Chicago, Ill., along the lakefront.
Chicago, Ill., along the lakefront.
I really enjoy running in Philly, whenever I'm up there. But I'd also agree with DC being a great place to run. And if you can get past the murder and smell of pee, Baltimore isn't horrible
shots fired wrote:
Shots fired!!
metrocupchamps wrote:Rochester > Buffalo
The only way Rochester can win is by importing all of their runners from North and East Africa!
New england: if it makes ben true its good enough for me
where it's at wrote:
Alan.
no. there is sometimes snow on the ground in Southern Indiana, it's too hot and too cold. and no actual elevation (above sea level) access.
Bay Area is the answer. Shorts and t-shirt weather every day of the year. hundreds of miles of trails, elevation in Tahoe/Yosemite/mammoth all within 2.5-5 hours where you can go from sea level to 7500'+ before lunch
great running clubs, tons of hills in the city, Golden Gate park (20% larger than central park) marin headlands, mt tamalpais, on and on
if there's snow on the ground or extreme heat, it's not ideal
Runningart2004 wrote:Southern Indiana/Louisville.
The knobs provide quite a few steep hills upwards of 1-2 miles st 10-15% grade.
Knobstone Trail and Jefferson Memorial Forest provide trails for days. City parks of Iroqouis And Cherokee are also hilly gems that provide some trails.
Wheather is typical Midwestern.
Alan
Southern IN is not ideal for training due to the winters and summers but there is definitely elevation change. Come run the knobs sometimes. It isn't high altitude but there are hills that will kick your butt.
I automatically exclude anywhere in the Midwest as underrated due to hot summers and cold winters. (more so the hot summers). You have to find an area that is mild year around.
Not sure I agree with this. I run in Cherokee/Seneca park pretty much every day, mostly on the trails. I live in the neighborhoods around there. The running in the neighborhoods is fine, as is the running in the parks. I don't race anymore, but run anywhere from sub-6s if I'm feeling good on the trails to jogging along at 730 pace.
But it gets old, and the running in the summer is miserable. Especially down in Cherokee, the air just stagnates. Hills in Cherokee and Seneca are trivial, and the trails are easy. No real competitive running scene beyond a few races in the spring. Most everything else is won in like 1645 type 5k efforts with significant dropoff after.
I'm lucky that I live around those two parks. Driving to IN is terrible right now with the bridge traffic. Driving to Iroquois isn't great, nor is driving to Deam Lake for the Knobstone. Knobstone is terrible in the summer, lots of horse flys everywhere and poison ivy on overgrown trails. Winter is fine. I find the dirt roads around Deam are better than Knobstone. Jefferson is a drive as well.
I've lived in several places mentioned here, and I have to say for variety and strength of running scene, DC is the best.
Albuquerque, NM - You have a wide variety of terrains and grades to run on (Foothills to River and everything in between), you have the best weather in the country (Mild summers and mild winters), and you have tons of competitive runners to train with. The City offers the necessary amenities to balance a social life and is one of the most affordable places in the country. At around 5,000 feet, you can still get in quality work and benefit from the altitude.
tallahasseeLassie wrote:
Tallahassee, Florida except during the months of June through August. Otherwise outstanding. Extensive trail systems and greenways, great neighborhoods for running, hills in downtown/north of town, flat to the south, super supportive running community including FSU being involved, and cheap races. ZAP Fitness comes here in the winter. This is truly a runner's town. Lucky to live here!!!
Naaaaa, too much snakes!!
There are some excellent places to run in West Virginia...(not western Virginia but West Virginia). Elkins, WV is a great centrally located town in the mountains where there a seemingly endless supply of trails, railtrail, forest service road, great scenic views. Winters can be tough, but the summers and fall are pretty top notch. Canaan Valley, Dolly Sods, Snowshoe Mtn, Blackwater Canyon trail...google them.
I would also agree with any location in the Pacific Northwest...just an awesome region.
Reno/Truckee/Tahoe area. Lots of trails. Reasonable cost of living in Reno. Low of 4500+/- in Reno to 7500+/- in Tahoe for altitude. Job market on the upswing. Downside is no men's xc/track program at UNR so no real collegiate/post-collegiate infrastructure.
