Go!
Go!
1. Oregon
2. Colorado
3. California
1. cali
2. oregon
3. colorado
4. wasington
5. minnesota
6. new mexico
7. arizona
8. alaska
9. maine
10. new york
Oh, I am from Cali and honestly believe you cant top the weather in San Diego.
No Massachusetts? The state with the 2nd most running clubs behind California (and at last count we were only trailing by 3)?
Hey, the weather may be crappy and we may have a whole lot of terrible accents, but really, where can you look at a race schedule and find any distance (multiple locations) every single weekend? I mean, there's so many races, we gotta have some on weeknights.
Billy came from here, Al Sal, Johnny Kelly (younger and older,) Joanie's from Maine, but she's like an honorary MA gal, the mighty Greater Boston Track Club, The Falmouth Road Race, THE FREAKING BOSTON MARATHON! Give some love. Good gravy, I'm getting bothered here.
1. cali
2. colorado
3. oregon
4. washington
5. new mexico
6. arizona
7. alaska
8. montana
9. utah
10 wyoming
No clear-cut states after that. East coast blows compared to west coast.
I think Pennsylvania should at least be considered
NJ?
I don't think any east coast state would make the cut. Definitely not New Jersey.
1. Oregon
2. California
3. Washington
4. Colorado
5. New Mexico
6. Massachusetts
7. New York
8. New Jersey
9. Arizona
10. Indiana
Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, Oregon, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, California.
California is overrated; there are lots of good runners there but that's because the state is HUGE.
Depends on the criteria.
If it's all about racing I would go with New England/New York, more races each weekend than anywhere else.
If it's all about weather, Southern Cal is pretty hard to beat.
If you are looking for an ideal training spot which should include (at least in my book), decent year round weather, doesn't have to be perfect just no extended periods of high heat/humidity and no extended periods of snow and ice on the ground, variety of terrain, plenty of hills along with some fairly flat areas, soft surfaces to run on, pine needle trails are the best, access to a good track with adjacent grass fields. Western North Carolina might be the best.
States in general I would go with:
1. California- plenty of variety, pretty good race scene, altitude, weather is good, mountains, beaches, trails.
2. Colorado- mountains, weather is good on the front range, trails are scenic although too hard along front range but better in mountains, altitude.
3. North Carolina- plenty of variety, mountains, altitude, weather can be on the warm side, better in the western parts up in the hills, pretty good race scene, softer trails.
4. Oregon/Washington- pretty similar, lot's of variety, mountains, altitude, great trails (soft) good weather, wet at times with long extended periods of grey but moderate temps, also very dry areas in both states.
5. Idaho- great training area, not much else, lot's of variety, plenty of trails, mountains, altitude.
6. New England- best racing scene, great trails especially Northern part (NH, VT, ME) weather is a drawback although if you grow up here you just deal with it and it's no big deal, winters can be long though.
Plenty of other states that have times of the year when they are great places to be, but they also have times of the year when they are the last place you want to be, pick em.
Wisconsin.
original formula wrote:
I think Pennsylvania should at least be considered
NJ?
I'm from NJ and I love NJ, but running here isn't that great. Yes some very good mid-distance and distance kids come out of NJ, but as far as a state with good running, eh. Trails are ok, but either their far away (unless you live in that area obviously) or their up mountains (I'm not talking like the Rockies, but mountains none the less). It's great if you live here and want to be age-group competitive and live a healthy life or return here after your college days are over. But if you want to really kick start a running career, I'd say there won't be tons of success here.
Now that Coach Gags is back at Rutgers, the culture might change; and I know he brings his NJ/NY Track Club athletes over to NJ for some training runs (so at least there's a competitive elite group that is based out of this area). With those exceptions, I wouldn't say NJ is in the running for "Best Running States".
CA AZ NM UT
Yeah, if you're gonna throw North Carolina into the discussion you have to distinguish Western North Carolina. A different world from the Eastern half of the state. I live in Raleigh, and while it's a good place to run most of the year, the summer SUCKS. BALLS.
1. California
2. Oregon
3. Colorado
4. Texas
5. Arizona
6. New Mexico
7. New England
8. Pennsylvania
9. New York
10. Washington
Honorable mentions include: Minnesota, Florida, and Virginia.
Factors to consider are: Climate, geography, running community, air quality, and cost of living.
I live in Central PA and personally think it's a great place to run. Lots of hills, easy access to trails and mountains, predictable climate, good local running community with plenty of competition, and living in the capital area was ranked #2 as the best place to live.
CA AZ NM UT wrote:
CA AZ NM UT
+1
im from massachusetts and theres nowhere to run
Western NC is great in the fall and summer. Spring is variable and winter is sucky, but in winter much of the rest of the state is tolerable.
I currently live in San Diego, but also lived in Colorado and Michigan.
From year round running conditions, quality of dirt roads and trails, training partners, and races. My order is easy.
1. Michigan
2. California
3. Colorado
It is probably not fair for me to rate the States that I have not lived in because you don't get a real feel. If I just visited, my order would probably have been the opposite way around.