Jenny Kincaid Boone

Jenny Kincaid Boone has been running since she was in eighth grade. She competed in cross country and track at Fort Defiance High School (Fort Defiance, Va.) and at Roanoke College, where she was all-ODAC in cross country for four years. When her knees and legs aren't aching from the wear of years of competition, she hits the 19 to low 20-minute range for a 5K.

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A familiar run can be a great run. Try this old favorite.

Wasena and Smith parks are two well-known areas for outdoor activity in Southwest Roanoke. At Wasena Park, there are baseball fields, a skateboard area and picnic tables. Near Smith Park, people can fish in the Roanoke River. These places also make nice places to run.

A 7-mile loop that includes both parks and the roads surrounding them is a routine trot for many runners, including some Star City Striders groups that meet weekly in this area. The route is flat and takes mostly roads, sidewalks and paved paths.

Start the run at the parking lot behind Ramada Inn on Franklin Road. Turn left into Smith Park from the parking lot and follow the paved path about one mile. It travels around the park and along the peaceful Roanoke River.

Wasena Park has new paved paths for runners, bikers and walkers

Keep following the route as you turn right into Wasena Park. Here a new paved path recently was created, winding around the park and also through it in some spots. It keeps runners, bikers and walkers from having to dodge traffic around the park.

After running one lap, head out of the park, turning right onto Main Street. Follow Main Street as it goes up and over several rolling hills for about a mile. Just before the intersection of Main Street and Brandon Avenue, turn right onto Sherwood Avenue.

Follow Sherwood through the peaceful neighborhood area until you reach Grandin Road. Turn right onto Grandin and continue on the road as it skirts through the Grandin Village area. Traffic here can be heavy so running on the sidewalk is best.

Memorial Avenue Bridge

Turn right onto Memorial Avenue at the intersection of Memorial and Grandin and follow the road over the Memorial Bridge. After crossing the bridge, turn right onto Riverside Boulevard, following it as it loops around the Fishburn Rose Garden. The road turns into Ferdinand Avenue.

Turn right at the intersection of Ferdinand and Main Street, cross over the Main Street Bridge and take a right back into Wasena Park. Take another right in the park and follow the road back toward Smith Park. Retrace the last stretch through Smith Park and you’ll finish back at Ramada Inn.

Finish up a run through Smith Park by running alongside the peaceful Roanoke River.

This run is mostly flat with only several rolling hills on Main Street and on Sherwood Avenue. But the route involves all pavement or sidewalk running. If you’ve had trouble with shin splints or other lower leg injuries, take caution with the hard surface.

Beware of traffic along much of this route, particularly through the neighborhood areas and on Memorial Avenue.

This route is safest run with another runner because of some of the city areas that it travels. But you’re bound to see others running these roads, or other variations of the route, on a sunny morning or an afternoon.

Upcoming races

April 30: Pocahontas Indian 5 mile run and 3-mile walk, Pocahontas, 276-326-2883

May 7: Smith Mountain Triathlon, Smith Mountain Lake, commonwealthgames.org/smltri.html

May 21: Grandin Court Baptist Road and Trail Challenge, 5K, Roanoke, grandincourtbaptist.org