Can You Bag 15 SF Peaks on Sept 25?

Beware of pedestrians, San Francisco drivers, for they are taking back the streets on September 25. That’s when more than a hundred folks will be trekking a near half-marathon over 15 “peaks” through the urban fabric of San Francisco. It’s all part of the local nonprofit Walk San Francisco’s seventh-annual “Peak 2 Peak” walk, and spaces have filled up quickly this year.

Watch out for the walk leaders’ brightly colored flower leis, the walker’s Walk SF T-shirts, the purple sidewalk chalk marking the route – and perhaps most importantly, the hoards of pedestrians demanding attention on that day.

San Francisco is “an extremely walkable city,” says Elizabeth Stampe, Walk San Francisco’s executive director, “but it should be safer. Pedestrians really should have the priority that they deserve and we see too many people hit by cars here–that’s what we’re working to change.”

Each year in San Francisco, cars hit, more than 800 people, 100 of whom are seriously injured or killed. Stampe says Walk San Francisco uses the proceeds from Peak 2 Peak in campaigns to make San Francisco safer for pedestrians.

The Peak 2 Peak route covers ground far beyond the busy downtown sector of the city, however. As it leads participants up and down 15 peaks in San Francisco, it promises “urban streets, hidden staircases, park trails and glorious views, a combination of nature and city that is pretty unique.”

Of course, this is a walk in San Francisco, so coffee shops stand ready for those in need, and public transit is also an option if 12 miles proves too challenging. It’s a fairly casual walk, and participants are welcome to break off from the group as they please–just another perk of hiking through a city.

To participate in the Peak 2 Peak walk, register online. The benefit walk, which starts in the West Portal neighborhood at 9:30 a.m. and runs through 4 p.m., is $75 including lunch, $95 including lunch and an “I Walk SF” T-shirt.