Morning, friends! ☀️ It’s coooolllllld here in Atlanta, where we woke up earlier to temperatures in the low 30s; hopefully that’ll change by later today and we’ll have sunny, clear skies.
For our first Friday thread discussion of 2024, I thought I’d throw out a question I love to ask because it shows where we’re all scattered around the planet — over the years, I’ve heard from readers in just about every state, plus Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Jerusalem, Tajikistan, India, Italy, France, Poland, Lithuania… the list goes on and on and on.
Some of you have already used these threads to meet up for races in person — which is awesome! — and I love it because it gives us the chance to get to know each other better, and perhaps meet up to run together in person, whether it’s for a race or to set up a weekend running group.
And since we’ve had lots of new people sign up since the new year began, I thought I’d ask: where are you from/where do you live out there in the world? Where do you love to run? 😀 — Terrell
Hello from the NW corner of Iowa! Just a small town in the middle of the fields. A loop around the very edge town will get me 3 miles so a lot of my longer runs are on rural county roads.
Hello from the UK! I’m in Peterborough which is 45 mins north of London. I moved up here from London last year. I’m training for the Boston Marathon - Boston UK that is (the original Boston as the locals like to say). Fewer hills.
From Orland Park, IL (30ish miles south west of Chicago). I love running through the neighborhoods and we have a great running/walking/biking trail system that connects the neighborhoods and forest preserves throughout Chicagoland!
Sounds like a big diverse group. Thanks for putting us all together. Hoping 2024 gives me the chance to run more miles and slim up some. My weather in Western Ky is crazy and my sinuses at the moment don’t know what to do. Spend the weekend on couch - so much sinus pressure. Hoping cold spell will help. So cool reading what everyone had to say! Have a great week
I’m just outside of Vancouver in Canada. From my house I can run to a relatively flat river path, a winding lake trail that’s 10k around, or up a mountain. I have been running for years *very* casually but started running with a couple of neighbours in 2019 and we really ramped up our training during lockdown! We did a few 10ks on our own in 2020-2021, then scaled back when we all went back to work. I ran my first 10k since then last September (Under Armour Eastside 10k in Vancouver) - without my run buddies - and plan to do it again this year, hopefully with them!
I’m partly in Annapolis, partly Baltimore. Next up: Annapolis Half Marathon, March 9. Husband is running Boston in April. I’m thinking of signing up for a couple Half’s in other cities this year for the fun of travel and discovery.
Hi Terrell, All your readers should be heaping praise on you for your encouragement and literary talent. I'm sure the newsletter is keeping a lot of runners on the road. You are more than welcome to come visit - I bought a 4-bedroom house for a reason! You could tack on a few days trip here (2 hr. fast train London to Liverpool|) when you do London Marathon! It's the best in the world for organization and runner support. I ran it twice and got in thru a Boston company that buys a block of tickets. London is a lottery so best way for a confirmed entry is with them. And it actually was hot and humid on one occasion - you'd feel right at home. Lashing down rain the other time but great for keeping cool.
Hailing from Gainesville, FL! Sounds like there’s some other Florida folks around! I like this group particularly because it feels like a culture around running for enjoyment, challenge, health, but on a reasonable scale. It’s not over the top, go go go, more of the efficiency culture that most of us live and breathe these days.
I'm in Central Florida, Lakeland-ish. I'd love to meet up with other "Floridians" (is there really a such thing? 😉) I'm also looking for a Georgia race, maybe in May. Any suggestions?
Good things come to those who wait. I still call her my bride. She says at 74 she's too old to be a bride. I just tell her she will be my bride until my last breath.
There are lots of winter runners - I just find it hard to get out in the daylight :) - it has actually been quite mild (compared to other years) and we haven't really had any substantial snow yet this year, but it is been pretty dark and grey. January and February are the coldest months - March starts to feel a bit more like Spring.
Greetings everyone from the town of Leesburg in the middle of sunny Florida. Down here you can run 365 days a year if you don't mind the rain, heat and humidity. I have safe routes mapped out that range from three to ten miles that include water fountains and best of all bathrooms. Just coming off a 10 month long illness, and my plan is to slowly work back up to half and then full marathon distances by the end of next year and run a marathon in Cuba. My wife and I visited Cuba on a cruise ship before they closed it down again. My travel agent said it was the safest place on earth because no one wanted the tourists to stop coming. If not Cuba, Disney for sure and then Miami. Disney would be a great half or full to all meet at and run together.
