Places To Run In North Minneapolis...

Contributed photo, xoxo, blog post by John Hoff

Running is good therapy. It doesn't matter if you aren't going to break any records, it's still good therapy, especially if your body has taken a few bangs and dents and you need to exercise to keep from stiffening up when you get old...which, thankfully, is still about two decades down the line for me.

So far, I've discovered three great places to run in North Minneapolis (NoMi). These are...

The North High school track, Jordan Pond, and Victory Drive.

The track for North High is not located at North High itself, but quite a distance away. It's behind Shiloh Temple. So if you were on West Broadway, and you saw Shiloh Temple...it would be south of Shiloh Temple. This is a perfect track, and surprisingly underutilized. Of course, one reason it's underutilized is because it's usually locked up. You go there and it's kind of a crapshoot whether the track will be locked or unlocked at the metal turnstile. So I tend to go there first, but when it's locked up, I go somewhere else.

There's kind of a tie between my second and third choices. Both are nice in their own way based on scenery and running conditions. Pictured above is the Jordan Pond. It's a little more than a mile around the pond, and the fact there is a path AROUND the pond gives the illusion of a running track. However, it's a bit more than a mile around...which is discouraging, if you're timing laps...and there are hills. Also, the path is a sidewalk, not a track. It's not really made for running.

But the beauty of the pond can't be beat, and there are nice grassy areas for other exercises. When I run, my son likes to run along for short distances and pretend he's a drill sergeant, telling me I'm not doing good enough. HE REALLY LIKES THIS ACTIVITY, A LITTLE TOO MUCH IF YOU ASK ME. I tell Alex he can be anything in the world he wants to be, EXCEPT an enlisted man in the army. Two generations of eating enlisted dust is enough, I tell him, if he goes into the military he MUST be an officer or--though I've never beat him in my life--I will have to start, even if he's 18 years old. I'm not sure if he GETS IT how serious I am about this.

Anyway...Jordan Pond is a real runner's jewel, but it's hard to beat Victory Drive.

This area--which is in the swanky, more affluent part of North Minneapolis--features humble but moving cross memorials on the ground every several yards, recognizing soldiers from the Twin Cities who gave their lives in defense of our nation. There are many miles of long, continuous track...so many miles, in fact, that it's necessary to measure with the odometer of a vehicle to figure out a good two mile run. I use an area just before the flagpole, then run to 36th and back. That works.

Recently, road construction was taking place nearby, and a port-a-john was conveniently left unlocked. Better a port-a-john on our streets than johns, I say!

If you like running and you are considering a move to NoMi, check out these three places I've listed as possible running locations. And then GET TO NoMi!