The best trail running routes along the Front Range

Verney Green prefers running on trails to pounding pavement because running isn’t that enjoyable for him in the first place. He does it for the health benefits, and he finds the wide array of trails in the foothills near his home in Golden less monotonous because of the scenery and wildlife they offer. He said he likes being “immersed in the nature of the experience.”

Tracey Hulick comes to the trails from the opposite perspective. She’s not looking for distractions when she runs. She likes the way trail running demands her full attention.

“When I’m running a road or a path that’s paved, I think about everything and nothing,” said Hulick, who finished second in the Bear Chase 50mile trail race at Bear Creek Lake Park last fall. “I’ll think about work tomorrow, and this book I want to read, and this post I want to do — my mind’s all over the place.

“When I’m on a trail, I can’t think about anything else, other than looking at the trail, knowing where I am. Even on my worst trail runs, it always feels like a running meditation, because as soon as you start thinking about other stuff, you’re going to get lost, or you’re going to trip and fall, or both. It keeps me so present, so in the moment. I just love it.”

Front Range runners have all sorts of inviting trails in parks and open spaces to explore, especially at the western edge of the metropolitan sprawl where the plains end and the mountains rise. Trails in the foothills offer gorgeous views, solitude, serenity, challenging workouts and wildlife

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“Trails are always magical,” said Hulick, a Wisconsin native who moved here largely for the trail running last year, “but they are magical on steroids in Colorado.”

A road runner interested in trying trail running should be aware that the differences between the two go beyond the obvious. Knowing what to expect can ease the transition and help to avoid bad experiences.

Boulder’s Kara Goucher is a former elite marathoner, a two-time Olympian and world championships medalist in track and field. She took up trail running this year at age 40 and learned that navigating steep terrain required a major adjustment. Obviously running uphill is harder, but running downhill on trails riddled with roots and loose rock can be difficult, too.

“I had so much fear of falling and looking stupid,” Goucher said. “Don’t get me wrong, there are times I’m coming down and I’m still scared, but I’m getting out there and doing it. I would say, just go for it. It’s so much fun, and it’s going to put a totally different lens on your experience of running.”

Experienced trail runners accept the fact that they won’t run as fast on trails as they can on roads because of the elevation changes, the softer surface and the rocks, roots and other obstacles that may be hard to spot.

“Forget about any concept of pace,” said Green, 57, a retired geophysicist. “Every run is different. In road running you can say, ‘I’m an 8-minute mile guy.’ In trail running, you can’t