Richmond's Latest Honors: Runner Friendly Community and Frommer's Top Destinations

This year has been a good one for Richmond. Two of the honors it received of which I am particularly proud are its designation as a Road Runners Club of America 2014-2019 Runner Friendly Community and its appearance on Frommer's list of Top Destinations for 2014.

Runner Friendly Communities

Every five years, the Road Runners Club of America designates new Runner Friendly Communities. This year, Richmond was among just five cities added to the list. The other four cities honored were Belleville, Illinois; Rockwall, Texas; Safety Harbor, Florida; and Spokane, Washington.

One reason RRCA added Richmond to its elite list is the Virginia Capital Trail. Set to be complete on September 1, 2015, the trail will link Richmond and Williamsburg with a multi-use path, catering to runners, walkers, and cyclists.

Richmond, Virginia, was named to the Road Runner Club of America's Runner Friendly Community List for 2014-2019. Here, the skyline is viewed from the suspension footbridge to Belle Isle. September 2014.

RRCA also gives credit to the many runner-friendly businesses in the area, a strong Sports Backers organization, a strong YMCA presence, various organized running clubs, and the myriad running events Richmond hosts every year, such as the Anthem Richmond Marathon and its associated races each November, and the Monument Avenue 10k each spring.

(I have to add here that Kalamazoo, Michigan, where my mother grew up and where I have often visited throughout my life, is included on the 2013-2018 Runner Friendly Communities list.)

Frommer's Top Destinations in 2014 

This year, Frommer's named fourteen places around the world as Top Destinations for 2014. Only three of these destinations are in the United States, and Richmond, Virginia, is one of them. The other two U.S. destinations included are Big Island, Hawaii, and Palm Springs, California.  A few of the international destinations include Berlin, Germany; Liverpool, England; and Rio de Janeiro. Having visited Berlin, I have to say I am pretty thrilled to see Richmond listed as a city on par with this colorful, fascinatingly historic, and "multikulti" city.

Class IV and V rapids in downtown Richmond, Virginia, as viewed from the Pipeline Trail on October 2014.

Frommer's included Richmond on its list not only due to its Civil War history, but also because of its close proximity to Petersburg, Williamsburg, and Spotsylvania, also hot spots for Civil War hobbyists. The Civil War is not the only draw to Richmond, though. Frommer's also cites the Jefferson Hotel as a reason to visit, as well as the many new craft breweries that have been bubbling up along the river, the increase in farm-to-table restaurants, and the white-water rafting right through downtown.

A view of the James River from the Nickel Bridge, September 2014.

I think the folks at Frommer's sum it up pretty well when they say, "While you weren't looking, Richmond got cool."