Fabulous Running Spot!

Wow! I just got back from a week in St Louis for business, and I had the most fabulous runs there. Googling for running in St Louis, I found Forest Park as being one of the places that the running club in St Louis meets for their long runs. 6 mile loop around the outside of the park, I needed 9 miles, so this sounded like a match.

So off I go and make my way to the park. I have no idea where to park as this place is HUGE and the notes on where the running club meets makes no sense to me being a newcomer, but I stumble across a bunch of cars and a bunch of runners starting out or just mingling, so this must be good enough.

I hop out and quickly fall in between two groups of runners, figuring that they must know where they are going. As a safety check, I ask the group behind me where the heck I am, so that if I get lost I can at least find the rental car again. (This park is 1,200 acres, nearly 50% bigger than Central Park in New York City). They are super nice, and suggest that I go with the group in front of us as they are doing 6 miles down to the University and back, but I politely decline.

The park is made for running. There's separate but parallel biking and running trails that are impeccably groomed. Packed gravel or graveled asphalt for the foot traffic, and hard black asphalt for the bikers. The trail is easy to follow, and has enough hills to be challenging without being miserable. You will wind by the ice skating rink, the zoo, the science center, the family pavilion, statues, museums, the golf course, and follow Lindell Avenue, where the homes are absolutely ginormous.

Although it was the middle of winter and the bathrooms were closed, there's public bathrooms (not portapotties) at frequent intervals that are open in the warmer months, complete with water fountains.

I had a fabulous 9 mile run (the loop around the park was 5.75 miles, and I even saw the occasional mile marker painted on the path and it was accurate). My average pace was right where I wanted it to be for 9 miles, and it felt good. I can't wait to go back to St Louis now and run it again. A definite MUST-DO for anyone visiting St Louis.

(BTW - I parked at the Visitor Center/Field House, which isn't well marked on the map of the park, but it's at about 5 o'clock from the History Museum and right by the tennis courts.)