About cycling & running in San DiegoSan Diego Training Notes
Running: San Diego runners get a real mix: waterfront flats, canyon dirt, beach boardwalk, and hill work when you want it. Locals stack base miles on the Embarcadero, Liberty Station, Shelter Island, Coronado, and the Mission Beach to Pacific Beach boardwalk. Mission Bay gives you 12 paved miles with bathrooms and water fountains, so long runs stay simple. Balboa Park and Mission Trails Regional Park handle trails, intervals, and Z2 days without feeling far away. November Project meets Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:29 AM in Balboa Park, and La Jolla Track Club meets Tuesdays at 5:30 PM at UCSD Triton Track. Pacific Beach Half Marathon & 5K, San Diego Santa Run, Lake Hodges Trail Festival, and RnR half marathon keep the calendar honest.
Cycling: San Diego riders live between coast miles and inland punch. SDBC has been around since 1946, and its World Famous Saturday ride has seven different pace groups. The coastal route runs 4 miles when you want clean coastal spinning. North County gravel gets serious on Coastal Gravel Route, Best of North County Gravel Route, RSF Gravel Route, and Lusardi Gravel Route. 8% for just under two miles. Mount Palomar gives climbers the 6,140-foot target. Barrio Logan Grand Prix, Bike the Bay, San Diego Century, and Giro di San Diego GranFondo are the anchor events.
Season: Spring works well for running and riding, with March through May staying mild and steady. Fall gives September through November the same conditions, so locals keep base miles and bigger weekend rides going. Summer runs warm and dry, and August highs sit around 25C near the coast. The marine layer brings May gray and June gloom, so coastal Z2 can feel cooler while inland miles heat up fast. Winter stays mild, with January lows around 8C, but December through March brings most of the rain. Trails at Mission Trails Regional Park, Lake Hodges singletrack, and North County gravel need a little more timing after wet days.
