THE BEST RUNNING TRAILS OF EUGENE: PRO TRIATHLETE APPROVED

The McKenzie River Trails

You might be in town this weekend for Track and Field Nationals… or you just might be in my neck of the woods. If you happen to “run” through Eugene- here’s where you can run and which trails I use for different workouts.

1. The McKenzie River Trail

I list this trail first because it is hands down the best place to do your long run. It is beyond gorgeous, the trails are solid, and the imagery you experience is breathtaking. The McKenzie River Trail is about a 45 minute drive out from Eugene, but it’s beyond worth it every time. I park at the ranger station or the trailhead. Be sure to bring a hydration belt. You can literately run on the out and back trail 26 miles out and 26 miles back. There is a slight elevation on the way up but it’s hardly noticeable. I go to these trails to escape and be in the heart of some of the most amazing forestry in the world… and such peace. My running is almost turned into therapeutic and spiritual when running on this trail. It’s that epic. Conrad Stoltz 4x XTERRA Champion even says that these are the best trails he's mountain biked on- in the world. And Runners World ranks this as #2 best running trail in the world as well if you don't want to take my word for it.

2. Pre’s Trails

These are the infamous trails where Prefontaine would do is training, and you can now run on them by the Willamette River. They’re cedar bark trails and they feel amazing to run on. I do longer tempos on these. They often have XC races on Pre’s Trails. And you get to run by the infamous Autzen Stadium. You won’t miss it. Pre’s Trails can be looped onto Alton Baker Park’s sidewalk and cedar trails too. Eugene is known for it’s endless trail links. Eugene indeed has places to run. Even in town- pretty much everywhere.

3. Alton Baker Park

You can follow the Solar System- no really. There are planets along the pathways that are distanced and sized to resemble how far away each of them are and put them into perspective. There’s also a lot of wildlife and sculptures along the way. The world’s first bike suspension bridge also looms into Alton Baker Park. Alton Baker is a good place to park as well- it leads to the Riverbank Trails and Pre’s trails. Basically, it’s an amazing/ horrible stopping point, as you’ll have to choose where to go. Decisions, decisions….

4. Ridgeline Trails

I like heading up to the Ridgeline Trails after I start out from the Amazon Rexius Trails. Ridgeline boasts some awesome vertical climbs and launches you up into the foothills of the mountains surrounding Eugene. There are so many access points, so many loops, so you’re bound to find lots of “real” trail running in the woods. I love these for my recovery or duration runs.

5. Amazon Rexius Trails

I love the flat, cedar Rexius Trails in particular for tempo work. There are milepost signs, and the track meters are broken down. There’s also a track close by- the South Eugene Track where you can warm up and cool down on these awesome trails too if you need speed work. Adidas stepped in and had to make some sort of trails in the birthplace of Nike. There are water fountains, bathrooms and a parking lot. Very convenient place close to the University of Oregon.

6. The River Bank Trail

I LOVE these! They start less than a mile away from where I live- and there’s the East and West bank, with water fountains along the way. I usually start on these for my long runs and tempos and then head into Alton Baker Park then onto Pre’s and loop back. The River Bank Trails are paved, but they are ever changing and very scenic. The houses along the paths are breathtaking… and sometimes make me want to climb onto their awesome patio furniture and chill. They are the most inviting paved trails around here and they run up and down the Willamette River on both sides and have many bridges for transport back and forth over them. These are definitely my classic go-to trails. I NEVER have to stop at a stoplight. I can just keep running for miles linking all of them together, with water and bathrooms if needed along the way.

7. Hendricks Park

Close to campus, Hendricks park as an awesome hill that the University of Oregon XC and Track use for hill repeats. I have the U of O Triathlon club do hill repeats here as well. They love it. It’s a good short-looped running park. The trails are shorter but if you want to run to and around the park, do some hill repeats. This park is super close to campus so it’s a good option to get up into the hills quickly. And it is THEE oldest park in Eugene. Beautiful.

Enjoy the many paths you can take in Eugene. These aren't all of them, but these are the most popular and the trails I train on the most. You're bound to always see more runners than you can count on your fingers. It's the culture of Eugene, so you know we'd do it right.