As the first light spills across the mountains, washing the Sandias in their signature pink glow, Albuquerque awakens with a quiet rhythm all its own. With its mix of rugged trails, dusty desert paths, and altitude-rich training grounds, the city is fast earning a reputation as one of the nation’s most dynamic running hubs. Here, terrain and elevation converge, and so do people. Elite athletes and everyday runners share the same sunlit miles, building a community rooted in high-desert spirit.
With trails woven through downtown Albuquerque and stretching from foothill to summit across the Sandias, chances are you’ll spot Kyle Stepp out running. Stepp, an elite para-triathlete, found his way back to Albuquerque in 2019 after spending two years moving through 16 different states. No matter where he went, something kept pulling him home to New Mexico. It wasn’t until he returned that he realized what he was searching for: community.
Stepp races for Team USA and is now ranked seventh in the world in the triathlon category. Because of the community in Albuquerque, where everyday runners and elite athletes are intertwined, he started being exposed to the culture, and other athletes who soon became friends like Josh Kerr and Alicja Konieczek.
“I absolutely just love living here because I found a community,” Stepp said. “In the matter of a year and a half, we went from one run club in the city to seven. The unique thing about Albuquerque is that each of them has a very unique identity that really resembles the diversity of the city. Whether you're a runner from a marginalized group, you're a beginning runner, you're an elite runner, you're a Masters runner, or you're just a weekend warrior, you can find one of these groups."
Some of the run clubs local to Albuquerque that Stepp likes to train with include Dukes Track Club, Vivo Collective, Rosie’s Run Club SW, Native Women’s Run, and Albuquerque Run Club Collective. Whether you’re looking to find a community to make new friends or trying to train at the elite level, Stepp promises that you will find something here. It’s the community that drew Stepp back to New Mexico, and the community that keeps him here and inspires him every day to continue training.
“I feel so lucky that no matter what training session I have, I could have a group of friends to go do it with,” Stepp said of the many running clubs now present in Albuquerque. “I get to fall in love with the process of chasing the highest level of sport, and I'm so grounded in community because of the people here; there's not a day that goes by that I don't actually get excited to train.”
With 19 different native pueblo communities surrounding Albuquerque, all of their unique identities are woven together to give it its own unique sense of self. With the blending of native and Hispanic cultures, Stepp says that the diversity is embraced in its own modest way.
“New Mexico is very humble,” Stepp said. “And New Mexico really sucks at selling itself, because New Mexico doesn't like to talk about how good it is here. But there's something beautiful about this land; if you embrace it, it embraces you. This place does not care if you are on Team USA or you're a world champion; it cares if you're a good person.”
Aside from its local culture, the climate and landscape of Albuquerque aren’t too bad for running either. With over 300 days of sunshine and altitude levels that can reach above 7,000 feet, it’s the perfect place for training of any kind. With magical mornings, mild winters, and temperate days, the New Mexico climate is very welcoming and quite easy on the eyes.
“The land here is breathtaking, and the diversity of the land, whether it is from the summit of the Sandia Mountains to the foothills,” Stepp said. “All these connected paths are great for running and biking, even down to experiencing our urban forest.”
With its world-class community of elite athletes and everyday local runners, Albuquerque is on par with other training cities across the country. What sets it apart isn’t just the altitude, sunny days, or accessible trails, but the community that is formed by the unique identity that the high desert landscape brings with it.
“My thing is, it's an invitation for anyone to come experience how great it is here,” Stepp said. “My hope is, if you do come here, you're welcome to build, you're welcome to co-create alongside us, and this is a place you can do that.”
With magical mornings, mild winters, and temperate days, the New Mexico climate is very welcoming and quite easy on the eyes.