San Diego Canicross Trailrunners

Name: Canicross Run - Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve
Start: 2025-11-02T15:30:00.000Z
End: 2025-11-02T17:30:00.000Z
Location: Los Penasquitos Preserve Parking

5.0•19 ratings

San Diego, CA, US

73 members · Public group

What we’re about

Canicross is a mashup of the words “canine” and “cross country”, and is a team sport consisting of a person and dog running together. A canine athlete with his human teammate!
San Diego Canicross Trailrunners, provides local Canicross MeetUps held on trails throughout San Diego County. Canicross Training is also provided to introduce beginners to this specialized sport. We provide resource information to companies that provided canicross gear & safety equipment for you and your canine teammate.
Canicross Event MeetUps are for anyone interested in Canicross, Dog Trailrunning & Beach Running, Canicross Racing, Canicross Training, and everything & anything related to runners that race & run trails with their dogs.

All skill levels are welcome, from beginners to competitive runners.

We also encourage participation and membership in North American Canicross (NACC), https://nacanicross.com, and the United States Federation of Sleddog Sports (USFSS), https://usfss.org/, both are involved in Canicross & Dryland Mushing dog powered sports. From these sites you can find pertinent information on Canicross sanctioned races Statewide and Nationally. For those competitive canicrossers, USFSS, is also the selection body for sending, Athletes Team USA, to compete in World Championships races, and to the IFSS World Championships.
Come join us, as we look forward to developing & exploring the many facets of Canicross Trailrunning. In time, our hope is to provide informal Canicross Racing for our San Diego Canicross enthusiasts as interest grows, with the intentions on one day having statewide & nationally sanctioned races.

Equipment: Typically the person wears an especially designed waist belt which allows for "hands-free" running, the dog wears a specifically designed/custom-fit harness, and the two are joined by an elastic line that reduces shock to both the person and dog when the dog pulls. For long runs, a hydration pack is recommended for carrying water & nourishment, and other essentials for you & your dog. For the health of your dog, the meetups are held in cooler than 71° temperatures, and therefore held in the morning.

Featured event

Sun, Nov 2 · 7:30 AM PST

Canicross Run - Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve

Los Penasquitos Preserve Parking, 12124 Black Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA, US

Join us on Sunday morning at Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve for a 4 to 7 mile trail run, your choice. Trail is flat, wide & well groomed, partly shaded, and features a waterfall & creeks. All skills welcomed.

Start is at 7:30 am, and come early enough to gear-up! We meet in the far west parking lot past the baseball field and adjacent to the trailheads. DM hosts directly should you need guidance to locate

Photos & videos are taken during all events. It's your responsibility to inform everyone if you do not want your photo taken or to participate in event videos.

Remember to "Cancel" if you decide not to attend.

FYI: Canicross running is best performed in temperatures cooler than 68 degrees to avoid heat exhaustion in dogs, if temps are warmer than 71 degrees the meetup will be considered cancelled, for the health of the dogs.

Please read all below.
Suggested Equipment & what to bring:

Canicross Belt or Runner's Hands-free belt.
Dog Harness with back leash attachment.

No "run-restricted" harnesses.
3. Dog Leash or Canicross Bungee leash.
4. Water & Treats - For you & your dog.
5. Bring your own canine first aid kit.
6. Wag Bags
7. Rabies shot & dog license must be current.

*Please, no dogs under one year old. Their bodies are not fully developed yet and need a bit more time to grow before pulling in a harness.
***Not Recommended for Dogs with shorter muzzles, i.e Pit Bulls, Boxers, etc. May not be well suited for canicross running, because of strained breathing issues & heart stress.
***We're here for low stress fun for Owners and their dogs! try to maintain a 6FT distance from each other.
***Should your dog show signs of aggression towards other dogs or humans, you'll be asked to leave.
***Protect the safety of dogs and their human teammates at the meet-up at all times. If your dog damages another dog or person, YOU are responsible for any damages & medical bills to the wounded party.