I’m off to Paris this morning for just over 2 days for the LeWeb conference and, as luck would have it, I’m supposed to be running 6.5km on one of those days. You may have been wondering, but our running plans have been going quite well. I have to get back on the ball here and post an update of our training right now and progress. But when I realized I would have the chance to run through Paris on some of my down time, a city I have never been to after 11 years of living in Europe, I just had to go for it. After all, sightseeing runs are becoming a new favorite past time of ours!

It seems like every time I turn around, I’m running into someone else who runs, whether it’s online or around Berlin. A lot of people have become quite interested in running these days and if you are one of them, you are surely still trying out different places to run. A seasoned runner will probably tell you that running a few miles without a familiar track can make your journey feel incessantly long. First you don’t have a real goal in mind, besides racking up the distance. And while we love exploring Berlin on our longers weekend runs, running a loop that you’ve been running on for quite a time can be quite reassuring. For newbies in running, it is ideal to establish a few go-to routes, preferably more than one with a variety of distances.

There are also times when you have to go on a trip, for business or leisure, and you want to fit in a run. With the internet, a lot of things are now not only possible but also very easy. But where do you go to clue yourself in on a good area to run?

  1. Map My Run — If you’re not sure where to start, Map My Run offers over 25 million routes across the globe, so there’s bound to be something interesting in there. Personally, I find it a bit overwhelming at times and it’s not really customized to where you’re staying, but it might give you a few good places to try to plan a route near for sightseeing runs.
  2. Local running clubs — Sometimes these clubs post routes that they run regularly or suggest that others run on. And you might even happen across a runners meet by chance. If you contact the club personally, they may also be able to They know their way around the locality and are surely willing to help you find a good place to run.
  3. Google Search — You can find out a whole lot about what is available in a city just by typing in “running” and the name of the city/town you’ll be visiting. Many cities have running tracks that are available to the public which you might want to try out, since this is an easy way to get a run in without planning a long route. This can also be nice if the track is indoors and the weather is not so nice. Have a look at USATF.com for a listing of tracks in your area as well as nearly half-a-million suggested running routes created by other users.
  4. Google Maps — Whether you are in your own city or some place else you may not be very familiar with, Google Maps can be very handy when it comes to finding routes to run. Now with smart phones, you can even wait until the last minute to discover where you want to go. This can be considered an underrated resource for finding regional parks and trails just be using the maps to browse the area to look for nearby parks or interesting places to run.

To Plan Your Own Running Route

  1. Go to Map Pedometer or Map My Run (mentioned above) and load up the map of the city you are visiting. These resources will allow you to measure the route you’re putting together quickly and fairly accurately, so you don’t have to guess.
  2. Set your distance. Are you planning to run a 5k, 10k or something more? Knowing how far you want to run will make a big difference regarding what you can see.
  3. Start looking around your home, hotel, etc. You might also be able to phone ahead and ask the concierge if there are suggested running routes nearby. But it’s always nice to find a route that works starting from where you’re staying and returning back there as well so you can hit the showers directly afterward.
  4. Make a list of a few sights and landmarks you’d want to see. Or do you want to try to run on dirt tracks or through a park? Knowing what surfaces you’re looking to run will help greatly when trying to plan your run.
  5. Keep in mind that depending on the time of day you run, you may encounter more foot traffic on the sidewalks. In the early morning, there are usually not as many people out and about.
  6. If nothing appeals to you nearby, can you take a cab or public transport to a more popular area or landmark and run from there back to your home or hotel? Creating a straight route versus a loop can sometimes make it a lot easier, and you don’t have to circle back meaning you can cover a lot more ground.

Now that you have an idea of the resources that you could make use of, I’m sure it will be easier for you to find the perfect running trail that you can go to, whether at home or in some other part of the world. Wherever you are, there is no problem looking for a place to run so you can’t make any more excuse for not squeezing a run in despite a busy day! 😉

Do you plan new runs for yourself on a regular basis? Or do you run on a set route or track?

photo credit: Ed Yourdon via photopin cc