"I used to be a competitive road runner in college, but I fell in love with trail running in my late 30s. Now I'm an avid trail runner. I just got back from Wyoming for a trail run in the Big Horn Mountains. Here in Minnesota, we're lucky to have a lot of state parks with great trail runs. Some of the best near the metro are Afton and William O'Brien state parks. In the south metro, there's Murphy-Hanrehan and Lebanon Hills, which are more regional parks. But the one Minnesota is known for is the Superior Hiking Trail — a 296-mile footpath that intersects with seven state parks. My favorite stretch is the Temperance River, because of the waterfalls."

Paulette Odenthal, executive director for Get In Gear events and a board member for the Upper Midwest Trail Runners