i’ll be there for work at the end of october - without a bike - but hoped to get in one or two great runs and if the cycling is that good there and i can rent a bike, do that as well.
are there any great spots to run in co sprints (trail is fine too) or do i need to go to the mecca? speaking of, how far is boulder?
Boulder is pretty far from CO Springs. There are plenty of good spots to run in the Springs. Check out the Garden of the Gods. I wouldn’t spend the time hiking up to Boulder just to run or bike as it’ll take quite a while to get there.
The Springs is fine. After all, it’s good enough for the Olympic Training Center… Speak to ShawnF, as I believe he lives in the Springs.
One of the most interesting places to run in the area is the Barr Trail that runs from Manitou Springs to the top of Pike’s Peak. It’s the Pike’s Peak Marathon course. How hospitable it will be in late October is questionable, so you’ll want to check the conditions. There are nice descriptions of pretty much every section of the trail at skyrunner.
You might also check the USA Track & Field running routes site.
Go to Garden of the Gods Hike or run up Pikes peak Check out the OTC
.
Don’t know if this appeals to you, but there’s a velodrome where you can rent a track bike:
http://coloradousac.org/track/
.
Garden of the Gods as mentioned!
Visit my family 
good suggestions - keep em coming.
about going to otc - what’s to see?
good suggestions - keep em coming.
about going to otc - what’s to see?
There are guided tours during which you can walk around the grounds while someone (an athlete/volunteer? I don’t know where they find the guides) explains how the OTC came to be, how it operates, etc. There’s also a gift shop where you can, e.g., buy t-shirts for your kids that read “Beijing 2008”, “future Olympian”, etc. (not that I would ever do such a thing!). Lastly, if you ask the right person nicely enough you might get a chance to see the USOC’s Sports Science lab (which looks like almost any other, actually, but it’s still interesting) or USA Swimming’s flume (which I’ve actually never seen).
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to eat in the cafeteria, which IMHO is the best thing about visiting there…
The folks that suggested Garden of the Gods are spot on. It won’t however be an easy run. You’re either going up or down. You can run on the wide paved (asphalt) bike lane or on the different trails (recommended). There are a bunch of different trails so you won’t have enough time to hit them all. My personal favorite trail in CO Springs is Ute Valley Park. There are a couple of steep uphills, the obvious downhills that follow and some flats. There’s a great 1 mile loop within it but you can get many more miles in on the surrounding trails if you’re so inclined. If you’re looking at something flat & easy, the trail at North Monument Valley Park or the Santa Fe Trail (that runs on the outside edge of the Air Force Academy) meets that criteria. If you’re here on October 28th, there happens to be a great trail race in Ute Valley Park that takes that loop I mentioned above. See www.pprrun.org for details. This running club website also has more info on trails for you. Enjoy our city!!
He could stop at USAT too! They are on Garden of th Gods Rd.
are the trails well marked at the gardens on the gods?
Got to do the incline just once. It’s an old cog railroad path with the rails gone. Approx. one mile that seams straight up. The steps are not even and every step is different. You can run up it and then come back down on the trails. Most intense workout I have ever done. Took me around 27 min. to get up it.
Info on trails here:
http://www.trailsandopenspaces.org/trails/index.htm
I second the recommendation to do the Ute Valley race if you’re here at that time. Lots of fun!
Depending on how much you want to run, you can get to most places by starting at Monument Valley Park. Going south you can cross under I-25 and head west into Bear Creek Park - or you can keep going south for about as far as you want as the trail goes at least 15 miles in that direction. Going north you can go all the way to Palmer Lake - about 20 miles. A couple miles north you can access the Templeton Gap trail taking you several miles east into Palmer Park and the many trails there. At almost the same spot, you can access the Sinton Trail going west, which can take you to the Foothills Trail and that can take you into Garden of the Gods Park. You can also run over I-25 almost directly from the start in Monument Valley Park going west, then north to Sonderman Park and the Mesa Valley Trail up to Mesa Road and down to Garden of the Gods Park.
Or if you’re not up to running that far, you can rent a MTB and ride on any or all of these trails.
Barr Trail is a good run, but it’s all uphill until you turn around to come down. Depending on where you’re coming from that may be more than you want to tackle.
The trails are marked but not frequently because it’s not neccesary. The trails clearly stand out from the other ground because the parks and rec department has a staff that only does that kind of work. The Garden is a very fragile place so they do everything they can to keep people on the trail. I think there are more signs that says to stay on trail than actual trail markers. Remember, you have a 14,000+ foot landmark to sight off in Pikes Peak. Also, the trails are never more than 2-3 minutes from some road so it’s impossible to get lost. I park at the first lot within the park (on your left, not the visitors center which is just outide the park) and run due north accross the road (about 50 ft) and catch up with the trail. You can go east or west and just play with it. You can run the road within the park for about 7 miles and you will be treated to some stunning beauty. Have fun with the altitude!
I second the idea of the incline. Great quad workout!. I ran up as much as I could, then I ran down the path that the Pikes Peak marathon is on. When I got up to the top of the incline, I met up with a couple guys who knew the area and we saw some awesome lookouts. I wish I was going. I’ve always had fun out there!
3rd on the Incline. The suggestion of going down Barr Trail is good too. Looking out the window and there’s a pretty good dusting of snow above tree line. Something to consider. I believe the track is already closed for the season (not certain tho’). I think Bicycle Village and Criterium bikes both rent, best to call them. Air Force Academy is a great place for road riding, mountain biking, and trail running. Big shoulders and not as much traffic as in town. It also has Falcon Trail and a huge chunk of the Sante Fe Trail, which are both great running. Let me know if you have any questions.
Regarding the OTC and the flume- I’m fairly certain that the flume has been uuuh filled in…
For trail running/hiking, I would agree with the majority that the Incline is great for the way up and the Barr Trail for the way down- when you get to the top of the stairs, I suggest aiming to your left and heading down the trail (it looks cleared right in front of you as well, and it might get you down eventually, but I’ve never been able to navigate that myself!) Depending on how many days you have, and if you’ve got a car, I also suggest Waldo Canyon- 6.5 miles (out and back and 3.5 mile loop)- for some absolutely beautiful views and a lot less people. It’s located just a few miles past the Manitou Springs exit (for Barr Trail/incline) with the parking lot literally a pull-off from Hwy 24. Check out www.inclineclub.com for a map of Waldo Canyon and other trail runs. And if you’re here the wknd of Oct 27/28, there’s a fun low-key 6 mile trail race that Sunday www.pprrun.org in a park in the northern part of town. (woops just noticed other people already mentioned that to you!)
Everybody has pretty much hit the highlights. I don’t see any reason to go up to Boulder (it’s about 60-70 miles, or so). Plenty of cool stuff in the Springs. Make sure you take a stroll through Manitou Springs. Very cool area. The train up to the top of Pike’s Peak is nice; about $30/person and it takes about 2-3 hours.
i might do the race on sunday - great suggestion. my only “fear” is that coming in from atlanta i don’t know how the altitude will affect me. i don’t want to be that guy
throwing up on the side of the trail after a mile. is there anything else i need to see in the springs - restaurants, etc?
Regarding the OTC and the flume- I’m fairly certain that the flume has been uuuh filled in…
Seriously? Someone needs to tell the USOC to update their website, then: