Great Runs in Houston
Houston’s running scene has been getting steadily better. More than $100 million has been poured into parks related projects as part of a master plan to increase the Houston’s downtown population. The city has some terrific trails in some of its signature parks, notably Memorial Park, Buffalo Bayou Park, and in the Rice University area. The defining geographic element for Houston running are the Bayous, originally meant as a natural drainage area, and now a growing network of trails and linear parks. The heart of Houston’s running community is Memorial Park, sort of a Houston version of Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Great neighborhoods for running are River Oaks and the Heights area. Since Houston is a large and spread out city, still fairly car-centric, you will have to ‘find your spot’.
Runners should be cautious about Houston’s heat: summers are brutally hot and humid. Fall and autumn are warm with some rains. Winters are mild and pleasant for running. Temps drop to freezing only occasionally. Houston gets its share of rain, including frequent thunderstorms in summer. Topographically, Houston is quite flat.
The Iconic Routes
- Memorial Park
- Buffalo Bayou Park/Trail
- Hermann Park
- Heights or River Oaks neighborhood
- Rice University Area
The Routes
Memorial Park — Seymour Lieberman Exercise Trail
Memorial Park is a 1466-acre green treasure and one of the largest urban parks in the United States. It is also the heart of Houston’s running community, offering fabulous paths in the greens along with spectacular views of Houston skyline.
A great choice for a “loop” is a crushed granite, 2.9-mile long Seymour Lieberman Exercise Trail. The trail is lit and filled with other people running so you can feel safe even after dark. It also well-shaded and has restrooms and water fountains along the way. The route is accessible from all parts of the park, but a good option is to start from southeast corner. There you can find Memorial Park Running Trails Center, located at 7575 N. Picnic Lane, where you can leave your belongings to lockers or even go to shower after your run. At the northwest part of the route, near to the Tennis Center, you find quarter-mile asphalt timing track and a work-out station for cross-training. There is also some great off-road terrain, east of the Arboretum, west of Wescott.
New trees are being planted and other improvements to the park are underway, as the record drought in 2011 and hurricane Ike have shrank the number of trees in recent years.
River Oaks Neighborhood
Access: Just south of Memorial Park, via Shepard Dr./Kirby Dr.
Just to the south of Memorial Park is River Oaks, which is one of Houston’s tonier neighborhoods. It’s a nice standalone run if you enjoy residential areas, or as a nice add-on to Memorial Park. The best running here are the streets west of Shepard/Kirby, north of San Felipe St., and east of Willowick Rd.
Rice University Loop
This 2.9-mile knee-friendly dirt trail goes around the Rice University and is located at one of the prettiest parts of Houston, giving you great views of the gorgeous campus and its ivy-covered gate along with lovely buildings and magnificent trees. Most of the route is lined with beautiful old oak trees whose branches overlap the trail, making you feel like you are in a tunnel. Trees also give a nice shade from burning Houston sun, so this route is a great option especially, on hot summer days. The trail tends to be less crowded than Memorial Park and there are a couple of water fountains along the route.
A great option for longer run is to cross Main Street east to Hermann Park and combine Rice University loop with Hermann Park trails. MAP of the 6-mile route here.
Hermann Park
2–3 miles, with option for 5–6 miles if combine w/Rice University loop
Hermann Park is another spectacular woodsy area in Houston, with multiple points of interests such as Houston Zoo, Miller Outdoor Theater, Museum of Natural Science, Garden Center and Japanese Garden. There are numerous paths to choose from, the most popular being the 2-mile loop called the Marvin Taylor Trail, circulating around the park’s golf course under the shades of historic live oaks. Add one mile and make it a 3-mile loop by going through the underground pedestrian tunnel under MacGregor Way to the Bill Coats Bridge — a contemporary suspension bridge for pedestrians to cross Brays Bayou. Head south and then east, and cross the river again over Cambridge Bridge to rejoin the Marvin Taylor Trail.
For a longer run, (5+ miles) cross Main Street at west side of the Hermann Park and combine with the Rice University loop (above) with Hermann Park trails. MAP of the 6-mile route here.
Buffalo Bayou Park a.k.a. Allen Parkway
5.2–5.6 miles. MAP here.
