Are you a runner or walker, or interested in picking up a new hobby? Houston is a great place to get some miles under your feet and enjoy the city’s offerings. As someone who ran cross country and track in high school and loves the outdoors, I knew when I moved to Houston I would be searching for new places to explore through running. Below you will find some routes, tips and general information about running through H-Town!
Weather. In the summer months (June to September), Houston is HOT and HUMID. But this does not mean running outside is impossible. The key is running early in the morning or late in the day. The hottest time of the day here is afternoon (3 or 4 pm) with temperatures sometimes reaching over 110 F with humidity! Temperatures like this are dangerous to run outside, but avoiding this time will bring cooler temperatures that you can safely run in. No matter what, always bring water and even electrolytes (if you plan to run for longer than 45 minutes), or run at a park or trail where you know these are available. Wear sunscreen and bugspray, a hat, and potentially sunglasses when you head out in the warm months. Want to avoid the heat completely and just keep up your mileage? The Rice Recreation Center has several types of treadmills that you can use all year long if you decide to get a membership there for about $60 a semester.
Routes. The closest route to Rice is a lovely dirt campus loop around the entire campus that comes out to ~3 miles. Hermann Park is across the street from Rice and allows you to easily add on more distance, and the surrounding neighborhoods are pedestrian friendly and can also be great spots to keep the run moving. Many buildings in Rice (not just the gym!) have showers available to use. Working running into your routine of graduate school can be hard, but being able to shower and change on campus before or after a run is a great way to help integrate this into your routine. Memorial Park is about a 15-minute drive from Rice (public transit goes there as well!), but has an extensive number of dirt trails, with the most commonly used loop being about ~3 miles as well. Memorial Park also has a new running track, the Roy H. Cullen Timing Track for those who prefer to do laps, with each lap being 0.25 miles (400 meters). If you are looking for a long-run, the Quail Trail from Sam Houston Tollway is a 10-mile out-and-back (5 miles in one direction and then you turn around) paved trail, about 20-minute drive from Rice. A closer option, about a 10-minute drive from Rice, are the paved trails along Buffalo Bayou, one of my favorite places to run. The trails along either side of the Bayou run continuously for about 4 miles, and the views are spectacular. There is even a bat colony you will pass under one of the bridges. Those interested in trail running may enjoy Brazos Bend, an hour South, and Huntsville State Park, an hour North. Both State Parks offer different running trails and Brazos Bend even holds an ultramarathon every year! Note that you have to pay a fee to enter both of those State Park locations, $7 per person. AllTrails and Strava are great apps for finding new routes. Looking at routes before heading out is also an important safety key and will make your run more enjoyable as you will know where you are going! Both apps have routes on concrete and dirt trails that you can find near wherever you end up living.
A view from Brazos Bend trails.
Memorial Park Track, called the Roy H. Cullen Timing Track.
As Houston is a big city, there are often races you can sign up and pay for, usually receiving a t-shirt, medal, and some food at the end. The biggest ones are the Chevron Houston Marathon in January and the UT Health Houston Half Marathon in October. Galveston, about 1 hour from Rice, has a half and full marathon in February as well. If long distance is not your thing then there are lots of shorter races throughout the year. Just a few weeks ago I did a donut-themed 5K with a friend and had a great time (and free donuts!)
Safety. Beyond staying safe in the heat, there are other important safety measures to pay attention to when running. First, running with others is safer (and sometimes more fun) than running alone. Lots of run clubs exist in Houston, which can be found through Instagram, Facebook, or workout apps like Strava and Nike Run Club. There are also many affinity-run clubs such as Black Girls RUN! Houston for those who want to build a sense of community with a specific group. If you prefer to run alone, try to pick a route that is well-lit and populated, and always tell someone you trust where you are going and when you plan to be back. My personal favorite safety tool is Shokz over-the-ear headphones. These headphones allow you to listen to music while also being able to hear and be aware of your surroundings, such as if a car, bike, or person comes by. Avoid running when it is very dark at night, but if you do, consider bringing pepper spray and wearing a headlight and highly visible (bright-colored) clothing. And of course, always check with your doctor if you have any pre-existing conditions or previous injuries that might make running difficult. All these routes are great to walk on as well!
Tips For New Runners
- If you are looking for new gear, there is a shoe store near Rice called Fleet Feet, where you can purchase shoes, belts, gels, and much more! Some gear can become quite expensive, but the most important thing is a good pair of shoes to avoid causing any injuries.
- Always do light stretches before and after running to reduce injury risk as well. See some here!
- Need some ideas of what to listen to? Apple Music and Spotify have lots of playlists for different runs, with some of them using songs with certain bpm (beats per minute) that help you to pace yourself. Podcasts and audiobooks are great as well, or even calling a loved one.
- Focus on your breathing! Learning to pace is difficult, and the beginning of most runs feels like a jolt to the system. The key is to remain calm, focus on your form, and try not to compare yourself to others. Running is a very personal sport, and whatever pace and distance you run at is great! Start with short, slow runs for 5 or 10 minutes at a time, and slowly build up.
- Although Houston is hot, it is also flat, which makes it a great place to go for runs without the extra challenge of elevation change.
- Apps like Nike Run Club can also help you train in different ways with guided runs that focus on speed, endurance, or recovery.
- Running can be a great stress reliever from graduate school, a cool way to meet new people, and a healthy way to challenge yourself.
About the author:
Annie Finneran is a current Ph.D. student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She got her BS in Biology with a Minor in Conservation Studies from UCLA in 2021. Read more.
Further Reading:
Where to find delicious food in HTX!