MAP
One of the great opportunities for running and hiking an iconic L.A. canyon within the heart of the city. Runyon Canyon Park is a 130-acre park located just two blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, affording great views of the Hollywood sign, the Sunset Strip and the LA Basin. There are three options for running (or walking/hiking) here. Fuller Gate — Runyon Canyon Road is the best for running because it is more ‘switchback’ in nature. The Star Trail is steeper and the Hero Trail is the most challenging. The run I have created here is 2.7 miles following the Runyon Canyon Road route, which is a 678 foot elevation gain. It’s possible to loop back using some of the other trails, or do some running on Mulholland Drive (careful!) and some of the surrounding roads from the northern gate of the park.
Griffith Park
Consisting of over 4,000 acres, Griffith Park is the largest municipal park with urban wilderness in the United States. There are numerous attractions within the park including the Los Angeles Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, the Autry National Center, and the Greek Theatre. There are TONS of running opportunities in the park — too numerous to come up with one “route” as there are also 53 miles of trails, fire roads, etc. The park is in north L.A. just north of the 101 and west of the I-5. It’s 2.5 miles from the Sunset Blvd./Hollywood Blvd. intersection. Recommended running options:
- Big Loop (8.6 miles): Griffith Park Drive from the Los Feliz Boulevard/Riverside Drive entrance, following the Drive to Zoo Drive and Crystal Springs Dr. MAP.
- Crystal Springs Dr. to the Zoo and then trails back, paralleling Griffith Park Dr. ~2.3 miles with many options.
- Zoo Drive to the Travel Town Museum. 1.5 miles one way.
- Great off-road run: take the trail that leads from the Observatory parking lot to the summit of Mount Hollywood, the highest peak of the park. Spectacular views of the Los Angeles Basin. ~1 mile one way.
There is a popular half marathon and 5k in the park. MAP here. There’s also a popular trail run half marathon.
East LA: Elysian Park
8.1 miles. Start: L.A. City Hall. MAP
Elysian Park is a large urban park in East L.A. There are baseball fields, picnic areas, playgrounds, memorials & scenic views. There are many options for trails in here. This run includes some of the trails of Elysian Park, including the ‘summit’, and some of the roads around Dodger Stadium, with great views of the ballpark. The long version of this run, 8.1 miles, starts at L.A. City Hall, so accessible from downtown. If you want to do a shorter run just in the park, here’s a map of a 2.75 mile run just in the park. If you want to do a more detailed run around Dodger Stadium (i.e. parking lots), here is a map of 5k ‘Dodger Stadium’ road race.
Los Angeles River Bike Path
7 miles ONE WAY. Access points: Riverside Dr. to the north, Los Feliz Blvd. in Atwater Village, and Riverside Dr. to the south.
L.A. has a river running through it, and a very pleasant bike path along it provides a nice run and a good connection between Griffith Park, and Elysian Park/Dodger Stadium. Good access points are Riverside Dr. to the north , Los Feliz Blvd. in Atwater Village, and Riverside Dr. to the south. Our map is of the ~7 mile trail in the heart of L.A. Runners can do all or part of this path, or use it to add variety to runs incorporating Griffith Park and Elysian Park.
Lake Balboa
1.3 miles around the lake, and other trails nearby. Access: Balboa Blvd. MAP
Just north of the 101 in Burbank and near the I-101/I-405 intersection is Lake Balboa — an 80 acre parkwater recreation facility within the Sepulveda Flood Control basin. The centerpiece of the park, Lake Balboa, is a 27 acre lake filled with water reclaimed from the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant. There is a lovely 1.3 mile path around the lake, several miles of surrounding trails in the Sepulveda Basin, and the Orange Line Busway bike path that goes on for miles.
Canyons of Malibu
There is an unbelievable wealth of running opportunities in the canyons and trails in the Malibu Area. Topanga Canyon State Parl, the Encinal Trails, Zuma/Trancas Canyons, to name a few. Many of these feature very rugged trails and steep climbs — from sea level to 5,000 feet. There are some roads but they are steep and often do not have a sidewalks or shoulder. One resource for more info is Malibu Trail Runners.
Boulevards, Drives, & Homes
We don’t often recommend running along busy city streets. But Wilshire Blvd., Sunset Blvd., and Hollywood Blvd. are wide, famous, interesting…and ‘runnable’ (except perhaps Hollywood Blvd).