Greetings from Howard County, Maryland. I’ve enjoying following your writing especially in the last year or so. I’ve found it very helpful and insightful as I’ve gotten more and more into running. In 2023 my wife and I ran Falmouth for the first time which was an amazing experience. We started a Foundation in honor of our son Paul, and we were fortunate enough to acquire bibs for the race, we had a team of 25 runners! I used that training to springboard into running the Baltimore Marathon in October, an amazing race which I never thought I’d be able to finish prior to my training for Falmouth. Your words have helped in my running journey, and I always enjoy seeing your posts come through.
Another from the DC suburbs (No. Virginia). I do my maintenance runs in the neighborhood, my longer runs on the W & OD Trail. Starting to ramp up for my May Half up in Binghamton, NY near where I was raised.
Hi, Terrell. Moved to Eugene Or. this summer from Redmond, WA. We got lucky today, the sun is out! It has been foggy and in the high 30s and 40s. most of the week. I've actually made a training plan for the Eugene Half Marathon--a famous first for me, as I usually skip goals!
There are no trails. . .have to get used to suburbia and vertical climbs. . . I figure if trail runners can do it, so can I. . only difference is they use trails and not concrete, which is a downer. I'm figuring it out.
Signed up for a Virtual run--the Birds & Bees--Feb.1 til the end of March through Orca Running. 90 miles was the minimum--their Virtual Runs are fun and cost was minimal--$10 for digital--of course there were higher prices, but I didn't need more swag! Keep running. . . it is one way to stay warm if you don't want to be inside!
Hi Terrell, I live mainly in Toronto, Canada and love to run in the parks and ravines that run through the city. I also spend a lot of time in Vancouver and enjoy the run along the seawall from Kitz beach to Granville Island. I am looking forward to the longer days as it is challenging to find the time to run in the parks during the darker winter months.
Hi Terrell, I live in a small town, Indialantic, Florida. Originally from the Shenandoah Valley, Va, but we have lived here most of our life now. I usually run the same route here besides doing local races in Florida. I'm hoping to venture out a bit more with my running but have to get going again since the holidays.
Endless summer in El Salvador! I'm from Rhode Island but have lived here for about 3 1/2 years. I mostly run in our suburban neighborhood but when I can I run at the beach or in the mountains. I can see a volcano from my front step and there's a nice park on the volcano for trail running.
I'm in central Texas. Not originally from here, but I've been here nearly 20 years now. We came here because I took a teaching job at Baylor University, and now I'm the chair of the Film & Digital Media department here. Love the area and love working at Baylor! I run mostly in my neighborhood because I run early and school traffic outside the neighborhood keeps me from going too far. On weekends, I venture out, though. I like being able to do that. It's fun to run around Baylor, too, which has nice running trails.
I am in Santa Rosa , CA and run on Brush and Santa Rosa Creek trails which are paved as well as country roads. I have run the Santa Rosa half marathon twice, it is a scenic run a long the river with views of the vineyards, it is a great community event!
A BIG thank you to Terrell and all the half marathon readers for keeping me inspired over the years, especially when my running life hits road bumps! Happy New Year 🎊
I'm in Brooklyn NY via Kuwait. I alternate between the two countries and running is limited in Kuwait. Weather doesn't allow it in the summer, and the lack of running infrastructure makes it harder to find routes for running in the country. I was overwhelmed when I moved to Brooklyn because everyone is either training for something, or running a race next weekend.. And it seemed puzzling to people that 'I just want to run'... I still just want to run.. so there's that!
Aloha! I'm on Maui and love running in the Makawao Forest. We are a small island but have such a diversity of places to run. Enjoy trails? We got you. Need to do some speed work? There's a flat bike path along the coast for that.
Hello! I’m just outside of DC and greatly appreciate the great network of running paths we have around here. Looking to get out on trails through the woods more this year.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and then we moved to Colorado 25 years ago. I miss running next to the ocean but now I get to run with the view of the Rocky Mountains. I run around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Commerce City, Co. This is now an animal refuge. It used to be a place where they made bombs during the war. I mostly see deer while I run but once in a while I get to see a herd of buffalos.
I am in Buffalo Grove, IL, Chicago suburb. Love reading these stories and love running, have done two halfs, my goal is to run Chicago Marathon. Originally from Ukraine. We have Ukrainian running club Chicago, occasionally we meet in Bussy Woods for runs.
Live and run in Shaker Heights, Ohio….a beautiful tree-lined community with wonderful walking/ running trails surrounding lakes.
