DC and the surrounding environs aren't perfect, but they've got something for everyone, and a lot of it. I'd consider it in the running for the east cost runner's mecca if the summers were a little more mild.
DC and the surrounding environs aren't perfect, but they've got something for everyone, and a lot of it. I'd consider it in the running for the east cost runner's mecca if the summers were a little more mild.
Barabbas wrote:
Just for a fun comparison, here is a list of “The Best Running Cities In America” from the December 1984 issue of The Runner magazine:
#1 - Johnson City, TN
2 - Atlanta, GA
3 - Boston, MA
4 - Boulder, CO
5 - Eugene, OR
6 - Honolulu, HI
7 - Portland, OR
8 - San Diego, CA
9 - San Francisco, CA
10 - Durham, NC
11 - Harrisburg, PA
12 - Louisville, KY
13 - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
14 - New Orleans, LA
15 - Phoenix, AZ
16 - Seattle, WA
17 - Washington DC
18 - Austin, TX
19 - Chicago, IL
20 - Great Falls, MT
21 - Huntsville, AL
22 - Jacksonville, FL
23 - Kansas City, MO
24 - New York City, NY
25 - State College, PA
Much different from a list which would be compiled today by running enthusiasts.
Johnson City isn't even above average...there's the Tweetsie Trail and nothing else
Has anyone tried to list the criteria we are using to evaluate / rate / rank these “towns” for running? It seems like we are citing everything from climate to housing prices to redneck ratio. I’m not preparing for the Olympic Trials or even the local Firecracker 5K – I just like to run, and can adjust my workout to suit circumstances, up to a point.
For me the factors in more-or-less order of importance would be:
Climate – I don’t mind hot and dry (preferably not all year round), but Houston, New Orleans, Mobile, Tampa are my idea of humidity hell. I would want winter temperatures with every day at or above freezing. 50’s would be nice
Access to trails / dirt roads / countryside
Multi-culti, especially restaurants
Total population – Not over a half-million, if possible
College or university town, if possible (bit ‘a’ culture)
I’m partial to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Boise might be nice, but pretty cold in winter. Flagstaff sounds like a great place but it gets more snow on average (108 inches per year) than Syracuse, which is in the Lake Erie / Lake Ontario snow belt. Even if it disappears fairly quickly, how do runners handle that?
Boulder bro
There are miles of trails into the foothills. It's beautiful.
Boulder bro wrote:
Boulder bro
Average January temperature, Boulder, Colorado, 47/22, three days of rain.
Average July temperature, Boulder, CO, 89/59, six days of rain.
It's too hot and too dry in the summer in Boulder. Some 400m to 1500m athletes will not want to be somewhere that cold in winter.
Castle Rock, CO bro
Alexi Santana wrote:
Barabbas wrote:
Just for a fun comparison, here is a list of “The Best Running Cities In America” from the December 1984 issue of The Runner magazine:
#1 - Johnson City, TN
2 - Atlanta, GA
3 - Boston, MA
4 - Boulder, CO
5 - Eugene, OR
6 - Honolulu, HI
7 - Portland, OR
8 - San Diego, CA
9 - San Francisco, CA
10 - Durham, NC
11 - Harrisburg, PA
12 - Louisville, KY
13 - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
14 - New Orleans, LA
15 - Phoenix, AZ
16 - Seattle, WA
17 - Washington DC
18 - Austin, TX
19 - Chicago, IL
20 - Great Falls, MT
21 - Huntsville, AL
22 - Jacksonville, FL
23 - Kansas City, MO
24 - New York City, NY
25 - State College, PA
Much different from a list which would be compiled today by running enthusiasts.
Johnson City isn't even above average...there's the Tweetsie Trail and nothing else
Loved the crazy 8 8k there in the early 90''s at Johnson City.
Been to Boulder but would have to say the best place to train that I have been in is Canberra Australia. Beautiful dirt tracks and a purpose built xc course open to public.
Running performances here are just amazing.