The Famous Hollywood Tour
5 miles. Start: Bevery Hills Hilton/Electric Founrain MAP
This is an iconic run in L.A. that takes you by some famous places. Starting at the Beverly Hills Hilton/Electric Fountain on Wilshire Blvd., pass famous shops and the Beverly Wilshire. Then south on Rodeo Drive, and the South Robertson Drive. Lots of restaurants and clubs along the main streets, and on the side streets, Beverly Hills homes.
Wilshire Boulevard
5 miles one-way from MacArthur Park to L.A. County Museum of Art MAP
Wilshire Boulevard runs from downtown all the way to UCLA. Parts of it are quite interesting and runnable, featuring some important L.A. landmarks. Some sections are very busy and not that pleasant. This run is accessible from downtown. Start at lovely MacArthur Park, a small urban oasis with some trails and a great view of the L.A. skyline. Following Wilshire Blvd. west, you’ll pass some cool landmarks, including numerous embassies & consulates, interesting temples, hip hotels and restaurants, and theaters & concert venues. Near the 5-mile mark is the La Brea Tar Pits, an ice Age–fossil excavation site with an adjacent museum, plus a re-created prehistoric garden, and the L.A. County Museum. There are some nice walking trails around there. The L.A. metro runs right along Wilshire Blvd. from downtown, so one option is to run one-way and hop on the metro back. For variety you can go out Wilshire and return along 6th St.
Sunset Boulevard
4.5 miles ONE-WAY from Sunset & Hollywood Blvd. to N. Fairfax. MAP
Made famous by many movies and songs, Sunset Blvd. is another interesting urban run, this one through the heard of Hollywood. Wide sidewalks and numerous landmarks such as the Palladium, fun shops and restaurants, and so on. A fun run could be one-way along Sunset Blvd. and then Hollywood Blvd. back (Walk of Fame, Pantages Theater, Museum of Death, Chinese Theater, Dolby Theater). However, Hollywood Boulevard can get so busy and crowded with tourists and pedestrians that it can be un-runnable. The map we’ve plotted runs 4.5 miles one-way from the intersection of Sunset & Hollywood Blvd. to the east, to N. Fairfax Ave. There are numerous options to make the run longer or shorter. Also, the L.A. metro Red Line runs along Hollywood Blvd., so it’s possible to do a longer one-way run incorporating the metro.
West Hollywood: Melrose Ave.-Beverly Ave.
4.3 miles RT Start at Melrose Ave. & Highand Ave. MAP
One final ‘urban’ run in the West Hollywood area incorporates Melrose Ave. and Beverly Blvd. This 4.3 mile run starts out along Melrose Ave.,with its numerous shops and restaurants and then circles down through the historic L.A. Farmers Market, upscale Grove shopping center, the trails of Pan Pacific Park, and then Beverly Blvd. back. You can make this a longer run by heading south and incorporating Wilshire Blvd. as an east-west option. La Brea Ave. is a good north-south connector. Sunset Blvd. north towards West Hollywood, and Westwood Blvd. are also good options.
San Vicente Boulevard — Brentwood
8 miles RT. Start at either terminus or various points. MAP
The shady, greenery-lined median of San Vicente Boulevard is a popular running spot near Santa Monica, Westwood, and Brentwood. The wide median park makes it very pleasant and roomy for runners, although you do have to run on the grass along the median or the bike lane on the road. San Vincente Blvd. runs from the intersection of Wilshire Ave. to Ocean Ave. near Santa Monica Beach. Landmarks from east to west include L.A. National Veterans Park, the Brendtwood Country Club, numerous shops and restaurants. Note that this route is quite hilly, running steadily downhill toward Santa Monica. One can do the entire 8-mile out and back, or sections of San Vincente Blvd. combining it with other routes.
Hollywoodland — Beechwood Drive
2 miles One-Way to end of N. Beechwood Dr.
Options to extend to other residential streets or Griffith Park
It’s difficult to plot a run incorporating some of the area’s famous homes. They’re disbursed, off roads that are difficult for running, or behind gated communities. One good area, though, is above Griffith Park, using North Beechwood Dr. as the anchor. Run on N. Beechwood Dr. from the intersection of Franklin Ave. or Hollywood Blvd./Sunset Dr. just a few blocks south. Off North Beechwood Dr. you’ll see some spectacular homes. You can use that road as an anchor and meander to the other residential streets in the area. NOTE: this is area is really hilly — it is a 500 foot, fairly steep climb up N. Beechwood over 2 miles into Griffith Park.
