Peter Stevens on distance running locations in Lubbock, Texas

Regardless of your fitness level, if you are interested in distance running, Lubbock, Texas has much to offer you in terms of great running locations.

Here are some of my favorite places to get in a run:

Urbanovsky Park

Urbanovsky Park is located next to the Texas Tech University United Supermarkets Arena and the Texas Tech University Student Recreation Center. The park is flat and pretty open,with a few trees but not much shade, so dress appropriately. You can follow the trails, or venture off-trail across the fields, or explore the nearby university campus.

Tech Terrace Park

This small park is about the size of three or four city blocks. A short jog around the circumference of it takes you about half a mile. There’s a little more shade here, especially if you stick to the streets around the park, but it’s still very open, so again, wear sunscreen and maybe a baseball cap. On nice days you’ll see a lot of bikers on the streets around the park.

Wagner Park

One block south of Tech Terrace Park is Wagner Park. It’s small, only a couple of city blocks big, so even a novice runner can make a couple of laps around it easily. There’s a playground, so it’s pretty busy on nice days, and in the spring you can get a glimpse of a neighborhood baseball game.

Higinbotham Park

This is one of my favorite places for a quick evening run. There’s a big lake in the middle, and a winding trail that runs more or less the circumference of the park, but keeps a little bit back from the street. On hot days, the water from the pond makes this park seem a little cooler, although it can get a bit buggy in the summer.

Shadow Hills Golf Course

Being a golf course, this is a large area, with lots of trails to run and plenty of interesting water and geological features put there for the golfers. It’s also a bit greener in the summer compared to some of the other places on this list, although that’s mostly grass and shrubbery not trees–again, sunscreen is your friend here. I like to head towards the center-west side of the course, where there are some small ponds and even a fountain.

Mackenzie State Park

This is a little out of the way for most people, but if you’re planning a long weekend run, Mackenzie State Park is well worth the trip. It’s big, with tons of different trails, and some hills for a bit of a challenge. There are also prairie dogs, a small golf course, a small amusement park, and some gorgeous ground floral.

About the author

Peter Stevens is a dedicated teacher, parent, philanthropist, and music enthusiast from Lubbock, Texas. His interests include enriching and inspiring young minds, contributing to his community, and exploring new ways to give back to those less fortunate. Peter also greatly enjoys music, listening to a plethora of genres ranging from country to classic rock.

To learn more about Peter Stevens, click here.