Arizona State University/A Mountain

The campus of 50,000 student Arizona State University defines Tempe. It’s adjacent to the downtown and Lake trail areas. It’s a great run through the campus, featuring palm-lined pedestrian malls, subtropical vegetation, and interesting architecture. A highlight of the run is the short but very steep run/walk to the top of “A Mountain”. Our loop combines the nicer paths within the university, the mountain, and a brief stretch along the Tempe Lake Trail. It’s possible to do more within the campus — there are lots of nice pedestrian malls, or to add on by running a bit in downtown Tempe or more along the lake trail.

Also take note of the ASU Research Park. Business parks are not typically the most scenic running routes, but the employees of companies at the ASU Research Park could do a lot worse for a lunchtime run than a loop around the ponds here, which can range up to 3.5 miles.