Top 10 Places to Run

Over the years, I've explored a variety of running spots and there's something really satisfying about finding a great location for running and then getting really familiar with it. Here are my top 10 places to run. These have to be places I've run at least 5 times and can say I'm somewhat familiar with, so it doesn't include cool vacation spots. 

Honorable Mentions: Bluff Point/Haley Farm State Parks (CT), Rye Roads (NH), Thousand Oaks Trails (CA)

10. Charlestown Roads (RI)

I was hesitant to put roads on here, because generally it's better to run in a park closed to traffic, but the Charlestown roads are simply overall the best roads of a town I've run. They check all the boxes - little traffic, hills, generally well paved/smooth, few major/busy crossings, protected from wind/shaded. My go to long run has been from the Burlingame Campground, clockwise around Watchaug Pond. It's a great training loop, getting in hills, protected from the wind (winter) and sun (summer), and not having to worry about a busy crossing or cars getting in the way. There are plenty of other towns that have good sections of roads to run on, but none that check all the boxes like Charlestown. Throw in East/West Beach roads, Campground Roads, and/or Shumankanuc for extensions. 

Pros: Quiet, Wind-Protected, Shaded, Hilly Relative to the Area

Cons: Busier in Summer with Campground Activity, Have to Cross Route 1 if running Coastal roads

9. Ninigret Park (RI)

This overlaps somewhat with Charlestown Roads, especially as I often combine my Ninigret run with Arnolda road loop (not within the park). This is a spacious and well-maintained town park with plenty of good running areas between the soccer field, the bike crit, the bike path, and a few shorter dirt paths within the park. This is adjacent to the Ninigret Wildlife Refuge, which adds an additional 4-5 miles of mostly gravel, although some paved paths. It's usually really quiet here (other than when events are going on, then it's terrible) and peaceful. It's pancake flat, so good for recovery. Perfect for my pre-meets.

Pros: Quiet, Soft Surface Options, Easy Parking, Lots of Bathrooms

Cons: No Hills, Open/Windy, Super Busy/Dirty during Summer events

8. Agamenticus (ME)

I'm not sure exactly what this one is called, but there's a few overlapping preserves/parks here with a lot of trails. The two main areas are singletrack north of Mountain Road and then dirt roads south of Mountain road. In the Northern part, you can do about 8 miles. These are steep, technical and scenic trails through the forest. Mount Agamenticus summit itself is quite cool and has views of the ocean. South of Mountain road is bigger and you can probably do 13-15 mile runs in that section, so there's plenty of trails between the two. The southern section is definitely the better for easy runs but the dirt roads can be rough/washed out and get ATV use. Overall a pretty great spot though.

Pros: Scenic, Excellent Pine Forest Trails, Very big

Cons: Can get crowded, seasonal road closures, trails are not well maintained, Deerflies

7. Battle Road Trail (MA)

This one is maybe cheating a little as I never ran here on a regular basis. Generally this served as a stopping point between drives from RI to NH. The 4.5 mile Battle Road trail is about the best running on a manicured surface you can get. Smooth, crushed gravel but what differentiates Battle Road between any nice gravel or dirt bike path is the history. The path winds between old revolutionary war era historic buildings throughout which makes for a lot of cool sights. There's some variations with hills, bends and boardwalks. Really pleasant running, and can be connected to nearby paths (Reformatory Branch Trail and Minuteman Bikeway).

Pros: Easy Parking, Smooth path with no bad sections, Historical sights

Cons: Only 4.5 miles, have to do an OAB or connect with other trails for a longer loop

6. Cheeseboro Canyon (CA)

This was one of my favorite loops in Southern California last year, a 9-12 mile loop with about 900' of elevation gain. Largely smooth dirt roads, but a little bit of singletrack to mix up. Gradually up going out and then gradually down going back. Scenic and never really got old. There's some other trails in the park that get really hilly, but the loop was also good for me. Downside is there can be a lot of bikers and/or horses, and it gets super hot.

Pros: Smooth non-technical trails generally in good condition, easy parking/bathrooms, hilly but manageable

Cons: Can get busy with bikers and horses, gets very hot

5. Burlingame State Park (RI)

This is probably the place I've run the most. Generally I run the Vin Gormley 7.5 mile loop, with add-ons including the Burlingame trail (really nice pine forest trails), or several options in North Burlingame. It's quiet, you get all 4 seasons here with warm summer runs under a canopy and then able to dip in the pond, fall foliage and leaves, cold frozen dirt in the winter or snow, and then warming up in the spring. But rarely extreme temperatures as it usually won't get below 20 here or above 80-85. Generally this means a year round easy soft-surface options on pleasant trails. The singletrack keeps it enjoyable but there's not enough technicality to make it hard either. Also the campground roads are a frequent workout spot for me in the offseason.

Pros: Very quiet, easy parking, easy non-technical trails that are usually in good shape

Cons: Have to run roads to complete the VG loop, Picnic area/campground gets busy in summer

4. Pawtuckaway State Park (NH)

Haven't done too many runs here, but always really enjoyed it. Thick pine forest trails with quite a bit to explore. Unlike Burlingame, the singletrack here is not for easy runs as it gets quite technical and steep. Great challenging trails with decent views as well. Big lake as well that I think you can swim in. There's also plenty of dirt roads to mix it up. The New Hampshire state parks are very well organized and marked, and Pawtuckaway is no exception.

Pros: Mix of singletrack and dirt roads through the pine forest, excellent maintenance and marking by NH state parks

Cons: ?

3. Point Mugu State Park (CA)

This place is enormous and likely the biggest one on this list - you could do probably 40-50 miles with minimal overlap. This park also has the best views of any place on this list, without question. Fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean on the southern edge of the park. There's a mix of dirt roads and singletrack, and much of it is enjoyable to run. The major downside of Point Mugu is the complete lack of maintenance, the trails are horribly overgrown at times to the point where it's probably best to avoid the singletrack entirely. Whether the trails are overgrown or not is a complete guess and something you'd have to figure out over several years with trial and error. With that said, I often did an 11 mile loop on mostly dirt roads that was really enjoyable with a good amount of elevation, and didn't have much overgrowth on that. If these trails were well maintained, this would probably be the #1 spot.

Pros: Massive park, mix of dirt roads and singletrack, great scenery

Cons: Poor maintenance/singletrack is often overgrown, gets very hot

2. Arcadia Management Area (RI)

Arcadia is without question the best place to run in Rhode Island, and if not for the #1 on this, would be best training spot period. It's quite a bit bigger than Burlingame, the trails offer more hills and variety. I also really like the massive dirt road network, as you can do about 12 miles running of dirt roads here, which is quiet woods running. There's numerous start points and several good hills in there (by RI standards). A great place for road and trail runners alike, quite a bit of variety.

Pros: Huge park, singletrack and dirt roads are both great

Cons: No bathrooms, trail maintenance could be a little better

1. Griffith Park (CA)

Griffith Park, just north of downtown Los Angeles, is an absolute gem of a park. The running was largely better in Thousand Oaks, but there was no park or location as good as Griffith. Griffith has paved roads and singletrack trails, but the real highlight is the network of smooth dirt roads carved out of the hillside. There's a variety of loops and trails here, all very well marked with signage, plenty of parking, and trail maps in many locations. The best trails are the hilly, winding paths up 1,000' to the center of the parks. The climbs are challenging, enjoyable and lead to nice views. There's also flatter options with the main trail on the east side of the park. Running up to and past the Observatory is always really nice. Downsides of the park are, as a major tourist destination the observatory area trails can get pretty crowded, there's a lot of smog, and the singletrack is often overgrown. But I think overall there are few major city parks that can match the quality of dirt paths and hills found here. 

Pros: Easy parking, lots of bathrooms/water fountains, mix of dirt roads, singletrack and paved roads

Cons: Can get crowded in spots, singletrack is overgrown

Weekly Log: February 10 to 16

 Big training week.

Monday: 8 Miles- Charlestown, RI

VG after fresh snow. A little bit more challenging to run than I anticipated, but generally not too bad and minimal ice. Easiest to run in the sections where no one had been or fat bikes had come through, otherwise was uneven/slipping on the footprints and ski tracks. Overall, the snow and ice cover on trails over these few weeks is enough that I decided to run mostly roads.

Tuesday: 12 Miles- Stonington, CT

Mystic road loop, the usual stuff doing River Road, Pequot Trail Hill, Deer Ridge, Cove Road. Felt pretty good on this one other than Pequot Hill trail feeling pretty brutal. It's a 200 foot hill, which is kind of rare for this area (Buckeye Brook is also 200', but more spread out).

