It’s not an uncommon site here in LA to pass by restaurants and hotels and see dozens of Nikon-toting paparazzi hanging out on the sidewalk, waiting like a pack of wolves for the latest Hollywood hottie to finish his/her lunch and make their dash for their waiting limousine. Now it seems that even our sport has been infected with celebrityitis.

Cheryl Anker, founder of Off’N Running Tours has launched a “jogging tour” she calls “Running From the Paparazzi” – a four-mile guided run for all fitness levels through Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles that promises “quick window shopping and Celeb watching.” Just how successful the celebrity watching on this tour actually is is anyone’s guess. LA Times reporter Hugo Martin ran three times with the tour before seeing a celebrity of note- George Lopez- being pulled over by the LAPD.

Anker’s “Paparazzi” tour costs $60 a runner, which includes a t-shirt, bottled water, fresh fruit and a cupcake. Yeah, a cupcake.

Ms Anker also offers a running tour she calls “Stars of the Silver Screen,” which takes her charges past the “gracious homes of Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, Jimmy Stewart, Lucille Ball and Jack Benny.”

Judging from the testimonials on the Off’NRunning website, these celebrity focused tours are targeting the dozens of (active lifestyle) tourists that flock annually to Southern California. It’s a pretty clever idea and a great alternative to the “Star Maps” hawkers and bus tours that have crawled through these neighborhoods for years.

Like the tour of Universal Studios or a visit to the Griffith Park Observatory, this is one to add to the “stuff I really should do because I live here and I can” list. Then again, maybe I’ll wait to schedule with Cheryl until the relatives from Iowa arrive.

Postscript: If you are really interested in seeing stars, check out the Brentwood Deli on A Sunday morning.  Leave the camera and autograph book at home.

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Tags: celebrity tours, fun runs, hollywood, paparazzi, stars, star maps, off'n running, cheryl anker

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Yeah, I agree. It's really brutal for these people. I had a lot of kid stars in my classes growing up here in LA. I learned pretty early that they are basically the same as everyone else...and sometimes they have a lot more problems. Whenever I see someone famous, I just smile, nod and say "hi" like would to anyone. OK...maybe if I saw George Clooney it would be different...;-) Posted by: bmoore on May 28, 2008 at 11:18 AM

I LOVE THIS...I have the "stuff I really should do because I live here and I can" list and oddly enough it secretly has Star Tour on it!! My people watching place in Studio City is over-run with stars, another "leave the Nikon and pen pad at home" situation, in fact the owner is quite a stickler about it...stars are people too!! HAHA...yes, perhaps that could be fun...just run around the coffee house block over and over!! Thanks B. Posted by: Betty on May 27, 2008 at 09:33 AM