New York
Running in Central Park is as good as it gets. Choose a hotel as close as you can afford – some four- and five-star properties in the area even have towels, water and maps in the lobby ready for joggers in the morning.
Most people tend to run anti-, or as they say in the US, counter-, clockwise, round the park. It’s easier to go with the flow, particularly since all the high-speed road cyclists do the same. Also, even though it’s difficult to get lost, if it’s your first time take a map, as otherwise you may end up either running miles further than you intended and being late and knackered for your meeting, or arriving back at the door of your hotel after ten minutes. (Visit centralpark.com to download one.)
One of the best stretches is around the Jackie Onassis reservoir near the centre, which may put you in mind of the opening scene of Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman – a film that focused more memorably on dentistry than long-distance running…
Munich
The obvious choice is the Englischer Garten, a huge park that stretches from the centre to the outskirts of Munich. But if you are staying near the main rail station – where hotels such as the Sofitel and Le Méridien are located – you’ll find the park too much of a trek across the city.
Instead, head south-west towards Theresienwiese, the site of Oktoberfest. This large expanse of showground is wide open to the sky, with the spire of St Paul’s at the north end acting as a good marker for your return journey, and the ugly statue of the female Bavaria standing behind a grand set of steps. Pretty it isn’t, but for fresh air and plenty of space, Theresienwiese is hard to beat.
Budapest
Whatever the season, there’s few places prettier than Budapest, which was originally two cities – Buda on its hill and Pest on the lower, flatter level. You can run along either side, but traffic can be heavy and once you leave the pedestrianised areas, the pavements aren’t great. A better bet is to head north out of the city and cross one of the bridges on to Margaret Island in the centre of the river.
Budapest is a large urban city with few parks close to the centre, but Margaret Island makes up for that. It’s about 2.5km long and 0.5km wide, but the absence of cars means you can explore its running tracks and walking and cycling paths in peace (there are a couple of hotels on the island, so you will see some vehicles). In spring it has lots of colourful flowers, in summer it’s a sublime escape from the heat, and in autumn it’s wonderfully melancholic and as golden as Massachusetts. In winter, you don’t run anywhere in Budapest – go to one of the thermal baths and keep warm instead.
London
Wherever you’re staying in London, the top choice for a run has to be Hyde Park. Accessible from hotels in Paddington and Bayswater to the north, Knightsbridge to the south, and Park Lane and Piccadilly next door, you can’t go wrong.
It’s tempting simply to run around the perimeter, but other attractions include the Serpentine, and if it’s early in the morning, you may see horses of the British Army exercising along Rotten Row, as well as the splendidly attired Life Guards.
Good spots elsewhere are Regent’s Park to the north, or the Thames riverside paths that run on both the north and south banks of the river for most of its length throughout the city. If you’re out east at Canary Wharf, great circuits include the Isle of Dogs, a natural loop around an area of London that even many locals aren’t familiar with, and yet has lots of history. The route tends to dart back and forth between the riverside footpath and the road, as luxury flats mount up and limit public access along the river.
London Sightseeing Runs offers guided runs along the Thames, London’s canals, through the Royal Parks, and in Greenwich and the East End. Visit londonsightseeingruns.com
Edinburgh
The central area around Edinburgh’s Waverley station consists of the historic Royal Mile on one side and, on the other, George Street and Princes Street, which is undergoing a major overhaul as a new tram system is being installed. This is set to last until about 2011, so if you want to avoid the cobbles of the Old Town and the road works in the New Town, head for the Meadows park, 2km south of the High Street.
This flat area of lush grassland was once a loch but now is criss-crossed with long, tree-lined pathways, and there are views of the Salisbury Crags and Arthur’s Seat in the distance. You will find plenty of joggers here, and as it’s only a short run back to many popular hotels (Radisson Blu, the new Missoni and Hotel du Vin), fitting that shower in shouldn’t be a problem.
Visit gmap-pedometer.com to find out how far you have run in any place covered by Google maps.
What are your favourite running routes? Let us know at businesstraveller.com/discussion
