Thompson Park, Lincroft

Part of The Monmouth County Park system, I did a lot of marathon training here. If I had shorter runs to do, it’s a great park to bring the kids in the running stroller, and enjoy the scenery! Thompson Park has 4.9 mile paved trail loop, with one larger hill, but mostly flat. It’s really scenic, with a small pond, and plenty of people on the trail. Cross Farm Park is across the street, another great park with soccer fields and paved trails for walking/running. I’ll often cut across and take advantage of both while I’m there!

Holmdel Park, Holmdel

Holmdel Park is great because it offers a lot of different trails, depending on the kind of run you’d like to do. If you have the running stroller, you can run the paved loop (.5 miles) to get a workout in. It’s a little hilly, which has been challenging to me. You can also head into the wooded trails to really push yourself on hills and get some good cardio in. I’ve brought my son and daughter here for hikes in the summer too!

Manasquan Reservoir, Manasquan

I stumbled upon the reservoir when I was training for the NY marathon. Having grown up in Monmouth County, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been before. The trail loop around the reservoir is five miles, perfect for race training and long runs. My daughter loves looking at the reservoir and pointing out birds and other animals along the way. The best part about this spot is the scenery, it’s really beautiful! Even if you’re not a runner, I highly recommend heading down here for a walk, with or without the kids!

Sandy Hook, Highlands

In the warmer months, I love running by the beach. For me, it’s closer to get down to Sandy Hook for a run. It’s beautiful and incredibly therapeutic running by the ocean, and perfect for long or short runs. Most of our beaches are great for running in Monmouth County, if Sandy Hook isn’t close enough to you.