Wednesday: 15 Miles

First Run 12PM 12 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Workout from the campground. Been settling for mediocre Wednesday workouts sort of just going through the motions and this one ended up being exactly like that. When I don't have my mind made up going into the workout, it's not great as I might change it mid workout. Campground roads were clear for a mile, then snow/ice so limited to short reps for that. Wanting to mix it up from the usual tempo format, I aimed for a fairly hard mile to start, jog 2 miles over to Sea View/Ocean Ridge (hills) and run repeats there, then if I felt up to it hit another hard mile to finish and 4x200m hard. 

Wanted to hit 5:10 for the hard mile and completely overestimated the effort it would take to do so given I'm usually running 5:20-5:30 pace on reps. Ran the first 1K in about 3:00 (4:50 mile pace) and tied up quickly after, fading to 5:03 for the mile, meaning I was running about 5:20 for the remainder. My legs felt pretty horrible afterwards which meant the hard mile at the end was out. For the hills I did 4 repeats, alternating Ocean Ridge (about .58 miles, 100' climb) and Sea View (0.38 miles, 60' climb) for 2 each. Legs felt so heavy from the hard mile and it was a struggle. Got blasted by the wind on ocean ridge as well. Here's a summary of those reps:

Ocean Ridge #1- 3:13 - 5:41 pace - 5:14 GAP

Sea View #1 - 2:06 - 5:32 pace - 5:04 GAP

Ocean Ridge #2 - 3:07 - 5:31 pace - 5:08 GAP

Sea View #2 - 2:03 - 5:27 pace - 4:56 GAP

Honestly not bad, but I guess when you have a lot of rest you should be able to do that. Did the 4x30s hard to finish back at the campground, then I only had to run a few more minutes to get to 12 which was nice as I was pretty gassed. Even though there was a ton of rest on this, I ran sub-5:10 effort on 4/5 reps when I usually run in the 5:20-5:30 range so I think some exposure to 5K-10K range paces is good. Clearly this is a weakness now though. I do think the long tempo stuff I'm doing is the best workout to be doing, but the most effective training plan would also incorporate paces faster than tempo. I'm not an expert on the different zones, but looks like I do mostly in Z3/Tempo and doing a little bit of Z4/Threshold would probably make me more versatile and improve my 5K-Half marathon ability. Then again, I did PR in the 3K off tempo work, so strength clearly works, it just probably isn't the most effective plan.

6:30 PM 3 Miles- Westerly, RI

I never look forward to these doubles, but running in the dark and cold and quiet was surprisingly really peaceful and my legs bounced back really well so it was enjoyable.

Thursday: 12 Miles- South Kingstown, RI

From the Kingston train station/bike path, did a loop mostly with Dad. 3 miles on the bike path, a few through neighborhoods, then cut through URI campus up to Stony Fort road, and back through campus to finish. Unlike Mystic, there wasn't much pop and I felt pretty heavy for most of it. Rainy also.

Friday: 12 Miles- Stonington, CT

From Pawcatuck Wildlife refuge mostly roads loop- Greenhaven- Palmer Neck- Barn Fire Roads - OAB on Osbrook Point then return. I was hungry pretty much the whole time on this and it seemed long/boring. Osbrook is a really great road to run on, although it might technically be trespassing.

Saturday: 22 Miles- Charlestown, RI

I've structured my marathon blocks thus far to have 4x20+ mile long run (and other 16-18 long runs) which are the most important runs to hit. Usually these have a hard MP workout in the middle. While I'm not doing so great with threshold/VO2 max intervals my long tempo workouts has been going pretty well. In the Honolulu Block, I got all my 20+ done but bonked on the first two and didn't quite finish those workouts. Los Angeles block was excellent and every single long run and workout went great. San Francisco was a complete disaster for the 20+, I had one excellent 20 mile workout but didn't even complete a second as I bombed a major one, and substituted a few with trail runs for some reason. 

So this would be the third of four 20+ and first of two 22 milers. The workouts have been varied, but my key session for each was a 12 mile tempo. At some point I'd like to bump this up to 14-16 miles (pros usually do 16), but given I haven't felt super strong on more than one yet I'm not changing too much this block. While this is only week 7 of 16, I'd rather be doing it now given long races March 1 and March 16. I learned my lesson doing 90+ weeks/22 milers ahead of major races as I bombed both sub-1:10 half marathon attempts last year. I don't want to do this workout within 3 weeks of Boston either (should be starting to back off, not increase at that point), which left either this weekend or March 22/23 to do it. I feel like there's a very real chance I'm going to be trashed by NYC half effort so I opted to get it done now, especially as I'm really fit.

So far these workouts went as follows:

10/18/2023 - 1:09:52 (5:49 pace, 250' elevation)

02/10/2024 - 1:07:45 (5:38 pace, 250' elevation)

06/15/2024 - Fail. 3.1 miles at 5:47 pace

First two on the Ventura (CA) bike path, then tried the june one in Long Beach due to construction in Ventura. I was really happy with both of those, the first one I had never done a 12 mile tempo before and very few over 6 so was just glad to get it done at a solid pace. The February one went really well and I was super happy to run sub-5:40, one of my best workouts. Unfortunately the June tempo just felt off early and I felt super weak just 2 miles in and was fading to 6:10 shortly after so I called it. Didn't have the time on my schedule for a redo.

Today my goal would be 5:45-5:50 pace range. Part of me wants to take it easy/moderate as 12 mile tempo is pretty intimidating and long, going out too hard can make this miserable or end early. On the other hand, I clearly demonstrated great fitness in my January races and recent long runs so there was no reason to be much slower than that range. 7 miles warm-up with Andrew. Minimal wind but it felt pretty cold in mid-20s. Andrew was ready before me so he went a few minutes earlier which was kind of nice to have him to chase. I had only attempted this workout on flat bike paths before so this would be a new challenge with the hills. About 800 feet of elevation gain compared to 200 on the bike paths. This would also be harder than the last few Charlestown workouts as in those, after cresting the top of Buckeye Brook Hill, there would only be small rollers for uphills remaining. To get 12, I'd now add on Shumankanuc road loop which would add 2x100 foot climbs after Buckeye Brook climb, then the small rollers. 

I felt relaxed going out but the pace seemed a little slow, so I picked it up shortly in. Hit the mile around 5:50 or so, which felt slower than the effort. It only took until the Mile 2 climb to start to feel heavy/struggle which is a little concerning for a 12 mile run. I was hoping I could cruise on the downhill, but just couldn't get it going that fast. In previous workouts over the last month, I've gotten down to about mid 5:30s on the gradual uphills and low 5:00s on the downhills. Today I was 5:50s on those uphills and 5:20s on the downhills which was a little disappointing, as I felt like I was working very hard. Buckeye Brook Hill felt quite hard and I ended running my slowest effort of the 4 workouts here at 6:12 pace. I spotted Andrew towards the end of this and subconsciously picked it up. I think I was about 29 flat through 5 miles. Shumankanuc downhill is a big downhill and I was able to run around 5 flat pace for the steepest part and passed Andrew and also took my gel. Hit Mile 7 and then took the right on Kings Factory. 

Gradual 100 foot climb on Kings Factory felt rough, legs were super heavy and tired at this point which definitely had me worried I'd blow up badly with 5 to go. I tried to focus on getting through 10 first. The miles clicked by surprisingly fast and not having any significant climbs left really helped. I went through 10 miles in 57 high and knew I'd get 12 done. Those last two did not come easy. I had to add on some side roads which added a few hills I wouldn't have had otherwise. In fact, the last mile of this loop, same as last mile of little rhody is almost entirely downhill and quite easy so adding some tight turns and uphills at this point was a real pain. Watchaug/E Quail had a 60' drop then climb and some sand on the road and felt brutal coming back up the hill. Hit 11 around there and just held on for the finish. The next add-on was flat and a lot smoother (no sand) but I was absolutely gassed to finish this one in 1:08:49/5:44 pace. Ended up being 5:35 GAP which is the exact same as the February workout, so definitely a really good effort. 

3 miles back which felt really bad initially and then I felt a lot better after a mile or so. Though had to slow way down on the brief trail portion due to ice. 

Probably the hardest workout I've done. Certainly had some brutal track workouts in the past, but generally those didn't exceed 3-4 miles of work and had rest. It's a different format with that suffering for 3-5 minutes, trying to recover for a few minutes, then repeat. This long tempo is less suffering, but getting gradually worse and worse and without having those few minutes to recover a little. The 12 miles last february felt manageable through 8-9ish and then got pretty hard but there were no hills to slow me and I was able to coast on momentum. Here the first 5 miles tired me out quite a bit and I then I had gut out the rest on a lot more fatigue. Good training and happy with this one, plus it's nice to only have one 20+ left and go after some races in March:

March 1- Gate River Run 15K

March 16- New York City Half Marathon

Sunday: 14 Miles- Stonington, CT

I don't think I've ever done 14 after the 22 or to finish off a 90+ where I already completely my long run. Not very good weather with cold pouring rain and wind, fortunately this subsided significantly early in the run, although a few on/off showers. Ran 3 miles solo then met up with Andrew and Dad. I felt a little hungry on the solo part and stashed some energy chews in my sleeve before continuing. Ended up being a great move as I bonked only 8-9 miles and surely would have been absolutely miserable without any fuel. 

