Hi everyone,

We’ve had a great start to the running season! It was wonderful to see so many of you gathering in front of Barclays. Even on a cloudy/rainy Wednesday we had a record turn out. And nothing, even being soaking wet, can keep us from coffee afterwards!

To the new runners, we’re so glad you’ve joined us! To the returning runners, thanks for being so friendly and welcoming to our new runners- keep it up!  We have more new runners starting this week. To everyone, if the runs last week were too slow/fast or too short/long – Don’t give up!! It often takes a few sessions to find the smaller group of women that run the right distance/pace for you. (If you need some help/guidance linking up with someone, just let me know.) One runner said to me, “Wednesday was really difficult and I almost didn’t come back, but Friday was great. Now I’m hooked!” I know the first few runs after the summer can be challenging. Stick with it and I promise it will get better.

As a reminder to the new runners, we meet in front of Barclays Bank at the corner of Circus and Wellington Roads at 8:15am so we can start running at 8:20. If you are new to the group, I have a new orange and blue hat so you can find me in the crowd. Come say HI!

Monday is a Bank Holiday so we won’t have an official route. If you want to run, plan to meet at 8:30 at Barclays and we can decide a route on the day. Wednesday we’ll head to the Wall and Friday we’re back up the Hill. In each route, there are lots of options for mileage. As always, don’t be tempted to do too much, too soon.

Late-Start Group

We’re trying a new thing this year. We have a group of runners who can’t make it to our regular 8:15am start (mostly because their children attend schools that start later than 8am) who are going to meet later to run together. The first day for the late-start group is Wednesday 2 September. They will meet at Barclays at 9:30 and do the same routes set for the 8:15 group. If you have a friend who would like to join this group, please have them email us.

Sidewalk awareness

We are such a large group! Please remember not to block the sidewalk when we gather at Barclays or when we stop at Starbucks at the end. We want to be good citizens of St. John’s Wood.

T-Th Beginner Group

The first day for the new beginner group is Thursday 10 September. If you have any friends who are interested in joining, please have them email me. Remember that the beginner group is for women who have never run before.

Stay Tuned – Spring Half-Marathon Trip

We’re hard at work behind the scenes trying to find a great race for our spring half-marathon. As you know, we have to balance many factors in choosing a race including timing, travel and finding a race that is appropriate for our beginner runners. We have our eye on a few races that look great, but they haven’t announced their 2016 dates yet. Because of that, we probably won’t announce the race until the end of September or early October.

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES THIS WEEK

Monday 31 August – BANK HOLIDAY

If you would like to run, meet at Barclays at 8:30. We’ll decide the route on the day.

Wednesday 2 September – The Wall (3 to 6 miles)

We head down towards Regents Park, then enter the canal at the Charlbert entrance and run east [left] cutting through Camden Lock Market until we run out of canal path at Islington. Since the canal is blocked here, we call it “The Wall.” At The Wall, we turn around and head back to St. John’s Wood. This is a great route to do a tempo run because there are no traffic lights. But please be careful and aware of the bikes on the path.

If you run all the way to The Wall and back it is 6 miles. But it is very easy to run half the distance if you want and turn around and head home. As a marker, if you run to the Camden market (where we have to exit the canal path and run past the food stalls for a minute) and return home it is a 3 mile round trip.

Friday 4 September – The Heath (4-8 miles)

We run up the hill on Fridays–it’s tradition! It is hard, but you’ll feel great when you are finished.

If you are not up for a hill run yet, no problem, just let us know.  Every week there are a group of women who prefer to do a flat run.  We can help make sure that you find each other.

4 miles:  A great way to ease into running the hill.   Run up to the Hampstead tube station and back. If you have trouble running up, think about how easy it will be running down!

5 miles: The Betsy Route

6-7miles:  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.

 

Hi everyone,

I want to thank each of you for helping to make this year at WRW a success! I’m still floating on a happy cloud after our Sights of London run and Leavers Coffee. Thanks to everyone who came out to run on a warm, humid day and also to everyone who was able to join us at coffee afterwards. A huge THANK YOU to Nicole Jameson and Chris Roberts for organising the Leavers Coffee. What a great morning – except that we’re going to miss all our leavers so much!

We have our last two official runs this week, but we’ll still be running over the summer, see more on that below. The best way to keep your conditioning and avoid injury is to keep running. Monday we’re doing one of our favourite runs – Big Ben or you can choose to do one of the Hyde Park routes or a route of your choice. Wednesday is the last day of school so we have the 4-mile extended Regent Park loop. Come celebrate the start of summer with a short, local run!

Summer running in London

This is the last official WRW email of the year, but we’ll still be running over the summer! If you’re in town, plan to meet at Barclays at 8:30 on MWF and the group will decide on the route that day. We tend to have a small group that runs most weeks, especially in June and early July. It just depends on who is in town. Syma Qattan ([email protected]) and Kathy McMahon ([email protected]) will be here for some of the summer so you can email them if you want to check and see if anyone is running.

