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‘Tis nothing more than a humble Lake Loop. And yet, it is everything. The Lake  Loop is such a fundamental loop that it is only natural that doing one should constitute a very acceptable route. Any criticism that applies to the  Lake Loop also applies to this very route. However, you can separate the  singular lake loop route from just the Lake Loop. 

As a builder for longer and harder routes, the Lake Loop serves its purpose  as a respectable 2.5-mile loop well. It has a pedigree that few other loops  at Phipps Park can dream of achieving. So, I will not be examining the  actual quality of the trails of the Lake Loop in this review, for they are so  fundamental to the quality of Phipps Park itself. The wide, sweeping horse  trails are generally impeccable, and will be suitable for any purpose that  you may run this route.  

As a way of  achieving your 5 miles, the efficacy of the singular Lake as a solid  distance route is virtually undebatable. Consequently, the overall quality  of this route for your run depends more on why you are running 5 miles.

If you are running 5 miles as a harder distance, or are running 5 miles as a tempo, then I  highly recommend the singular Lake Loop. The difficulty that the  elevation of the Lake Hill provides will aid you in growing far stronger as  a runner. However, if you are running the Lake Loop for the challenge,  then you will not be happy for the last 0.2 miles of your run that your  watch did not warn you about. This route does run slightly long, but that is  the price you have to pay for staying on core trails. 

However, if you are just doing 5 miles as an easier run since you may be a  runner more acclimated to longer distances, then Lake Hill is probably  going to feel a bit annoying. If you are a strong enough runner, it probably  will not be incredibly bothersome, especially if you are just taking the  route easy. However, you do live in Florida, and hills of this quantity are  always going to be a pain to assent. Consequently, this is not the easiest  method of running 5 miles.  

Overall, the Lake Loop is such an essential loop that it will always be an  excellent way of running 5 miles. You will be able to thrive on this essential loop so long as you feel comfortable tackling its elevation.