Weekly Total: 95 Miles

Weekly Highlight: 95 miles is a weekly mileage PR, 3 ahead of the previous 92 and got in a great 22 mile long run. Excellent week building off already great fitness.

Weekly Lowlight: Not much from a running standpoint, things are going well now. I like doing at least 2, preferably 3-4 soft surface runs and I haven't been with ice in so many places. I suppose traction devices is technically a way with dealing with this, but regardless the running becomes so much slower and more tiring I think it's better just to get on the roads. Generally RI has more mild winters, temps definitely feel colder this year.

Movies Watched: Hell or High Water, Silver Linings Playbook, Hot Fuzz, Casino Royale

Weekly Log: February 3 to 9

Monday: 0

Tuesday: 12 Miles- West Greenwich, RI

Mostly roads loop from Hopkins Hill Road. About 3 miles of dirt roads (snow covered) in Big River, then much of the rest of it was paved. Really nice loop with the vast majority on quiet roads lined with pine trees, but didn't enjoy it all that much with tired, heavy legs. I always feel like the days off don't do much for me in the short term, but I put them there to reduce long-term fatigue and injury risk.

Wednesday: 16 Miles

AM 13 Miles- Westerly, RI

I think a major strength of my training is consistency. I generally do 2 workouts a week, 70+ miles and a long run. Within those two workouts I usually strive to run at least 6 miles of effort. I rarely fail to do this. However, a major weakness of my training is lack of variation. I pretty much exclusively run a range between 5:20 and 5:50 pace, so tempo to MP. Gone are the days of speedwork or even hard intervals at 5K-10K pace. Generally just do variations of tempo or tempo intervals with low rest/jog rest. 

Anyway, I was thinking about that going into this workout. I wanted to do a harder interval workout- in the 5:10 pace range, still with low rest but standing rest. My plan was to do 2x(2K-Mile-1K) at 5:10 pace or faster. This can really only be done on a fast circuit for roads, and turns/hills make it really difficult to keep up the intensity for more than a few minutes. I was really worried about attempting this at Avondale. It's a great workout spot, but just a little bit of wind can turn into big gusts at Avondale and stop a workout real quick. Pretty much exactly what happened, ran the 2K in 6:35/5:16 pace but struggled big time and felt absolutely brutal. The wind felt brutal too, but some of this has to be blamed on not being used to this kind of work. 

Went with the backup plan of 6-5-4-3-2-1 and it felt pretty rough the whole way. I nearly quit but I had Super Sunday 4 Mile on deck and didn't want to push the workout closer to the race. The effort was still solid, but nothing special. 

I have mixed feelings about sticking solely to my tempo effort workouts. The major positive is 1) I almost always complete the workout without considering dropping out, and 2) the results speak for themselves. Prior to a year ago, perhaps the results were questionable as I was performing best at the half marathon/marathon but struggled more in the shorter stuff. But I didn't change anything and I ran a road 5K PR and indoor track 3K PR solely off these kind of workouts. I focused on the 2023 indoor season but failed to run a 3K PR despite running more track races, having more time to prepare, and running regular track workouts. I was still more successful in 2025 just jumping on the track to see what would happen. Clearly the tempo workouts have done a lot for my long term fitness and getting me strong enough that I can PR in events under 10 minutes. However, the best approach would still be occasionally adding in speed work/hard intervals, I just don't know how to optimize that now without it feeling absolutely brutal and wanting to quit right away. Something I'd like to figure out at some point, but at least for now running 8:41 for the 3K (with a fall) off tempo work gives me some confidence I still run pretty well without running faster than 5:20 pace in workouts.

PM 3 Miles- Dark road/trail loop through Newbury with Brady.

Thursday: 12 Miles- Exeter, RI

Miserable run, a few inches of snow seemed like a good time to go to Arcadia. But under the snow were so many patches of ice. Ended up turning into a shuffle as anytime I got going I would nearly wipe out on unexpected ice. Fell 3 times, each one harder than the last. Hit the ground hard on the last one but fortunately recovered quickly.

Friday: 10 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Burlingame 10 mile loop. Feeling sore from both lifting and falling.

Saturday: 16 Miles- South Kingstown, RI

Original plan for this weekend was to run the Super Sunday 4 Mile in Bedford, NH as part of the USATF-NE Grand Prix, but this was cancelled due to snow. It was postponed a week but with a big mileage week and long run coming up, I opted not to race it and focus on training (it ended up being cancelled anyway).

I was feeling pretty rough from falling and more sore than usual from lifting so I opted to keep my mileage the same to get to the bigger week feeling fresh. Original plan was 8 miles Saturday and 16 Sunday so I just swapped the two. Long run with a medium effort workout - 6 mile tempo. I wanted to be a little quicker on this one, probably under 5:40 pace. In Green Hill/SK with Andrew, ran much of the Kerri course and some bonus miles on Matunuck Beach road. 

This one went great - went out in 5:27 which seemed hard/unsustainable but I maintained throughout and averaged 5:27 for the whole thing which is a great workout for me. About the best a 6 mile tempo has gone. Definitely felt hard although I'm not sure the long tempos are ever going to feel easy. 

Sunday: 8 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Ninigret in the snow, ran some on plowed roads and some on snow covered paths. 

Weekly Total: 75 Miles

Weekly Highlight: Great weekend tempo. I started the block with mediocre midweek workouts and great long run workouts on the weekend, and this has become a trend as nearly ever mid-week workout has been just okay and most of the weekend long runs pretty good.

Weekly Lowlight: Falling in Arcadia and being banged up from that for the rest of the week.

Movies Watched: Furiosa, Wolfs, Argylle, The Last Samurai

Weekly Log: January 27 to February 2

 Monday: 8 Miles- Charlestown, RI

VG

Tuesday: 12 Miles- Exeter, RI

THE Arcadia loop.

Wednesday: 12 Miles- Richmond, RI

Hill workout. 6 miles of hill reps sounded brutal so opted for a 10 minute tempo first then 4 hill reps. Tempo felt pretty relaxed at 5:29 pace. 4xShumankanuc Hill (approx 100', 0.5 mile) but getting progressively steeper. Not cold today but super windy and somewhat of a headwind towards the end of rep. Tied up badly the final 200m each time as the headwind was tough there and that was the steepest part. This one felt absolutely brutal. At least kept them consistent in the 5:50s range, 5:00s GAP.

Thursday: 12 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Burlingame big loop. Great loop.

Friday: 10 Miles- Groton, CT

Super wet out but didn't rain. Hardly anyone out there. Saw a bobcat towards the southern end of bluff loop which was crazy.

Saturday: 20 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Big workout day - 2 x 4 mile tempo. Started off with a campground loop (about 5K) then onto the regular around Watchaug pond hilly loop. Legs felt pretty tired from the start. First one felt decent, then started with a hill on the second and it was pretty tough. Strong workout averaging 5:40 and 5:37 pace for the reps. Buckeye Brook hill felt extra hard today.

Sunday: 12 Miles- Newton, MA

Little course preview running the Newton hills section of the marathon course. Thought this might be absolutely terrible running as it's a busy area but was surprised much of it had shoulders. Commonwealth was especially good with a side section of road where there were a lot of people running. Cold and icy, but no wind makes a big difference.

Weekly Total: 85 Miles

Weekly Highlight: Good long run workout, although felt pretty hard.

Weekly Lowlight: Hill reps feeling brutal. I'm in a good shape but still have a few things to sharpen up on.

Movies Watched: Dune, Dune 2

Ranking Every Indoor Track I've Raced On (2025 Update)

I made this post in 2020 and updated in 2022 and 2023. This is another update to keep the stats current and add one new track. I largely left every the same otherwise. Of the three major HS/college running seasons- indoor is the one I've done the most. I've now run at least once winter indoor race every year consecutively since 2014-2015 with the exception of the 2020-2021 season due to injury (and limited races due to COVID). Whereas I've missed 3 XC seasons since starting HS and 3 outdoor seasons as well. 

Over 10 years, I raced at 14 different facilities picking up 1 new one this past season making for 3 total post-collegiate. The Northeast is the best place in the country for indoor track, if not the world so I was able to race at a lot of cool venues and high quality tracks.

