I’m in the habit of running in the same three places each week, and as much as I love them, they can get tiring. I love finding new places to run, so I wanted to share some of my favorites, in hopes that it will be your new favorite someday. I’ve grown up running these routes, and couldn’t imagine having a love for running without them.Warning- they’re not road runs, I’m a sucker for the metro parks.

1. Bur Oak, Black River Reservation, Lorain Country Metro Parks-Absolute favorite place to run. Located in Elyria, it’s perfect for all seasons with beautiful views. It recently went through a facelift and had two more sections added on, the middle being my route of choice. Perfect course for an out and back jog.

2. French Creek Reservation, Lorain Country Metro Parks-I grew up running here. Located in Sheffield Village. There are multiple paths that intertwine and connect to two different entrances, creating multiple options for a run. Also included is the Nature Center, which is fantastic.

3. Sandy Ridge Reservation, Lorain County Metro Parks- Located in North Ridgeville. This is a great place to get your feet on some soft ground. It’s a smaller loop, but takes you through the nature reserve. It’s a good place for mile repeats, nothing too long.

4. Carlisle Reservation, Lorain Country Metro Parks- Located in LaGrange. This is even a long drive for me, but its worth it. This was the home of many cross country meets, and shared by horses. It’s peaceful, shaded and has winding trails with two separate loops.

5. South Mastick, Rocky River Reservation, Cuyahoga County Metro Parks- If I had to, I would drive over an hour just to run here. Home of the Classic at Mastick 5k. This is one of my favorite spots to start in the CCMP because of the trails next to the river or the pavement path that goes along the road. This place has my heart

6. Mill Stream Run, Rocky River Reservation, Cuyahoga Country Metro Parks- I’m biased because I lived a stones throw away from the path for this section of the park. But, it’s beautiful, and includes Wallace Lake, and Berea Falls. There are multiple paths that branch off, so you never have to run the same path twice.

7. Salt Fork State Park- Located in Cambridge. Ok, so this is a bit of a drive, but I spent four wonderful years running through this park to get ready for cross season. There is more to do than just running, so it’s the perfect weekend getaway! Major hill training as well 🙂