About cycling & running in El PasoEl Paso Training Notes
Running: Locals run Scenic Drive when they want views and honest climbing. Scenic Drive closes to cars on Sunday mornings from 6am to noon, and runners, walkers, and cyclists take it over. McKelligon Canyon Run brings the hills and the return-trip view. Ascarate Park, Ascarate Lake Loop, Manhattan Heights and Memorial Park, Sunset Heights Neighborhood, Pat O'Rourke Memorial Trail, West Side Community Park, and the Paso Del Norte Trail all stay in the rotation. Coffee Posse keeps group energy around town. The Up and Running 4th of July 5K gives the calendar its anchor races.
Cycling: The El Paso Bicycle Club is the easy door into road and gravel miles here. The club rides almost every Saturday and Sunday, and locals jump into B/IG rides, Group A, Group B, or the Thursday Morning Cruise depending on legs. Borderland Mountain Bike Association is where riders look for technical mountain biking and singletrack. Roadies use Mission Trail, Rio Grande River Trail, El Paso-Juarez Loop, Scenic Drive, and Transmountain Road. Transmountain Road and the Franklin Mountains hold the climbs. The climb is 3 km and gains 864 m. 8 km. The Chile Pepper Challenge is the anchor event.
Season: March through May and September through November are the sweet spots for base miles, long runs, and Z2 rides. El Paso gets more than 300 sunny days a year, so locals treat shade, water, and start time like part of the workout. May through September gets relentlessly hot, and summer miles work best early before the desert starts cooking. June through September brings monsoon moisture, mountain lift, and hard afternoon thunderstorms. Winter stays cool to mild and dry, but the city and nearby mountains can get snow. Locals keep running and riding, then adjust layers, routes, and climb plans when the Franklin Mountains turn cold.
