Celebrate National Running Day in Eagle Rock

Today, June 1, is National Running Day. If you’ve never heard of this particular observance before, don’t worry—it’s nothing more and nothing less than a day to promote … running.

We all know Eagle Rock has its share of runners, many of whom can usually be seen in the mornings and evenings jogging along scenic Hill Drive. Runners abound south of Colorado Boulevard, too, where there’s plenty of hilly terrain to get those strong athlete hearts pumping.

To celebrate National Running Day, Eagle Rock Patch invites all you runners out there to share your favorite running routes in the neighborhood.

Tell us why you stick to a particular route—if that’s what you tend to do. Or tell us why you like to run in different parts of the neighborhood—and what you enjoy seeing along the way. Finally, share your favorite—or most embarrassing—stories about running in Eagle Rock.

As our contribution to National Running Day, Eagle Rock Patch recommends three routes that runners might like to try today—or any other day—as a way of encountering a part of the neighborhood they might not be familiar with:

• to : Park your car on any of the side streets near Eagle Rock High and run east along Yosemite Drive until you reach Figueroa Street. Turn right on Figueroa, run for several hundred yards, and then turn left on Rockdale. After a somewhat steep run for a few minutes over a hill, you should see the Community Garden to your left. Stop by and take a look at this community gem—or turn around and head back.

• : Park anywhere on Eagle Rock Boulevard—or on one of the side streets where parking is free and unlimited—between to the north and to the south. If Swork is closer to your starting point, run south on Eagle Rock Boulevard until you reach Westdale Avenue and turn left at the crossing. If Fresh & Easy is closer to your starting point, head north on the boulevard and turn right on Westdale. A short run up the street should get you to Campus Drive, which skirts Occidental College. Run along Campus Drive and/or feel free to jog into the beautiful Oxy campus.

• to Eagle Rock Canyon Trail: Park at or near the recreation center on Eagle Vista Drive and run south along Figueroa toward the Colorado Boulevard crossing. Turn left at this major intersection, heading east on Colorado toward Pasadena. After about a mile or so, past the gleaming white building that houses the Central Filipino 7th Day Adventist Church, turn left on the obscure road with a short bridge that leads to the Eagle Rock. When you get to the base of the Eagle Rock, look for a sign to your left that points to “Eagle Rock Canyon Trail”—a nearly mile-long path surrounded by lush vegetation and which offers some grand views of Eagle Rock. (The Eagle Rock Canyon Trail was the brainchild of John Stillion, president of Collaborative Eagle Rock Beautiful, who died this past April.)