Fall Half-Marathon training plans

We’ve posted a few training plans for popular half marathons on our website- follow the LINK. You’ll see plans for Windsor and Ealing both on Sept. 27, Royal Parks on Oct. 11 and Amsterdam on Oct. 18. Let me know if you’re planning to run a half marathon in the fall. It’s a great way to make sure that you keep running over the summer!

London Color Run – June 7

If you are planning to do the Color Run this weekend, Rekha is organising a group to meet up at the tube and travel to the race together. Email Rekha ([email protected]) if you want to join the group. Good luck to everyone and HAVE FUN.

See you in August!

The first running day of the 2015-2016 year will be Wednesday Aug. 26. The first day for the beginner group will be Thursday Sept. 10. If you know anyone interested in the beginner group, please email Amy Grace ([email protected]) and Vicky Timbers ([email protected]).  Spread the word about WRW!  We’re looking forward to meeting all our new members!

I’m already looking forward to next year!  Have a fantastic summer!

Keep running,

Jane

 

ROUTES

Monday, June 8th  4-8 miles

Big Ben (and Back)

For this run we head to Hyde Park via the usual route and run along the eastern edge of the park to Hyde Park Corner, under Wellington Arch and down Constitution Hill.  Run pass 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.  You can take the tube from Westminster or turn around and run the same route back to Starbucks.

 

Wednesday, June 10th  4 miles

Regents Park

This is a busy last week, so we’ll ease out of our WRW running ‘year’ with this easy loop.  Head down Grove End Road as though going to Hyde Park BUT at Marylebone Road, turn left and follow Marylebone Road, past Madame Tussauds, then turn left at York Bridge and right at the Outer Circle.  Follow the Outer Circle counter clockwise, all the way to the crosswalk by the US Ambassador’s House. Cross out of the Park and head to Starbucks.

 

 

Hi Everyone,

We just ran our last official Heath route of the year and I can’t believe we have only a week and a half left before the 2014-2015 WRW year draws to a close! Monday we head to Hyde Park for a distance of your choice. The park is particularly beautiful these days, so come join us! Wednesday we’re going to the Happening Bagel in Finsbury Park via the Greenway. This is one of my favourite London runs – you tackle the hills in Highgate and then get the reward of an unexpected stretch of green woodland (along an old train line) in the middle of London. (Make sure that you look for the Green Man statue hidden along the way.) Friday is our Sights of London run and the Leavers Coffee. Please come! More details are below.

Triathlon!

Good luck to Yianna Xenakis who will be competing at the World Triathlon event in Hyde Park this weekend. She’s completing an Olympic distance triathlon of a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike and a 10km run. GO YIANNA!  We hope you have a great race!

Gauntlet Games

Good luck to our runners who are competing in the Gauntlet Games this weekend including Sunny Brenneman, Lesley Gallagher, Lee Ann Gossett, Karina Kalb, Tammie Perdue, Chris Roberts and Sherri Zimmerman (sorry if I forgot anyone). They are completing a 10K including obstacles that promises lots of mud. Have fun and make sure you take some photos!

Friday June 5 – Sights of London run and Leavers Coffee

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 4-5 miles and we stop often.

We’ll stop for group pictures at:

– Hyde Park Speaker’s Corner

– Buckingham Palace

– Big Ben

– Trafalgar Square (maybe)

Depending on the timing, we’ll either take the tube back to St. John’s Wood from Westminster or Trafalgar Square. We’ll walk to the Richoux cafe at 3 Circus Road, NW8 6NX.  (We’ll be in the upstairs room at Richoux.) If you can’t run for any reason, please still come for coffee. I expect we’ll be there around 10 am. Unfortunately we have 18 runners leaving London this year!  So take a minute to come and say good-bye. We’re going to miss them so much!

Collecting names for next year’s beginner group

If you have any friends that are interested in being part of the beginner group for next year, please tell them to email Vicky Timbers at [email protected] and Amy Grace at [email protected]. Thanks!

Finally, thanks to everyone who went on the run to see the Queen last Wednesday – what fun! A real London moment. I especially loved the dash across the park to try to see her carriage for a second time. We’ll make sure to add this run to our spring plan for next year!

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES

Monday June 1st—HAPPY JUNE!  Hyde Park—all routes—[3 to 8 miles]

Click here for all of the Hyde Park interactive route maps

Start:  Everybody starts the same way… head west on Circus Road, turn left on Grove End Road 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 take the first left on Stanhope Place to enter Hyde Park at the intersection with Stanhope Place. Cross into the Park—you’ll see a silver orb just inside the Park.  After entering the Park, turn right and run towards Speaker’s Corner.

