The Best of Long Beach—

Long Beach for Runners

With great weather, lots of flat terrain, and a local love of sporty activities, Long Beach is a great place for runners, whether you’re training for your next marathon or simply love to run for fitness and mental wellbeing.

Read on for info on local running spots, how to find out about upcoming running events, and resources for runners, from running shoes to run clubs. Then, lace up and hit the road!

RACES & FUN RUNS

The Long Beach waterfront is a perfect spot for races—from 5Ks and fun runs to marathons—thanks to the flat terrain, temperate weather, and car-free pedestrian paths. Races are held year round, including Justin Rudd’s popular annual Turkey Trot held on the morning of Thanksgiving. To see all the upcoming races in Long Beach, visit the Long Beach Special Events & Filming events calendar (filter by the “Run” category) or go to RunGuides.com and filter the search by location.

SPORTS BASEMENT

A great place to find everything you need for running, from shoes and apparel to nutrition and hydration, Sports Basement (2100 N Bellflower Blvd) is staffed by friendly and knowledgeable gear experts to help get you outfitted. Plus, the store also hosts a monthly running group. At 6:15 PM on the first Thursday of every month, runners gather at Sports Basement Long Beach for a three-mile run with local run clubs, shoe brands, and gyms. This event is open to runners of all levels. For more info, visit the Sports Basement event page.

LOCAL RUNNING SPOTS

Long Beach has a great variety of running spots, from hills for endurance to long winding paths to clear your head. One of the most popular places for runners is the paved path on the beach (officially named the Shoreline Pedestrian Bikepath), which offers 3.1 miles of concrete stretching from Alamitos Bay to Downtown. Runners can also find paved paths along the LA and San Gabriel Rivers and at El Dorado East Regional Park (7550 E Spring St), which has a 4-mile loop for pedestrians and cyclists. Test yourself on Signal Hill, where Hill Street offers a 25% grade for epic hill sprints and 427-foot elevation gain. Check out the City of Signal Hill trails map for additional routes with great views.

RECOVERY

Ready to recover after your run? Find top-notch care at Firm Hands (3300 E Broadway), offering personalized sports massage therapy, cryotherapy, infrared sauna, and cold plunge/hot tub therapy. For a holistic reset, visit Human Aeon (121 Belmont Ave)—a private wellness sanctuary blending sauna and cold plunge therapy, meditation, and breathwork. Boost your recovery from within with IV therapy treatments or vitamin injections from Dripp IV Therapy (117 W 5th St). Dripp IV offers treatments provided by licensed nurses to increase your hydration and assist with workout recovery.

RUNNING GROUPS

Long Beach Run Club meets up on Tuesdays at 7 PM at 3300 E Ocean Blvd for 45 minutes of running on the paved beach path at your own pace. Post-run yoga, DJ sets, and bar hangs are part of the fun. For info about upcoming runs, follow Long Beach Run Club on Instagram or on Strava. Downtown Runners meets up twice a week–Wednesdays at 6:15 PM and Saturdays at 7:15 AM–and includes brewery stops and philanthropic efforts in its activities. Follow Downtown Runners on Instagram for upcoming dates and locations. Shoreline Frontrunners is a LGBTQ+ oriented running and walking club formed in 1984. They host weekly meetups, an annual Pride Run during Long Beach Pride weekend, and social events.

LONG BEACH MARATHON

The Long Beach Marathon takes place each October, with race weekend comprising a 5K on Saturday that begins, ends, and runs though the Aquarium of the Pacific, and the half marathon and full marathon on Sunday. The marathon route features 26.2 fast, flat miles from Downtown past the Queen Mary and Shoreline Village, along the ocean through Belmont Shore and Marine Stadium, and around Cal State Long Beach before returning to the Finish Line Festival at Marina Green Park. All three races fill up very quickly, so register early at runlongbeach.com.

Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for over 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.