There are so many amazing places to run that we want to help spread the word about some of your favorites. Maybe you will be visiting a new area and looking for a great running trail or in search of your next racecation. Whatever the case, we hope to highlight some of the best places to run around the world!
![](https://oldsite.sparkleathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FavoriteRun_CulverCity-1024x683.jpg)
Up next to share her favorite run is Kelsey (@MsKelseyTara on Instagram). She shares with us her favorite place to run and her favorite places to eat post-run…
Favorite Run: Ballona Creek Bike Trail, Culver City, CA
Runner: Kelsey
Location: Ballona Creek Bike Trail, Culver City, CA
![](https://oldsite.sparkleathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IMG_7038-1024x768.jpg)
Address: The bike trail along the creek starts at Syd Kronenthal Park at 3459 McManus Avenue Culver City, CA, but there are also several other entrances along the trail.
Fun Fact: Ballona Creek and Lagoon are named for the Ballona or Paseo de las Carretas land grant, dated November 27, 1839. The Machado and Talamantes families, co-grantees of the rancho, heralded from Baiona in northern Spain
Distance: As long as you want! The path itself is 7 miles each way, but you can add on mileage on the beach bike path in either direction.
![](https://oldsite.sparkleathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/bikepathmap.gif)
Difficulty: Overall the trail it pretty flat, but there are grades each time the trail dips below surface streets.
![](https://oldsite.sparkleathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Ballona-Creek-1024x420.png)
Why You Love It: I love running Ballona Creek because it allows me to tailor my run to whatever length I want. From the top of the trail to Marina Del Rey and the ocean is roughly 7 miles each way. At the Marina, I can continue on to the beach bike path and take it either north toward Santa Monica or south toward Manhattan Beach, adding on as much mileage as I need for that particular training run. And who doesn’t love running on the beach? And since the lower half of the trail winds through wetlands there is a lot of diverse bird life to view.
![](https://oldsite.sparkleathletic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IMG_6025-1024x768.jpg)
A big thanks to Kelsey for sharing her favorite run with us. We hope that this series turns into a list of super cool runs across the country and even internationally – that way if you are ever in the area you know of a recommended route from a fellow #teamsparkle member.
If you’d like to be featured on an upcoming Sparkle Athletic “Favorite Runs“ post, please email us at favoriteruns@sparkleathletic.com.