Marathoning Matters

For a Great Flat Long Run, Try the Orange Line Bike and Running Path

When it comes time to do long runs for a "mostly" flat marathon, you need a flat course.  Most good running trails in LA are hilly.  A terrific exception is the running and biking trail that follows the Metrolink Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley.

You can actually go farther than show on this map by continuing past the Encino Velodome and little league baseball stadiums through Balboa Park, then turn left on Balboa and right on Victory until you pick up the Orange Line path again.

One downside may be the many stoplights you hit.  I like to run it early in the morning and look both ways before crossing.  I also avoid parking in the Metro Orange Line lots, because their parking police are on the lookout for people who park but don't ride.

From Woodland Hills to the Nike Missle Site on the Historic Mulholland Fire Road

This is a hilly run overlooking the San Fernando Valley from the historic Mulholland Fire Road.  My favorite approach is to park at Mulholland and Canoga and head up the hill.  A few hundred yards later the road turns to gravel from asphalt. There are several side roads and trails you can take to extend your distance, including the single track Bent Arrow trail.  There are restrooms and water at the Nike site.  While you're there, don't miss the overlook of the Pacific ocean, the description of the animals that live in the Santa Monica Conservancy, and the fascinating history of the cold war. The informative diagram of the nuclear warhead Nike missiles formerly housed there and the number of acres needed to support a mountain lion will give you something to talk or think about as you run back to the Woodland Hills starting point.