Now that it’s finally nice out again, it’s time to bring your workout outdoors! And Wilmington has so many beautiful parks, beaches, and neighborhoods; there are no excuses. If you’re an avid runner like me, it can be easy to get into a monotonous routine of running the same route at the same pace over and over again. While there’s nothing wrong with consistency, I always find taking new routes a great way to explore the area around me as well as to challenge my body with new terrain. Here’s a list of a few places to hit up around the area while the weather is gorgeous.
1. The Loop (duh)
I feel like I shouldn’t even have to say this one, but if you haven’t been, change that! The loop is an easy 2.5 mile pavement path that takes you right over our glittering intracoastal waterway.
2. Wrightsville Beach (Part I)
If you’re looking for a really good leg workout, run on a beach! Running in loose sand requires the use of a lot more leg muscles than running on pavement, and I promise you will feel it the next morning. If you are looking for an easier run but still want to be seaside, running closer to the water where the sand is more compact will do the trick! (Disclaimer: Running in loose sand may also lead to a higher incidence of rolled ankles…go hard or go home, am I right?)
3. Wrightsville Beach (Part II)
If you would rather avoid sand entirely, running the length (or part) of the island is also doable. Wrighstville roads are mostly pedestrian friendly, with sidewalks extending the busiest sections of the four mile long terrain. Running from the southern to northern end will not only get you in shape, but give you some fantastic views of the intracoastal and marshland as well.
4. On Campus!
People are often surprised when I say that I run half of the time on campus. But, UNCW is large enough that you can create up to a 6 mile loop around campus without ever leaving pavement. Or, you can adjust the paths you take and make yourself a nice 1 mile route too. This does not even include the portions of our campus that are forested, like the areas behind the Village and Landing. Over in these areas are some well cleared paths, as well as the Cross City Trail (see below), which you can take from campus all the way to Wrightsville Beach!
5. Cross City Trail
The UNCW portion of the Cross City Trail alone is about 2.9 miles, but it extends much further than our campus. You can find sections of the trail all around Wilmington, from Rose Avenue right behind our university to busy Independence Boulevard. While the trail is still incomplete, you can certainly rack up miles along the sections that are already done.
6. Parks
There are too many nice parks in Wilmington to be able to name them all out! All of the parks in care of the city of Wilmington are well maintained and have clearly marked paths, though most are not more than 3 miles long. Among my favorites are Hugh MacRae, Halyburton, and Carolina Beach State Park.
7. Downtown
Probably one of the only places in the area where you can find a hill to workout on, the streets of downtown are lengthy and numerous enough to challenge any runnner. Getting to pass alongside some beautiful historic homes is not a bad deal either.
8. RiverWalk
While the RiverWalk technically is part of the downtown experience, taking the boardwalk is much different than pounding pavement. Though part of it is currently under construction, there is still a lengthy enough way for any runner to enjoy!