The Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs offer some of the best running opportunities in the country, a fact proven by the popular annual marathon, the thousands who show up for shorter-distance events like Race for the Cure, the plethora of amateur teams, and a wide array of running-gear shops. The Harriet-Calhoun-Isles chain of lakes is certainly the most popular and convenient destination, as is the Mississippi River Road, but while these routes offer their own distinct beauty and serenity, cars and city sounds are never far away. A trip out to pastoral Pike Island, however, promises an easy and flat 5K loop filled with chances to bound through woods and prairie lands with deer, birds, and chipmunks as running companions. The Mississippi and Minnesota rivers meet at the tip of the island, making for an inspirational confluence, and trails leading north to Minnehaha Park and the River Road are accessible for longer-distance runners.