14. University of New Hampshire (Paul Sweet Oval)

Durham, NH

160m- flat (small bank)
# of Races run: 4
Current PRs at this track: 0

01/26/2019 UNH vs Vermont vs Maine (DMR)

I started this post a year ago (from 2020 post), at the conclusion of my 2018-2019 indoor season, and wrote a pretty negative review of the UNH track. While it still ranks last, it's absolutely grown on me to the point where I really don't mind doing workouts on it anymore whatsoever. That being said, it's still an undersized track and is pretty old, which makes races on it far from excellent. The biggest issue by far is that it's a 160 meter track. This not only makes the turns pretty tight, but the distances feel off for most people as they're used to a 200m track with nearly all races/distances being broken up into a whole number laps. Additionally, it's four lanes and not especially attractive. As far as 160m tracks go, it's probably not that bad but in the pool of all tracks, it doesn't hold up very well and for most teams that race here, it will likely be the worst venue they race at in the indoor season. The one redeeming factor is the massive conversion index for the NCAA. As a undersized track, these conversions are huge (5s for mile, 9s for 3K and 15s for 5K) and while it doesn't make the track any more fun to race on, it makes it much easier to hit a standard here than on a fast banked track because you can afford to run so much slower (while in reality the track is only a little bit slower).

Track Rating: C (likely would have given it an F last year)

Facility Notes: The field house is overall a pretty solid place to have practice, but it's a different story when it comes to meets. The indoor track takes up the vast majority of the room and the field events take up the infield (which wasn't very big to begin with). This leaves a very small space for teams to set up and even less space for spectators to watch. There are no bleachers or elevated seating for viewing and you pretty much have to just watch from the side of the track, if there's room. Bathrooms are limited as well. Overall, there's hardly any room to do anything even in pretty small meets.

Facility Rating: F

2025 Notes: I actually haven't stepped foot on the UNH campus since graduation. They sometimes have an alumni mile but I'm not really interesting in going up there to run a bad track with so many open meets in Boston. It's hard for me to imagine ever racing on a flat track again when Boston and NYC have great facilities and many open meets.

13. University of Vermont (Gardner-Collins Indoor Track)

Burlington, VT

160m- flat 

# of races run: 1 (College)

This is the second and final 160m track I've raced on, and the shorter track is pretty much irredeemable. Other features included only 3 lanes, no bank at all, and being fairly old with a desperate need for resurfacing. It surpasses the UNH track despite looking much worse simply because the turns are slightly wider and less of a pain to run around. A marginal difference and still a poor track.

Track Rating: C

Facility Notes: This probably the tightest actual room around the track. Not only is it so small the track is only 3 lanes, but on the straightaways, lane 3 goes right up to the wall. It's such a small facility the long jump runaway is one of the lanes on the backstretch. There's pretty much one corner for spectators to watch and spectators weren't even allowed due to the lack of room. Fortunately, there is at least an upper level with another 3 lane practice track but even at that, it's still not a great area to watch from.

Facility Rating: F

12. Providence Career and Technical Academy

Providence, RI

200m- flat

# of Races Run: 37 (All HS)
-Injury Fund Relays
-RIIL Dual Meets
-RITCA Invitational
-RI Classic
-East Coast Invitational
-Class Championships
-Division Championships
-Freshman State Championships
-Last Chance Meet
-State Championships

Current PRs at this track: 2

600- 1:29.11 (01/10/2017) -have technically run faster, but fastest official time

1000- 2:38.25 (02/07/2017)

2/18/2017 RI State Championships (3K)

To be perfectly honest, I probably dislike this track more than UNH's, but simply because it's a standard 200m track I can not place it lower. Many RI high schooler's loathe this track, and for pretty good reason. Basically, the turns are extremely tight making races feel harder despite being slower and making it difficult to run a fast time here. Unfortunately, with the lack of indoor facilities in Rhode Island, so many indoor meets are contested here. After dozens of races here, I got pretty sick and tired of it.

2023 Notes: Apparently this got resurfaced. The old surface was definitely very worn out so it could be a little better now. 

Track Rating: C+

Facility Notes: Despite how much a chore racing on this track is, the facility is solid overall. Unlike some of the more cramped facilities, there are several distinct areas including a hallway which is often used for warm-ups, a massive bathroom on the ground floor (perhaps the only track facility, indoor or outdoor, where I've never had to wait for a stall), the main track and an upstairs balcony seating area with a pretty good view of the track. I don't like the complete disconnect between the track level and spectating level and how spectators are prohibited from entering the track level. Additionally, it can definitely get crowded in the bigger meets but at least it's capable of hosting bigger meets to begin with.

Facility Rating: B

11. University of Rhode Island (Mackal Field House)

South Kingstown, RI

200m- flat

# of Races Run: 4
-URI Track Classic (HS)
-URI Coaches Tribute Invite (College)

Current PRs at this track: 1

1600- 4:30.48 (01/07/2017) -have technically run faster, but fastest official time

1/07/2017 URI Track Classic (1k)

My main complaint about this that it's a flat 200m track. The track is fairly new, has a nice surface and looks nice, but most flat tracks simply can't compete with banked tracks. The turns aren't ridiculously tight although the track still feels pretty slow. I've had never a bad experience racing here although I never look forward to racing here either. URI has a perfectly middle-of-the-track that's probably really nice to train on but is just okay for racing.

Track Rating: B-

2023 Notes: "Probably really nice to train on". I used the URI track for weekly workouts this winter and can say that I don't think it's a great track. I won't lower the ranking as its still better than the other ones below, but this track feels really slow and rarely ever sees fast times. I also found the air quality to be poor. It's fine overall, but is really just average for a 200m flat track at best. 

Facility Notes: URI is more than capable of hosting pretty big meets as the facility is large and accommodating. The track level itself has a decent amount of room outside the track for setting up check-in, information or awards as well as several sets of bleachers for spectators or teams. Watching from the track level is nice and likely won't be too crowded and in addition, there's a overhead area that provides a great viewpoint although there's no seating up there. Since the track is connected to some other athletic facilities, there's plenty of room to move around or even go find somewhere else to sit/warm-up. It's the kind of facility that many nice banked tracks should have, but don't.

Facility Rating: A

2025 Notes: Facility should probably be a "B".

10. Wheaton College (Bacon Field House)

Norton, MA

200m- flat

# of races run: 1

-USATF-NE Winter Series (Open)

# of PRs on this Track: 0

Opened my 2023 season here and the track was a bit better than expected. It's similar to URI's with turns that feel tight but I thought the material was better and had more grip as well as being slightly softer. Above average for a flat track. Purple color made it more interesting/distinct. 

Track Rating: B

Facility Notes:

This was a quick in and out style meet, so I don't know how much of the field house would be available during a collegiate competition. That being said, the space seemed considerably more limited than URI's. I would imagine the bathroom fill up quickly in a larger meets as well as the lower ground space. 

Facility Rating: C+

9. Dartmouth College (Leverone Field House)

Hanover, NH

200m- flat

# of Races Run: 1 (College)

Current PRs at this track: 1

5K- 15:28.60 (12/8/2018)

Last flat track on the list. While still having problems of flat tracks mentioned earlier, Dartmouth is the only flat track I've run on with turns wider than the straightaways. This seriously alleviates the tight turn problem and nearly removes the disadvantage of a flat track. I've always liked wider curves as opposed to longer straightaways as the straightaways are boring but a wider turn is less awkward to go around. This is absolutely the case here and the makes races here actually pretty enjoyable. It's still slower than a banked track, but is hands-on one of the best (200m) flat tracks you can run on.

Track Rating: B

Facility Notes: The facility feels pretty new and while it has more room than UNH, it's not by a lot. The meet I went to was just a regular quad meet so it was okay but with only several bleachers available and no additional seating areas, I imagine it must be extremely crowded and unpleasant during larger meets. Unlike URI, it's not connected to any additional facilities.

Facility Rating: C-

8. University of Maine (New Balance Field House)

Orono, ME

191m- banked

# of Races Run: 1

-UMaine Invitational (College)

This track looks old and not especially impressive at first glance, but is surprisingly enjoyable to race at. With a comfortable if slightly worn surface, a visually appealing blue color and an ideal shorter bank for the distance races, it's a solid track. The nice bank bumps it up a few points over any of the flat tracks as it'd certainly be easier to run a PR here, but the 191m distance is strange and prevents any distance from having even laps (the 3K is 15.71 laps, rendering the splits useless) so I can't put it on par with any of the 200m banks. It probably has a nicer feel to it than Yale which is steep and vibrates loudly, but Yale has even 200m laps which is more important. A small aspect I don't love and is probably unique to this track versus others on the list is that there are large pillars on the inside of the track rather than there being a completely clear view of the infield/across the track. It does make the track feel like less of an official venue and more of a practice facility.

