Kezar Stadium

I was actually surprised at how well-​maintained this public stadium was! My friend and I went here to check it out since I had never been here before.
Great place to work out!

This is a nice, well-​kept stadium with a nice running/​walking surface that is kind to the joints. It is popular with the runners and walkers and has decent, clean restrooms. We came here for a fundraiser and it was a nice venue for this event. Can’t ask for much more than that!

Run a lap, if you can keep going, good for you. If you pass out, time to get active. The indoor basketball court has a retro presence like your walking back to high school.

Can’t believe I have lived in SF for well over a year now and had never been here! Its awesome that there is a track open to the public. A word of advice, make sure to check
to see if there are any events going on. Other than that, I believe it is open until 9:30 pm and the lights come on after dark so you can keep doing you. I was surprised by how nice the track was (apparently it was renovated recently) This place really made me wonder what else is inside GGP that I don’t know about…
I went for the first time around 8PM on a Monday to run the stairs with a couple laps in between. There were probably about 4 other people there and it seemed like I had the place to myself! I entered through the gates on Frederick because all the gates on Stanyan confused me and had parked cars. I will definitely be coming here frequently.

Glad that the Kezar track has re-​opened after renovations!
I knew that the track is looking fancier than ever, but also just learned that the renovations cost $ 3.2 million — so the fanciness isn’t just looks! (More renovation info at
)
Folks can argue about whether this is too much budget for a track. But it’s really nice that everyone can take advantage of it. The other Friday, I saw a guy without legs just SPEEDING it on the track in his racing wheelchair. I was motivated to move a bit faster. :)

No lie — Kezar is one of my favorite spots in the city to workout.
I hate running. I think it’s boring, repetitive, and whenever I’m doing it I’m always thinking about how I’d rather be doing something else.
But when I’m at Kezar, my mindset is different. No matter how I’m feeling that day, it’s always exciting to be on that field.
Being only about a mile from my apartment, I can jog there, maybe do a few laps, and then do my all-​time favorite cross-​training activity: running stadium stairs. It’s also a great place to do stretch, sit-​ups, push-​ups or run sprints, and that’s why I love it — you can do it all.
Not to mention for being an outdoor track stadium that’s open to the public, it’s a really beautiful place, and it’s an added bonus that the city makes an effort to do the little things like maintain the grass and keep the ground clean.

Great Great place to run laps, play soccer, touch football, or just chill out.
Kezar went through a major remodel in 1990 which made it sooo much better: Gone were the wooden benches with their wonderful slivers up our rears, the antiquated bathrooms, etc.
If you want to see what it used to look like rent the Dirty Harry film with Clint Eastwood (heck you will see what the city was like back in the 70s for that matter).
I believe the turkey day SF high school football championship is still held here …as are some of the parochial high school football games (I believe).
Close to whole foods as well. Great history and great facility… FTW!!!

I love this stadium, a call back to another era when some football stadiums were much more intimate, not these gigantic theaters relegated to the outskirts of the city.
Despite its age, Kezar Stadium is beautifully maintained and used by lots of locals. When I was there, there were several groups of schoolchildren and 2 – 3 adults running the track and keeping fit.
And every time I pass by the stadium, I can’t help but think of that scene in «Dirty Harry» and marvel how much bigger and somewhat intimidating and sinister it looked on screen.
In reality, Kezar Stadium is quite the opposite: Small, inviting and in a sunny spot in the Inner Sunset.

I hate running.
That’s why I only run on warm days.
That’s why I only run on flat surfaces.
That’s why I’m not a true athlete — I’m a wimp and I know it.
But Kezar stadium makes running more bearable: the surface is easier on the knees, it’s fully open so I can get a lot of sun (well, relatively speaking!) and just being around people who are crazy runners and go hardcore training up and down the bleachers is ENOUGH to make me feel like an athlete.
And, it’s FREE. Who needs the gym?

My new fitness guru introduced me to this stadium just recently and not only can you run the track or do push ups or lunges or squats or sit ups or yoga right on the grass/​ground/​asphalt (at the top of the bleachers on the outer ring of the stadium along the gates) you can basically bring a trx and do an all body workout right here! You don’t even need a gym!
Security seems really solid (feels very safe) and it’s been pretty clean as far as I could tell! The bleachers and part of the track do look a little worn down but doesn’t seem to be a huge problem.
I was worried about parking the first few visits but during the times I come it hasn’t been a problem at all (however, school is not in session right now! I’m sure I’ll eat my words when that time comes). I see people of all ages come here to run or work out. Weekend mornings, they seem to like coming around 10 or 11 but didn’t look like the track ever got crowded. Most people have been very nice and considerate with each other.

Context: Evenings around 6−9PM and early mornings around 8−9AM. This is specifically for running on the track. Not for anything else.
Location: I like the location. Its on Stanyan, its by the park. Its nice! Its a great local spot for those living in the Inner Sunset or Cole Valley.
Hours/​Lighting: I ran on the track and its open to the public which is great. I rather run on a track than through the park because its easier on the joints. The lights were on for awhile. They were on at least until 10PM which is the latest I have been there. Its not full stadium lighting, but its more than enough. When I’m tired of running in a circle and run up and down the bleachers.
Quality: Hey, its a free resource! I can’t really complain. Its a bit on the older end of things. The track has some ragged edges, etc. But its nice to know that there’s a safe option. Ladies just don’t go running by yourself late at night (you should buddy up whenever you go out! That’s just a general rule). Anyway, you are not allowed on the grass though. There are signs posted everywhere telling people to stay off the grass.
I honestly don’t have much to complain about because 1) its public/​free 2) it is open when I want it to be open.
I do have one thing, but this is pure personal experience. I saw people bring in cases of beer and then line up in a starting line. Then, suddenly when the race started, they all chugged a can of beer and ran one lap as fast as they could and kept drinking beers every lap until they finished a full mile. I asked them what they were doing and it was exactly what it sounded like, its called, «The Beer Mile.» I saw A LOT of vomiting that day. It was pretty hysterical, but if that’s your thing apparently you can do that at Kezar.
I feel bad for the poor person who had to clean it up. I apologize on behalf of these hilarious group of people.

