Hi Runners,

Congratulations to our amazing London Marathon runners – Adela, Darcy and Mee!  We are so proud of you!  Thanks to all the WRW members who were the cheering section on the day!  Adela, Darcy and Mee were so appreciative of your support and they loved seeing all those bright yellow hats along the course! I know many of you were inspired by what they accomplished. Are you thinking about doing one yourself? Next year the London Marathon will take place on Sunday 24 April 2016. The ballot for the 2016 race opens on Monday 4 May and will close on Friday 8 May at 17:00. (This year they are extending the time to apply for the ballot.) Directions for how to apply will be on the main London Marathon website starting on Monday.  https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/

Running this week- Shaun the Sheep route on Wednesday!

Monday is a bank holiday so we’re not setting official routes.  If you’re in town, plan to meet at 8:30am on Monday and we can decide on the day where we want to run. Wednesday is a fun day – Kathy has made a route for us (Thanks!) to see the Shaun the Sheep statues throughout town.  As she says, it’s going to be “EWE-NIQUE.”  Make sure you take a look at the route. Friday we’re back up the hill.

Save the Date – Upcoming Runs

We have the following runs on the calendar for the end of the year. Notice the theme of good coffee and good food!

Monday 11 May- Brick Lane, Bagel Bake

Monday 18 May- South Kensington Whole Foods via Brompton Cemetery

Friday 22 May- Borough Market

Wednesday 27 May- Canary Wharf or The Wall

Wednesday 3 June- Happening Bagel via the Greenway

Friday 5 June- “Sights of London” run and Leavers Coffee

Monday 8 June- Big Ben

Wednesday 10 June- Last official run of the year

That’s all for now…Keep running!

Jane

ROUTES

Monday, May 4th—BANK HOLIDAY!

 

Our first Bank Holiday of May means a lie-in—anyone running today, show up at 8:30 [and enjoy that extra 15 minutes of snooze time].  This is a DIY run, so group up and pick your favorite route—Hyde Park, the Wall or one of your design.

 

Wednesday, May 6th—SCAVENGER HUNT!  [5miles or 8miles]

 

Today we are headed out on a EWE-NIQUE SCAVENGER HUNT to find nine of the Wallace & Gromit Shaun the Sheep sculptures currently gracing London [through May 25th, that is].  These sheep sculptures have been created by artists, designers and celebrities and will ultimately be auctioned off to raise funds for children’s hospital charities.  [If you want more information or info on other character sculptures elsewhere in London, go to www.Shauninthecity.org.uk.]

 

First head out to Regents Park, cutting straight through the Park to the Broadwalk, take a right on the Broadwalk and work your way to the southeast exit of the Park by Park Square East.  Cross Marylebone Road and head down Regent’s Street, past Oxford Circus.  Take a left on Great Malborough Street [a great view of Liberty as you go by!] then right on Carnaby Street.  Look for (1) “BAA-BUSHKA” before taking a left on Broadwick Street where you spot (2) “RULE BRITANNIA.” Re-trace your steps to Carnaby Street, make a right and then take a left on Foubert’s Place to get you back to Regent’s Street.

 

Head left on Regent’s Street and check out (3) “RAM of the MATCH” before trodding down to Piccadilly Circus, staying on the upper side of Piccadilly Circus when it turns into Coventry Street [at the junction of Haymarket for those of you in the know]. Here you seek (4) “GRUFFALO SHAUN”. 

 

Continue to Wardour Street and take a left up to Gerrard Street [Chinatown!] where you turn right and take it all the way to Newport Place where you turn right and discover (5) “JINGTAIL”.  Continue down Newport Place until it ends near Leicester Square; a quick right and left takes you to the perimeter of Leicester Square, where you run past the Odeon Cinema to the bottom of Leicester Square, going right and taking in (6) “WOOLLY JUMBO” and (7) “MOSSY BOTTOM.”

 

Continue to Wardour Street/Whitcomb Street [of course it changes its name!], make a left and take this to its end at Pall Mall East [by the National Gallery], turning left to reach Trafalgar Square, where you run to the bottom and find (8) “NELSON” at the St. Charles Roundabout.

 

One more to go!  Head briefly down The Mall, turning left on Cockspur Court before Admiralty Arch to reach Spring Gardens where you discover our last Shaun—(9) “ME LLAMO SHAUN”.  Now, the easy part.  Head back down to The Mall, turn right and run down to Green Park, turning right at its edge to reach Green Park Tube Station.  Those happy to stop at 5 miles can pop their Oyster cards and head home on  the Jubilee; anyone wanting more leg-time can leg it home from here which will add about 3 more miles [8 total], going the normal way back.

 

BONUS:  If you want to discover a secret Shaun, dip into St. James Park and run along the Mall side of the lake—there is a ‘royal’ surprise to your right hand side.  Then you can exit the Park near the Palace end and proceed to Green Park Tube.

 

 

Friday, May 8th—THE HILL!

 

Congrats to our ex-beginners on their first Heath run last week.  Don’t lose your momentum because it is Friday [again!], so everyone up Fitzjohn’s.  You can pick your distance and whatever you choose, there will certainly be someone else interested in running that distance.  All of these routes are on the website.

 

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back.

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7 miles:  The partial Heath route

7.5 miles:  The Highgate route

8 miles:  The full Heath route

 

Click here for maps of all of the Heath routes