As a runner, I know sometimes it can be incredibly tedious to just run the same loop around campus or do a treadmill workout at the gym. It can be hard to find the time to branch out and nail down a great running route if you don’t know where to look. Around Nashville there are countless amazing running routes with different mileage that you can access with cars or without cars, and now you can take advantage of them! Thanks to one of the leaders of Running Club, Etta Eckerstrom, here’s the inside scoop on five great routes for convenient and enjoyable places to run around Nashville, with tips on mileage and directions.  

1. Centennial Park: This is a great run for beginning runners or runners who are just getting back into the swing of things. While the park isn’t super big, it definitely works as a great route if you’re looking for a quick mile workout where you don’t have a watch or a phone and want to keep track of your distance. You can run around the park as many or as few times as you like, so if you suddenly come down with the cramps, you won’t be stranded in the middle of nowhere, and you can walk right back to campus.  
2. McCabe golf course: This golf course is only 2.5 miles from school and is an awesome, scenic run.  You can hop onto the bike path and run through bridges that span over rivers on the course, and our source says that it feels like running through a forest preserve at some points. She says you can easily get 3 miles on the course. To reach the golf course, run down West End and turn onto McCabe, where you’ll find the bike path. However, if you want a shorter run, it’s best to drive, since it takes about 2.5 miles to get to the golf course before you even start the run.  
3. Love Hill: This route is located on Love Circle, less than a mile from campus. Our source says that it’s a great option for a shorter run or for hill repeats. The top of the hill offers a stunning view of the entire city of Nashville, so while you’re running up that hill just think how great it will be to get that Instagram or Snapchat story moment.
4. Belmont/12th South: If you head down Blakemore and cross 21st, you can run down Wedgewood and then turn down 12th Avenue South. Throughout the area there are plenty of fun restaurants, and you can pass through Belmont if you feel so inclined. It’s a fun five-mile run if you want to get off campus, but it’s close enough that you can turn back whenever you feel like it.   
5. Downtown: If you get up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you can run downtown and see Broadway all empty and quiet. It’s a super cool experience to run through the downtown streets in a completely different setting, and our source confirms that this is her favorite route. This run takes about 2.5 miles to get to Broadway, and from there you can hop on the Music City Greenway at the end of Broadway. If you take the Greenway, you can add on as much mileage as you so desire.  This route is perfect for a long weekend run, but remember that it’s uphill on the way back, so make sure you have enough left in the tank to get home.Picture: http://www.conservancyonline.com/centennial_park