Dear Kezar Security: Do you really need to discard each and every potato chip from a four year old prior to watching an adult league soccer match? Is it really necessary for you to stop letting die hard fans in after they had to leave the stadium for food because your concessions stand ran out. fifteen minutes before the end of the game? Was it really necessary to make us eat all our chocolate in the parking lot like a buch of crackheads because we were starving and cold? You might want to rethink your standards a bit Kezar security peeps, who ever you are. it’s not that serious!
Yeah… The park was great though. and the Earthquakes kicked butt!!!

free! great location in cole valley/​haight. clean and always there when i need to lose some extra pounds.
and come on… the history! go niners

Kezar stadium is an absolute gem. In most places to have a track of this caliber you would need to sneak onto a high school or college. In SF it’s public, free and always has tons of runners. Every night of the week you’ll see people training here. Thank you city of San Francisco!

I absolutely love this place and love that San Francisco provides such an amazing resource to the public. The track itself is what I believe to be SuperX. It’s firmer than most other tracks I’ve been on, but not painful at all and in fact, perhaps now my second favorite track after Goldman Field in Berkeley.
The track itself is a bit worn out but more than completely useable. There’s also an upper track that’s larger and made of asphalt that sits above this main track. The field is well kept. The architecture of the stadium itself is interesting and keeps me from getting too bored. There are also always a lot of other runners but so far not enough in the mornings to be an issue in any way of being too crowded.
The area is a little sketchy but not an issue for me at all. They also light the stadium up to 9pm, but I heard you don’t want to be out that late in this area (despite it being next to a police station).
Overall, my mind is blown that San Franciscans have something like this available to them.

Kezar is a great running track and stadium that is publicly accessible. It’s a fantastic spot to do a workout.
I make a stop at Kezar on the weekends to run stairs and do sprints & interval workouts.
Kezar has a running standard running track, a field and bleachers/​stairs that allow you to be creative in designing a workout that will keep you interested.
Typically, weekends are not very crowded, but weekdays after work, the stadium can be packed. Running clubs and local workout groups meet there, so it can get very packed at times.
There is paid parking next to the stadium, which is helpful because that part of the Haight can be difficult to find parking.
Enjoy a great workout and check out Kezar!

History!
That’s why I love Kezar Stadium!
Not only did the San Francisco 49ers play here for over two decades before moving to Candlestick Park, but Kezar has played host to many iconic rock bands like Led Zeppelin, The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Santana and more. It was even featured in the movie Dirty Harry.
Now a days, since it was demolished and rebuilt in 1989, the Stadium hosts high school football games, Lacrosse games and is used for folks who like to run around it’s large track.
Even though it’s been about 25 years since Kezar was a fully functional Stadium, its still cool to visit a place that’s hosted many memorable football games and concerts.
If I lived in SF I would totally come to Kezar often to jog around its track.

Kezar was once home to the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders.
Now, what is it great for?
–Great for track and/​or sprint running. Slower runners should use the outside lanes; faster runners on the inside. (Note: 4 laps is equivalent to 1 mile.)
–Great for glute work. Use their benches to sprint up and down, then side to side, and repeat to the second set of benches located across the stadium. The break between each set of stairs gives you that perfect pause of momentum between reps. (You can also do push-​ups up and down the benches, too.)
–Great for practicing soccer. The grass field in the middle and the goals on each side work just fine. My soccer team and I practiced here on Thursdays. There was plenty of room on the field for different groups to practice simultaneously.
Tips:
–Dress warm. SF can be cold.
–Bathrooms are available, but are closed.
–Stadium is lit at night. (Be weary of panhandlers.)
–Food trucks are located outside the stadium on select days.

I’ve lived in San Francisco my entire life and never once entered Kezar Stadium.
I went this past Saturday for an amateur MMA event in the gym. The building looks pretty old, but it’s stood up pretty well throughout the years. Definitely had enough room to hold the amount of people they had to watch the event. But after sitting on a hard wooden bench for 3 hours, my butt was aching. It felt sooooo good to stand up afterward!
By the way, the parking lot right next door is relatively inexpensive and costs $ 10 all day for event parking. Parking around the neighborhood is relatively difficult, but on weekends, if you time it around the turn of the hour, you’ll probably find parking from all the families leaving their Acrosports classes.

********Famous DNA’s*********
I used to live close to this area. I never failed to run in this clay covered oval. Something about a motivation coming from a famous person and he does not even know he was helping me stay active.
I am referring to the one and only Joe Montana. I mean Joe and company sweated their stuff here before they got moved. Imagine scooping up a handful of dirt and having them tested just for the heck of it?
I mean would you be interested? JM’s DNA hell ya!
Well now I do my runs inside a gym or my garage or a park next to where I live in the SB. But driving around Kezar area the other day reminded me of the wonderful runs I had and the people I met at the stadium.