Close by the gorgeous Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the 101 mile towpath linking Cleveland to Columbus , Cleveland is surrounded by trees called its “Emerald Necklace” and to many is known as the “Forest City”. If the Cuyahoga River had not burst into flames years ago ( helping to launch the environmental movement) and become the focus of National Comedic humor, Greater Cleveland would be the envy of many. Yes, I love Cleveland and Shaker Heights is one amazing progressive suburb with its story now truthfully told in a fabulous new book: “Dream Town” by Laura Meckler.
I'm from Southern California. I have lived in Minnesota for the past 4 years. I'll be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in a week for the Louisiana Half Marathon - Geaux Run!🏃♀️✈️🐢😄
I live in Reno Nevada. I escaped California 25 years ago. Hee hee. A trail ultrarunner in the past, now just love a good 20 on the trails near and around our beloved Lake Tahoe. I’ll be 65 this year and still run uninjured thanks to ChiRunning. I’ve been a Master Instructor and teaching ChiRunning for 15 years. Check it out if you want to learn good technique. I don’t mean to plug anything here but ChiRunning changed my life and running is who I am (for God’s glory) so I thought I’d say so. Happy trails everyone and thanks Terrell for your writings! If you all ever come out to visit Lake Tahoe look me up.
I’m from Buffalo NY where my favorite runs are along the Frederick Law Olmsted designed parks and parkways. I moved away 12 years ago but continue to enjoy these runs on my frequent visits. Now my home is Santa Barbara CA where I enjoy running the 8 miles of paved path alongside the beach. Starting February 1st I’ll be on a six month assignment in Washington DC and I’m looking forward to discovering new routes in the area. By the way, I have been a member of the US Running Streak Association since 2006. Members maintain a running streak by running every day, so I’ll have lots of opportunities to explore during my 180 runs in DC.
I'm a frequent lurker here on the half marathoner but I'm from capital of Viet Nam - Hanoi but currently living in Texas 😎 I picked up running from a running class college
Hello from the NW corner of Iowa! Just a small town in the middle of the fields. A loop around the very edge town will get me 3 miles so a lot of my longer runs are on rural county roads.
Hello froom Panama! 🇵🇦 I have been here six months and running...
I serendipitously got to do the Panama City Half Marathon in November. I wasn’t ready but i got through it. The heat was the biggest challenge.
Hello from the UK! I’m in Peterborough which is 45 mins north of London. I moved up here from London last year. I’m training for the Boston Marathon - Boston UK that is (the original Boston as the locals like to say). Fewer hills.
From Orland Park, IL (30ish miles south west of Chicago). I love running through the neighborhoods and we have a great running/walking/biking trail system that connects the neighborhoods and forest preserves throughout Chicagoland!
Sounds like a big diverse group. Thanks for putting us all together. Hoping 2024 gives me the chance to run more miles and slim up some. My weather in Western Ky is crazy and my sinuses at the moment don’t know what to do. Spend the weekend on couch - so much sinus pressure. Hoping cold spell will help. So cool reading what everyone had to say! Have a great week
Hello people! I'm Flavio, form Vicenza, Italy, living in Budapest, Hungary
In Girona, Catalonia, Spain, but originally from the western USA!
I'm originally from Victoria, BC, Canada, but now live in a small village in the North East in England.
Upstate NY and it’s 🥶❤️
Las Vegas, Nevada!
I’m just outside of Vancouver in Canada. From my house I can run to a relatively flat river path, a winding lake trail that’s 10k around, or up a mountain. I have been running for years *very* casually but started running with a couple of neighbours in 2019 and we really ramped up our training during lockdown! We did a few 10ks on our own in 2020-2021, then scaled back when we all went back to work. I ran my first 10k since then last September (Under Armour Eastside 10k in Vancouver) - without my run buddies - and plan to do it again this year, hopefully with them!
Thanks for sharing.
Time flies.
Hope I can live long & die fast…
Hi, Jen here is the link to website, it includes all three events.
https://santarosamarathon.com/
Enjoy!
Big cottonwood canyon drop 13 would be my favorite.
Hi from Syracuse, New York! The Erie Canal train here is great for running.
I’m partly in Annapolis, partly Baltimore. Next up: Annapolis Half Marathon, March 9. Husband is running Boston in April. I’m thinking of signing up for a couple Half’s in other cities this year for the fun of travel and discovery.
Hi Terrell, All your readers should be heaping praise on you for your encouragement and literary talent. I'm sure the newsletter is keeping a lot of runners on the road. You are more than welcome to come visit - I bought a 4-bedroom house for a reason! You could tack on a few days trip here (2 hr. fast train London to Liverpool|) when you do London Marathon! It's the best in the world for organization and runner support. I ran it twice and got in thru a Boston company that buys a block of tickets. London is a lottery so best way for a confirmed entry is with them. And it actually was hot and humid on one occasion - you'd feel right at home. Lashing down rain the other time but great for keeping cool.
