South Beach Trail run with two distance options   more »

Distance:  10 miles to the corner of Guard and the Road to Roche Harbor, though it depends on where you start and stop.

This is a very nice 10 miler.  It's scenic, has some nice flats, some nice climbs and a couple of decents.

Basically start in town, say at the Fitness Club and run up Park Street to Beaverton Valley Road and follow that out to Egg Lake Road.  Turn right on Egg Lake Road and follow it to Roche Harbor Road, turn right and follow this all the way into town and back to your starting point.

Last time I ran this loop it was Easter, 2005, and Stan the Man and I wore rabbit ears!

This loop is close to 3.5 to 4.0 miles depending from where one starts.  It's more close to 3.5 miles if you start and finish from the Fitness Club.

From the Fitness Club run away from town on Argyle, passing the Fair Grounds on your left.  Turn left on to Cattle Point Road and carefully follow Cattle Point down to the end of the Air Port Security fence and turn right on Shelter Road (Shelter Road is the road where the Animal Shelter is located).  Follow the security fence up the road and turn right, through the gate, on the access road.

This access road basically follows the perimeter of the Air Port, and will turn a sharp left.  Follow the access road up the hill and down the other side and through the gate.  Skaigt College will be on your right.  This road, Weber Road, will wind down to Franklin Drive.  Turn left on Franklin Drive and cross the road to run on the path along the fence which will take you to Spring Street on the Clark McAlpine Cross Country Trail.  (If one wanted to run longer, stay running on Franklin Drive until Spring Street and follow that back to the start.  This will add about .5 miles.)

On Spring Street turn right towards town, following the street until Argyle.  Turn right, again, to the starting point.

Distance:  3.5 miles (give or take) or 4.0 if you take Franklin Drive all the way to Spring Street.

This 5.9 mile loop is one of my favorite runs from town.  It is the course that is used by Island Rec for the Loop run.  One of the reason this is a great course is the traffic.  Not many cars go around the loop and those that do drive the speed limit, well most of them do.

A good starting point is in front of the Fitness Club.  Running clock wise you would run out towards Warbass and follow the road all the around Turn Point and Pear Point.  You will pass the shipyard, Steve Miller's place, a view of Turn Island, pass the gravel pit, run by Jackson Beach  and the fairgrounds on Argyle. 

I say the length as described is 5.9 miles.  Well, maybe 5.8.  If you watch along the road you will find the correct mile marker painted on the road.  Faded some, but there.  I might go out and spruce up the paint some over the next couple of weeks.

We use this course as the finishing touches to the San Juan Marathon.  Cruel I know, but very scenic.

Give it a try if you haven't already done so and enjoy this loop.