Track Rating: B+

Facility Notes: This is a solid facility given that Maine doesn't host any really big meets. There's a large set of bleachers at the bottom of the track for spectators/team and a good amount of space on two sides of the track to move around or watch from. The track is also one room in a large building, so there's space to move around in the hallways. 

Facility Rating: B-

7. Yale University (Coxe Cage)

New Haven, CT

200m- banked

# of Races Run: 3

-Yale Track Classic (HS)

Current PRs at this track: None

01/21/2017 Yale Track Classic (3K)

Yale is a banked 200m track, my least favorite but still far better than any flat track. I like that it is elevated (track is higher than surrounding floor and infield) but the bank has always felt a little too steep, even in lane 1 and it's a major problem that it's only 4 lanes as big races can get bunched up. Overall, it's a very solid and certainly fast track but very far from the best.

Track Rating: B+

Facility Notes: While the track is nice, the facility is an absolute abomination. There's a small amount of room outside the track, one side where athletes usually wait and another with seating. While there's a decent amount of seating, there's nowhere near enough to accommodate the massive meets it holds and it's a very real possibility that a spectator will be unable to find a seat or have a position where they can even the view the track. The athletes don't fare any better as they're cramped into an incredibly small area behind the track. The bathrooms are dirty and often have long lines. The warm-up areas outside are nice with the surrounding facility, but the actual coxe cage is congested to a disgusting point and it provides a lot of relief to escape.

Facility Rating: F

2025 Notes: Facility is bad, but not necessarily worse than UNH/Dartmouth, etc. Probably should be a C-.

6. Reggie Lewis Athletic Center

Boston, MA

200m- banked

# of Races Run: 5

-New Englands (HS)

-New Englands (College)

Current PRs at this track: 0

02/28/2016 New England Championships (2 Mile)

Reggie Lewis is a very nice track that many people accordingly run pretty fast times on. For whatever reason, I don't seem to like it as much as BU or Harvard despite being fairly similar, the only valid complaint I have is that the bank could be a little steeper. I've never really raced well here but it's a great track.

Track Rating: A-

Facility Notes: The Reggie Lewis facility is decently sized with several hallways, bathrooms and a gym that athletes usually hang out in. The track area itself isn't that big (although it's certainly not small either) and in large meets can feel crowded. The seating is pretty old and not very comfortable. In the larger meets, there's usually long lines for the bathroom.

Facility Rating: B

2025 Notes: This track feels older and less responsive compared to the other Boston tracks. Still pretty good though.

5. Harvard University (Gordon Indoor Track)

Boston, MA

220y- banked

# of Races Run: 3

-USATF-NE Championships (College and Open)

-GBTC Invite (Open)

Current PRs at this track: 0

2/24/2020 USATF-NE Championships (3K)

Track Rating: When racing at Harvard recently, I was shocked how nice the track was, especially considering it's the least well-known and least frequented track of the 3 banked ones in Boston (written in 2020 before The Track at New Balance existed). While the surface is harder (and less bouncy) than BU's, it felt a lot newer and fresher to me, which I slightly preferred. I would additionally add that the colors were really nice, although that doesn't mean a whole lot. Like the BU, the bank is very steep but it feels perfect in lane 1. Really liked the atmosphere in here (BU is very bright and this was notably darker which I preferred).

2023 Notes: After racing here 2 more times, I can confirm this is a fantastic track. Unlike BU and Reggie, there are few signs of wear and tear on the track as it sports a vibrant dark red color and looks brand new/resurfaced (although I don't think it is). The material is distinctly different from any of the other Boston tracks with a harder, less responsive material but one with excellent grip. The bank is quite steep and is uncomfortable on the outside but feels right on the inside. As someone who doesn't like the fading colors of BU, the very bright light from the windows and the bouncy/trampoline like track, this is a more enjoyable track for me. It feels closer to racing on the roads without having a super soft or bouncy surface, yet the material is still excellent. This was a tough decision between this and #2 (in 2023 I ranked this 3rd), but the ultimate factor that pushed it back was that it's 220y and not 200m. I didn't actually realize this until my 3rd race here as the distance seemed the same from the stagger (it's very close). My final race I wasn't staggered and realized we were starting a little further up from the finish. It's a small detail, but throws the splits off slightly and is a less even distance than the standard 200m.  

Track Rating: A

Facility: The surrounding area was completely owned by Harvard as their entire athletic facilities are located off campus. This made for the best surrounding/warm-up area of any indoor track by far as most other tracks are adjacent to busy city streets. It was nice to be able to warm up on the outdoor track, around the other facilities and on the famous Charles bike paths instead of venturing into sketchy areas (PCTA, BU, Reggie). I realize this isn't part of the indoor facility but it definitely bumps it up a point. The indoor facility was okay. There's some room but not a ton and the seating is very poor (old, wooden bleachers) and limited. It was hard to get around on the track level as it was just so crowded.

2023 Notes:

Did not find that either meet was "so crowded" like 2020. Not a ton of room, but nothing terrible. Seats aren't great, but again not terrible. The bathroom situation is terrible with maybe 3-4 stalls and long lines. I found a good work around for this in 2023 as the bubble (indoor field hockey field set up on the football turf) just outside the track had 4-5 port-a-potties that never had any lines. 

Facility Rating: B

2025 Notes: So I haven't raced at Harvard or BU since the 2023 ranking, but I moved Harvard from 3rd to 5th in my rankings. This was based off a few factors. One is 220 yards is slightly off 200m and throws off the splits a little bit. The other is that BU has since been resurfaced, which removes my "the surface is really old and worn" argument. I also feel like I'm biased against BU as I never PR'd or run fast there.

4. Boston University (BU Track and Tennis Center)

Boston, MA

200m- banked

# of Races Run: 3

-BU Mini Meet (College)

-America East Championships (College)

Current PRs at this track: 0

02/22/2019 America East Championships (5K)

Many people rightfully love this track as it has a steep bank and has a bouncier surface than many other indoor surfaces, making it very fast. I agree with all of the following, but the track feels a little old and could use a resurfacing. Still, it's an excellent track that's fast and fun to race on.

Track Rating: A

Facility Notes: BU outdoes many other facilities. Everything feels very new and while there's not a lot of room outside the track area, the track area is quite large and has more than enough seats to accommodate large events. Unlike other seats at other facilities, however these seats are stadium style not bleachers and are comfortable to sit in which provides a much nicer experience. Despite all this, the bathrooms are small and there are usually long lines which drops it down a point.

Facility Rating: A

2025 Notes: So I haven't raced here since 2022, but it has been resurfaced since. I think there is room to move up one spot if I race there again as my biggest issue with BU was that it was desperately in need of a resurfacing. I now no longer have any major complaints with it, I simply don't have a high of an opinion as these other tracks. It's a world class track and in these top 5, it comes down to small details and personal preference.

3. Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex

New York, NY

200m banked

# of Races Run- 1

-Wagner Invite

Current PRs at this Track: None

This was the one new addition to the list over 2024 and 2025, and quite possibly the last addition for a while or ever as I've now raced on all the Boston and New York City tracks. This track was introduced my sophomore year of HS I believe (2015-2016 season). I don't think it's had any resurfacing done, but doesn't need it. It's a fresh, good looking, responsive and all around good quality track. They are hosting the USA indoor champs this year. The track and facility feels pretty similar to track at new balance to meet. Zero negatives for this one, but not quite as good as the top 2...

Track Rating: A

Facility: Also a great facility. Big bleacher seating, wide areas. Bathrooms are not quite as good as some others. Ideal amount of light. Great area for warming up outside.

Facility Rating: A-

2. The Track at New Balance

Boston, MA

200m- banked

# of Races Run: 4

-Suffolk Invite

-Riverhawk Invitex2

-USATF-NE Night at the Track

Current PRs at this track: 2

Mile- 4:25.06

3K- 8:41.64

Suffolk Invite 01/14/2023

After many years of hype, the brand new The TRACK at New Balance was opened for competition in 2022 and I was really happy to race on it. The bright red material is perfect and vibrant. The material is spongy and responsive without having the strange BU trampoline feeling. Can't complain much about the track, although the hype around it being the best/fastest track in the world was overdone. The track did not feel fast either time I raced there (although I didn't feel great in either race) and I seriously doubt it's any faster than the Armory or Harvard (definitely not BU). The material or bank isn't even better, it just looks nicer. Overall, it's a fantastic track and a welcome addition to race on but certainly isn't a clear best. 