Hailing from Gainesville, FL! Sounds like there’s some other Florida folks around! I like this group particularly because it feels like a culture around running for enjoyment, challenge, health, but on a reasonable scale. It’s not over the top, go go go, more of the efficiency culture that most of us live and breathe these days.
I'm in Central Florida, Lakeland-ish. I'd love to meet up with other "Floridians" (is there really a such thing? 😉) I'm also looking for a Georgia race, maybe in May. Any suggestions?
Good things come to those who wait. I still call her my bride. She says at 74 she's too old to be a bride. I just tell her she will be my bride until my last breath.
There are lots of winter runners - I just find it hard to get out in the daylight :) - it has actually been quite mild (compared to other years) and we haven't really had any substantial snow yet this year, but it is been pretty dark and grey. January and February are the coldest months - March starts to feel a bit more like Spring.
Greetings everyone from the town of Leesburg in the middle of sunny Florida. Down here you can run 365 days a year if you don't mind the rain, heat and humidity. I have safe routes mapped out that range from three to ten miles that include water fountains and best of all bathrooms. Just coming off a 10 month long illness, and my plan is to slowly work back up to half and then full marathon distances by the end of next year and run a marathon in Cuba. My wife and I visited Cuba on a cruise ship before they closed it down again. My travel agent said it was the safest place on earth because no one wanted the tourists to stop coming. If not Cuba, Disney for sure and then Miami. Disney would be a great half or full to all meet at and run together.
That’s the one. I’ve run them all
Hey Terrell,
Greetings from Howard County, Maryland. I’ve enjoying following your writing especially in the last year or so. I’ve found it very helpful and insightful as I’ve gotten more and more into running. In 2023 my wife and I ran Falmouth for the first time which was an amazing experience. We started a Foundation in honor of our son Paul, and we were fortunate enough to acquire bibs for the race, we had a team of 25 runners! I used that training to springboard into running the Baltimore Marathon in October, an amazing race which I never thought I’d be able to finish prior to my training for Falmouth. Your words have helped in my running journey, and I always enjoy seeing your posts come through.
Happy New Year!
~Nick
Another from the DC suburbs (No. Virginia). I do my maintenance runs in the neighborhood, my longer runs on the W & OD Trail. Starting to ramp up for my May Half up in Binghamton, NY near where I was raised.
Hi, Terrell. Moved to Eugene Or. this summer from Redmond, WA. We got lucky today, the sun is out! It has been foggy and in the high 30s and 40s. most of the week. I've actually made a training plan for the Eugene Half Marathon--a famous first for me, as I usually skip goals!
There are no trails. . .have to get used to suburbia and vertical climbs. . . I figure if trail runners can do it, so can I. . only difference is they use trails and not concrete, which is a downer. I'm figuring it out.
Signed up for a Virtual run--the Birds & Bees--Feb.1 til the end of March through Orca Running. 90 miles was the minimum--their Virtual Runs are fun and cost was minimal--$10 for digital--of course there were higher prices, but I didn't need more swag! Keep running. . . it is one way to stay warm if you don't want to be inside!
Hi Terrell, I live mainly in Toronto, Canada and love to run in the parks and ravines that run through the city. I also spend a lot of time in Vancouver and enjoy the run along the seawall from Kitz beach to Granville Island. I am looking forward to the longer days as it is challenging to find the time to run in the parks during the darker winter months.
Hi Terrell, I live in a small town, Indialantic, Florida. Originally from the Shenandoah Valley, Va, but we have lived here most of our life now. I usually run the same route here besides doing local races in Florida. I'm hoping to venture out a bit more with my running but have to get going again since the holidays.
Happy new year! I live in Vancouver, Canada and love running along the seawall, especially in Stanley Park. It never gets old. :)
Here's to great running (and dancing) to all in 2024!
Endless summer in El Salvador! I'm from Rhode Island but have lived here for about 3 1/2 years. I mostly run in our suburban neighborhood but when I can I run at the beach or in the mountains. I can see a volcano from my front step and there's a nice park on the volcano for trail running.
I'm in central Texas. Not originally from here, but I've been here nearly 20 years now. We came here because I took a teaching job at Baylor University, and now I'm the chair of the Film & Digital Media department here. Love the area and love working at Baylor! I run mostly in my neighborhood because I run early and school traffic outside the neighborhood keeps me from going too far. On weekends, I venture out, though. I like being able to do that. It's fun to run around Baylor, too, which has nice running trails.
