5 Best Running Trails in Columbus - From Fleet Feet - for my runner friends and colleagues

5 Best Running Trails in Columbus Since everyone drives in Columbus, and won't hesitate to run you over, we at Fleet Feet almost always run on local trails. So here's a list of the 5 best routes and what makes them so special: 1. Olentangy River Trail - Starting north at the trail head in Worthington Hills Market, you can run an entire marathon distance on this super flat, tree-covered trail. Bring your own water, as Columbus Metro Parks has been less than stellar at providing functioning water fountains along the way. 2. Highbanks - The Overlook Trail gets its name for the 100-foot high shale bluffs towering over the Olentangy River. It's a gorgeous turnaround point on this 2.3-mile loop. Longer distance runners can get in about 10 miles at High Banks without repeating a step. Best part is that the hilly High Banks trails are almost entirely tree-covered and there are water fountains throughout the park. 3. Alum Creek Trail - For distance runners, this is a lesser used trail in which, roundtrip, you can get 16 miles in. If you start in Westerville, there's a luxurious bathroom stop after 8 miles at the Hilton in Easton. 4. Darby Creek Metro Park - This is very rugged, scenic terrain that doesn't get much use. The creek bed is quite steep, and the trails run up and down throughout it. It's not for the faint of heart but provides a great workout. 5. Sharon Woods - This 3.8-mile loop is 70% tree-covered, but you can cobble together an awesome 12-mile run by taking the extremely under-utilized sand gravel paths that sit inside the outer loop. Water fountains and bathrooms are available.