TRAIL RUNNING
GET OFF THE PAVEMENT
NYC has more dirt than you think. Trail running is softer on your joints, builds strength roads can't, and is the natural first step toward ultrarunning.
Explore ultrarunning →WHERE TO RUN
Brooklyn
Prospect Park: the Ravine & Midwood
Short dirt loops for easy trail legs without leaving the borough.
Staten Island
Greenbelt Trails
35+ miles of woodland trail, NYC's best-kept trail secret.
Bronx
Van Cortlandt Park
Classic XC course and the Old Putnam & John Muir trails.
Queens
Forest Park
Rolling singletrack under old oaks, easy subway access.
NJ
Palisades Long Path
Cliffside trail along the Hudson, starting just over the GWB.
Hudson Valley
Harriman & Bear Mountain
Rocky, technical, and the proving ground for NYC trail runners.
THE HIDDEN GEM: THE STATEN ISLAND GREENBELT
One of the best trails in the five boroughs is a ferry ride away. The Staten Island Greenbelt packs real single-track, honest climbs, and quiet miles through High Rock Park, La Tourette, and Bloodroot Valley, all inside city limits. Most NYC runners never make it over; the ones who do keep coming back. It's the closest thing we have to a mountain trail without leaving town. The Greenbelt also hosts NYC Trail Mix, a 50-mile / 50K / half-marathon trail event put on by Redpoint Productions each November that benefits the Greenbelt Conservancy and the trails themselves. If you've never run the Greenbelt, put it on your list.
See NYC Trail Mix on the calendar →NEW TO TRAILS?
Run by effort, not pace
Climbs and rocks slow everyone down. Your road pace doesn't matter out here.
Short steps, eyes ahead
Look 3–5 feet down the trail and keep a quick, light cadence.
Hike the steep stuff
Power-hiking the climbs is smart, and every ultra runner does it.
Strengthen your ankles
Single-leg balance and calf work cut the risk of rolled ankles.
Rolled an ankle or sore after a technical run? See the Injury Clinic.
TRAIL VS. ULTRA
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
Trail running is about where you run. Ultrarunning is about how far. You can do one without the other, but most people who fall for one end up doing both.
| TRAIL | ULTRA | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Running on dirt, rock, and roots, at any distance | Any race longer than a marathon (26.2 mi), road or trail |
| Defined by | Surface & terrain | Distance & time on feet |
| Typical distances | 5K to marathon (and beyond) | 50K, 50 mi, 100K, 100 mi, timed events |
| Key skills | Footwork, climbing, descending, navigation | Pacing, fueling, sleep & mental endurance |
| Gear | Grippy trail shoes, maybe poles | Hydration vest, nutrition, lights, drop bags |
| Overlap | Most ultras are on trails | Trail running is the gateway to most ultras |