By Guide Chelsey Grassfield
Like Chicago Guide Becca, Coleman Feeney began guiding with City Fit tours in New York City before taking it up again in his new home: San Francisco.
Coleman (center) showing off the Golden Gate Bridge with a client.
Tour guides first have to teach themselves
Whether they’re born and raised in the city or just moved there, our guides earn their expertise and knowledge of our cities. What Coleman enjoys most about being a guide is the opportunity to learn about the cities he lives in. “I don't know if you felt this way in Chicago [referring to my time guiding in Chicago], but it helps you learn about a place and appreciate a place. Learning about a place helps you enjoy it more.”
“I was sometimes going and figuring things out. I remember the first few times I did runs in New York, I didn't know how to get on the Brooklyn Bridge. There was no sign, so I was just running and discovered it. You build on that and build on that, and before you know it you’re learning little tips and tricks about the city and sharing those with other people as time goes on.”
“I always encourage people to take a tour, even when they move somewhere, just to get acclimated. It really adds to your experience of living somewhere.”
Coleman (left) taking a client out and about.
Connecting with clients is why we do this
“You never know who you're gonna get. I really like that aspect of it. You have to adapt to what somebody is interested in. Some people are interested in history. Others you can tell just wanted somebody to run with. I like that middle ground.”
“I probably did 200, maybe 300, runs in New York, but I only had one bad experience, and I feel like it's television’s fault. People watch a show, and they think Cats is close to Yankee stadium, so this one client got so mad that she couldn't see more, like really angry.” But one experience like that out of 200? “I think that's a testament to the fact that runners are pretty good people.”
“I've never been a morning person, getting up for those runs to pick somebody up at 6 a.m.? I always felt just awful. But then I would do the run, and I felt so glad I did it. It's always great; you're riding that social high the rest of the day.”
When he’s not guiding?
“I've got big into film here. We have this wonderful theater called the Castro Theatre. It's one of the oldest theaters in the country. They play the organ before and show independent movies.”
Where Coleman likes to run
“I live 2 blocks away from Golden Gate Park; it’s spectacular. There's a bison paddock, so buffalo roam in the park. If you run in the morning, you'll see coyotes and wild turkeys, so it's a cool vibe right out the door. I also live maybe a 5 min run from the Painted Ladies, the famous houses in Full House and there’s a nice view there.”
Run Coleman’s route for yourself.
Coleman’s other favorite tour
“It's not off the beaten path, but people think of Chinatown and Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, and I don't know if visitors think about Oracle Park, if they're not baseball fans. But one thing that's cool about our guides there is that they're baseball geeks who are retired and want to get their steps in, probably walking 5 miles a day. So if you're gonna come to San Francisco for a game, you might as well come on a tour.” Coleman figured our fellow runners would love this: if you’ll be in San Francisco on Sept 3, 2023, be sure to sign up for the 5k or 10k that finishes on Oracle Park’s field. We even have a promo code for you! Enter GGSFCC23 for 15% off.
