Great Places to Run in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas, a city with a population of just over 650,000, is probably best know for its live music reputation and The University of Texas, but for avid runners the trails of Austin are tough to beat anywhere in the U.S.

A favorite location of many Austinites is the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. This giant park contains just over ten miles of hiking and biking trails. The trails are dirt and light gravel over much of the distance, a bone-cushioning relief for high-mileage runners, and are lined on both sides with dense oak trees. The area is well-traveled and safe (though runners should exercise caution and common sense when running after dark or alone).

The trail runs in a circle around Town Lake, a name given to the portion of the Colorado River that runs through downtown Austin and is bounded by two dams, Tom Miller Dam to the west and Longhorn Dam to the east.

One unique aspect of the Town Lake Trail is the huge variety the trail provides. The trail can accommodate any mileage that a runner may wish for. Six pedestrian bridges or protected walkways cross Town Lake forming six loops of varying distance. The multiple circles bring you back to your car without having to retrace your steps. The variations for the high-mileage runner are limitless.

Another easy extension to the Town Lake trail is to continue up Lake Austin Blvd. Sidewalks and bike lanes line most of Lake Austin Blvd to the boat docks on Lake Austin. This path will bring the runner by two great running landmarks in the City of Austin: RunTex (2201 Lake Austin Blvd), which sells running gear of all kinds and provides expert advice, and Magnolia CafÃ?© (2304 Lake Austin Blvd), where many a Austin runner has refueled on Magnolia’s World Famous Pancakes (my favorite is gingerbread).