In its day Fort Collins Colorado. But that was 20+ years ago and now it's hot flat and crowded. For a couple of decades it was a home-training ground for many post collegiate to world class runners, with trails and open space and some quality races on the calendar--or not far away in Boulder and Denver. The only thing lacking at the time was they didn't have a decent track. Well they built the track in the 90s but the population boomed at about the same time. Now it doesn't seem to have the same vibe.
B-lo FTW wrote:
shots fired wrote:Shots fired!!
The only way Rochester can win is by importing all of their runners from North and East Africa!
Where are all the Buffalo residents?
http://bergenroadrace.com/alltime/BORGUO wrote:
tallahasseeLassie wrote:Tallahassee, Florida except during the months of June through August. Otherwise outstanding. Extensive trail systems and greenways, great neighborhoods for running, hills in downtown/north of town, flat to the south, super supportive running community including FSU being involved, and cheap races. ZAP Fitness comes here in the winter. This is truly a runner's town. Lucky to live here!!!
Naaaaa, too much snakes!!
TOO MANY MF'ING SNAKES IN THE MF'ING PLANES.
metrocupchamps wrote:
B-lo FTW wrote:The only way Rochester can win is by importing all of their runners from North and East Africa!
Where are all the Buffalo residents?
http://bergenroadrace.com/alltime/
Where are all the Rochester residents? Syracuse is clearly better than both.
1 Linus Chumba Nyack, NY 14:24 2011 Not Rochester
2 Michael Fout Tallahassee, FL 14:27 2013 Not Rochester
3 Colin Leak Syracuse, NY 14:33 2012 Not Rochester
4 Kyle Heath Syracuse, NY 14:36 2009 Not Rochester
5 Peter Kosgei Binghamton, NY 14:36 2012 Not Rochester
6 Brad Miller Syracuse, NY 14:42 2011 Not Rochester
7 Jordan Davis Syracuse, NY 14:43 2008 Not Rochester
8 Kiplangat Tisia Rochester, NY 14:44 2014 Kenya
8 Sam Morse Camden, NY 14:44 2015 Not Rochester
8 Chris Burke Tully, NY 14:44 2012 Not Rochester
11 Aaron Rowe Edinboro, PA 14:45 2012 Not Rochester
12 Patrick Geoghegan Syracuse, NY 14:49 2014 Not Rochester
13 Michael Pierce Minoa, NY 14:52 2010 Not Rochester
14 Fred Joslyn East Syracuse, NY 14:53 2011 Not Rochester
14 Jordan Davis Syracuse, NY 14:53 2009 Not Rochester
16 Enock Bor Rochester, NY 14:56 2014 Kenya
16 Kyle Heath Syracuse, NY 14:56 2010 Not Rochester
16 Patrick Geoghegan Syracuse, NY 14:56 2012 Not Rochester
19 Omar Boulama Wallworth, NY 14:59 2015 Morocco
20 Todd Meyer Canandaigua, NY 15:01 2011 Rochester
21 Dominic Luka Tully, NY 15:02 2010 Not Rochester
22 Sam Morse Camden, NY 15:03 2014 Not Rochester
23 Jared Burdick Manlius, NY 15:04 2011 Rochester
23 Julius Rono Rochester, NY 15:04 2007 Kenya
25 C Fred Joslyn East Syracuse 15:05 2014 Not Rochester
25 Dennis Pollow Jr Ransomville, NY 15:05 2010 Niagara County (close enough to Buffalo)
25 William Way Ithaca, NY 15:05 2013 Not Rochester
28 Mark Andrews Rochester, NY 15:06 2009 Rochester
28 Tim Chichester Mount Morris, NY 15:06 2012 Not Rochester (between Rochester and Buffalo)
28 Julius Rono Rochester, NY 15:06 2006 Kenya
31 Andrew Cloke Elmira, NY 15:07 2007 Not Rochester
32 Jared Burdick Manlius, NY 15:08 2014 Rochester
33 Ryan Pauling Rochester, NY 15:09 2007 Rochester
33 Alex Brimstein Plattsburgh, NY 15:09 2015 Not Rochester
35 Tim Chichester Mt Morris, NY 15:10 2010 see above
35 Ryley Miller Syracuse, NY 15:10 2010 Not Rochester
35 Jared Burdick Manlius, NY 15:10 2012 Rochester
