By Julia Partain | [email protected]

It’s that time of year when Utah is buzzing with outdoor enthusiasts enjoying Mother Nature’s playground. 

Trails across the valley are peppered with hikers, bikers and runners itching for fresh air, exercise and a break from the grind. Since the cancellation of 2020 races, athletes are more than ready to compete again. Nobody knows this more than Blake Christensen, owner of RunGr8 Running Center ( http://rungr8.com/ ) and race director for the Herriman Trail Series.

“My wife, Heidi, and I are lovers of the sport of running,” Christensen said. “In 2012, we recognized there was a need for a quality running store on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley and decided to make it happen.”

This specialty shop caters to walkers, road and trail runners, triathletes and anyone looking for the perfect fitting shoes and athletic gear. It also makes a commitment to support the local community. Here’s how.

In 2014, Christensen served as a member of the Healthy Herriman Committee, a volunteer group that works together to discuss, plan and implement creative and beneficial ideas for community health- and wellness-related issues.

“Herriman City asked the committee to give input on the trails that were being built in the area,” Christensen said.

At that time, more than 1,800 acres of city-owned open space in the southern foothills of the city were being developed to provide a variety of uses and facilities for the area, including an extensive trail network, trailheads and trail access points. These open spaces help to separate the city from Camp Williams National Guard training site and provide opportunities for creating a unique foothill trail system in the city. 

The Herriman Trails Committee was soon created to recommend and monitor the establishment of trails, programs and policies to meet the recreational and aesthetic needs of the citizens of Herriman. Committed to the future and preservation of the surrounding mountains, Christensen and the newly formed committee brought community awareness to the existing primitive trails and roads showing how they connect to the new trail system being developed in the area. Designed for multi-use, the trails are geared for walkers, runners, hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians.

“I wanted a way to share our passion and enthusiasm for trail running and give attention to the trails,” Christensen said. “That is when the Herriman Trail Series ( http://rungr8.com/herriman-trail-series/) was created.”

This series is built on newly created trails and has three distances: 5k, 10k and half-marathon. All three courses offer beautiful scenery and views of the Salt Lake Valley and are designed to accommodate all abilities of runners from the beginner to the more experienced trail runner. It is also one of the few trail race series in the west side of the valley. Each race starts at Blackridge Reservoir and takes runners on the trails above Herriman.

“The 5k is a great introduction to trail running,” Christensen said “From there, the races build on each other. Spread out throughout the summer, it gives participants the opportunity to train for each race if they wanted. It really gives people a great stepping stone.”

City leaders appreciate and recognize the positive impact that the trail committee and race series brings to the community.

“It is a pleasure to host the Herriman Trail Series,” Herriman City Events and Recreation Manager Dayton Martindale said. “This series is a great staple for our community, and we are thankful for Blake Christensen and RunGr8 for their time and effort to provide these runs.”

Trails are continuing to expand and connect, giving new opportunities for more distances and races. For more information about the series, visit http://rungr8.com/herriman-trail-series/. 

Herriman Trail Series

5k: May 22

10k: June 26

Half-Marathon: Aug. 2