smalti

Late this month, we'll be staying at the Trafalgar Hilton, and I wonder if there's a good 2-4 mile running route nearby? Can't run on paving stones, so if there's a good park within walking distance (that has a trail or flat pavement), that would be ideal.

Can anyone tell me? Thanks!

janisj

From Trafalgar Sq - just through the Admiralty Arch is St James's Park. From there, St James's, Green, Hyde parks and Kensington Gardens are like a string of pearls - one leading into the next. It is a massive, linked collection of parks/green space where you could run for miles . . . .

smalti

Hey, that's great! Thanks, janisj!

Cholmondley_Warner

And London is very flat.

smalti

Good to hear, C_W, but by "flat pavement," I meant more something like asphalt or concrete paving than flat terrain per se.

It's paving stones I can't run on, both because the stones themselves are harder than concrete (and my knees are no younger than the rest of me), and because the stones aren't perfectly even, so my talent for finding and tripping over dips and bumps would come to the fore.

Two hours ago, I managed to fall on a flat asphalt road--found a tiny lump of concrete, and down I went. My new running buddy, a very respectable older guy, got to hear my sailor's mouth.

But I'm looking forward to London!

Palenque

You'll be hard pressed to find any concrete paths anywhere in London parks i'd say - Hyde Park ain't far from Traflagar either so you could do a loop in the parks janisj mentions - i suppose you could jog on the dirt horse trails in Hyde Park but look out for... loop thru St James to Hyde Park and back - to do Kensington would be more than 4 miles all told if going via St James Park - on a nice day London's parks swarm with joggers

smalti

Thanks, Pal--trail running sounds the likeliest. I've been to London only once before, last year, and did see runners. Some on streets and all, but that's not for me.

WillTravel

I can't remember how the route is, but you can run along the Embankment. Try this:
http://www.run.com/showroute.asp?map=1991356

Mathieu

Hi Smalti,

Good for you !
I've just returned from a trip and tried to run in every city I was in (you'll recall from your previous thread that I was getting back into it). I managed quite well and ran in all, except one - Prague, which I walked to death instead. Very cobbled as well. Karlovy Vary was hilly but pretty, St. Petersberg and Budapest were smooth paved circuits with brief cuts across parks. In London, I ran along city streets from my hotel to Holland Park and enjoyed 2 morning runs in there. I saw lots of runners all over London, and it sounds like one of them will soon be you. Good luck !

M

Palenque

I have run along the South Bank Walk in the morning, before it gets really crowded with strollers, skaters, bikers, etc. A nice run along the Thames. You can also run thru The Mall that leads up to Buckingham Palace and then over to Hyde Park.

Having second thoughts about the horse track though - if i recall it would be fairly sandy - there are plenty of paths in the park however that would be good - indeed Hyde Park is a primo jogging venue for Londoners.

smalti

Hey, thanks for the route, WillTravel! I'll scope it out with an eye to running part of it!


Hi, Mathieu! I remember your post about running in every city you visit--truly inspiring, and it's one of the things that makes me want to try it! Good for you with your recent success!

I'm afraid to run on paving stones, though last month I saw some young American guys doing it in Florence. I thought, "Good for you if your knees can take it, fellas!'

In Florence, I wanted to run down by the river, but have an embarrassing confession. Our hotel was on the very fashionable Via Tournabuoni. Middle-aged American woman that I am, I couldn't wotk up the nerve to walk down it to the river, among all those chic people, in my running shorts!

Hoping for better luck in London. Thanks for the encouragement, and the info!

smalti

Thanks, Pal--no, I can't run in sand! Appreciate the info!