Where to run in Lexington, KY

Masterson Station Park, the Kentucky Horse Park (may require paid entry if you drive there, if you run there you can probably "slip in" for free. I really recommend the horse park, miles of rolling hills through the pastures. KY high school XC champs held there (but you can't run on the fields afaik). The legacy trail is another bike path that goes from downtown to the horse park.

Note: I don't live there, but have several friends on UK and Transy's XC teams, and these are some of the places they run.

Masterson Station Park is free.

Veterans Park has some miles of single track trails.

The best-kept secret running spot is Hisle Farm Park -- 3.5 miles of all grass, with a bit of horseshit here and there. But it's a bit of a drive to get there.

From where you are staying, you could run on Man O War (counterclockwise) for two miles or so until you cut the Brighton Trail.

Depending on how fast you like to run, there might be locals that can drag you around, or hook you up with some group run.

My parents live there so I’m usually there 3-4 times per year. My favorite place to run is on the roads around the Shadwell horse farm, just west of the airport. An absolutely beautiful run with iconic horse farm scenery. Very little traffic. On a weekend morning I might see five cars on a 10 mile run. The loop of Dedman Road, Fort Springs Pinckard Road and Parker’s Mill Road is about 4 miles. It’s probably 5-6 miles from where you’re staying.

If you don't want to uber, running around the UK campus isn't bad. The arboretum (next to the football/baseball stadiums) has a two mile loop trail.

Lexington kind of sucks for running. There are not many options to run off pavement. The places you can run off pavement are usually tiny loops (for example, there is a grass loop next to the UK softball stadium) and it get's extremely muddy when it rains (Veterans Park) and there are no dirt roads to run on.

There are also no tracks open to the public.

And people don't know how to drive and apparently expect you as a runner to stop at stop signs.

Can you Uber to the Red River Gorge? Lot of great trails (rough trail) to run!!

Masterson Station Park plus Town Branch Trail.

If you like pretty scenery get on Hwy 60 and drive towards Versailles ("Ver-sales" not "Ver-sie")

Drive by the castle too ....

https://www.thekentuckycastle.com/

Alan

Also the arboretum . Good running.

http://arboretum.ca.uky.edu/

one name per week wrote:

Can you Uber to the Red River Gorge? Lot of great trails (rough trail) to run!!

Red River Gorge is an hour from Lexington, so definitely not a place to run IN Lexington. In general, Daniel Boone National Forest has great trails (also dirt roads/forestry roads). But there is no way to get to them other than on the weekend. During the week, when I work a full time job, I am stuck on Lexington's pavement.

Runningart2004 wrote:

Also the arboretum . Good running.

http://arboretum.ca.uky.edu/

Not really. There is a not-quite 2 mile asphalt loop. Or you can run around the perimeter on grass and some chip paths and get in a few miles. Running in the neighborhoods behind the arboretum is often preferable.

Town Branch Trail is fine if you want to run a couple of miles out and back, again on asphalt.

the lexingtonian wrote:

Runningart2004 wrote:

Also the arboretum . Good running.

http://arboretum.ca.uky.edu/

Not really. There is a not-quite 2 mile asphalt loop. Or you can run around the perimeter on grass and some chip paths and get in a few miles. Running in the neighborhoods behind the arboretum is often preferable.

Town Branch Trail is fine if you want to run a couple of miles out and back, again on asphalt.

I guess his career is ruined because he has to run on asphalt or do repetitive 2 mi loops.

Alan