Top ten worst and best states to live in as a runner

And I agree with the sentiment on NC. Lots of great running there. Tennessee too.

I'm not even American but I'd put Florida way higher. Many Canadians go down to train for weeks/months. I don't think OP understands what snow is.

Top 5:

Az, Cal, Fla, NY, Col

Bottom 5:

One of those humid states or where they shoot you randomly for running down the road if they don't like you.

One way i interpret culture, is things like:

Is it the kind of place that has sidewalks / multi-use paths, and do they maintain these even in winter? I wouldn’t want to run through the winter in Binghamton, NY if I had to share a slushy or icy road with cars because the sidewalks are non-existent in my neighborhood or given no attention by plows.

Culture is also being in a place where at least SOME of the population cares about fitness, and you have a chance of there being other runners out there doing what you do. My neighborhood in Colorado, people are constantly out running, or walking. I have lived in New Mexico, and saw very few people running or biking in my town. Of course, you can’t blame them, because you kinda just had to run on the road and hope that drivers were paying attention.

I can’t even imagine wanting to live in a place where people have the attitude, “If you don’t like my grumpy off-leash dogs, don’t run here.”

MA at 1 has brought on some warranted criticism but the list is mostly ok. I'm a fan of the PNW & SW for running. You can run year round & you're not dealing with humidity. Give me dry & hot all day long over humid & hot. The northeast is a fine place to live but you really only get a few really good months/year for running. Same with the true south. Yes, you can always run outside but you can rarely just ignore weather & run. Altitude should probably be a factor for making a list like this, even in colder places. Honestly 2-7 on this list are all pretty good. Lots of pros in those states.

I take your point about the culture, but not sure where you lived in NM, bcuz it’s got great running trails and weather for running. Many elites have and have trained there. Obviously the UNM used to recruit well too, though many international runners.

In Alaska, you have the chance of being chased by a moose or a bear.

Anchorage is probably safer, but moose are known to take a stroll through downtown.

https://x.com/zaibatsu/status/1747116507929157659

Totally agree. Northeast Columbus has some of the best places to run…Highbanks Park and Sharon Woods. Both have water and restrooms. One is paved for bad weather runs and the other is mostly dirt trails with a great canopy of trees.

What about the six months?

Dreadful.

Brah,

Florida is one of those humid states where they shoot you randomly for running down the road if they don’t like you.

Based on personal experiences and where I've lived.

Best: Utah. They have bike lanes on almost every road so even just running from the suburbs you're set. Trails/canel systems, and plenty of straight/flat bike paths to explore w/ not much traffic. The variety is unmatched. Track accessible as well.

Colorado: much like Utah see above.

Florida: actually nice when I lived there. Great flat/straight bike paths like Baldwin, tracks are easy to get on. Wide sidewalks that go for miles, cool trails like Nocatee.

The worst:

Georgia. Georgia is great for running but if you're looking for performance running this isn't ideal. Mostly hilly terrain with no straight/flat options (if you'r running marathons/intervals/etc). Hardly any sidewalks or they stop every 100m. Bike paths here have way to many curves/over-crowded, and slippery moist bridges through out so running fast is sporadic. Tracks are hard to get on and always locked up.

I am from Illinois and found the Chicago lakefront limiting. The Lake County Forest Preserve system is excellent, far better than the flat concrete on the lakefront. Ditto for places like the Morton arboretum. Not sure Illinois is a top 10 location., though. Best place I have run east of the Mississippi is Moses Cone near Boone. Others will confirm.

I was going to say the same about Ohio. There's a lot of urban sprawl, so there are definitely some bad areas for running, but CVNP is great, and Cleveland has a large network of parks surrounding a lot of the city. Columbus and Cincinnati both have decent spots too. I wouldn't put them top 10, but definitely not bottom 10.

Any cheap place outside of L.A.

Boulder bro

Nooooo way I strongly disagree. I might honestly put Alaska as a contender for the #1 spot. The entire state is just waiting for people to run through it.

Trails sprout up in the most unexpected places and form such a vast network that you often won’t see a soul, much less a crowd. You never have to battle auto traffic. There is never heat or humidity. Come snow and darkness you can just bundle up and the crunch of your footsteps will feel surreal amidst the quiet air.

Sure winter sucks, but that is why most runners nordic ski instead. The true suckiest season is spring breakup in April with its eternal mush and piercing winds. But oh man, the summer… Alaska has the power to instill in you a more intense love of the sport than you ever thought possible. It’s only a slight jaunt, all by foot, into the mountains and beyond the tree line, and suddenly you’ll be surrounded by lush open swathes of meadowgrass and fireweed. Your legs have free rein. You’ll find yourself naturally tracking the contour lines for some time, guided by only sun path and terrain, and then find yourself wanting to claw up some little-traversed peak and bound along the succeeding ridgeline to the next and next, in some near-addictive cycle. Just one more summit, just one more view. The world simultaneously expands and shrinks and the massive perspectival angles set all the worries of society in their frivolous place. Eventually after months, years of exploring you’ll discover that there’s a little book of wilderness that you’re growing particularly fond toward, enough to nearly call it your own, and as every footstep and scent is memorized you’ll hit the trail again and again and remind yourself why you love going through these motions. And did I mention midnight sun…? Those mountains are really some of the only places left on Earth where individuals can feel truly free.

source: I live here

I can't believe you left off Tennessee in the top ten. Tennessee has greenways all over where many runners get miles in. We have the rock n roll Nashville. There are running clubs all over middle Tennessee. Tennessee has to be somewhere between California and Washington in reality. No, we don't have the elevation of Utah or Colorado, but there's a very active running culture here.

Minnesota. How has Minnesota not been mentioned in the top 10!

Solid fall/spring/summer weather and in the winter they plow the trails well - and if we’re lucky, there is so much snow that they do not plow and we can cross country ski for the down season.

I was just about to post MN as one of the absolute worst states for running.

There was once a stretch of nearly 5 months when I could not do a single mile outside. Not because of the cold, but because of the icy roads and sidewalks. I used to work with a guy who was a proud "run outside all year, treadmills are for losers" guy. One day he slipped on a sidewalk - hit his head, got a concussion, and for good measure smashed his wrist and needed surgery. He doesn't run anymore.

Winter sunrise of 7:30am and sunset of 4:40pm = must run outside when it's dark if you work 9-5. Running in temps of >25F is doable but gets really dicy below 15F. Again, all it takes is one slick spot (even on a plowed trail) and you're looking at an injury.

Summers can have long humid stretches of >85F weather. Sure you can go outside early but you can do that in literally any other warm state.

Very little in the way of trail running, no mountains or other interesting elevation, terrain, etc.

Most serious runners here I know have a treadmill in there basement or a gym membership.

Yikes, you are a complete wimp.

You favor straight/flat bike paths as the big plus, and wide sidewalks? Do you have a disability? Come man, start on a pair.

Hills pay there bills boy, don't be a wimp. You must be under 30, biggest bunch of entitled clowns. This country is in trouble when your age group comes into positions of power.