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Plants are growing after a recent prairie burn at Meadowbrook Park. Photo by Maria Surawska. (Maria Surawska, buzz photographer)

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Assembly Hall »
Address: 1800 S. First St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 333-5000
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Memorial Stadium »
Address: 200 E. Florida Ave. Champaign, IL 61820
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Meadowbrook Park »
Address: Windsor Road and Race Street Urbana, IL 61802
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Orchard Downs Community Center »
Address: 510 W. George Huff Drive Urbana, IL 61801
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Spring is right around the corner, and outdoor activities are slowly coming back after a long, cold winter. In the past few weeks, we’ve already sensed the warmer, albeit moody, weather. Playing catch and Frisbee on the Quad is finally in fashion again. Yes, it’s time to enjoy the great outdoors once more. In preparation for celebrating the warmer weather, buzz has gathered some information about the best places to run in Champaign-Urbana from some very experienced and enthusiastic runners in the community, all suitable for outdoorsies everywhere. So get your shorts and iPods on, and here we go.

If you live on-campus and don’t like to travel too much to get in a good run, the southwest end of campus is a great start. Nancy McCarty, experienced runner and a member of the Second Wind Running Club, suggested her usual run: She starts her run on the west side of campus, near Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium because there is a lot of open space and less traffic. The loop will roughly go through the Quad, Green Street, the engineering campus, then back to the point of origin. It’s a nice and enjoyable run because there are many things to look at — the beautiful scenery, buildings and other things you don’t have the chance to see every day. Also, this is not a particularly difficult route. It’s suitable for any runner.

For those who really want to get outside into the woods, Meadowbrook Park in Urbana is an excellent choice. It’s one of the most popular places for runners. Many athletic as well as recreational events are often held there. Tracy Thomas, owner of Body Mechanic Fitness, LLC, told buzz that Meadowbrook Park is one of the few places in the area that is well-maintained year-round. “A lot of people use that to get their mileage in,” she said. “If you don’t mind running in a circle, it is also nice to see the prairies, trees and many of the sculptures out there. It’s really a beautiful place to be.”

For people who just want to exercise and stay fit, the two places we just described are great choices. But for serious runners who are training for marathons and races, Thomas suggests heading out to the country or run in town. Running closer to more populated residential areas is a good idea, especially in early morning, because help is more readily available in case of emergencies. In residential subdivisions such as Cherry Hills, runners are able to run through the curvy and winding streets and don’t have to stop for stoplights. Another challenging place to run would be Orchard Downs in Urbana, which is known for its hilly terrain.

If you want to get more involved in the running community, Second Wind, a considerable running club with both expert and amateur runners here in our community, is an excellent resource. It holds numerous activities. Among these are Fun Runs on Tuesday nights that take place right in Meadowbrook Park. Now that you know about some of the best places to run in CU and ways to get more involved, it’s time to get out of the house and get some real outdoor exercise. It’s “good-bye, treadmill” and “hello, sunshine!”