The Run Down: City's Edge 6 Miler

I like a run with a destination.  A run that "goes somewhere". And, if I had a friend with a car and nothing else to do but pick me up from long runs and bring me back to where I started, I would opt to run "somewhere" every time. 

The next best thing is an out-and-back or a nice loop route. And one of my favorites is a 'round the city run that I'm calling the City's Edge 6 Miler.

I start from Deering Oaks Park and after exploring all of the trails, bridges, and old concrete structures that the park has to offer, I turn right onto Park Avenue and left onto Bramhall.

Bramhall St is a hill and a half!  By the time that you reach Congress you should be sufficiently warmed up and ready for your run around the City's Edge. Keep on going down Bramhall, past Maine Medical Center, and you'll find yourself on the Western Promenade.  There are a series of trails on the 'prom that you can play on before running down to Danforth St. and turning left towards the city center.

Enjoy the quiet run down Danforth before reaching the well traveled and high traffic streets of the Old Port (which is it's own kind of fun-just be careful!).  Choose a right turn to Commercial St. (any one will do) and run straight until you reach the railroad tracks and the start of the Eastern Promenade trail.  Enjoy the views along the EPT (and consider running up the Fort Allen Steps coming up on your left...if you're so inclined) until you reach the access point to East Beach.  Now you're at the bottom of the Eastern Promenade.  And you need to be at the top. So, one way or another, you're heading up.  I prefer bounding up the big hill but that's just me....

  A left on Congress St, a sprint down the hill, and a right onto Forest will have you back at Deering Oaks after roughly 6 miles of cross-city running!