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Cleveland: Where to Train for Your Next 5K
Lace-up your running shoes and fill up your water bottle — it's time to train for your next race! As the warm weather slides into Northeast Ohio, the many trails and pathways around the region are shaking off their snow and inviting runners to go the extra mile in preparation for 5Ks, 10Ks, and marathon races! Even if you're not training to beat your record time, frequent running will keep your form consistent and help you complete each race you enter. Check out these trails located in a few of our favorite green spaces around the Cleveland area.
Big Creek Reservation
4101 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44144
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The fishing, sledding, and picnicking at Big Creek Reservation are all enjoyable, but the gem of the park has to be the gorgeous Lake to Lake Trail. Connecting Lake Isaac to Lake Abram, this 2.4-mile all-purpose trail crosses through the wetlands and provides a steady pathway for runners entering into their first race to gain their footing.
Punderson State Park
11755 Kinsman Road, Newbury, OH 44065
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Just a short drive from downtown Cleveland is Punderson State Park. While others boat on Punderson Lake or play golf, you can take advantage of nearly 11 miles of trail. Of the eight trails in the park, the farthest is 2.2 miles, while the shortest is a simple 0.1 mile — most hover been 0.75 and 1.2 miles. With such easy and accessible trails available, this is a great place to get a quick run in before you enjoy the park's other amazing amenities.
North Chagrin Reservation
Cleveland Metro Park Drive, Mayfield Village, OH 44143
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The North Chagrin Reservation is a fantastic place for runners who love adventure. Within the reservation is Foster's Run, a stunning trail that connects a newly constructed all-purpose trail with an old roadway. Although this trail connects the Wilson Mills Road Trailhead parking lot with the Forest Picnic Area, you can choose to jump on the Buckeye Trail or Bridle Trail to extend your run. There's also a physical fitness trail on the reservation that offers additional opportunities to exercise.
Acacia Reservation
26899 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
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Looking for a place to run with nature while doing so on a paved path? Acacia Reservation sounds like the spot for you. Their 1.7-mile paved loop trail offers an opportunity to tackle a manageable run or work on your stamina with multiple laps.
Springfield Bog Metro Park
1400 Portage Line Road, Akron, OH 44312
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The Springfield Bog Metro Park is home to the Prairie Trail, an easy 1.6-mile jaunt that leads runners through a gorgeous prairie. This park is less than a decade old and was once unused farmland. As you run, you'll see more than 40 species of plant wave to you as this beautiful new boggy area continues to thrive.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, OH 44141
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The parks and reservations above offer fantastic trails that will surely help you get in shape for your 5K, but we've saved our top pick for last — Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This massive park connecting Akron and Cleveland offers up over 125 miles worth of hiking trail for you to break in your running shoes and set your sights on breaking every goal you set. With so many trails to choose from, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get to know this park inside and out. Here are a few of the trails we suggest you conquer in each area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Kendall Lake Area Trails
The trails in the Kendall Lake Area are practically built for runners who want to gradually increase their goals. We like to think of them as perfect markers to help track our progress. The Lake Trail is an easy one-mile trail while the Cross Country Trail is a little more challenging at 2.5 miles. Did you guess that the third trail, the Salt Run Trail, was 3.3 miles and the most challenging? Master each one individually, then combine them to really test your limits!
Ledges Area Trails
Here are two sets of trails for two types of runners. Those who are shaking off the rust or are running for their first time will love the easy Forest Point Trail and Haskell Run. Both are only half-of-a-mile long and hardly have an elevation change. The other two trails, Ledges Trail and Pine Grove Trail are each 2.2 miles long and offer a moderate challenge. We love running the longer trails for endurance and hitting the shorter trailers hard for an explosive final sprint to the finish!
Cuyahoga Valley Trails
The Cuyahoga Valley Trails tackle three areas of the park from Station Road to Boston to Everett. Their four loop trails have the following distances: Station Road Bridge to Red Lock 10.3 miles, Red Lock to Boston 8.1 miles, Boston to Peninsula 7.4 miles, and Peninsula to Hunt Farm 9.4 miles. While trekking through these areas, you'll use different pathways including the statewide Buckeye Trail, the Valley Trail, and Towpath Trail. These runs can be quite tiresome, especially if you're still getting into the groove of long-distance running. Thankfully, there are many parking lots lining the trails, which allow you to carve out small sections of them and gradually increase your out-and-back distance when you're comfortable.
Oak Hill and Plateau Trails
If you follow Oak Hill Road north just past the Cuyahoga Valley Environment Education Center, you'll be able to access the Oak Hill Trail and the Plateau Trail. Both trails are loops, with the Oak Hill Trail labeled an easy trail at 1.8 miles and the Plateau Trail stretching just under 5 miles, with a moderate to difficult ranking. Either trail alone offers a solid run; however, what we like most about this duo is the Oak Hill Trail connects to the Plateau Trail at six spots. If 5 miles is too much yet 2 miles is too little, you can break off of the Oak Hill trail, run through sections of the Plateau Trail, then jump back on the Oak Trail to finish. This allows you to make the Oak Hill Trail stretch as far as you desire.
Wetmore Area Trails
The Wetmore Area Trails are quite scenic, so much so that when we aren't training for a race, we love to take the slow route via horseback. You can access five trails from the Hunt House right on Bolanz Road — Wetmore Trail, Butler's Trail, Langes Run Trail, Tabletop Trail, and Valley Trail. Butler's Trail is a quick and easy 0.6-mile out-and-back trail while the Tabletop Trail is a little longer at 0.75 mile that acts as a short cut through the Wetmore Trail. The Wetmore Trail and Langes Trail are longer, at 4.5 miles and 3.5 miles respectively, and offer a moderate to difficult run. However, we suggest that marathon runners set their sights on the 19-mile Valley Trail. It's quite a trek, but uninterrupted paths with ranging levels of difficulty offer a chance to really test your strength and stamina.
On Track
Where are your favorite places to run free around Cleveland? Let us know in the comments below!
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