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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Running some of your local neighborhoods can be just as challenging as hitting a trail or treking up Mill Mountain.

Two routes in South and Southwest Roanoke have a mix of flat road and rolling hills, a good combination for a short or a long run.

The beginning of the sharp loop at Winding Way

Winding Way neighborhood

This approximately 3-mile loop runs beside Virginia Western Community College. Park in the parking lot to the left of the college if you’re heading South on Colonial Avenue. Start the run by heading out of that parking lot and turning left onto Colonial Avenue. Follow Colonial until it intersects with Winding Way Road, just past the college’s arboretum. Turn left onto Winding Way and follow the road a short distance. The road dips down a large hill. Then, turn right onto Heritage Road.

Heritage begins a paved and peaceful loop through the Winding Way community. The loop generally does not have much traffic. There are no sidewalks but you should stay to one side of the road. Be ready to work. There are some sharp inclines, mixed with gradual, rolling hills along the route.

Heritage Road turns into Park Lane and keeps going. Follow Park Lane as it takes a sharp right. The road’s name changes back to Winding Way. Turn right onto Winding Way and keep running. There’s one long hill at the end of the road. Make it to the top and you’re almost done.

Take another left onto the main intersection of Winding Way Road, and you’ll end up heading back to Colonial Avenue. Turn right onto Colonial and follow the road back to the parking lot where you started. The Colonial Avenue stretch is the only area where you’ll find a significant amount of traffic. Run on the sidewalks on this stretch to stay out of the way of vehicles.

The Wiley Drive stretch.

South Roanoke loop, which is the Star City Half Marathon’s route:

This loop is a 13.1-mile rolling hill route that makes for a challenging half marathon race. Take it slow if you’re out for a training run.

The route starts on Wiley Drive and turns right onto Franklin Road before traveling up a steep Jefferson Street hill that cross a bridge. It loops around some downtown area streets, but most of them are flat.

The difficult parts come when you cross back on Wiley Drive heading toward the South Roanoke neighborhoods. Turning left onto Avenham Avenue at mile 7 leads you straight over some tough gradual climbs, from Wycliffe Avenue to 27th Street. As you near the last several miles, you’ll wind down through Crystal Spring Avenue and back towards Wiley Drive.

Run a quick loop around Wasena Park, and you’re almost done. This run typically finishes with a lap around Victory Stadium, but since the stadium has been closed because of disrepair, finish up along Reserve Avenue.

Here are the detailed directions:

1) Start on Wiley Drive and turn right onto Franklin Road.
2) Turn right onto Reserve Avenue
3) Left on Jefferson Street
4) Left on Albemarle Avenue
5) Left on Third Street
6) Left on Maple Avenue
7) Right on Walnut Avenue
8) Right on Jefferson Street
9) Right on Reserve Avenue
10) Left onto Franklin Road
11) Left onto Wiley Drive
12) Right on Crystal Spring
13) Right on 27th Street
14) Right on Carolina Avenue
15) Left on McClanahan Street
16) Left on Franklin Road
17) Left on Avenham Avenue
18) Right onto 24th Street
19) Right on Wycliffe Avenue
20) Left onto 27th Street
21) Left on Cornwalis Avenue
22) Left on 26th Street
23) Right onto Crystal Springs Avenue
24) Right onto 24th Street
25) Left onto Richelieu Avenue
26) Right onto McClanahan Street
27) Left onto Jefferson Street
28) Left onto Wiley Drive
29) Bear to the right and follow Wiley Drive into Smith Park
30) Continue on Wiley Drive loop around Wasena Park
31) Follow the Wiley Drive loop back through Smith Park
32) Turn right onto Franklin Road
33) Turn right onto Reserve Avenue

Upcoming local and regional races:

July 4: Shawsville 5K, Shawsville, 772-2782

July 4: Independence Day 5K, Charlottesville, 434-293-3367, raggedmountainrunning.com

July 9: Fairview 5K, Charlottesville, 434-293-3367, avenue.org/ctc/events.htm

July 16: Commonwealth Games 5K, Roanoke, commonwealthgames.org