This run is good for easing into the mileage, but you can also run it when you are tired. This is an out-and-back run, which means that if you are feeling exhausted during the run, you always have the option of turning around and going back (though you should always try to push yourself to go farther).
The classic. This one's great if you're new on the team or want a warm up before a workout. It's a 2-mile loop that goes through Ardmore park, where you will find some nice hills.
The Crossroads park loop is a nice and easy loop to do for just a few miles. You exit out the back of Interlake and head through a neighborhood trail, do a loop around Crossroads Park, and then head back to Interlake on 164th.
This run is probably the staple for most of the Interlake runs. You can branch off into other routes on the Microsoft campus from this route, but it is also a nice and relatively short route that you can start off with. The first mile or so is a trail that cuts through the woods behind the Microsoft buildings and you can really get rolling with some of the downhill gravel portions. There is a hill coming out of the trail, but it is not too long and the rest of the run is pretty much level. The hill coming out of the trail might be a little tough (extra challenge if you go up the "runners trail") and there might be a few annoying stoplights, but it shouldn't be too bad. Plus, there are plenty of stoplights in the last mile or so if you need to catch your breath.
For this run, you head east down the 24th hill towards the Tam O'Shanter neighborhood. The first mile and a half is going to be steep downhill all the way to the Tamo Shanter neighborhood, but you're going to have work your way up through some gradual and some steep hills to get back. It's a tough run, not going to lie, but if you get through it, that just means that you're a beast.
This run is literally an extended version of backwards Microsoft, minus the hills. It has a lot of stoplights, it's very flat, and it's an out and back run so you can control how far you want to run. If you want to spice things up, though, you can mix and match with other runs.
Blueberry is entirely downhill for the first 2 miles, but at some point, you have to run uphill to get back to Interlake. Coming out of the blueberry farm, there is a hill that passes through a residential neighborhood and another longer hill up to Crossroads, but honestly it is not too hard and it's relatively easy compared to the hills on some of the other routes. Another plus is that once you get past the hills, you are going through Crossroads, where there are a lot of stoplights.
Blueberry long is one of the most popular choices for an 8-miler, along with Bridle and an extended Microsoft Blue. Unlike regular Blueberry, after the Blueberry farm you turn left and cross 148th, passing by Sammamish High School. It might take a bit of time to memorize some of the turns, but it's overall a great run with just a bit more mileage and elevation than regular Blueberry.
Microsoft Blue has that hill from the Microsoft and Microsoft Red routes, and it's about 3 to 3.5 miles longer than those routes. There are stretches on Microsoft Blue where there aren't many stoplights or there are quick stoplights, and that can be tiring for someone trying a longer version of Microsoft for the first time. Microsoft Blue also has an uphill section if you go counterclockwise around the Microsoft Redwest campus and it has an uphill gravel section (yikes!) if you go the other way around the campus. If you are able to complete this run, then congratulations, you have graduated to higher mileage.
Microsoft Blue short is exactly the same as regular Blue, except you cut off the square around park of the Microsoft campus, so it's a bit shorter. Take a loop at both maps for a better idea.
Microsoft Koi is a fun one - you head deep into the Microsoft Campus and stop by Lake Bill - a small pond where you'll often find ducks and Koi fish swimming around. In the winter, it's often frozen over.
Microsoft Freeway is similar to Microsoft Red, except instead of heading into the Microsoft campus you cut through on the 520 train and then exit onto 31st street.