First LightRuns

A sunrise run club · San Francisco

Run before
the city wakes.

This week: sunrise 06:12 · meet 05:55 · run at 06:10

Three group runs a week, every week, starting at first light. Every pace has a group, nobody gets dropped, and the coffee after is part of the run. Free, always.

This week's runsYour first run

The week

Three runs, one rule: we start when the sky does

TUE
Embarcadero Flats

Meet at the Ferry Building steps. Out along the water to Aquatic Park and back — dead flat, fast or easy, your call.

5.0 mi · flat
Pace groups 8:00 – 10:30 /mi
Leaders hold pace ±10s.
Sweeper at the back.
Meet 5:55
Run 6:10
THU
Kezar Track

Meet at Kezar Stadium, Gate B (Golden Gate Park). Rotating workout — this week it's 6 × 400m with a group jog recovery.

3 – 4 mi · intervals
Every pace works on a track
Leaders hold pace ±10s.
Sweeper at the back.
Meet 5:55
Run 6:10
SAT
The Long One

Meet at Crissy Field East Beach. Along the water to the Golden Gate Bridge; longer groups cross and climb to Hawk Hill.

8 / 10 / 13 mi options
Pace groups 9:00 – 11:30 /mi + no-drop
Leaders hold pace ±10s.
Sweeper at the back.
Meet 5:55
Run 6:10
Meet times move with the sun. We publish the exact times every Sunday evening — as sunrise drifts later through fall, so do we. Rain doesn't cancel a run; lightning does, and we'll post by 5:00 AM if it's called off.

Upcoming

Special events

A few times a season we do something bigger than the weekly loop. Sign up below so we know how many pancakes to make — everything is free unless it says otherwise.

Sat, Aug 8

Sunrise Century Relay

One hundred miles before most of the city has coffee. We split 100 miles of Golden Gate Park loops across everyone who shows up — run one loop or five, the club covers the distance together.

Golden Gate Park3.1 mi loopsAll paces

Sat, Aug 22

Bridge-to-Bridge Social

Point-to-point from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge along the whole northern waterfront. Strictly conversational pace, ends at a long brunch table in South Beach.

10.5 miSocial paceBrunch after

Sat, Sep 5

Track & Pancakes Mile

A timed mile at Kezar Stadium — race it, jog it, or cheer from the bleachers — followed by pancakes on club griddles in the parking lot. PR bell provided.

Kezar Stadium1 mi time trialPancakes

Sat, Sep 19

First Light Turns Three

Our anniversary run: the original Embarcadero route we ran with six people in 2023, then a party at Aquatic Park with coffee, medals for every finisher, and the annual club photo.

5 miAnniversaryEveryone's invited

Save a spot

Event signup

Pick an event and we'll email the details — exact meet time, route map, and what to bring — the week before.

First-timers

Your first run, start to finish

Showing up to a run club for the first time is the hardest mile. Here's exactly how it goes, so the only surprise is the view.

The night before

Check the meet time

We start when the sky does, so the schedule moves with sunrise. Every Sunday we post the week's exact meet times here and on Instagram — this week it's meet 5:55, run at 6:10.

15 min early

Find the orange flag

At every meeting spot there's an orange First Light flag and a volunteer in an orange vest. Say it's your first run — you'll get a quick intro, a route card, and somewhere to drop a layer.

At the start

Pick a pace group

Each group has a leader holding the pace on their watch, plus a sweeper at the back. If you don't know your pace yet, join the no-drop group — it finishes together, every time.

After

Stay for coffee

The run ends where the coffee is. Tuesdays it's Round House at the Ferry Building, Thursdays it's the kiosk by Kezar, Saturdays we take over the Crissy Field picnic tables.

Good to know: it's free — no dues, no app, no tryout. You don't need a headlamp; the routes are lit and the sky does the rest by the first mile. There are bathrooms at all three meeting spots, and walkers are welcome on Tuesdays.

The club

Started with six people and a bad idea

In September 2023, three friends coming off night shifts decided the only time they could all run was before work — so they picked the Ferry Building, 6:00 AM, and told a group chat. Six people came. It was cold, it was dark, and by the time they hit Aquatic Park the sky had gone orange over the bay and everyone agreed to do it again.

Three years on, First Light is a few hundred regulars across three weekly runs — nurses and line cooks getting off work, founders and teachers heading into it, and a solid crew who just like the city best before it's loud. Pace leaders and sweepers are all volunteers. Nobody has ever paid a dollar to run with us, and nobody ever will.

We hold two promises: nobody runs alone, and nobody gets dropped.

Contact

Find us before sunrise

Emailhello@firstlightrun.club
Instagram@firstlightrunclub
StravaFirst Light Run Club
TuesdaysFerry Building steps, The Embarcadero
ThursdaysKezar Stadium, Gate B, Golden Gate Park
SaturdaysCrissy Field East Beach parking lot

Press, permits, or want to volunteer as a pace leader? Email us — a human reads everything, usually before 7 AM.