Features

Streets of Shanghai

20 Mar 2007 by business traveller

Anyone who thinks Shanghai is a lazy town has never jogged its early morning streets, as I have repeatedly (okay, twice) in the past month. This belated burst of fitness was not my idea: it came courtesy of the Westin Shanghai and the Portman Ritz-Carlton, a pair of local hotels that are setting a brand-new trend in fitness by taking guests on guided early-morning runs. It's a trend that may catch on elsewhere, because if the runs appeal to me – a 40-something guy who seldom even jogs – they will appeal to lots of other people as well.

Consider the advantages: the guest gets a guided tour of Shanghai's confusing streets, runs without hassle in an unknown city and enjoys an intimate look at the early morning street life. The runs are tailored to individual guest's needs, so sedentary 50-somethings won't find themselves matched with young marathoners, and also, unlike Pilates or yoga or personal trainers, the service is completely free of charge.

The Westin chain launched RunWestin in 2005, as part of the group's overall lifestyle and renewal approach. In most cities, the runs are three miles long, and they take place three times a week, at a relaxed pace. Westin Shanghai offers a choice of two routes, 5km and 8km (naturally, I chose the 5km). The runs begin at 0630 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 0730 on Saturdays. In Shanghai, there are fewer runners in the winter, but in spring and summer the numbers pick up, says Westin Shanghai's director of marketing and communications, Wong Wye Leng.

Portman Ritz-Carlton's "General Manager's Power Run" started when Ralph J Grippo, a genial New York native who loves to run, became vice-president and area general manager in mid-2005. "Guests were asking me where they could run in Shanghai, so I said, 'I'll take you,' and that's how it started," he says.

The Portman's runs are tailored to what the guest wants. "I ask them, 'how far do you want to go, or is there something you want to see?'" says Grippo. The runs take place a few times a month, mostly on Wednesdays, but if any guest wants to run and the GM is in town, he will gladly oblige.

The reaction, says Grippo, has been overwhelmingly positive. "People are thrilled to see parts of the city by foot, rather than being toured around by car," he says. "That, coupled with what they see in the morning, is fascinating to people."

Both runs, naturally, are preceded by a night of five-star comfort. Westin Shanghai kindly invited me to stay overnight in their brand-new Grand Tower wing, which features 269 state-of-the-art rooms, some with Bund views, and all superbly appointed in the Westin style. All that cosy comfort ended abruptly at 0600, when my wake-up call shattered the pre-dawn silence.

I laced up the old sneakers and met Bruce, the running concierge, at 0630 sharp. Outside it was cold and grey, with the temperature hovering at five degrees. Bruce took me through some light stretching and a little tai chi and we set off, running towards the buildings of the Bund. Bruce knew the route, and a good thing too, as we ran down a side street to the Bund, then past Three On The Bund and the Glamour Bar, which looked very un-glamourous at this hour.

We crossed under the street, and emerged onto the riverfront promenade, where we dodged a few kite-flyers, skirted some tai chi groups, and headed north, past the iconic buildings: Customs House, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, the Peace Hotel and the others, standing patient and eternal in the dim grey light.

At the north end of the Bund, we rounded the People's Hero monument and ran back south, at a reasonable pace. Bruce seemed to sense that I wasn't much of a runner, and we found a rhythm that wasn't comfortable, but also wasn't painful. Soon Bruce – and the RunWestin programme – proved their worth. We ran across a bridge, down some stairs, through a couple of small parks and then suddenly, we were in the narrow crazy streets of Old Town. We cruised past groups of oldsters doing tai chi and ballroom dancing, and up a few streets dodging delivery boxes and vegetable vendors.

Then a surprise: we ducked through an arched doorway, and into silent Yu Yuan Garden. We navigated the ancient alleys and crossed the nine-corner bridge, in the shadow of the Mid-lake Tea House, before emerging back on to the streets, where I even managed a modest burst of speed to make a green light. Minutes later, we returned to the Westin; altogether we had run about 5km, in 35 minutes. Bruce handed me towels and water – part of the RunWestin programme – and I retreated back to the warm embrace of my room. The feel-good glow lasted the rest of the day.

The scenery on my second run was quite different, because the Portman Ritz-Carlton is in another part of Shanghai, up on Nanjing West road near the old French Concession. Grippo, an avid marathoner, sometimes takes super-fit runners on long runs to the Bund and Yu Yuan, an excursion that takes about an hour and a half. But since I don't qualify as super-fit, or even semi-fit, I opted for a shorter run through the old concession. And so it was that I found myself lacing on the sneakers for a second time, also at 0630.

