East Bay Front Runners and Walkers is a group of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgenders and friends who get together to run and walk in scenic locations on the east side of San Francisco Bay every Saturday morning at 9:00. We follow our exercise with brunch at one of several great local restaurants.
While the Saturday morning run/walk is our club’s staple, we also enjoy seasonal Wednesday evening run/walks, pot lucks, movie nights, museum tours, ballgames, wine tastings, and occasional weekend getaways.
We welcome people of all athletic abilities, from casual walker to competitive runner, and everyone in between. We take pride in being friendly and inviting, and we encourage you to come out and see for yourself.
Our running and walking events are non-competitive, self-paced, range from three to seven miles, and last 45 minutes to one hour. All paths and trails are easily accessible to runners and walkers alike.
The Front Runner phenomenon started right here in our own back yard, when a small group of gay friends gathered for a run near Golden Gate Park's south windmill in January 1974. What was to become San Francisco Frontrunners was born. In 1980, Front Runners New York was launched, adopting the Front Runner name only after receiving permission from SFFR. More clubs formed thereafter in rapid succession. Today there are about 100 Front Runner clubs around the world representing the diversity of the LGBT community.
A group of SFFR members who lived in the East Bay banded together to start East Bay Front Runners and Walkers in July 1984. EBFRW has been going strong ever since. Because many of the founding members lived in Berkeley, our running events were initially concentrated there. As membership expanded throughout the region, so did our running venues. Over time, EBFRW became home to many walkers as well.
EBFRW is a rarity among Front Runner clubs in that we have a rotation of five locations we visit from week to week. We feel that the variety serves to keep our events fresh, gives more members a chance to participate in club activities closer to home, and showcases the many beautiful areas on the east side of San Francisco Bay. Please see our Schedule page for a listing of locations and directions.
No matter the venue, EBFRW stays true to our mission: to promote the sports of running, walking and related athletic events for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and their supporters. Our goal is to have fun, promote healthy activity, and create community. EBFRW proudly celebrates our 25th anniversary in 2009, and we invite you to join us!
EBFRW was recently featured in the Bay Area Reporter .
