About cycling & running in DenverDenver Front Range Training
Running: Denver-Aurora-Centennial running gives you the best of both worlds. Locals stack base miles on the High Line Canal, which stretches 71 miles, and use the Cherry Creek Trail when they want more than 40 miles of path to work with. City Park and Cheeseman Park handle weekday laps, and Sloan's Lake gives a 3-mile lap when you need a clean add-on. Fleet Feet Cherry Creek backs right up to the trail. Centennial Run Club keeps weekly runs moving from Torchy's Tacos, Five Guys, and Resolute Brewing Company. The Colfax Marathon anchors May, with High Line Canal Summer Scamper and Colorado Rockies Home Run 5K close behind.
Cycling: Denver riders can stay urban or point west fast. Locals use Rocky Mountain Arsenal Gravel, Cherry Creek State Park Gravel Trails, and the Denver Bike Path Loop for Z2, then head toward Golden, Littleton, and Boulder when the legs need work. Rocky Mountain Cycling Club gives the scene real range, with starts in Denver, Aurora, Cherry Creek, Golden, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, and more. South Table Mountain Park brings singletrack, and South Mesa Loop reaches it in 20 miles. High Grade and Confluence Loop makes the climbing obvious over 75 miles. Denver Century Ride is the anchor event.
Season: Spring gives runners blooms and green landscapes, and fall gives both sports the cleanest training rhythm. Summer gets hot, with temperatures reaching the upper 90s Fahrenheit, but nights stay pleasant enough for early Z2, late intervals, and longer rides before the roads cook. Monsoon Season runs from mid-July through August and brings more rain chances. Winter changes the plan more than the sport. Locals can ride almost year-round with the right clothing on the Front Range, while the mountains turn cold and snowy. Denver weather still keeps everyone honest, with snow possible in May and sunny 70s in January.