Track Rating: A

Facility Notes: 

While the track itself may have been slightly overhyped, the facility isn't. The entrance is really cool with a long staircase and a huge sign on the building front. It's located in the very nice Boston Landing area. The bathrooms are great with two large bathrooms and no lines for any meets I've been to. There's an entirely separate area for eating with chairs and tables and an separate floor for a warm-up indoor track (not that great, but I haven't seen this done better at another facility). This is all before getting to the track area itself. The track and viewing area is clearly designed for spectators in mind. Instead of having separate bleacher areas, there is one massive bleacher (there are also some smaller bleachers on the other side, but most of the seating is on the main entrance) seating up to 5,000 people that goes up many rows and expands the length of the track. Each seat has an excellent view of the entire track. The entire track area is absolutely massive and there are literally hundreds of lights at top. There is a separate area with 4 lanes to do strides/warm-ups on. A few minor downsides- the seats aren't especially comfortable (I sat at the end of the room near windows on the more comfortable floor), many of the bathroom stall locks are broken (which is a shame given it's a brand new facility), it can get very loud and it's not a great warm-up area having to do at least half a mile on cement sidewalks before getting to a bike path. Overall, this is definitely the highest standard for a indoor track facility in the US, if not the world. 

Warm-up track

Facility Rating: A+

2025 Notes: This track and facility is amazing. It's really hard to beat. In both meets I did recently, there was zero bathroom line. The track is super fast, not sure why I felt otherwise in 2023. This will likely be the track I continue to compete at even though I'm not planning on full indoor seasons. I think there is a strong argument for this being the best indoor facility in the world, although of course I can not speak about every indoor facility in the world. A downside is that it's not easily accessible by public transportation. Yes, the commuter rail stop is right there but those only run every hour and the other 3 boston tracks are relatively close to subway stops. 

1. The Armory

New York, NY

200m- banked

# of Races Run: 4

-New Balance Nationals (HS)

-Twilight Indoor NYC
-NYRR Night at the Racesx2

Current PRs at this track: 0

03/10/2017 New Balance Nationals Indoor (5K)

It's hard to find something that is truly perfect but for indoor tracks, I can't imagine anything outdoing the armory. I've only raced there once but the track impressed me like no other. It's elevated, the surface feels new and fresh and the bank is at a perfect angle. That alone makes it the best track, but the atmosphere around the races is incredible. In three directions, the track is surrounding by stadium style seating that goes up several floors, the music/commentating is loud/vibrant and there's a even a jumbo screen in the center where you see yourself. Racing at the armory is an awesome experience that you can't find anywhere else. New Balance Nationals Indoor is certainly my favorite meet that I've been to in my track career.

2023 Notes: I don't have much to add this as my 2023 race went quite poorly. I didn't think much about how the track felt as I felt the race was set up poorly and just didn't go well which was where my thoughts were. 

Track Rating: A+

Facility: The facility is absolutely outstanding and compliments the excellent track perfectly. It doesn't face the seating problems many other tracks do as there are several levels of comfortable seats, most with a good view of the track. The place is absolutely massive and many floors often have different event-related items set up. I remember the indoor warm-up area was disgustingly crowded but that doesn't impact my rating as warming up outside was always an option.

2023 Notes: 

I still this is a fantastic facility, but The TRACK at New Balance shows what the A+ standard and the Amory isn't quite there. I really like the two levels of seating and it makes the second level a fun area to hang out and watch track. I prefer this over the single massive bleacher of the Track New Balance, although the viewing angles are certainly not as good. I like how the track is dark and is lit up rather than having bright windows. Entering the track area, the track feels so large and impressive that it's also intimidating. Entering the TRACK at New Balance is a cool feeling, but the Armory is more impressive. You can also eat while watching track at the Armory, but have to go behind the bleacher area to eat at New Balance (although there are TVs). The actually building and area is mediocre- not good for warm-ups indoor or outdoor. The bathrooms and indoor warm-up area is much better at TRACK at New Balance. Overall, these top two tracks definitely have the best atmosphere and spectator experience with a giant stadium like feel. The Armory just doesn't have the modern amenities of the New Balance building. 

Facility Rating: A

2025 Notes: It's a really hard decision for #1, I think both have small areas where they perform better. New Balance is a better facility overall as it's brand new and optimized for athletes and spectators. The Armory is an old brick building with seemingly broken windows and is often way too hot. Bathrooms at both are pretty good and you probably won't have to wait. These tracks host the premier US invites with New Balance Grand Prix and the Millrose Games. The New Balance track has a better indoor warm-up area and is better for outdoor warm-ups as well. The Armory is easier to get to via public transport as the subway stop is pretty close. 

I also think New Balance with the brand new track also gets the edge on track quality. So despite me ranking New Balance having a better track and facility, I still put Armory #1. The Armory track is actually pretty close in quality as it was recently resurfaced and now blue. The Armory is #1 for me as I think the setup feels more like a stadium atmosphere. There are multiple floors of seating with seats surrounding the track on every angle. The track is elevated and has a jumbotron screen in the middle. It's hard to explain but the feel of running on this track is like no other. The TRACK at New Balance is a brand new state of art facility with all of the bells and whistles, but the Armory is the original, historic track with a stadium atmosphere. 

New indoor facilities are popping up all around the country with new ones in Gainesville Florida and Indianapolis recently. I'm not an indoor track fanatic but it would definitely be cool to check out some new ones at some point. But given I've hit the major New England and NYC ones I have no plans to run on more new ones when I have such good facilities in my "backyard". I'm most interested in the new Ott Center at Penn in Philadelphia, but there are few open meets here and it doesn't make a lot of sense to go there over Armory or Track at New Balance. 

From an elite standpoints, I think these are the most relevant/"Big" indoor tracks for the US:

-Armory. The Millrose Games continues to be the premier indoor meet in the world.

-The Track at New Balance. New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, NCAA host last year and New Balance national indoors. 

-Boston University. The world's premier time trial track, often world/national records are chased here. But not as much of an emphasis on championship racing. 

-Ocean Breeze. This is not quite as relevant as the other three as it does not host a premier meet every year. But it has hosted multiple US championships including this year and I believe the New Balance grand prix for a year or two. 

-Albuquerque. This has hosted USAs and NCAAs multiple times.

-Arkansas. Several time NCAA host and records have been set here

Honorable mentions (good track, but have not yet hosted a world class meet): Birmingham, Gately, The Podium, Louisville, Virginia Beach

Historic track: Reggie Lewis Center. This was a premier track but the TRACK at New Balance has pretty much replaced it.

Riverhawk Invite- Weekly Log: January 20 to 26

Monday: 8 Miles- Exeter, RI

Arcadia loop with a few inches of snow on the ground.

Tuesday: 11 Miles- Westerly, RI

Watch hill workout. Slightly reduced volume with a race Friday. Did 10-3-2-1-30s tempo intervals on half rest. Cold day at 19 degrees, so wore tights for this which I hadn't done in a while. Definitely made things harder, felt especially slow/heavy on the 2 longest reps. Was able to get it going at a decent pace for the shorter ones.

Wednesday: 10 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Burlingame VG + Burlingame trail loop.

Thursday: 8 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Pre-race Ninigret. Legs were feeling pretty heavy.

Friday: 10 Miles- Boston, MA

Riverhawk Invite. I've already written a separate recap, so won't post much here. Race went well, but very packed/aggressive meant I hit the track hard in the final lap (after getting pushed). Unfortunately this one might be really memorable as a "what if (I didn't fall)" rather than what I actually accomplished. The 3K will stay in the back of my mind as I still haven't broken 8:40, so likely will take another stab at it next indoor season. I could race it again at the USATF-NE champs 2/23 but I think I'd rather just train.

Saturday: 11 Miles- Charlestown, RI

Ninigret recovery loop. Ninigret is perfect for about 8 miles, for 11 I have to wander around a bit and it gets boring. A lot of people out there, surprisingly. I think the trolls have definitely increased the number of visitors. 

Sunday: 18 Miles- Stonington, CT

Mystic long run with Andrew. Actually my first run in Connecticut since May, also a Mystic run with Andrew. Did 4 miles moderate/MP with Andrew. Normally we have separate workout paces but I didn't want to push too hard coming off the race. However, I wanted to get more than Tuesday's light workout and a race in. My legs felt pretty tired but aerobically it felt fairly easy.

Weekly Total: 77 Miles

Weekly Highlight: As frustrating as the race was, finally getting a 3K PR after 8 years without a PR is definitely a big highlight. Hoping I can reframe this in my head as a big success as right now I can only think about how disappointing it was to fall and miss out on sub-8:40. 

Weekly Lowlight: The previously mentioned fall. Sucked all the joy out of running a PR and my knees still have not recovered 1.5 weeks later.

