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Five US Trails You Absolutely Must Run

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Rob Murray

Rob is a self confessed running geek, obsessed with all things related to the sport, whether road, track or triathlon.
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The Best Trail Runs in the US?

After seeing the Strava ‘Run with Us’ video a couple of weeks ago, the beauty of the North American continent became immediately apparent! So we took to Reddit to ask Americans what their favourite trail routes were across the country…

The Marin Headlands, San Fransisco

Sutro Bath Ruins, Marin Headlands

The Marin headlands just north of San Francisco can be quite stunning. The Pacific Palisades/Santa Monica mountains in Los Angeles also offer some really beautiful views while also providing challenging climbs.

Neither of these can be considered a secret and are only my suggestions because, well, it’s where I live.

Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles

Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles

Find out more here

Magnolia Road, Boulder

Magnolia Road, Boulder

Magnolia Road, Boulder

Magnolia Road near Boulder, Colorado has got to be the most picturesque road I’ve run so far. It’s a dirt road at 8500-9000 feet of elevation in the mountains a few miles west of town. Great views of the surrounding mountains and Eldora Ski Resort when running west. Definitely a very tough run, with about 1500 total feet of elevation gain over the course of about 15 miles if you run the extent of the dirt road portion (about 7.5 miles) and back.

Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Utah

Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Bonneville Shoreline Trail

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail, that extends from Nephi, Utah, almost up to the Idaho border. There are stretches along this trail that provide killer views of the valley below. I love this trail.

 C&O Canal Trail, Washington to Pittsburgh

C&O Canal Trail

C&O Canal Trail

C&O Canal trail in Washington, DC is great. Definitely not a secret, but really popular and beautiful. You can basically run or bike all the way to Pittsburgh, PA on it from DC if you wanted to. There are some amazing views along the way: Carderock recreation area, Great Falls, Harpers Ferry, WV, etc.

Old Croton Aquaduct Trail, New York

Yes, actually in New York City! Built in 1839 to carry water from Westchester County to the residents of New York, this is a 41 mile stretch of trail (granted, it’s no mountain trail). You can pick up the trail from W.86th Street in Central Park.

Author: Rob Murray

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