Hello Runners!
Such an eventful running week, with great routes and great sights– it was hard to narrow down the photos.  So I didn’t!  (Except that actually, I really did– there were so many good ones!)

Running this week.  This week, we will start with a Monday run to Sloane Square and beyond for the “Chelsea in Bloom” event, in which shops in the neighbourhood go all out with floral displays during the week of the famous Chelsea Flower Show.  The route is flexible on distance, so you can run anywhere from 3.75 to 7 miles– and you might want to add a loop in the Sloane Square area to see more of the floral displays (see event map).  Wednesday is the annual Sights of London run and Leavers’ Coffee in honour of those runners who are, well, leaving us.  This is a special run– we all more or less stick together (though PLEASE be mindful of other pedestrians and traffic!!), and we stop frequently for big group pictures at some iconic spots along the way.  The total distance is less than 5 miles, and we will stop at least 4 times, so do come out, even if you haven’t run in a while.  We’ll end at Trafalgar Square, then tube back to St Johns Wood for the Leavers’ Coffee at The Gate (formerly Delisserie) at 87 Allitsen Rd (NW8 7AS)– a big thank you to Magali Kivatinetz for organising our breakfast in the new venue!  Even if you can’t join us on the run, please stop by the coffee to wish our leavers all the best on their new adventures.  We should be arriving between 9:45 – 10 am.  And finally, Friday we will run up the hill as usual, but then carry on to Finsbury Park via the Parkland Walk, for the 7-mile run to Happenin’ Bagels.  All maps and directions can be found below, as always.

Shout-outs and Announcements.  The Hackney Half is tomorrow (Sunday) morning beginning at 9am, and we have a few WRW runners representing!  Great good luck to Julie Bataille, Laura Beal, Maureen Scheckel, and Meredith Snizek!  Extremely well done, ladies, to be motivated and disciplined enough to run a half marathon at this busy time of year!  That said, the markers on our Save the Date board are dwindling.  We’re planning one more adventure run, and another old favourite to Brick Lane before the end of the year.  But every running day is a good day– so come out as often as you can!  Also, if you will be in London for any part of the summer and you’d like to be added to a Summer Running WhatsApp group, drop us an e-mail ([email protected]) with your mobile number and we’ll start getting that set up in the next couple of weeks!

SAVE THE DATE
Friday 31 May – NEW Adventure Run – Dollis Hill to Hampstead
Monday 3 June – Brick Lane

Looking forward to seeing you all out on a run, or two or three, this week!  I can’t promise we’ll have the gorgeous, sunny days we had last week, but there will certainly be friendship, laughter, photo opps and coffee– and wait, you had me at ‘friendship’!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend…
xx Micki

ROUTES
Monday 20 May – “Chelsea in Bloom” Sloane Square/Embankment/Westminster-Green Park – 3.75 – 7 miles
The “world class alternative floral art show” Chelsea in Bloom is on this week only, in the streets around Sloane Square, and our route takes us through the heart of the neighbourhood.  Check out this map of the exhibits if you want to take a quick detour or two to see more displays!
Everybody starts out to Hyde Park, taking the usual route: west on Circus Road, left on Grove End, all the way down to Seymour Place to where the road ends. Right on Seymour, across Edgware, left on Stanhope and enter the park. At the silver orb, turn left and run down to the southern edge, following the path to the right before it leaves the Park. Run to the large gated exit (Albert Gate) before the tall ‘One Hyde Park’ complex, cross Knightsbridge and turn right on Knightsbridge, then a left onto Sloane Street after Harvey Nichols. Follow Sloane St until it ends at Sloane Square.

3.75’ers: at Sloane Sq, take the Tube home!

6.33’ers: continue past Sloane Sq down Lower Sloane St/Chelsea Bridge Road to the Thames. Turn left on the Thames side of Grosvenor Rd and run along the embankment to Westminster Tube – you’re done!

7+’ers: continue left on Birdcage Walk, cutting through St James Park to the Mall, then left on the Mall towards Buckingham Palace, crossing before the circle to reach Green Park. Run up to the Green Park Tube on Piccadilly St and head home!

Wednesday 22 May – Sights of London/Leavers Coffee — 4.75 miles
This is a great run!  Even if you haven’t run in a little while – come along!  We run as a (BIG!) group and we wait for everyone at the lights so we can stick together.  (If we get separated we’ll wait for everyone at the photo points.)  The total distance is 4.75 miles and we stop often.
We’ll stop for group pictures at:– Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner– Buckingham Palace– Big Ben– Trafalgar Square

We head to Hyde Park via the usual route. Start heading west on Circus Road and turn left on Grove End and follow south as it becomes Lisson Grove. Cross over Marylebone Road and continue on Seymour Place until the end. Turn right and cross over Edgware Road and then left to enter Hyde Park at the intersection with Stanhope Place. We’ll stop at Speaker’s Corner for the first picture! Run along the eastern edge of the park to Hyde Park Corner, under Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill. We’ll stop in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace for the second photo! Run past the Victoria Memorial down the mall and enter St. James Park.  Run over the pond and out of the park, turning left onto Birdcage Walk and down into Parliament Square to Big Ben for our third photo! Turn left on Whitehall and run to Trafalgar Square for our fourth picture. Then we’ll take the Bakerloo Line from Charing Cross station to Baker Street to switch to the Jubilee and back to SJW.  Our coffee is at The Gate (formerly Delisserie) 87 Allitsen Rd, St John’s Wood, London NW8 7AS

Friday, 24 May – Finsbury Park (Happening Bagel) via Highgate and Parkland Walk – 7 miles

For this run we start up Fitzjohn’s as if we’re going to the Heath, but pass the Heath entrance and continue up Spaniards/Hampstead Lane into Highgate. Turn left down Southwood Lane (the road next to Gail’s) and go down the hill, then veer to the right (not a hard right turn!) onto Jackson’s Lane. Continue down Jackson’s to Archway Road and make a right, then a relatively quick left onto Holmesdale Road. Run a short distance on Holmesdale and the entrance to Parkland Walk will be on your left. Follow the path to Finsbury Park, cross over the train tracks, turn right and run along the western edge of the park and exit onto Seven Sister’s Road. Happening Bagel is across the street, Costa is to the right, and Finsbury Park Station is further down on the right (on the Piccadilly and Victoria tube lines).