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Where To Run
The Philadelphia area has many great places to run! Whether you’re new to the area or just looking for new routes, we’ll help you navigate! Check out some of the routes we’ve outlined here, or stop by the store and we’ll map out a course for you!
The Valley Forge Striders hold group runs beginning here at our store, Runaway Success, every Thursday at 6:30pm during the extended daylight months of April – September. Courses of approximately 3.5, 4.5, 6.8 and 8.5 miles are marked. Note the emphasis on "approximate!" The courses are all on roads, but traffic is light at 6:30pm, and the scenery is terrific! The courses are rolling, and the 6.8 and 8.5 mile loops include some nice hills. All abilities are welcome, so come on out and run with us!
Route Index
ROUTES BEGINNING AT RUNAWAY SUCCESS
25 PAOLI PLAZA, PAOLI, PA
• 3.5 Mile Run
• 4.5 Mile Run
• 6.8 Mile Run
• 8.5 Mile Run
ROUTES BEGINNING IN VALLEY FORGE PARK, BETZWOOD PICNIC AREA
• Up to 6 miles out-and-back – GRAVEL PATH
• 7-mile loop – GRAVEL PATH, ROADS AND PAVED PATH
• As long as you want, out-and-back…PAVED PATH
• 14.5 Miles – Combination of roads and trails
• An add-on to the 14.5 miles to make it 20 or so…
• 16 miles with one GREAT, BIG HILL!
Route Details
ROUTES BEGINNING AT THE RUNAWAY SUCCESS
25 PAOLI PLAZA, PAOLI, PA
From Rte. 30 and Valley Rd.
3.5 Miles
• Head out on South Valley Road…cross over Darby-Paoli Road and continue past Paoli Presbyterian Church.
• Turn right on Treble Lane.
• At the end of Treble, turn right onto Grubb Road
• Follow Grubb Road and turn right onto Waynesborough Road
• Turn left back onto South Valley Road and head back to the store.
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4.5 Miles
• Head out on S. Valley Road…cross over Darby-Paoli Road and continue past Paoli Presbyterian Church.
• Turn right onto White Horse. You’ll see an old school house (now a residence) on the left).
• At the "T" intersection, turn right (still White Horse).
• Take your first right onto Grubb Road.
• Follow Grubb Road and turn right onto Waynesborough Road
• Turn left back onto S. Valley Road and return to the store.
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6.8 Miles - There has been some recent debate that this might be longer - more like 7.2 miles. It is certified by Jen running the loop with her watch, so if you are nitpicky about exact distances, come out here and measure it yourself!!
• Head out on S. Valley Road…cross over Darby-Paoli Road and continue past Paoli Presbyterian Church.
• Continue on South Valley past the school house on the left.
• Turn right onto Grubbs Mill Road
• At the end of Grubbs Mill, continue to bear right onto Buttonwood.
• At the end of Buttonwood, turn right onto White Horse
• Take your first left onto Rabbit Run (up the hill!).
• At the end of Rabbit Run, turn left onto Fox Chase (down the hill!).
• At the end of Fox Chase, turn right onto Hillview Road.
• At the end of Hillview, turn right onto White Horse/Davis Road.
• Take your first left onto Grubb Road.
• Follow Grubb Road and turn right onto Waynesborough Road
• Turn left back onto S. Valley Road and return to the store.
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8.5 Miles - nice scenery, and nice hills!
• Head out on S. Valley Road…cross over Darby-Paoli Road and continue past Paoli Presbyterian Church.
• Continue on South Valley past the school house on the left.
• Turn right onto Grubbs Mill Road
• At the end of Grubbs Mill, continue to bear right onto Buttonwood.
• At the end of Buttonwood, turn right onto White Horse
• Take your first left onto Rabbit Run (up the hill!).
• At the end of Rabbit Run, turn left onto Fox Chase (down the hill!).
• At the end of Fox Chase, turn right onto Hillview Road.
• At the end of Hillview, turn left onto Davis Road
• Take your first right to Warren (top of the hill!).
• Follow Warren and turn right onto Jaffrey
• Jaffrey ends at Grubb Road. Turn left up Grubb.
• Turn right onto Waynesborough
• Turn left back onto S. Valley Road and return to the store.
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ROUTES BEGINNING IN VALLEY FORGE PARK, BETZWOOD PICNIC AREA
Up to 6 miles out-and-back – GRAVEL PATH
The Betzwood Picnic Area is a nice starting point if you like trails. This area is accessible if you head West on Rte. 422, and take the Audubon/Trooper exit. At the top of the ramp, turn right, crossing over 422. Bear left, and you’ll see a barricaded old bridge ahead. Just before the barricade, turn right into the Betzwood Picnic area. Straight back from all the parking lots is a gravel trail that follows along the Schuykill River. It is 3 miles each way and is totally flat.
