Toledo is the fourth largest city in Ohio and is a major commercial center and port. The city sits on the banks of the Maumee River, which flows into Lake Erie just to the east. There’s an impressive choice of scenic running options in Toledo, from paths along the banks of the Maumee to several longer multi-use trails and a large number of sizeable parks. We must acknowledge Toledo Metroparks for their terrific infrastructure of trails and high quality of maps and other online information.
For waterfront running on the Maumee, there are three options: several miles in central Toledo; south in the town of Maumee; and the Towpath Trail, which runs between Farnsworth Metropark and Providence Metropark. Just west of downtown is a nice run around University of Toledo and Ottawa Park. For nice residential running, explore our historic neighborhoods route, which includes paths around three small parks. Some of the best running in Toledo is in its sizeable metroparks, all of which feature a combination of easier multi-use trails and trail running options: Pearson, Wildwood Preserve, Swan Creek, Secor, and Oak Openings.
For transportation, there’s an OK local bus system called TARTA. But no really good mass transit. Runners should also be aware of Toledo’s climate: summers can be quite hot, while winters are cold and snowy.
