Well, pitchers and catchers have been reporting over the past week, which means spring training is right around the corner! Charlie has found some great deals to get you into spring training with your points. If you get into the athletic spirit, there is some great running near the major spring training venues.
Spring Training Running Guide
Spring training takes place in Florida (Grapefruit League) and Arizona (Cactus League). About half the teams are in Florida and the other half are in Arizona.
Below are our official Spring Training/Running Maps, which have all the info you need about team venues, great spots for running in the area, and even local running shops and group runs. To best use the map, click on the top left corner to open a box revealing names of teams, routes, etc. On the map, click on the baseball to get team name and address, the runner symbol for info about the route, and the icon for store info and group runs. Click on the square in the top right corner for full page view.
Florida
In Florida, there are three ‘centers’ for spring training: on the west coast, in the area around Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater/Sarasota; further south, in Fort Myers; and on the east coast, in the Jupiter/West Palm Beach area, up to Port St. Lucie. The Braves are in the Orlando area, and the Tigers are in Lakeland.
Our Florida map shows the venues of spring training, our selection of best runs nearby, and locations of running stores. Stores with the green icon have group runs you might want to connect with. For more detailed info on the runs, go to the Great Runs site and the relevant location: Tampa/St. Pete, Orlando, Naples/Fort Myers, or Palm Beach/Boca Raton. Some favorites, near the venues:
- Palm Beach: Lake Trail, Flagler Drive
- Fort Myers: There’s a linear park right next to the CenturyLink Sports Complex (Twins). Fort Myers Beach is a great beach run.
- Tampa/St. Pete: Bayshore Linear Park and Al Lopez Park are near venues. St. Pete Beach is a favorite running spot.
Arizona
See our Arizona spring training/running map below. The 15 teams that have their Spring Training operations in Arizona are all in the greater Phoenix area, which includes Scottsdale, Tempe, and Glendale. Several stadiums share two teams.
Some of our favorite running spots in the Phoenix area are Papago Park and Tempe Town Lake. In Scottsdale, Indian Wash Greenbelt is a wonderful linear park. Or enjoy the scenery of Camelback Mountain or Mummy Mountain. Our Phoenix Guide also includes information on areas to stay near good routes.
Takeaway
Spring Training is not only a great time for a vacation (and some beautiful weather to get away from the cold!) but it is a time to take in some of your favorite MLB teams as they prepare for the long season ahead. Before you head to the ballpark, make sure you take full advantage of these cities and hit the roads with some running. This Spring Training running guide should help you make the most of that experience!
Great Runs is the ultimate guide to the best places to run in the world’s major cities and destinations. It’s for travelers who run and runners who travel. www.greatruns.com. @greatruns