Movies Watched: Civil War

January 2025 Races

I raced 4 times this January, with my schedule looking this:

1. Wednesday, January 1st- Millennium Mile: Londonderry, NH

2. Thursday, January 9th- NYRR Night at the Races 3K: New York, NY (Armory)

3. Saturday, January 11th- Joe Kleinerman 10K: New York, NY

4. Friday, January 24th- Riverhawk Invite 3K: Boston, MA (Track at New Balance)

Building this schedule I wanted to balance getting in races while also leaving enough time for marathon training. January might not be the best month for road races in the Northeast, but Boston and New York City have the best indoor tracks in the world. All of these were familiar venues as this would be my third time at Millennium, 2nd at Night at the Races and Riverhawk, and Joe Kleinerman was a NYRR event in Central Park. 

I signed up for Millennium a few weeks before - it was an easy decision: being on a Wednesday it wouldn't disrupt marathon training at all with my long run on Saturday, and it's a well organized cheap event. Good rustbuster opportunity. 

The NYC double sounded fun and Andrew was in. Signed up for Joe Kleinerman a ways out as the NYRR races sell out immediately. I figured I could use the 3K as a fitness check to see if attempting further indoor races was worth it. 

Riverhawk was a later decision contingent on success in NYC. I had also considered another meet at the Track at New Balance the prior weekend but opted against it as Riverhawk fit in better with my marathon training schedule. 

Millennium Mile

First up was Millennium. This was my 3rd consecutive year doing the race. Here is a table summarizing my placements, times from the last two years. In 2023 and 2024, this was my opening race as I hadn't raced since the fall and took time off after those races.

I was a little disappointed in 2023. This race has about 80' of net downhill and I thought I'd be able to break 4:30 but was okay with it as it was a rustbuster. In 2024 I went in zero expectations and was happy to perform close to my 2023 result with a lot less time to prepare. 

I had two things going for me in 2025: 

1) I had already raced. This wouldn't be my opening race of the season as I had run the 4x1600 5 days prior in 4:29. I wouldn't be quite as rusty and the race likely wouldn't hurt as much. 

2) I had a longer turnaround compared to 2024's race, meaning more time to train and get fit. 

I saw no reason I couldn't be under 4:30 for this one. I probably underperformed a little in 2023 and with a 4:29 1600m under my belt, the standard had to be raised for this year. 

It felt significantly colder than last year, although minimal wind. Similar to last year I warmed up with Andrew, did not feel great, and went a little too late having to rush to the line somewhat. Only got in 2 strides or so. Unlike last year, it was very easy to get a spot on the front line as everyone who lined up early politely stood back this time. Last year the start was quite chaotic but I felt much more at ease being able to line up in the front without any hands on me. Worth noting that last year's low 4:10s runners didn't return to the race, although I did recognize Aaron Lucci who I believe was 3rd in that race and 2nd the prior year, well ahead of me. I figured with the weaker field I could potentially nab 3rd and $50 but since I don't have the most reliable kick in shorter road races, I thought the most likely scenario was getting outkicked for money.

I wanted to go out controlled, but found myself just off the leaders right away and just hung there. No one went out that fast for the quarter mile and this year the race director was on a bike on the side filming us and yelled out the bonuses for each quarter mile. If you were first at each quarter mile and held onto win, you'd probably get $300 I believe. I was in about 5th and went out pretty hard in about 60-61 seconds if the markers are correct. Within contact of the leaders but not right there. It was snowing/raining but fairly light. Some guy surged for the quarter mile bonus just ahead of Lucci. 

Went through half mile in 2:07 according to the markers, which was definitely faster than last year. I remained intact but not close enough to let the leaders know I was there. I don't remember feeling all that uncomfortable at point. Once again, these guys surged and I remained steady. 

This was probably the most downhill quarter mile and a good spot to make a move. I accelerated slightly and moved into 3rd as another runner matched me and passed me. I thought Lucci would have another move and was surprised to come up on him, although he remained in the lead for the third quarter. 

I didn't think it was smart to wait until the last 200m, so I'd have to make a move now. The other guy seemed to be thinking the same thing. I may have briefly taken the lead as we both passed Lucci who was fading slightly, but it only lasted a few seconds as he pulled ahead. His move seemed definitive and I went more on the defensive, trying to figure out where Lucci was and try to hold onto second. With 200m to go I realized he hadn't put much ground on me and I was in slipstream. I had no intentions of trying to outkick and was again trying to keep an eye on whether I would be passed for 2nd. With under 100 I realized this guy did not have any other gears and I could actually go for the win. I passed pretty much with 50m to go which at that point I knew if I pulled ahead I would win and had just enough to cross the tape in first. 

Interesting scenario post-race: I was listed 2nd in the result which I assumed was an error. Turns out while I crossed the line first and won the race, the other runner didn't start on the line and beat me on chip time. While clearly he was better than me today, being on the line in a race like this is crucial and that mistake cost him the race. I got $150 for the win, and a mug so that was pretty cool. Ended up running 4:24, a slow time for the win but good time for me with an 8 second course PR. Definitely really happy with this one and executed really well. I was expecting to be faster and place higher, but wasn't expecting a 4:24 and certainly not the win. Kind of shock to me to get the win here. Results.

After experiencing about the worst chest discomfort of my life (just sat in the car for 10 minute in agony before it got better) did 7 miles cooldown with Andrew and headed home. Good start to the year!

NYC Races

Next up was the NYC double. The downside to running so well at Millennium was it put pressure on this meet. For a random late night meet, I now had to take it very seriously and perform. I take all races seriously, but I'd really have to lock in as this race could determine whether I go for a 3K PR later this month. 

I figured I should be able to run in the 8:45-8:50 range. This might be a little aggressive considering I've never run a 3K opener faster than 8:56, but my rationale was that last year I ran 4:33 at Millennium and 9:01 in the 3K at this meet 3 days later. This year I ran 9 seconds faster at Millennium - about 16 seconds for 3K. That would equal 8:45, and I'd have 8 days between races versus 3 last year. One issue with track versus road is pacing can be highly dependent on the heat you get in. Race goes out too fast or too slow the first 1K, the damage might be done already (either too much fatigue early or too much time to make up). 

I thought if I could run under 8:50 or pretty close, then it would be possible to take a PR attempt 1-2 weeks later with confidence. Well over 8:50 would mean a 10+ second improvement between meets which just might not be realistic. I definitely wanted to prove to myself that Millennium wasn't a fluke and I could run consistently well when it matters. 

Took the train down late morning and had a lot of time to kill as I wasn't racing until 9:05PM. I hate racing that late but sometimes those are the time windows. I actually think this was the latest I've ever raced. A few question marks on the warm-up: hamstring tightness/discomfort from doing some single leg squats the day before to improve knee pain, and the achilles discomfort I've been having for a few weeks now. Fortunately the hamstring felt much better at the completion of the workout, I felt the achilles on strides and early in the races but it definitely did not impact the outcome. 

Lined up on the track and got out really poorly, I'm terrible at gun starts/reactions and not an aggressive runner. My plan today was simple - 35s per lap/2:55 per 1K = 8:45 3K. The numbers come out nicely for that and there's no need for difficult math while racing. Got out decently in the 3rd to 5th range pretty quickly and went 35.3 for the first lap which was decently but it slowed to 71.6 through 400, barely sub-9 pace. Some guy moved ahead as he clearly wasn't okay with that pace. I had to put in a decent surge and quick lap to get up with him (34.4), but had the huge benefit of him pacing. Next two laps were 34.8 and 35.3 for 2:56.3 through 1K. A touch slow but pretty solid. The first 1K in a 3K should be pretty relaxed, but this was already feeling quite hard. I prepared myself to suffer and also fully expected that this pace would not be sustainable and I'd probably end up barely breaking 9. 

I had to break up the race mentally because I could not handle the idea of running this pace for 10 more laps. 35.4, 35.4, 35.7 for the next 3 laps going through the 1600m in 4:43. Not bad, but again slightly off goal pace and would need a negative split even for a sub-8:50. Next get through 2K in one piece. 35.1, 35.5 for 5:53 high through 2K. As much as I benefited from sitting on this guy and letting him do all the work, I had to make a move at some point especially to still have a chance of sub-8:50. I decided I would go with 3 to go. 35.2, 35.1. I was hanging on and definitely not ready to make a move. Okay, I'll go with 400m to go. 35.1. 7:39 through 2600. Still felt like I didn't have the gear to pass. I did some mental calculations and my goal was break 8:50. I finally tried to make a move going into one to go but he surged and I couldn't accelerate enough to pass. Ended up being right on him but never passing. 8:46.22 at finish, closed in 66.8 (32.8 final 200m). Results.

