World Hum | Travel | Hotfooting Through the Landmarks, From Los Angeles to Athens

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TRAVEL BLOG

9.19.07

Hotfooting Through the Landmarks, From Los Angeles to Athens

Local guides around the U.S. are offering urban running tours that point out city landmarks while also giving devoted runners a good workout, writes Bonnie Tsui in The New York Times. New York, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco all have such tours, which are apparently growing in popularity. Though runners (me included) on vacation have been huffing and puffing on the back roads of new cities for years, their exploring has often been haphazard and befuddling. Who, after all, wants to run while holding a sweaty map?

Enter outfits like American Running Guides in San Francisco. Most who sign up for ARG’s tours are intermediate runners who want to check out a city and still get their exercise. “It’s amazing how much you can squeeze in on a five-mile route around San Francisco, if you only know where to go,” said Jim Vernon, an ultramarathoner and trail-running devotee who founded American Running Guides. “A lot of business travelers don’t see anything more than the shuttle bus from the airport.”

In Chicago, City Running Tours can take you along scenic Lake Michigan as well as less obvious routes, such as one themed on the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, according to the AP.

Having recently gone on my own self-guided and mapless run through Nicosia‘s old town (in which I spent much of my time circling my new favorite ice-cream shop), I love the idea of a running partner who knows where to go. Anyone want to trade a running tour of Dubrovnik for an Acropolis-themed run through Athens? I’ll even throw in some giant iced coffees afterwards.

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Photo by Jacob Garcia, via Flickr (Creative Commons).

Posted by Joanna Kakissis • 9.19.07
Categories: Weblog • Adventure Travel • Greece • Los Angeles

Permalink • Comments (2)

COMMENTS

Hi! Thanks for the shout out. City Running Tours is now in New York, Chicago, DC, San Diego and Charleston, SC.

We carry water for you and take photos for you along the way. It’s a great way to experience these beautiful cities!

Happy running in ‘08 and hope to see you soon—Karl (New York guide)

http://www.cityrunningtours.com

By Karl on 1.24.08 at 11:15 AM

Off ‘N Running Tours, founded in 1994 has been leading running tours in Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Venice Beach.

Here is our latest running tour.

For Immediate Release

RUNNING FROM THE PAPARAZZI

Put on Your Shades, and Get Going With Off �N Running Tours

�Running from the Paparazzi� invites you to experience an exciting 4-mile run from Wilshire Boulevard to glamorous Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, through Hollywood and past eclectic shops on Robertson Boulevard. Grace the streets of Beverly Hills in record time, doing some quick window-shopping and Celeb watching, while avoiding the forever-flashing paparazzi! This popular tour is becoming famous, so book your time and date. Don’t be left out of the headlines!
Check out http://www.offnrunningtours.com to sign up for our next run.

Additionally, OFF ‘N RUNNING TOURS has other running tours in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and West Los Angeles - designed for runners of all levels. They offer a GREAT alternative to working out in your Hotel. The atmosphere and energy will get you motivated and you�ll make new friends while having fun. The cost for this 4-mile adventure is $60 per person, which includes an exclusively designed Running from the Paparazzi T-Shirt, bottled water, fresh fruit, and ends with a rewarding frosted cupcake! Only a celebrity would do that! Tours run daily, 1.5 hours per tour, starting March 15, 2008 through December 31, 2009.
END

By Cheryl Anker on 3.23.08 at 03:36 AM