San Francisco Running Guide

With nearly a million acres of beautiful parklands, countless breathtaking mountain and canyon trails, spectacular cityscapes around every corner, and hundreds of miles of gorgeous coastline, the toughest part of running in San Francisco may be deciding on a route to explore first.

San Francisco Running Guide was written to help make the difficult decision of where to run in the Bay Area an easy one. The book introduces local and visiting runners alike to 35 of the best running routes, plus it gives complete course information about the top 10 races-from 5Ks to marathons-held annually in the Bay Area.

For each running route included, the book provides:

- an explanation of why it was selected;
- a detailed map showing roads and trails to follow on the route;
- an icon key that shows route distance, scenery, terrain, hill ratings, and available facilities;
- access information that tells how to get to the starting point;
- course information that describes every step of the run; and
- ""Foot Notes"" that provide additional information to make the run more enjoyable.

Author Bob Cooper-a former Running Times executive editor, a competitive runner, and a longtime Bay Area resident-scouted each route himself so runners don't have to waste their own time exploring unsuitable or less-than-enjoyable routes. Visitors running the routes will get to experience the unique beauty of San Francisco and the Bay Area firsthand, while resident runners will discover routes they never knew existed.

Bob Cooper is a Bay Area native who started running in 1969. His first national magazine article was published in Runner's World four years later, and his articles on running and other fitness sports have been appearing ever since. Magazines that have published features by Bob include American Health, Fitness, Forbes FYI, Condé Nast Sports for Women, Healthy Kids, Longevity, Men's Fitness, Men's Health, Men's Journal, Runner's World, Shape, Triathlete, and Women's Sports and Fitness.

Bob was the executive editor of Running Times from 1990 to 1992 before he became a full-time freelance writer. He has published one previous book, The Valley At Your Feet: 50 Walking, Running and Racing Courses in the Sacramento Valley.

Bob's running achievements are also substantial. He is probably the only person to have participated in relay runs from the Pacific to the Atlantic (1973) and from Mexico to Canada (1983). His 50-mile time of 5 hours and 42 minutes ranked seventh in the United States in 1977, and he has run seven sub-2:30 marathons.

Top finishes include the Silver State Marathon (1st), Tucson Marathon (2nd), American River 50-Mile (2nd), San Francisco Marathon (3rd), and National 50-Mile Championships (4th). Since turning 40 in 1994, Bob has won numerous masters titles at Bay Area road races.

Bob lives in San Anselmo (Marin County) with his wife, Lisa, and two children, Brendan and Kira.