Victoria Peak Run -Hong Kong

A trip to Hong Kong wouldn't be the same without a trip up to Victoria Peak to see the spectacular views across the harbour. Most people take the tram up (it is a cool trip) but I enjoy running up Old Peak Road.

The Peak is 552metres high and climbs up to this height in only a few kilometres. To put it plainly, it is brutal both on the way up and the way down.  For this run I caught a train from Tsim Sha Tsui where we were staying. I got off at Admiralty and proceeded along Cotton Tree Dr. As with every time I have ran up here I get confused with all the different overpasses and stairs but finally found my way to Old Peak Rd. 

It is just steep steep steep and it is a battle to keep moving forward. This particular morning it was hot and sticky just adding to the punishment. Just after Hillsborough Court Tower 4 you move off the road and onto a small path. A lot of the path is covered by trees offering some protection from the early morning sun, but nothing saves you from the humidity.

As you run there are plenty of others, both locals and tourists, out exercising which is great to see. It is a great relief to see the Peak Lookout up above you signalling you are almost there. If you get to the lookout and haven't smashed yourself you can keep climbing up Mt Austin Rd or you can take the flatish route around Lugard Rd. 

The way up challenges the aerobic system, the way down just smashes the legs and ensures a few days of sore quads. Make sure you take your phone to grab a couple of pictures from the top or on the way down. Unfortunately the camera doesn't capture how steep it is. I tried to take a video of cars coming up just to try to give a sense of how steep it is. 

One the way down I went via the Mid-Level escalators. Must say the weren't as good as I was expecting. I finished off by catching the Star Ferry back across the harbour. Thankfully it was early and there wasn't too many on the ferry because I was getting some strange looks because of the pool of sweat I was leaving on the floor.

Hyde Park Running.

 

It’s funny that of the times that I have been to London over the past 23 years, I hadn’t actually been running in Hyde park, until this years trip. There had been different factors why I hadn’t done so in the past. But after finally doing it, it lived up to its reputation of being a great place to exercise.

I headed from Earls Court where we were staying and went down Cromwell Rd until Gloucester Rd and then headed into Hyde Park at the Broad Walk. I headed across passed Kensington Palace.  Despite being early in the morning it was a hive of activity.

Why I loved it? Well it had something for everyone. You had sealed paths to run on, but if you wanted there are plenty of grass tracks to lessen the vibration on the old knees. You could even run on sand along North Carriage Drive.  With a wide variety of runners getting about you could bring out the competitive beast inside and try to catch runners ahead as you went along. If you were wanting a more relaxing run then you could criss-cross through the park where is was less populated with runners.

The Serpentine was quiet on this morning and quite pretty, although you did have to weave around the duck poo. As a tourist you could run with your phone and stop for a quick pic of some of the sight around the park including Kensington Palace, Marble Arch and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.

If you are staying a bit away from Hyde Park then catch to tube to one of the many nearby stations. Oh one thing I did notice was that I looked out of place with my blue running shorts and bright red top, everyone seemed to be wearing Black.