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.