Fog City Ultra

Course description

The Fog City Ultra takes place on one of San Francisco’s most beloved running routes: a loop around the scenic shores of Lake Merced. Each loop measures approximately 4.1 miles — and you’ll get to know every inch of it. The course follows a primarily paved path with a packed dirt shoulder, giving runners the option to soften the impact on their feet as the hours (and laps) stack up. It’s a small mercy you’ll come to appreciate around hour 12. Elevation gain and loss per loop sits at a modest 156 feet — flat enough to feel fast early, deceptive enough to remind you it’s still there when your legs are tired. Don’t let the profile fool you: in a backyard ultra, every foot of climb compounds. The highlight of each loop comes at roughly the halfway point, where runners cross a bridge before continuing along the lake back to the start/finish. It’s a small but welcome change of scenery — a moment to reset your mind and click back into your rhythm.