I am in Santa Rosa , CA and run on Brush and Santa Rosa Creek trails which are paved as well as country roads. I have run the Santa Rosa half marathon twice, it is a scenic run a long the river with views of the vineyards, it is a great community event!
A BIG thank you to Terrell and all the half marathon readers for keeping me inspired over the years, especially when my running life hits road bumps! Happy New Year 🎊
Salt Lake city, Utah. Love to trail run. Mostly do half marathon road races
I’m in Edinburgh, Scotland! I love to run in the Highlands, particularly Glencoe.
Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands. :)
Arroyo Grande, California. The beautiful central coast.
Lansing Michigan
I'm in Brooklyn NY via Kuwait. I alternate between the two countries and running is limited in Kuwait. Weather doesn't allow it in the summer, and the lack of running infrastructure makes it harder to find routes for running in the country. I was overwhelmed when I moved to Brooklyn because everyone is either training for something, or running a race next weekend.. And it seemed puzzling to people that 'I just want to run'... I still just want to run.. so there's that!
Aloha! I'm on Maui and love running in the Makawao Forest. We are a small island but have such a diversity of places to run. Enjoy trails? We got you. Need to do some speed work? There's a flat bike path along the coast for that.
I'm in Seattle and my favorite place to run is along the Burke-Gilman trail, especially the canal where the movie Boys on the Boat is set.
Hello! I’m in the DC area and love running around the city but also enjoy running on some nearby trails.
Hello! I’m just outside of DC and greatly appreciate the great network of running paths we have around here. Looking to get out on trails through the woods more this year.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and then we moved to Colorado 25 years ago. I miss running next to the ocean but now I get to run with the view of the Rocky Mountains. I run around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Commerce City, Co. This is now an animal refuge. It used to be a place where they made bombs during the war. I mostly see deer while I run but once in a while I get to see a herd of buffalos.
I am in Buffalo Grove, IL, Chicago suburb. Love reading these stories and love running, have done two halfs, my goal is to run Chicago Marathon. Originally from Ukraine. We have Ukrainian running club Chicago, occasionally we meet in Bussy Woods for runs.
Live and run in Shaker Heights, Ohio….a beautiful tree-lined community with wonderful walking/ running trails surrounding lakes.
Close by the gorgeous Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the 101 mile towpath linking Cleveland to Columbus , Cleveland is surrounded by trees called its “Emerald Necklace” and to many is known as the “Forest City”. If the Cuyahoga River had not burst into flames years ago ( helping to launch the environmental movement) and become the focus of National Comedic humor, Greater Cleveland would be the envy of many. Yes, I love Cleveland and Shaker Heights is one amazing progressive suburb with its story now truthfully told in a fabulous new book: “Dream Town” by Laura Meckler.
I'm from Southern California. I have lived in Minnesota for the past 4 years. I'll be in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in a week for the Louisiana Half Marathon - Geaux Run!🏃♀️✈️🐢😄
I live in Reno Nevada. I escaped California 25 years ago. Hee hee. A trail ultrarunner in the past, now just love a good 20 on the trails near and around our beloved Lake Tahoe. I’ll be 65 this year and still run uninjured thanks to ChiRunning. I’ve been a Master Instructor and teaching ChiRunning for 15 years. Check it out if you want to learn good technique. I don’t mean to plug anything here but ChiRunning changed my life and running is who I am (for God’s glory) so I thought I’d say so. Happy trails everyone and thanks Terrell for your writings! If you all ever come out to visit Lake Tahoe look me up.
I’m from Buffalo NY where my favorite runs are along the Frederick Law Olmsted designed parks and parkways. I moved away 12 years ago but continue to enjoy these runs on my frequent visits. Now my home is Santa Barbara CA where I enjoy running the 8 miles of paved path alongside the beach. Starting February 1st I’ll be on a six month assignment in Washington DC and I’m looking forward to discovering new routes in the area. By the way, I have been a member of the US Running Streak Association since 2006. Members maintain a running streak by running every day, so I’ll have lots of opportunities to explore during my 180 runs in DC.
That's Florence. Been across that bridge. I'm in Maryland. I've got 2 halves scheduled for this Spring and 1 in the Fall. Happy New Year everyone!
I'm a frequent lurker here on the half marathoner but I'm from capital of Viet Nam - Hanoi but currently living in Texas 😎 I picked up running from a running class college