London’s best running spots: six hidden gems
With the shining lights of Hampstead Heath, the Royal Parks and the canals often hogging our attention, it can be tempting for Londoners to overlook the city’s many hidden running gems.
The truth is that, with green space covering 47% of its landmass, London has enough variety and beauty to keep even the most mileage-hungry runners busy discovering new trails. Here are some of my favourite lesser-known trails for you to enjoy this summer.
Ruislip Woods
Ruislip, Hillingdon, HA4
This has “long Sunday run followed by pub meal” written all over it. The Ruislip Lido is your first port of call, with a nice looped path around it measuring 1.6mi. After this, you’ll want to venture into the many woods that surround the lake.
The woods have trails galore and your best bet is to run anticlockwise, keeping to the perimeter of the woods by always turning left when you reach houses. If you include Park, Copse, Mad Bess and Bayhurst Woods you will easily cover 9mi.
Cray Riverway
Erith, Bexley, DA8
You won’t find Erith on any tourist tour schedules. It overlooks a vast, tidal Thames and is industrial and exposed. Yet, in an indie-film kind of way, it is actually decidedly inviting to the runner seeking solitude and space.
Start at Erith Station and follow the Thames Path east to the beginning of the way-marked Cray Riverway. The trail follows three rivers (Thames, Darent and Cray) ending at Foots Cray Meadows. Double back here to Bexley Station, completing a 12.5mi run.
Bromley’s Woods
Borough of Bromley
Bromley proudly calls itself the most rural of all London’s boroughs, in part because of its stunning array of woodlands. Connect these together for long runs or enjoy them on their own for shorter recovery runs.
In particular, scout out High Elms Country Park, Scadbury Park and neighbouring Petts Wood, Jubilee Country Park, and the commons and woods that surround Keston (the way-marked Three Commons route is excellent).
Southwark Park & Docks
Rotherhithe, SE16
From Tower Bridge, follow the Thames Path east through Dickensian Bermondsey and you soon stumble upon an urban figure-of-eight running route that is as diverse as it is beautiful.
Start at the King’s Stairs Gardens (on the Thames) and run south through Southwark Park (a typical London park with plenty of trees and a 1.4mi perimeter pathway). Then run east to Greenland Dock and north through the green passage of Russia Dock Woodland. Once back to the Thames Path, head south to Greenland Dock again and on to Canada Water. Follow the canal up to Surrey Water and back to the Thames Path where you’ll run west to finish at King’s Stairs Gardens.
Home Park (Hampton Court Park)
Kingston Upon Thames, Richmond, KT1
This has to be the most under-utilised of all London’s Royal Parks and unfairly so. Like Richmond and Bushy Parks, it has wild deer; like Greenwich and Kensington it possesses palatial vistas; and like them all it has trails galore (most of which are soft under foot).
A loop of the park is 5mi but if you do happen to get bored (unlikely), exit onto the Barge Walk to follow the Thames and also cross Hampton Court Road to enter Bushy Park (just 200m away).
Wanstead Park & Flats
Wanstead, Redbridge, E12
I am sure East Londoners remain purposely hushed about this spot in an attempt to keep the rest of us from taking the Tube out to Leytonstone to enjoy its cushioned trails.
Wanstead Flats is, as the name suggests, perfectly flat and predominantly open grass fields with soft mown trails. To the east is the forested Wanstead Park with many meandering dirt paths alongside ponds and streams. A loop around both the park and the flats, using the connecting pathway behind City of London Cemetery will give you 6.9mi, with many internal trails still to be explored and the huge expanse of Epping Forest awaiting you and your trainers just to the north.
Hayden Shearman is a running coach and author. His latest book, Runner’s Guide to London, is available online from runnersguidetolondon.co.uk and from all London bookstores.
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