Grand Rapids Running Tours
Grand Rapids Running Tours
Grand Rapids Running Tours
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About
Grand Rapids Running Tours offers a variety of guided group running tours oriented around specific Grand Rapids landmarks and points of interest. Classic 5K and 10K Tours are offered with daily departures or Totally Custom Tours are designed to accommodate any athletic ability, training regimen and cultural interest. The best way to experience Grand Rapids is on foot...Take the City in Stride!
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Grand Rapids Running Tours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
9
Very good
0
Average
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0
Terrible
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Synovitis
Grand Rapids, MI11 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
Carolyn is an outstanding age-group runner, so she can go fast, but the tours are much more than a run. She had a happy infectious spirit and clearly wants to share her knowledge of the city and its history. Each tour is fully scripted - for accuracy - but flows naturally. I’ve lived and run in GR for decades, but learned a lot in a couple hours running with Carolyn. Highly recommended.
Written May 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2018YvonneY
Indy, United States60 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
Definitely our luck to find this during our short stay in Grand Rapids! Caroline is so responsive and flexible (in our booking, of a private tour with a fido friend on short notice), fun and knowledgeable. Although we were planning for a 45 minutes/an hour tour, we ended up having a ~ 3 hours walk/jog tour around the whole downtown with loads of history and fun facts, and a right dose of exercise (Heritage Hill). Caroline was working according to our schedule and request so it's our gain!..Money well spent - but I can tell Caroline (herself is a very nice and interesting person!) is doing this as a priceless experience to us! Highly recommended. (Do leave yourself plenty of time to find a cheaper option to park downtown than at JW Marriott ).
Written July 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aliza S
2 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
Last weekend, my boyfriend and I were in Grand Rapids for the weekend to explore all the city has to offer. I was excited when I found the Grand Rapids Running Tour as I needed to also do a long run for training. Caroline was amazing during booking and built us a tour that sent us all around G.R. The tour taught us so much about the history and evolution of G.R. I highly recommend this tour group to everyone. Runner or not.
Written July 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karla W
1 contribution
Oct 2017 • Business
I am fascinated with the whole learn and burn concept. Caroline is a bundle of energy and a wealth of knowledge! I would definitely recommend one of her tours!
Written December 8, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheLuxuryBackpacker
Exeter, UK16 contributions
Nov 2017 • Couples
Earlier this month, I found myself with a three-day vacation in Grand Rapids as my wife was attending a conference there. Grand Rapids Running Tours came up in the search results early in my planning and so I contacted Caroline Cook, the founder of this interesting venture and asked whether a tour was planned over the days I was going to be in town. Nothing in the diary, but she would be happy to take me on a personalised tour on my first morning there. She recommended "Lapping the Landmarks", a general-purpose introductory tour and so I signed up.
So, how was it? I would recommend Grand Rapids Running Tours highly for any visitor who is new to the area and who can run 5k in around one hour. Caroline is a knowledgeable and entertaining guide and I felt that I learned a lot about the city in a short time. And it wasn't just "history", the tour included key visitor information on places to visit, places to eat (and drink, an important factor in this city that styles itself "Beer City") and other features of the city today.
For "Couch to 5k" runners who might worry about keeping up, I would say that there is no need to worry. We never ran more than two or three blocks before pausing at an intersection. On a couple of occasions, we went into public buildings and took a good look around - historical hotel lobbies, old courthouses and so on.
For experienced runners who might worry about the slow place, I will confess to feeling slightly restless as we stopped by a sculpture barely 50 yards from the start point, but Caroline's infectious zest for sharing information and facts about a city she clearly knows and loves well soon won me over and I quickly settled into the easy pace of the journey while being bombarded with millions of fascinating facts and stories.
Caroline even recommended a good area for a subsequent solo run and so I was able to set out on a longer run later in my stay. When out with my wife in the evenings, it seemed that everywhere we went, I was prompted to say "Oh, and this building is where ..." or "This street is named for ..." and I was surprised how much I had absorbed. (I think I got most of it right!)
Highly recommended!
So, how was it? I would recommend Grand Rapids Running Tours highly for any visitor who is new to the area and who can run 5k in around one hour. Caroline is a knowledgeable and entertaining guide and I felt that I learned a lot about the city in a short time. And it wasn't just "history", the tour included key visitor information on places to visit, places to eat (and drink, an important factor in this city that styles itself "Beer City") and other features of the city today.
For "Couch to 5k" runners who might worry about keeping up, I would say that there is no need to worry. We never ran more than two or three blocks before pausing at an intersection. On a couple of occasions, we went into public buildings and took a good look around - historical hotel lobbies, old courthouses and so on.
For experienced runners who might worry about the slow place, I will confess to feeling slightly restless as we stopped by a sculpture barely 50 yards from the start point, but Caroline's infectious zest for sharing information and facts about a city she clearly knows and loves well soon won me over and I quickly settled into the easy pace of the journey while being bombarded with millions of fascinating facts and stories.
Caroline even recommended a good area for a subsequent solo run and so I was able to set out on a longer run later in my stay. When out with my wife in the evenings, it seemed that everywhere we went, I was prompted to say "Oh, and this building is where ..." or "This street is named for ..." and I was surprised how much I had absorbed. (I think I got most of it right!)
Highly recommended!
Written November 27, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wilsonbe86
Lowell, Michigan1 contribution
Jul 2015 • Couples
I love GR running tours! This is great for people who are traveling or from the city. The running tours is a great new way to get out of your hotel, get some exercise (catered to your pace), and see the city in a way that is not possible any other way. Definitely a recommended activity to do!
Written October 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jenifer630
Hudsonville, Michigan1 contribution
Sep 2015 • Friends
Caroline is AWESOME! Knowledgeable, friendly, well-spoken, and as enthusiastic about running as she is about the history of Grand Rapids!
Written October 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
erin_buist
grand rapids1 contribution
Jul 2015 • Solo
GR Running Tours were great. It was the perfect mix of exercise and learning. I loved exploring the city and learning the stories of old and new. Caroline was a great leader; very encouraging and enthusiastic. Highly recommended for runners of any level.
Written October 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
evar346
3 contributions
Sep 2015 • Friends
Great chance to learn more about the city and get a good run in! Caroline has a fabulous love of GR history and is a great run leader. :-) Participated in the tours through Grand Rapids Sports & Social Club and have really enjoyed our weekly runs (7 in total). If you're looking for a single run or a package, this is a fun opportunity to learn more about our city and get a workout in.
Written October 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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