Running is the purest of sports, enthusiasts boast. They can do it anywhere; all they need is a pair of shoes. So why do so many runners get in long-run ruts? 

Peek at a marathoner’s log. Chances are the long run, a key training stimulus for building endurance, starts and finishes at the same spot week after week.

Tried and true terrain is convenient, but part of distance running’s appeal is feeling the freedom and wonder of roaming along in the world. It’s hard to get that sense of exploration on a route where each bump in the road is as familiar as your reflection in the mirror.

Varying long-run routes also improves training. Runners can mastermind excursions that simulate race courses, offer challenging hills, provide mile markers for the Garmin-less to plot their paces or showcase different sights to boost motivation.

Next time your legs long for a different long and winding road to run, consider making strides on one of several favorite routes of Northeast Ohio runners:

Hinckley

Known simply as Hinckley, the Medina County route circumnavigating the Cleveland Metroparks Hinckley Reservation is notorious for its relentless climbs and steep downhills. Local running lore says that being able to finish the 10-mile road loop twice indicates readiness for any marathon.

Auto traffic is a factor on the Hinckley route, so stay on the shoulder for safety. The course is versatile, with options to shorten, repeat in the opposite direction or add miles on the metroparks’ all-purpose trail.

The classic Hinckley loop starts from the parking area between Bellus Road and Metropark East Drive, where there’s a portapotty. Run west on Bellus Road to Hinckley Hills Road. Follow Hinckley Hills Road southwest to Kellogg Road. Go south on Kellogg Road to Ledge Road. Run east on Ledge Road, turning north on Medina Line Road. At Harter Road, head west and continue climbing as Harter Road becomes Parker Road. Turn west at Bellus Road, then south at State Road to Metropark East Drive, which returns to the starting point.

Towpath Trail

The popular Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail may be Hinckley’s polar opposite. The towpath is flat and traffic-free, except for cross-country skiers, pedestrians and cyclists. Restrooms and water are available regularly along the path.

Though they aren’t accurate to the meter, small, stone columns mark each mile beginning from the trail’s northernmost point on Harvard Street, just south of Cleveland. Scenery along the towpath evolves from industrial yards to farm fields to shady forest flanking the Cuyahoga River to urban architecture as it stretches south of Akron.

Despite the varied landscape, many people get bored running a straight line. A fun route that breaks up a towpath long run starts heading north from Lock 29 in Peninsula. On Boston Mills Road leave the path to climb east to Summit County Metroparks’ Bike & Hike Trail. Follow it northwest to Holzhauer Road in Sagamore Hills. Continue south to the Old Carriage Trail connector and follow it 2.5 miles down to the towpath.

For a 15-mile route, take the short leg of the Old Carriage Trail down to the towpath and back to Lock 29. To get 20.5 miles, run the long leg of Carriage trail to the towpath, then north to Station Road Bridge in Brecksville before turning.

With no water between Boston and Brecksville, carrying fluids is recommended.

Note: The National Park Service has closed the three bridges on the Old Carriage Trail in Sagamore Hills for an indefinite period of time. The Old Carriage Trail will remain open except for bridge access. Engineers with the Federal Highway Administration have determined the three bridges to be unsafe for pedestrian traffic due to accelerated deterioration on structural portions of the bridges. A more detailed engineering analysis was to occur in January to determine the course of action to repair or replace the bridges.

Black River Reservation

The Black River Reservation in Lorain County debuted an extension to its Bridgeway Trail in 2008, creating a 5.5-mile, multi-use, paved path that can be retraced to add up to any distance long run. The trail’s southern access starts from the Bur Oak picnic area near Elyria, finishing at Colorado Avenue in Lorain. Two bridges span the Black River, highlighting views of the river’s waters, cliffs and valley.

Waite Hill

Lake County highlights the rolling parklands of Waite Hill village with a 10K route beginning from Pleasant Valley Park, a small Chagrin River access site off Pleasant Valley Road north of Chardon Road in Willoughby Hills. Follow Pleasant Valley Road east to Dodd Road as it curves to intersect with Eagle Road. Run east along Eagle Road, turning north on Smith Road. Continue east on Waite Hill Road to Hobart Road. Follow Hobart Road south just past Chapin Falls Lane, the turnaround point.

Shaker Lakes Park

An approximately 15 mile out-and-back route with a city feel starts from Shaker Lakes Park in Shaker Heights. Begin running west and north on North Park Boulevard near Upper Shaker Lake. The road becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Drive before passing University Circle. Continue north on MLK Drive to take in the cultural memorials of Rockefeller Park on the way to Gordon Park’s view of Lake Erie, the turnaround.

Emerald Necklace

Complete your new long-run “wardrobe” with a little jewelry: the Emerald Necklace, a 50-plus-mile chain of Cleveland Metroparks all-purpose trails and parkway roads starting at Rocky River’s Marina and ending at the Chagrin River. Choose any link for an out-and-back or point-to-point journey.

The Rocky River and Mill Creek Run Reservations house popular flat segments. For hills, try Brecksville or the undulating section between Bedford and South Chagrin reservations. All include ample parking, with water (available spring through fall) and restroom facilities every few miles.

Andrea Thomas is a faculty member of Cuyahoga Community College’s sport and exercise studies program, a fitness writer and a finisher of 10 marathon or longer distance races, including the Boston Marathon.

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