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7-mile loop – GRAVEL PATH, ROADS AND PAVED PATH
You can add on to the gravel path by continuing over Pawlings Road at the far end of the path, and turning immediately left onto Gertrude Lane. As Gertrude Lane bears to the right, you’ll see a gravel driveway that continues straight ahead. This will take you back around and out to Pawlings Road. Turn left onto Pawlings, and you’ll see a parking area ahead on your left, which provides access to the paved bike path. You can follow the paved bike path back to the Betzwood Picnic Area for a total of about 7 miles.
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As long as you want, out-and-back…PAVED PATH
Just to the right after entering the picnic area, you can also access the paved bike path that extends all the way to Collegeville (where it turns into a gravel path and continues on) in one direction, and all the way into Philly the other direction. The miles are marked. This is a great place to do tempo mile repeats or other speedwork if you want to get off the track for longer workouts!
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14.5 Miles – Combination of roads and trails
• Begin at Betzwood. Turn right onto the paved bike path and turn immediately to your left, where you can take a path over 422 to the main park.
• Cross Rte 23 (carefully!), turn left onto the bike path and continue past the Visitor’s Center all the way to the Arch.
• Just before the arch, turn left onto the cobblestone road and follow it down into the neighborhoods.
• Follow the main road when it bears right at the bottom of the hill. This is Thomas Road.
• Follow Thomas Road all the way to Walker Rd. Turn right on Walker.
• Follow Walker Road all the way to 252, where you’ll see the entrance to Valley Forge Middle School and St. Isaac Jogues Church. Cross over 252 and bear left into the parking lot of St. Isaac’s – you can cut through there onto Chesterbrook Blvd. (this lets you avoid actually running along 252 to Chesterbrook Blvd.).
• Once you are on Chesterbrook Blvd., follow it all the way to the traffic light intersection with Duportail. (note: About 1 mile up Chesterbrook Blvd., you’ll see a Genuardi’s in a shopping strip on your left…you can get water and there are bathrooms there if you need to stop.)
• At the light, turn right onto Duportail.
• Follow Duportail ALL the way until it ends at Swedesford Road (you’ll see another traffic light). Turn right onto Swedesford Road.
• Head up the hill on Swedesford – use caution on this road. It has a shoulder, but traffic can be a bit busy on this road. You’re not on it very long, though.
• Take your first right onto Leboutillier. This is a really pretty road, you’ll enjoy it.
• Follow Leboutillier until it ends at a "T" intersection with Mill Road. Turn left onto Mill.
• Follow Mill Road until it ends at Yellow Springs Road.
• Turn right onto Yellow Springs. Take this road all the way back into the park until you see the Covered Bridge – take the trail on your left right at the Covered Bridge (you’ve probably been on this route before).
• At the end of the covered bridge trail, cross over Rte. 23 and bear right, and continue back to the abandoned train station. There are also bathrooms and water right at the first set of buildings along 23 if you need to stop again.
• At the abandoned trail station, turn right and head up the hill. As you continue up the paved drive from the train station, you’ll see a trail continuing straight ahead. Hop on!
• Follow the trail – you should be able to see the river to your left down the hill as you go along. At one point not far in, the trail is blocked bc they are working on it. You’ll see a little side path (it’s basically a jug handle) leading off to the right that follows the tree edge up and around, and it drops you back on the trail beyond the work area.
• You can stay on this trail, which follows along the railroad tracks, all the way until it dumps you out along a driveway – you’ll see two or three houses on your right. Just past the houses, you can turn left and you’ll see the path that takes you back over the river to Betzwood.
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If you want to add-on to the 14.5 miles to make it 20 or so…
Once you are back to Betzwood, I suggest finishing up with an easy 6 miles out-and-back on the gravel trail along the river. It will be nice and flat, and the ground will be soft. The main loop I’ve described above is about 14.5 miles. So with the 6 at the end, you’ll have your 20 miles!
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16 miles with one GREAT, BIG HILL!
Best to run when traffic is light. This course is on roads – great for winter long runs when the trails aren’t as usable.
• Begin at Betzwood. Turn right onto the paved bike path and turn immediately to your left, where you can take a path over 422 to the main park.
• Cross Rte 23 (carefully!), turn left onto the bike path and continue past the Visitor’s Center all the way to the Arch.
• Continue on the bike path until it splits…take the path to the left until you get to Rte 252.
• Cross 252 and head through the parking lot to the right, and continue on along 252 towards the covered bridge.
• Run through the covered bridge and continue on Yellow Springs Road all the way until you see the octagonal schoolhouse…at this point, turn right onto Diamond Rock Road.
• Diamond Rock is the steep hill. Take it all the way up until it intersects with Country Club Road.
• Turn right onto Country Club Road and follow this road down the hill for many miles. Enjoy the ride!
• Country Club will end at Rte. 23 – cross 23 and it becomes Ferry Lane.
• Ferry Lane intersects Pawlings Road…turn right onto Pawlings and follow Pawlings Road and turn right at either the Betzwood trail head if you want to run the gravel path, or continue on and jump onto the paved path just before Pawlings crosses over 422.
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