38 Chris Muldoon Tonawanda, NY 15:11 2009 Buffalo
39 Mark Andrews Rochester, NY 15:12 2010 Rochester
39 Ryan Pauling Rochester, NY 15:12 2006 Rochester
41 Alex Brimstein Plattsburgh, NY 15:13 2014 Not Rochester
41 Tim Chichester Mt Morris, NY 15:13 2009 see above
41 Neal Holtschulte Rochester, NY 15:13 2009 Rochester
44 Dan Ramsey Syracuse, NY 15:15 2011 Not Rochester
44 John Moore Cleveland, NY 15:15 2013 Not Rochester
46 Jeremie Slick Brockport, NY 15:17 2006 Rochester
47 Chris Mateer Rochester, NY 15:18 2014 Rochester
47 Andrew Foxenberg Chittenango, NY 15:18 2011 Not Rochester
49 Andrea Damad Syracuse, NY 15:19 2013 Not Rochester
50 Mark Mendrek-Laske Syracuse, NY 15:20 2012 Not Rochester
50 Mark Andrews Rochester, NY 15:20 2012 Rochester
50 Dan Serianni Rochester, NY 15:20 2014 Rochester
50 Zach Rivers Rochester, NY 15:20 2014 Rochester
cio2o2 wrote:
is portland even that good? seems like the pros spend a lot of time running on nike campus in beaverton
Because it's one of the many good places to run here. The Hollister trail at Nike is 1.5 miles, marked every 400m. Perfect for tempo runs and speed work.
Wait, scratch that. Portland is terrible. Please don't move here.
Random person wrote:
Boise, ID. Awesome trails and parks. 25+ mile green belt for tempo runs. Summers get pretty warm, but even on a 100 degree day, you still need a light sweater in the morning.
Definitely my choice for most underrated place for running.
I'maHomer wrote:
There are some excellent places to run in West Virginia...(not western Virginia but West Virginia). Elkins, WV is a great centrally located town in the mountains where there a seemingly endless supply of trails, railtrail, forest service road, great scenic views. Winters can be tough, but the summers and fall are pretty top notch. Canaan Valley, Dolly Sods, Snowshoe Mtn, Blackwater Canyon trail...google them.
I would also agree with any location in the Pacific Northwest...just an awesome region.
I've done some running in WV. It's very pretty and lots of up and down.
You brought to mind the Ouachita Mountains of Oklahoma/Arkansas and the Boston Mountains in northern Arkansas. I've spent some nice chunks of time there. The plus side is that there are literally hundreds of miles of trail/forest service roads where most days you won't meet another soul; there are lots of big climbs and a good mix of technical trail, gravel, and lightly traveled two-lane roads. The downside? It's very remote and not enough altitude (these mountains top out ~2-2,500 feet).
Keene, NH.
Awesome trails, lot's of rail trail running, dirt roads and quiet paved roads. Plenty of fast people to train with too.
txRUNNERgirl wrote:
Random person wrote:Boise, ID. Awesome trails and parks. 25+ mile green belt for tempo runs. Summers get pretty warm, but even on a 100 degree day, you still need a light sweater in the morning.
Definitely my choice for most underrated place for running.
The inversions and bad air in the winters.
Dukes Track Club wrote:
Albuquerque, NM - You have a wide variety of terrains and grades to run on (Foothills to River and everything in between), you have the best weather in the country (Mild summers and mild winters), and you have tons of competitive runners to train with. The City offers the necessary amenities to balance a social life and is one of the most affordable places in the country. At around 5,000 feet, you can still get in quality work and benefit from the altitude.
High crime rates & high air pollution, both more than triple the averages.