Synopses & Reviews
Trail Running Bend and Central Oregon is an extensive guide to the best trail running in an area known for its trails. For years, Bend has been called one of the top trail-running destinations, but until now there has never been a book solely dedicated to running the trails. Author and trail runner Lucas Alberg provides detailed descriptions of the area’s best loop runs, including several new trails added to the area within recent years. From classic high desert runs to the east in the Badlands, to mountain escapes and high alpine scenery to the west in the Cascades, Trail Running Bend and Central Oregon highlights the unique and diverse geography that the region has to offer.
This guide is smartly organized by season, so runners can know when to hit the right trails at the right times throughout the year. Whether you’re out for a long winter run, a quick jaunt before an evening at the pub, or a summer affair through the wildflower-strewn paths high in the backcountry, Lucas has explored these routes in depth to ensure you’re hitting the dirt at the perfect time.
The 50 routes described in the book are all located within 65 miles from Bend and a short drive away from Portland, which means that trail runners will spend more time doing what they love to do, instead of spending time behind the windshield in anticipation. Lucas provides detailed trailhead directions to ensure getting there is the easy part, along with route maps, elevation profiles, and points of interest, so that runners know going in what to expect and when.
Trail Running Bend and Central Oregon is written from the runner’s perspective, for the runner. The book focuses on the best trails for trail running and brings together a combination of trails in loop form that lend themselves to the sport. With a zest and passion for the trails, Lucas captures the best of what Central Oregon has to offer for runners and brings this knowledge to the public through his book.
About the Author
Lucas Alberg is a native Kansan who ventured west after college in pursuit of outdoor adventure in the mountains. A distance runner since his youth, Lucas took to trail running when he moved to Portland, OR, in 2001. After exhausting the trails in the northwest part of the state, he moved to the sunnier side of the Cascade Mountains and Bend in 2011. Since then, he has been eagerly exploring Central Oregon’s diverse geography and gobbling up miles on the area’s vast network of trails.
Outside of running, Lucas enjoys spending time mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and camping with his lovely wife, Rae, and their son, Loren. A longtime musician, Lucas has written and recorded two albums with his band, The Beautiful Train Wrecks, and has found time to play hundreds of shows across the Pacific Northwest. Lucas currently serves as PR Manager for a Bend-based outdoors company.