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SEATTLE RUNNING ROUTES:

BALLARD BRIDGE LOOP

This is a nice run that, for the most part, parallels the Lake Washington Ship Canal. I recommend beginning your run at West Ewing Mini Park. This little park is located behind Seattle Pacific University and offers parking. Start running west towards the Ballard Bridge with the canal on your right. After about half a mile of running on the trail you will turn left up 13th Ave W and then right on W Nickerson St and another right onto the Ballard Bridge. There is a cordoned off area for pedestrians and cyclists to use while crossing the bridge, be sure to utilize this. After crossing the bridge run right onto NW Ballard Way, after a quarter mile or so, turn right onto 11th Ave NW; follow for two blocks and at NW 45th St you will pick up the Burke-Gilman trail. At this point you will be near the Fred Meyer parking lot and the trail will take you behind Fred Meyer and back along the canal. This part of the run is flat and relaxing; just keep on going until you get to the Fremont Bridge. On the left side of the trail under the bridge there are stairs leading up, take these and cross the bridge. On the other side take a right and then another right through the Ponti parking lot and down the ramp to get back on the trail and this is the end of your navigating. Again, this part is flat and relaxing all the way back to your car.

 

The majority of this 4 mile run is on the path. Because this is such a great path it can get busy at times so I recommend not planning a run here if there are any events going on in Fremont.

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Parking is easy to find within the West Ewing Mini Park and on surrounding streets.

  • From downtown, follow 15th Ave W until just before the Ballard Bridge at which point you will veer slightly right onto W Nickerson St. Drive 0.85 miles, turn left at the light onto 3rd Ave W, continue for two blocks and park

  • If coming from Queen Anne, follow Queen Anne Ave N heading east until you reach W McGraw St, here you turn left. Follow McGraw for approx. three blocks then turn right on 3rd Ave W, follow this road down the hill and across Nickerson to the park.

  • Take either Westlake Ave N or Dexter Ave N to Nickerson St if coming from the South Lake Union area. Once on Nickerson, drive a little over half a mile and then turn right at the light onto 3rd Ave W, follow into park.

 

RECOMMENDED WORKOUT:

 

If training for a 5k this is a great route for your long, slow, distance training day. This type of training is done at 70% of your VO2max or 80% of your max heart rate and the distance is greater than your race distance.

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