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The Best Places to Run Outdoors

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Duke chapter.

With all the stresses of schoolwork, running is a way for students to relax and escape from long nights of problem sets and endless reading assignments.  While many people prefer to run at the gym, others enjoy exercising in the great outdoors.  Duke has many nearby running spots, which I have described in greater detail below.

The Al Buehler Trail is a very popular destination for avid runners.  This 2.91-mile loop surrounds a beautiful golf course.  Situated close to West Campus, this course is a convenient place for upperclassmen to come when they want to get in a good run but do not have the time to travel far.  Before embarking on this trail, be mindful that it is quite hilly and is more appropriate for experienced runners.

 
Another great place to run is the trail around East Campus.  This 1.7-mile course is very convenient for freshmen, who can head out for a quick run before morning classes.  This course is flat, so it is doable by anyone, even those who are new to running.

 
The trail running from East to West Campus on Campus Drive is another place to run.  The course is 1.8 miles long from the Washington Duke statue on East to the Chapel on West.  If you are feeling especially ambitious on your run, you can run back to your campus, for a grand total of 3.6 miles.  However, for those of you who prefer shorter, less extensive runs, you can opt to take the C1 back!
 
Other nearby running spots include the Sarah P. Duke Gardens and the American Tobacco Trail.  Both of these options offer beauty, as well as a variety of paths, so you can choose your mileage!

With the wonderful weather Duke has to offer almost year-round, running outdoors is a great way to relieve stress and get active.  This collection of running trails can help you do just that!

Photo Sources: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=al+bueler+trail&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1279&bih=645&tbm=isch&tbnid=vLqxUneQcRMKaM:&imgrefurl=

http://www.livelaugheat.com/2009/11/03/run-with-me/&docid=d56poI5VYyIySM&w=360&h=480&ei=H3SCTq7MAdGbtwff0dn8AQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=422&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=95&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:0&tx=6&ty=48

Sabrina is a Junior at Duke University, and is double majoring in English and Public Policy. A born and bred South African, Sabrina has traveled to the USA to pursue her higher education. As well as being a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Sabrina is also Assistant Vice President for Recruitment for the Panhellenic Association at Duke. Sabrina has written for Duke's daily newspaper, The Chronicle and Duke's fashion magazine, FORM. After graduating, she hopes to attend law school preferably in her favourite city, New York. In her spare time, Sabrina vegges out to various fashion blogs, mindless TV (Pretty Little Liars anyone?) and online shopping (which borders on an addiction). If you manage to catch her in an energetic mood, she's probably on her way to cardiodance (or to the nearest mall).