Mr Grippo appeared right on time, resplendent in a long-sleeved yellow shirt and white cap. We set off, running slowly, and Grippo began by talking about marathons he had run, and how he can't relax and go slow in marathons because he's so competitive. That worried me a bit, but for no reason, as it turned out. We loped along at a gentle pace up the middle of Nanjing West road, one of the busiest streets in China, as the sun began to shine in the east. The tall buildings and concrete canyons of the ritziest shopping street in the People's Republic were empty and peaceful, with only a few bicycles and one or two pedestrians. "You couldn't do this in New York," said Grippo. "There would already be a lot of people on the streets."

We cruised along Tong Ren Road, in front of Blue Frog, Woodstock, True Blue, and all the other bars that I often frequent. "Sometimes," Grippo pointed out, "you see people just getting out of the bars, even at this time of the morning." Oh yeah, on any other morning, that might be me. We jogged through peaceful Jing An Park and then crossed the Yan An overpass and dropped into the old French Concession, accompanied by white clouds and sunshine. We ran on down peaceful Ju Lu road – another lively late-night strip – while Grippo pointed out beautiful old concession houses, street vendors, boutiques, notable architecture, and other details. We ran past Heng Shan Moller Villa, re-crossed Yan An Road, and entered the heart of Jing An district, in the shadow of towering Plaza 66.

Grippo asked if I'd like to run a bit further, and actually, I could have gone on, but I didn't want to ruin the fun with too much panting. Instead, I retired to the Portman Ritz-Carlton fitness centre, where I lounged in the sauna, read the newspaper, and watched TV.

A little while later, shining with good health, I pedalled home past the yuppies and commuters who were barely awake, and still in search of their first cup of coffee. The look of smug superiority on my face must have been insufferable.

Rather to my surprise, despite my lack of fitness, and my aversion to early wake-ups, I thoroughly enjoyed both runs. They were fun and rewarding, and left a feel-good glow that lasted the rest of the day. Furthermore, I was given a rare opportunity to see a fascinating side of Shanghai that I would never normally have caught a glimpse of, in the company of two expert guides. "There are morning sights you won't see if you're not out before seven," says Grippo. "What you see at that hour is local China."

For more information, visit ritzcarlton.com and starwoodhotels.com.

Where to Stay Fit

Very few hotels offer guided runs through local streets, but that doesn't mean there is a shortage of unique fitness offerings in the Asia-Pacific region, where hotel guests can enjoy Thai kick-boxing, Vietnamese martial arts, Ashtanga yoga, and golfing with the general manager, among other choices.

At RENAISSANCE DUBAI HOTEL (marriott.com), golfers can win a free dinner from general manager Francisco Giles – but only if they beat him in a game of golf. Yes, Giles has extended a standing invitation to all 13,000 readers of the hotel's newsletter: if they win the golf game, dinner's on him.

But even average golfers can benefit from his expert knowledge of the courses in the area, and the Renaissance Dubai has pitched in with several golf packages.

"Golf and hotel operations at Renaissance Dubai go hand in hand," says Rashmi Chittal, marketing and communications manager.

- Guests seeking something more pugilistic can learn the basics of Thai kick-boxing from SHANGRI-LA BANGKOK's (shangri-la.com) resident professional boxer, Pharuhslek Sitchunthong, who holds three championship titles.

Khun Chali has more than 20 years of Thai boxing experience – he started Thai boxing or Muay Thai at the age of 13, and entered the ring when he was 14. His colourful fighting style is much admired by his students.

- Then there's Vovinam, a quintessential Vietnamese martial art, which the PARK HYATT SAIGON (saigon.park.hyatt.com) has just added to its activities list. Founded in 1938 by Nguyen Loc, this traditional martial art includes hand-to-hand combat, weaponry and self-defence.

And like other martial arts, it also teaches the importance of good health, and harmony with nature. In fine weather, the classes are taught outdoors.

- Two kinds of yoga – Ashtanga and Hata – are on the menu at HILTON ODAWARA RESORT & SPA (hiltonworldresorts.com), in scenic Odawara, 100km west of Tokyo. Indeed yoga, tai chi and Pilates are popular throughout Asia, along with personal trainers, aerobics, circuit training, spinning, and other perennial fitness favourites.

- As for guided morning runs, they may catch on elsewhere in Asia. THE FOUR SEASONS HOTEL SHANGHAI (fourseasons.com/shanghai) offers guests maps of good running routes to help them navigate the tricky streets.

JW MARRIOTT GROUP may also consider it, says Marriott International director of public relations, Asia and Australia, Lee Sutton, especially in places like Phuket, where the property fronts a long, tempting beach. "We don't do it at the moment, but what a fantastic idea," she says. "Thanks for the brainwave."

- And after all that exertion, what could be more fitting than a spa treatment? The PENINSULAS in CHICAGO and BEVERLY HILLS (peninsula.com) both have indulgent therapies aimed at those tootsies (and fingers as well).

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