Buffalo Bayou Park is located directly west of the central business district at downtown. It’s the centerpiece of a $30 million urban revitalization plan that has won national acclaim. More info here. It features a pretty 5.2-mile loop from downtown to Shepherd Street Bridge to the west. The loop runs along both sides of Buffalo Bayou, offering scenic views of Houston’s downtown skyscrapers. You also pass by some lawn areas and bridges as you run. We recommend to cross Rosemont Bridge at the halfway point of the loop for a spectacular tree-top view of Buffalo Bayou and Houston skyline. This adds 0.4 miles, making the total 5.6 miles. Paths feature one lane for cyclists and one for pedestrians, and several water fountains along the route. It is a little hilly, too. Note, at Waugh Dr. is a “bat bridge”, where there are reliably at sunset, thousands of bats.
For longer run (~11.5 miles), you can combine Buffalo Bayou with Seymour Lieberman Exercise Trail at Memorial Park. You can find an underpass at Shepherd Street Bridge which leads to a sidewalk that will get you to Memorial Park, about 1.5 miles west of the bridge. See route here.
6th Ward Historic District/Glenwood Cemetery
Access: north of eastern end of Bayou trail, south of Washington Ave., west of Houston St.
The 6th Ward Historic District is a great area for running. Lovely streets and older homes. Combine this with Glenwood Cemetery, which is beautiful, shaded, has many paths — and running in there is permitted. This can be a standalone run, or can be easily added to a run in the adjacent Buffalo Bayou.
Heights Loop
3.8 miles. Options for more. Start: Heights Blvd. & 2oth St. MAP
The Heights is one of the nicer neighborhoods near downtown Houston. It’s a great area to run standalone or connect to the Bayou trails about 1.5 miles to the south. Our route follows Heights Blvd. north-south, which has a lovely esplanade in the middle popular with runners, using the Heights trail on 7th connecting to Nicholson Rd. The run can be extended southeast on the Heights Trail, or to the northwest connecting to the White Oaks Bayou Trail. It is 1.8 south to Waugh Bat bridge, on the Buffalo Bayou trail.
Further Afield
There are some nice routes also outside of Houston downtown area.
The Woodlands located 30 miles north from Houston downtown and 15 miles north from Houston international airport, is a master-planned community within a native forest. It features 205 miles of running trails in the greens and there are plenty of great routes to choose from.
MAP of Woodlands trails here.
Energy Corridor, in west Houston is defined by many major energy industry-related companies, and thus might be the destination for many business travelers. The area features over 50 miles of running trails in George Bush Park and Bear Creek Pioneers Park. The best route is to head to Terry Hershey Park, which offers scenic views along the Buffalo Bayou. Run 8.5 miles from Beltway 6 to Eldridge Parkway and back. Can go as far as Beltway 8.
See map here.
Stay
Houston is a spread-out city and the routes featured here are located in different parts of the town. Staying in one of the hotels at downtown offers an easy access to Buffalo Bayou Park as well as to some of the city’s best running stores. For the best access to Memorial Park, there is a cluster of hotels near The Galleria, south from the park. There are also a few hotels Medical Area near to Rice University and Hermann Park.
Running Stores
Houston features multiple locally operated running stores with great customer service and knowledgeable staff. Stores near our iconic running areas are:
Near Memorial Park:
Finish Strong Sports. Great locally owned running store with excellent customer service and knowledgeable staff. At Memorial Park’s northeast corner.
Near Rice University
Fleet Feet Sports. Locally owned and operated great running store. Their store at Rice Village, nearby the Rice University campus, has been in operation for almost 30 years. Three additional locations in Houston suburbs and surrounding areas.
Near Downtown/Memorial Park
Luke’s Locker. Texas-based running and athletic store chain has been around for 35 years and has 10 stores around the state, one of them located in Houston between Memorial Park and downtown. Knowledgeable staff. Involves actively in local events and arranges weekly group runs.
Community
Houston Area Road Runners Association (HARRA). Main running organization in Houston. Non-profit, dedicated to support and advocate for the local running community. Serves also as the umbrella organization for many individual running clubs in the area.
Bon Running Club. Weekly 5k runs for runners of all speeds around the Rice University camp and drinks afterwards. Free-of-charge new member registration from 5:30pm-7:30pm every Tuesday night at The Gorgeous Gael Irish Bar in Rice Village.
West End Running Club. Weekly runs from The West End — A Public House every Tuesday night from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Food and drinks afterwards. Club is free to join.
The Woodlands Running Club. Non-profit organization located about 20 miles north from downtown in The Woodlands. Has multiple free group runs every week, open to non-members.
Events
Chevron Houston Marathon is taking place in each January and is the biggest single-day sports event in the city.
Rhythm and Blues Run is an annual run where participants race to the rhythm of live bands along a spectator filled course. The bands provide an electrifying, festive environment for the runners and spectators.
There are plenty other events, see them here.
