"Grand Rapids? Great running city!" So running writer and ex-Olympian Don Kardong volunteered when I told him about my hometown.

Of course I knew this. But if you're familiar with Michigan's second-largest city for only its River Bank Run, you are missing an experience best summed up by "La Grande Vitesse."

That's the name of Alexander Calder's downtown sculpture, near where America's biggest 25K road race ends on the second Saturday of each May. Translated as "The Great Flowing" or "Great Swiftness," it refers literally to the Grand River as it rushes through a vibrant downtown, under bridges and over the Fish Ladder to Lake Michigan.

But the term applies equally to the energy of the million-plus people who live in the metro area. There's a can-do spirit here that infects you. Olympic steeplechase bronze-medalist Brian Diemer, 1983 Boston Marathon champ Greg Meyer and teen sensation Dathan Ritzenhein knew the attitude. Those of us who are less fleet of foot can too.

Want an uptown experience? There are shops, restaurants, concerts and art galleries galore. Yet you're not far from nature, as the River Bank Run --which starts downtown, winds through riverside parks and concludes near Calder's 43-foot-high boat propeller -- makes crystal clear.

Looking for places to stay, eat, visit? Websites such as http://www.grandrapids.mi.us and http://www.wmta.org are packed with the requisite information. So here is our guide to GR from a runner's view.

Seeking fun and friendship? The Grand Rapids Track Club is your longest-running resource. Guests are welcome to join fun runs every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m., starting and ending at the John Ball Park zoo parking lot; and Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m., at Johnson Park's main parking lot. All take place on or near the River Bank Run course, where terrain is pretty, roads lightly-traveled. The club also offers a runners-of-the year race series, Tuesday speed workouts and merchant discounts. For more information, phone GRTC president Jon Manion (616-827-0448) or visit its website at http://www.grandrapidstrackclub.org.

John Ball Park is also a jumping-off point for the 15-mile Kent Trails, which wind alongside and over the Grand River, under U.S. 196, through suburbs and woods south to Byron Center. Other rails-to-trails opportunities range from the White Pine Trail (from nearby Comstock Park 92 miles north to Cadillac) to the 25-mile Musketawa (Muskegon to Marne, in Ottawa County) Trail, to the Thornapple/Paul Henry Trail (from Kentwood 2.5 miles to Dutton, but growing yearly). For more information, check http://www.traillink.com.

Grand Rapids has two great running stores: Gazelle Sports (http://www.gazellesports.com) and Striders (http://www.stridersrun.com). The Gazelle shop, on busy 28th Street, is the flagship of a chain with stores in Kalamazoo and Holland. Grandville-based Striders is owned by veteran ultra and marathon man Steve Webster. Both are sources of gear, expertise and support for runners; check them out.

Looking for road races? There's no lack here. Below are a handful of the big ones which offer prize money. Check your Michigan Runner calendar and elsewhere for other races.

* Spectrum Health Irish Jig, March 16. This year's Michigan Runner 5K championship features a fast course over historic bridges, plus St. Paddy's Day-style cheer.

* Pietro's Run Fasta Eat Pasta 5K, April 13. Fine Italian eating, kids events and a top-notch field including Kenyans.

* Fifth Third River Bank Run, May 11. Fifth Third Bank, which bought out longtime sponsor Old Kent Bank, will host the 25th annual running of the 25K classic, plus a 5K run and walk, plus youth events. The 25K draws international stars and offers separate prize money for Americans as the USATF title race for that distance. It is Michigan Runner's 25K championship as well.

* Brian Diemer Amerikam 5K, June 1. Diemer, whose last of three Olympic appearances came in 1992, traditionally buys a donut for anyone who beats him over the Cutlerville course. Good luck.

* Reeds Lake 5K and 10K Runs, June 29. Passes through picturesque East Grand Rapids, where President Gerald R. Ford grew up. If you're in shape, you can run them both; if you're Kyle Baker, you'll win them both.

For information on the above and other races, go to http://www.classicrace.com/races/index.html.