Definitely a really good performance, had some pressure on this race and 100% got it done. That one definitely hurt, but can't recall too many indoor 3Ks that felt comfortable. I benefitted enormously from running selfishly behind the leader and essentially got a perfectly paced race while getting to stay out of trouble pretty much the entire time. Which poses a slight challenge for the next one as there's a good chance I won't get that again. But certainly worth it to give the PR attempt a go. My fastest 3K opener by 10 full seconds and #2 time I've run. In short events like these, having a kick makes a huge difference. For example, my other 8:46 from 2023, I went through 2800 in about 8:10. But I had nothing in the tank and could only manage a 36 (a 34 or faster would have been a PR). Today I went through in 8:13, 3 seconds slower, but ran faster overall as my last lap was much faster. If I only had a 36 last lap today, I would have run an 8:49 (still good, but definitely nowhere near as good). 

Fast forward to Saturday morning. Achilles really bothered me on the pre-race but fortunately was only minimally uncomfortable for the race. Joe Kleinerman 10K in Central Park. Fortunately not much wind at all but pretty chilly at 27F for the start. Thought I had a lot of time but took a while to find the bag check, and then bag check line was ridiculously long. Had to rush the warm-up and it was really stressful trying to organize my race gear quickly. I was also really cold after stripping down and didn't warm-up until about 2 miles into the race. This race wasn't terribly important for me, but figured I'd shoot for the 5:20 range or so. Didn't think much about goal time. 

The race was much bigger than I anticipated and getting into the corrals was a challenge, but fortunately I was able to push up to the front. Like last time, Andrew and I were put in the second corral which pretty annoying as I'd finish ahead of 90% of people in the first corral. It had snowed slightly during the morning and I was concerned about slick surfaces as well as having an open course and people in the way, but these weren't big issues. The road was a little slippery from being wet. 

I went out pretty hard and my watch displayed 5:00 pace or better through the 1K. This course was rolling hills on the signature central park with about 300' of elevation gain. We hit the first hill towards the end of the mile and pace instantly plummeted to 5:50/6:00s. I didn't know where the hills were nor did I pay attention to the grade and started to think my day was over, especially after running the first mile in 5:18 despite running so much of that at sub-5 pace. Through 5K was pretty uncomfortable with some good rollers and it seemed like every time I looked at my watch I was running over 5:30 pace. I fully expected this one to be a dud with so much to run. Yet I still ran 5:18/5:12 for miles 2 and 3 and through 5K in 16:24. I only needed a 16:40 return to PR and 16:35 for a sub-33. The race was back on in my mind. 

This race had prize money for the top 5, and I thought I could probably get top 5, although I knew I'd be ineligible for prize money as you have to be an NYRR member at time of registration. I still kept my mind on the places. 1st and 2nd were gone quickly, but 3rd to 5th remained pretty close as I passed into 6th near the 5K mark. Much of the race felt like a hard tempo as there was little to differentiate on the course, being on the same winding and rolling road the entire time. I went through Mile 4 in a 5:17 and just over my official 4 mile PR. Hit a substantial hill at 4.5 and felt like I was shutting down and would have nothing for the final. Also got passed here, moving back to 7th. 5:18 for Mile 5. Last mile was pretty flat/slight downhill and this time when I looked at my watch the pace was usually decent (sub-5:10). Around the 5.7 mile mark, 3 to 6th all remained within 100 meters or so, especially 4th to 6th and I started to accelerate and make my move. Seemingly everyone else made their move at the same time. I had slowly watched 6th place close in on the money and fully expected to blow by 4th and 5th. Yet everyone had a strong finish today and we all finished in the position we were in at mile 5. I didn't lose much ground, but wasn't gaining either.

I had forgot about time entirely and passed through 300m to go at 32:30 or so - I knew a PR was gone and I'd probably be around 33:30. Except I checked my watch and saw it approaching 32 minutes and realized I had read/processed the clock info wrong. Sprinted it in for a 25 second PR and 7th place finish of 32:40. 16:16 final 5K. Another good run. 5:03 close, almost certainly my fastest last mile in a 10K. Paced this one really well even though it didn't feel like at the time. Results. 

Riverhawk Invite

Two weeks came and went quickly and now it was time for a 3K PR attempt. This was the first time in recent memory I felt confident that I could actually do it. I've had this PR for 8 years, meaning a lot of disappointing races over the distance. In 2023, I thought I had a shot (twice) but couldn't quite get it done. 

I felt pressure for the last 3K, but a significant amount for this one. Future attempts at the 3K this season would likely take away from marathon training. This felt like a PR or bust situation. If I didn't do it today, there's a good chance I'd have to wait until next year and probably think about that for a long time. 

I was super nervous for this one. I estimated I'd race at 3:30PM based off the time schedule and arrived in Boston around 2:05PM. I realized I immediately had to go warm-up as I'd be racing at 3:05PM due to running ahead of schedule, and even worse putting 23 people in one heat. This pretty much guaranteed I would not have a clean race like last week and a high likelihood of dealing with a lot of traffic and non-ideal pacing. I think I was the only unattached athlete in my heat which was intimidating racing against college athletes. I had to rush to get over to the track, get spikes on and then quickly we were up. I felt sluggish on the warm-up and really did not want to be there racing a high-pressure 3K against 22 college runners. 

I wanted to approximately run 2:54s for an 8:42. Unlike 8:45/2:55s this comes out a lot less cleanly meaning more challenging lap calculation. I knew it was approximately 69s 400s and sub-4:40 through the 1600m. I knew there was definitely the potential that this race would go out really fast and with 23 people, I figured it was best to just out the back and judge the pace/splits from there. Even if I wanted to go fast, the two people next to me stuck their elbows out immediately so it would be impossible or painful to get out well. I went out in near last as I was hitting about 35 seconds 200s. I did some cheers from old UNH teammates which was nice to have. I ran a few laps at the back before it seemed a little too slow and gradually moved up, which was a challenge in this massive pack. Hit the 1K in 2:55, slightly slow but very much still in it. I got about mid-pack when there was significant elbowing and pushing going between runners in lane 1, so I stayed in lane 2 for some of the passes. Probably 1-2 laps of running in lane 2 to try to stay out of trouble, but there was occasionally someone would cut in front of me or maybe I'd do something similar. Went through the 1600m in about 4:40 and regained a position in lane 1. Probably in 8th place or so at this point.

The leaders made their move and all of sudden it was probably 2 seconds faster per lap which was too much for me to handle. I remained in striking distance but got gapped quickly and had to grind out some laps in no man's land. The pace did get a bit quicker hitting 2K in 5:48. I was able to reattach myself to a chase pack with about 4 to go, and started making some small moves with 3 to go. I hit 800 to go around 6:23, noting I'd need about a 2:20 for a PR and couldn't let up. 400 to go was maybe 7:31 or 7:32. I didn't process the splits until I hit 200 to go in 8:04. I realized I was going to PR as I only needed a 39 second last lap. In fact, I had a pretty good shot at sub-8:40. That thought didn't last long as I felt a hand push me forward. At that level of exertion, I couldn't stay upright and fell on the track on my knees and used my hands to stop the fall, and quickly got back up and continue running. This felt like slow motion. When I got back up, I had lost all my momentum and my legs felt extremely heavy. I was also in a mental panic as it felt I had a PR locked up and I had no idea what would happen. Last 150m felt brutal, just willing my legs to go as I got passed by 7-8 runners. I looked up at the board in fear the final 50m, fortunately I did get there before it hit 8:44.

8:41.64 for exactly a 3 second PR. Results. I was processing this one for a while. I finally took down an 8-year old that I tried many times and failed to beat. But it felt completely overshadowed by the fact I very nearly ran an 8:37 or 8:38, but the fall took that way. I was shook up a bit physically as my knees were scraped up and hands bruised. I also didn't feel great about a Vermont runner telling me "F**k you" after the race. Kind of confused what that's about given I'm pretty sure I didn't push any one and I was in lane 1 when fell. I feel like any pushing during the race is largely the fault of the race organizers or whoever decided to put 23 people in the heat. When the heats get overstuffed, people are going to get pushed and fall. 

It's hard to write a post-race recap on this. Huge positive of getting the PR, huge negative of nearly having a huge race but coming up just short and settling for a great one with a major flaw instead. I feel being unable to run a PR for 8 years was eating at me somewhat and now this race will haunt me instead. Only way to get rid of that feeling is to go out and break 8:40, but at this point I'd really like to focus on the marathon and there's no guarantee that if I simply start another 3K I'll run a similar race. Just super frustrating. I waited 8 years for this moment and can't even derive any satisfaction from it.