best college campuses to run around and about?

Didn't Solinsky come from Stevens Point?

I have to put another plug in for the Monterey/Pacific Grove. Costly, not that many jobs and not a traditional 4 year leafy campus college area, but lots of people at military/language schools, JCs, and Cal State Monterey Bay. Personally, I think its the best, consistently perfect running weather- between 55-70 for a high nearly every day of the year, rarely going below 35 at night in winter. Great variety of dirt, sand, coastal, hills, best scenery on the west coast, wildlife, small town street, Pebble Beach, Big Sur 30 minutes away, UC Santa Cruz 50 minutes away, and...you will probably run into Blake Russell at least a couple times a month.

as the OP, im proud to see my thread on the front page. first time that's ever happened!

i originally didn't plan on deer being that big a part of it. i mean, i thought i'd chase deer whenever i bumped into them, but assumed that would be rare.

but now i've heard of this place called berry college, and it looks like it is SWARMING with deer. I feel like I could chase a deer there every day! what excellent training that would provide!

Is there any other place in america (or even the world) that has such a large concentration of deer? Or does Berry take the cake?

For those that know, can anybody tell me more about Berry/Rome? do the people have southern accents (I hope) ... are the girls pretty ... etc etc. What else is there to know about the area?

You're nuts. Get a job after college and stop running after deer. Your parents didn't send you to college to chase deer.

ya man wrote:

but now i've heard of this place called berry college, and it looks like it is SWARMING with deer. I feel like I could chase a deer there every day! what excellent training that would provide!

Post a video if you do. I wanna see this, particularly if you get the whole herd of deer running away from you.

Berry is the place to be for lots of fields, trails, and deer-- so many deer they have scheduled times to bring people in to kill them off. It's beautiful that time of year.

And yes, you will find lots of pretty girls, many rednecks, and houses for less than $100k. It's an amazing place to live!

gonchar wrote:

Didn't Solinsky come from Stevens Point?.

Solinksy is from Stevens Point, as well as Suzy Favor Hamilton. Keith Hanson was also from Stevens Point, 4 time All-American and 10k national champ for Marquette back in the 1980's. The high school has an outstanding running program and the University is a top DIII school.

I am still not seeing someone move there from out of state for the running or the city.

Run at Lehigh University in Bethlehem. There's a flat canal path by the Steel Mill (now Sands casino), you can run thru South Bethlehem and past all the shops and hispanic gangbangers, then up into Lehigh's campus, where no place is flat and is generally a hilly mofo. At the top of the mountain there are trails through woods and plenty of deer for your chasing fetish. Make it down the other side and you get to the athletic campus, where the Paul Short meet is held. Plenty of open fields and savannah-plain like scenery with a mountainous backdrop.

Western Washington University has lots of variable terrain and trails. There are deer too. The climate might be a little damp and cool for you but as far as a running climate its pretty perfect.

Also if you want to be suicidal you can chase moose on the amazing trail systems at both University of Alaska Fairbanks and Anchorage, although they are very different environments and climates.

Also you could try the area around University of Nevada Reno. The town itself isnt amazing but there are tons of dirt roads and trails going out of town to the north and west of campus. You can also drive into the Sierras for some shaded and deer inhabited trails during the sumemr.

Finally I second Humboldt state, great trails and perfect year round climate with tons of wildlife. I cant speak for any other Universities.

Dartmouth- tons of great trails, and you can chase moose or deer, your choice.

WILLIAMS COLLEGE!- as jjjjj said. You can run in 3 different states: MA, NY, VA. You have all different terrains to run on. Everything is close to campus. Amazing XC course. You even have the Taconic Golf course to train/run on.

Sewanee, The University of the South.

Anyone who has been there will agree.

Peru wrote:

WILLIAMS COLLEGE!- as jjjjj said. You can run in 3 different states: MA, NY, VA. You have all different terrains to run on. Everything is close to campus. Amazing XC course. You even have the Taconic Golf course to train/run on.

Vermont is VT. VA is Virginia.

Does Villanova have good running trails near the campus? They always have a great team so I assume they must have some good places to run.

guy from TN wrote:

Sewanee, The University of the South.

Anyone who has been there will agree.

I agree....I went there 4 times during my days at Centre, and always enjoyed my trips there.

Earlham college in Indiana is also very nice I think.

sorry dude. American State acronyms are not part of the Peruvian curriculum.

Point being: You have possibly the best Division III team in the Northeast in a beautiful, peaceful place with plenty of running options. Definitely a great place to run and live.

Plus only 2.5 hours away from Boston. Great Track meets and races relatively close by!

Fatty R. Belt Buckle wrote:

Austin is wonderful place to run ... the main running place is around Town Lake (not far from campus) with miles and miles of running loop - this such a great place to meet members of opposite sex ... also from same place you have immediate access to great hill training

The only downside - I remember running in summer around Town Lake in early afternoon when temp was 103 and little shade on north side of lake. Brutal but you learn to deal with it.

This

some low life loser wrote:

anyone run near Florida st.?

I'll put in a plug for Tally. Aside from a large indigenous population of low life losers it has access to lot's of great running options.

Nestled right next to the Apalachicola National Forest the place is loaded with deer. The clincher, though, is that they'd be easy for you to catch. The forest is a mix of pine trees and palmetto bushes. Easy to dodge and jump, respectively, when you’re hot on their trail.

Cool down afterwards with a run through Sorority Row. I tell you there is nothing finer than the annual rite of spring as untold scores of sorority girls are trying to wedge their beer and wings winter physique into the one-size-too-small Dolphin shorts.

something op didn't metion is if he could just run whenever he wanted.

It's great to live near trails if you can arrange your run around the rest of your life but if you have to do all of your running in the pre-dawn or evening hours you want to live somewhere where you can run from your doorstep.

Asheville is nice but hilly. Good trails and lower Apps terrain.

Fayetteville (Arkansas) is nice too but not much for variety. There are some nice trails through the wood there. I would rate it as slightly above average for running.

Bervard, NC is pretty good too. Lots of trails and dirt roads. I think there is a small school there.

Stillwater, OK (OK State) is nice as well. They have miles and miles of dirt roads right off campus and a wonderful XC course. It's hot like Austin but not quite as hot and have way more trails and dirt roads on or near campus. In fact, I remember Austin being mostly asphalt or cement...

Flagstaff, AZ (Northern Arizona) is one of the best places in the country. Tons of dirt. From the FUTS to the forest roads to Buffalo Park.

Tallahassee, FL (FSU) is also really nice. The campus running is... average at best, but a short drive gives you a plethora of great options on hills and dirt. Again the heat is a problem here.

Portland (U of Portland) is pretty sweet too. I love Forest Park and it's a short run from UP's campus. I forget how many miles of trails there are in the park but it's more than you'll run in one long run for sure.

Rochester, MI (Oakland University) has some good dog parks that have trail networks and then the Paint Creek and Clinton River trails. Plus the Urban Parks and dirt roads near Shelby Township.

Boulder, CO (Colorado) is great too. I liked the trails going around and up to Green Mountain. But you could read Running with the Buffs to hear about the trails there.

Ogden, UT (Weber State) actually has some nice trails on Mt. Ogden and there abouts. The Mt. Ogden Rec trails are good for 10-12 milers and the trails up to and near the dam are pretty good too. It gets pretty hilly in Ogden though.

Ely, MN (Vermillion College) has some nice trails through the Boundary Waters Canoe Areas. The roads around the lakes are pretty nice for long runs too.