This run is 2 miles One Way to the end of N. Beechwood Dr. in Griffith Park. You can turn around, add by running onto other roads in the area, or continue another 2.5 miles to the Griffith Park Observatory using Canyon Dr., Mulholland Hwy., & Mt. Hollywood Dr.
Further Afield/Destination Runs
Los Angeles is really one megalopolis, especially heading south and including Anaheim, Irvine, and Long Beach south to practically San Diego. Here, we’ve included some suggestions for running in areas where business travelers might end up, or particular ‘destination’ runs if you have the time.
Irvine/Orange County. A trip to “L.A.” might mean you’re in Irvine/Orange County, where there is a huge concentration of businesses. Options here include:
- Huntington Beach. Miles of boardwalk along the beach
- Santa Ana River Trail. Lovely trail up into the mountains. The trail goes for 100+ miles from the water near Huntington Beach, to the mountains. Lots of parks and interesting stops along the way
Pasadena. 28 miles from the airport, 12 miles from downtown. The Rose Bowl Loop is the run to do here.
Santa Barbara. 90 miles north of L.A. If you have time, or get stuck in L.A. for a weekend, etc., Santa Barbara is a worthy running ‘destination’. Fabulous runs there. Here’s an article that describes some opportunities there.
Newport Beach. Great running along the beach and on the Balboa Peninsula.
Laguna Niguel/Dana Point. Really lovely spot along the water. A great run down here is Strands Revetment Trail to Dana Strand Rd. to the Dana Point Headlands trails, and then along Dana Cove Rd. around the Dana Point Harbor.
Stay
There are hotels in nearly every major section of L.A. Our recommendation is to try to stay in a hotel close to where some of the great runs in L.A.
In north and west L.A., there are tons of hotels downtown. Best runs near there are: Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon Park.
There are lots of hotels along Wilshire Blvd., which is also a nice run out to the La Brea tar pits and the L.A. County Museum of Art.
There are clusters of hotels in the Hollywood Hills, and the Beverly Hills area.
In east L.A., best runs are Elysian Park and around Dodger Stadium.
Near the airport, there is a cluster of hotels just west of the airport. Best runs are directly east, 4–5 miles to Playa Del Rey/Marina Del Rey/Venice Beach. If you need to be near the airport, try to stay east, in the Marina Del Rey area. Santa Monica, also fantastic,is 12 miles northeast of LAX.
Further south, the Manhattan Beach/Redondo Beach areas are 5 miles south, and there are lots of hotels along Rt. 1 (also called N. Sepulveda Blvd). Palos Verdes is a destination run
Running Stores
L.A. is a huge city and there are many running stores — both locally owned and small regional chains, and outlets of national chains such as Nike and Road Runner Sports. Grouped by region:
Santa Monica: Road Runner Sports, along the 3rd St. Promenade
Palisades/Topanga: Happy Feet
San Vincente Blvd: FrontRunners
Hollywood: A Runner’s Circle, on LaBrea in Melrose Ave. area
Griffith Park: A Runner’s Circle, in Atwater Village near park and L.A. River
Studio City: Road Runner Sports. Angela was super helpful!
Downtown: Gogi Sports
Manhattan Beach: Village Runner, (special thanks to Jeff) Garret’s Run Shop
Palos Verdes: Village Runner
Events
Given L.A.’s weather and size, you can probably find a 10 10ks a weekend in the area. But here are some notable events:
Los Angeles Marathon. From the Stadium to the Sea. Mid-February.
LA Big 5k. Popular race in Elysian Park/Dodger Stadium the day before the LA Marathon.
Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run. Very popular race nearing 40th year. Early December
Redondo 10k Super Bowl Run. Nearly 10,000 runners, Super Bowl Sunday, along the beach, 38th year.
Rock ‘N Roll L.A. L.A. version of the popular series, usually in October.
Topanga Canyon Turkey Trot. Trail race on Thanksgiving Day with several distance options. Part of a series of trail races in the area.
Running Clubs
L.A. Running Club. Lots of locations, resources, events.
Here’s an article that lists 24 running clubs in the area. Mainly there’s 1–2 for each major geographic area. Look for L.A. Leggers and DTLA (Downtown) Running Club.
Weather
Not many cities in the world have a weather chart that looks like this. Take a glance at it, envy it, and be confident in the fact that you’re almost guaranteed a sunny, warm day for your run in L.A.
