Best Place in the US to Train if You Don't Have A Car?

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Traveling Man wrote:

Which US city would make the best training base for someone without a car? Ideally, the location would have soft surfaces, trails, and other training resources within the city limits, so that one could reach them on foot. Training venues that are accessible via public transportation can also factor into consideration.

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NYC - not a great place to train, but you can get around without a car
Flagstaff, I guess.
Maybe SF/Bay Area?

the best place would be Vancouver, BC

Maybe not the best, but Chicago has the lakefront trail which offers plenty of soft surfaces next to the trail. It's plowed year around I believe. If you don't mind running the same 2 routes every day, north or south, you might consider it. There is a track downtown and plenty of gyms around. Great public transit.

Rockefeller state park is up there. 30 or so miles of trails all connected. You do need a car to get there, so maybe sleepy hollow, ny isn't the best.

Flagstaff

76.7% of the population would not join a second floor gym if there was no escalator or elevator access..

Any rural town. If you don't have a car you have to run everywhere you want to go. I have to run 40 miles to the nearest town just to buy a pair of running shoes. I run 6 miles to get a jug of water and have to pedal my turbo so I have enough electricity to power my internets.

My experience living in Eugene, near campus, spoiled me for any other city, training-wise. I was less than a half-mile from the SEHS track, meaning I was 1km from the Amazon bark trail (mile loop with lights on til 10pm), meaning I was 1.5 miles from the Rexius bark trail (3.5-mile loop), meaning I was 3.5 miles (2.5 of it being bark) from the Ridgeline trail (6+ miles of well-cared-for single-track trail with hills here and there). Not hard to do 20 miles with only 6-7 of those being out-and-back sections--and less than a mile on roads (basically just crossing a few).

Going the other direction it was 1.5 miles to Pre's Trail or the path along the river that has every quarter-mile marked.

Also the running community there means you'll always have a training partner when you need one.

Never needed a car for training. And, contrary to what I'd expect from reading LetsRun, I never had any problems with homeless people, meth-heads, or Alberto Salazar.

Detroit

It's a big city? North Van or somewhere by the University?

One thing, you'll be a renter if you live there. Completely unaffordable.

Anyways, you didn't exactly answer the question.


What about San Fran if you lived next to Lake Merced? Or would that get boring after a while?

Around Jericho Beach , Point Grey, you can rent . It is an expensive City, but the same as most west coast American Cities.

durham nc

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` wrote:

My experience living in Eugene, near campus, spoiled me for any other city, training-wise. I was less than a half-mile from the SEHS track, meaning I was 1km from the Amazon bark trail (mile loop with lights on til 10pm), meaning I was 1.5 miles from the Rexius bark trail (3.5-mile loop), meaning I was 3.5 miles (2.5 of it being bark) from the Ridgeline trail (6+ miles of well-cared-for single-track trail with hills here and there). Not hard to do 20 miles with only 6-7 of those being out-and-back sections--and less than a mile on roads (basically just crossing a few).

Going the other direction it was 1.5 miles to Pre's Trail or the path along the river that has every quarter-mile marked.

Also the running community there means you'll always have a training partner when you need one.

Never needed a car for training. And, contrary to what I'd expect from reading LetsRun, I never had any problems with homeless people, meth-heads, or Alberto Salazar.

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` wrote:

My experience living in Eugene, near campus, spoiled me for any other city, training-wise. I was less than a half-mile from the SEHS track, meaning I was 1km from the Amazon bark trail (mile loop with lights on til 10pm), meaning I was 1.5 miles from the Rexius bark trail (3.5-mile loop), meaning I was 3.5 miles (2.5 of it being bark) from the Ridgeline trail (6+ miles of well-cared-for single-track trail with hills here and there). Not hard to do 20 miles with only 6-7 of those being out-and-back sections--and less than a mile on roads (basically just crossing a few).

Going the other direction it was 1.5 miles to Pre's Trail or the path along the river that has every quarter-mile marked.

Also the running community there means you'll always have a training partner when you need one.

Never needed a car for training. And, contrary to what I'd expect from reading LetsRun, I never had any problems with homeless people, meth-heads, or Alberto Salazar.

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Boston!!!

I've only been there 3 or 4 times for 3-6 days at a time but I've always thought Washington DC would be a cool place to train. The Mall has soft surfaces and long flat areas, along the river is nice, hills in the area. I've never looked for a track but with that great rail system I'm sure it would be quick and easy to get to one in the 'burbs.

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Cherry Tree wrote:

I've only been there 3 or 4 times for 3-6 days at a time but I've always thought Washington DC would be a cool place to train. The Mall has soft surfaces and long flat areas, along the river is nice, hills in the area. I've never looked for a track but with that great rail system I'm sure it would be quick and easy to get to one in the 'burbs.

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Is Icahn Stadium ever open to the public for training?

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Edward Teach wrote:

NYC - not a great place to train, but you can get around without a car

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