Triangle offers many locations perfect for marathon training

Here are some great places around the Triangle to train for the upcoming Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in Raleigh.

Posted 3:04 p.m. Feb 19, 2014 — Updated 3:04 p.m. Feb 19, 2014

Caitlin Zanga

RALEIGH, N.C. — With the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon coming up in just under two months, it's important to have a good training regimen. Here are some great places around the Triangle to train for the upcoming run.

Many parks in the area offer miles of trails, both paved and unpaved, that are great for a scenic and peaceful run.

Lake Benson Park in Garner has 1.8 miles of trails, both asphalt and gravel, and is connected to White Deer Park across the street. The outer paved loop of White Deer Park is exactly one mile long.
Lake Lynn Park in Raleigh has 2.8 miles of greenway trails.
Lake Johnson Park in Raleigh has 3.5 miles of paved greenway trails and 1.9 miles of unpaved trails.
Lake Crabtree County Park in Morrisville has 16 miles of trails of varying difficulties.
Umstead Park in northwest Raleigh has trails to run or hike, and some have serious hills. This could be a good bet on a cross training day.

Trails and greenways will offer longer routes that better suit those who are further along in their training.

The American Tobacco Trail in Durham offers about 20 miles of trails.
The Capital Area Greenway System in Raleigh has 28 individual trails, adding up to over 100 miles of trails.

For a change of scenery, try running at your nearest college or university. They have miles of pavement and some great sites – the N.C. State Belltower, The Old Well at UNC, and Duke Chapel, just to name a few.

To avoid crowds, run these routes on weekends or in the evenings when there are fewer people on campus (and more parking spots are available).

You can also join up with a run club so you don't have to train alone.

Team V is now the only way to get into the sold-out Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, if you haven't already. You can also join Team V even if you have already signed up for the race. They meet up for weekly group runs around the Triangle for both half and full marathon training.
The nOg Run Club meets every Monday at Tir na nOg in downtown Raleigh. It's nearly free ($1) to join.
The Boss Run Club meets weekly at Big Boss Brewery for runs along the Capital Area Greenway. You can also get beer-related perks based on attendance.
The Fullsteam Ahead Run Club meets every Wednesday at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham. They have different routes and mileage options.

Some of my runner friends also recommended these areas as some of their favorites for a run:

The Oberlin/Saint Mary's neighborhood in Raleigh, stretching from Hillsborough Street up to Cameron Village and Five Points.
The area just north of downtown Raleigh, around Peace Street and into the Oakwood and Mordecai neighborhoods.
N.C. State's Centennial Campus and down to Lake Raleigh.

These are just a few of the great areas to train in the Triangle – please share your favorite places to run in the comments section to the right!

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