Athens offers a host of trials and pathways for the beginning and most intrepid of runners.

Finding places to run can be hard in many cities, but in Athens, students are surrounded by plenty of trails to choose from when they want to reduce stress and release endorphins through exercise.

Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski

The closest trail to campus is the University’s Intramural Fields, located off of  College Station Road.

In addition to gravel trails around Lake Herrick, the IM fields offer swerving, mildly hilly, dirt trails which can add more than four miles to your run.

The appearance of the IM trails changes with every season, making it easy to run there year round without the heavy yawn of boredom.

If you don’t want to run for as long and if you want to feel secluded in nature, you can try the Birchmore Trails, located in Memorial Park on Gran Ellen Drive. The trail is approximately 2 miles long in the forest and it features wooden bridges over creeks, ravines and stone steps.

When you’re done running, you can visit the bears, bobcats and other animals at the nearby Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail. Just make sure you don’t run through the zoo.

Birchmore can easily be connected to the IM trails if you are want to go extra miles.

The Sandy Creek trails, off of North Avenue, are less well known, but they are still a great place for a long run.

Though you have to run close to three miles on the concrete North Oconee River Greenway, once you get to the maze of trails at Sandy Creek Nature Center, the trek is worth it.

The trail is mostly flat and extends miles — most of them on a boardwalk over a river. The sight is beautiful during any season, but spring and fall are breathtaking.