Stephanie and Fred Shuman Running Track

Walkers are also welcome to keep with the counterclockwise flow of traffic—just be aware of hopeful marathoners breezing past.

The track first earned popular recognition as a running destination with the 1976 movie Marathon Man, though it has come a long way since then. In 1982, the Conservancy repaved the track in stone screenings, providing a softer surface to accommodate the high-impact sport. In recent years, it has been regularly regraded and repaired by the Conservancy—a true testament to the track’s heavy use and enduring popularity.

The track saw its most significant upgrade in 2003. For years, a seven-foot-high cyclone fence stood between runners and the water. But after scuba divers discovered a piece of the original fence that had fallen into the Reservoir, the Conservancy commissioned a steel replica with cast iron ornamentation. At just four feet high, the new fence rewards visitors with a magnificent panorama.