3 Milers:  Continue south through Hyde Park, past the Serpentine and at the Carriage drive, make a left and head back toward Hyde Park Corner.  Take the Hyde Park Corner tube home.

5 Milers:  At Hyde Park Corner continue back up/north on the carriage drive.  Exit the park at the Animals in War memorial and follow Upper Brook Street.  Turn left on Park Street which becomes Gloucester Place and then Park Road back to St. John’s Wood. 

6 Milers: upon entering the park, turn right at the silver sphere and run until you meet N Carriage Road where you turn left.  Run down to the Serpentine, crossing over the bridge then left to run along the Serpentine. At the end of the Serpentine, turn left again and make your way to the eastern edge of the park before exiting at the Upper Brook St/Animals in War exit.  Continue along Upper Brook Street to Park Street, turn left, take it to Park Road and into SJW.

 

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to everyone who has come out to run this week! I know the end of the year is so busy. Monday is a Bank Holiday so we’ll meet at Barclays for a bit later start at 8:30.  

Wednesday – Canary Wharf, The Wall or the Queen’s Procession?

We have three options for our Wednesday run. First, for the dedicated distance runners, we have our last run for the year to Canary Wharf. Second, if you’re not up for that long of a run, you can run to The Wall or choose another route of your choice. Third, Wednesday is the State Opening of Parliament, which begins with the Queen’s procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster escorted by the Household Cavalry. We have a group meeting at Barclays at 9:45am to run down to the Palace to watch the procession. We’ll follow our standard “Big Ben” route until we find a good place to watch. The procession begins around 11:00 but we should plan to be in place around 10:30., she arrives at the Houses of Parliament at 11:15 so there’ll be a bit of waiting around and dealing with the crowds, but the group that went last year were able to see the Queen and the royal family as well. A London adventure!  Here is a link to the route for the procession – http://changing-guard.com/ceremonial/state-opening-parliament.html

SAVE THE DATE 

Our last few runs of the year…

Monday 1 June – Hyde Park

Wed 3 June – Happening Bagel via the Greenway

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

Monday 8 June – Big Ben

Wed 10 June – Last official run of the year

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES

Monday, May 25th—BANK HOLIDAY!

Our second Bank Holiday of May means another 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, Notting Hill or one of your design.

Wednesday, May 27th—Long or Short[er] or the Queen?:  Canary Wharf [9mi] or The Wall [6mi] or Westminster [4mi]—you pick.

Canary Wharf: 9 miles

Section One – Canal to the Wall

The route starts out as the Wall.  Run along Prince Albert Road to join the canal at Charlbert Street.  Run along the canal for approximately 3 miles until the canal pathway ends at the famous “Wall.”  

Section Two – Angel Roads

We need to run through the Angel neighbourhood until we can re-enter the canal path.   At the wall follow the ramp up to Muriel Street.  (This is a good place to wait for your pace group.)  Take a right and then an almost immediate left up a path that winds between the apartment buildings.  See the picture below for the entrance to the path.

 

Keep going straight on the path and it will become Maygood Street.  When you get to the intersection of a main road (Barnsbury Road) turn right.  Run until you make the second left onto Chapel Market.  (There is a metal archway saying Chapel Market and a zebra crossing at the intersection.)  Follow Chapel Market until the end.  (NB:  There is a public Ladies Room at the end of White Conduit Street, which intersects with Chapel Market at the euphorium bakery.)  Turn right at Liverpool Street to the major road Upper Street.  Cross Upper Street and turn left.  (NB:  Angel Tube Station is to your right if you are going home from here.)  Make your first right at Duncan Street (Jack Wills shop at the corner) and follow until the end.  The entrance to the canal path will be directly in front of you.  Go straight along the canal (NOT a sharp right turn.)

Section Three – Canal to Limehouse Basin

We run for about 4 miles following the canal path to the Limehouse Basin.  We exit the canal path at the wire looking bridge – see picture below – and take the brown brick steps up to the left.  

 

 

Section Four – Limehouse Basin to Canary Wharf

At the top of the brick steps, go straight.  At the Limehouse Gallery and Bronze Age shop turn right.  Run along the water until you reach the second metal foot-bridge leading to a park.  Cross the bridge and run through the park.  Ideally after the park, you’ll run straight, under an arch and the water will be on your right.  But last year this way was closed.  If still closed, follow this detour.  When you reach the road (Narrow St.), turn left and run past the Dunbar Wharf and make your first right on Three Colt Street.  Run until you hit the water again and turn left.  Run with the water on your right until you see the long flight of steps next to Royal China – see picture below.  You’re almost there!  Only a third of a mile remaining!

 

Run up the steps and straight ahead, through the small park to India Drive and then veer slightly right along Cabot Square.  You’re heading for the big sky-scrapper building in front of you.  Stop when you see the sign for the Canary Wharf DLR Station at the ‘mall’ entrance on the South Colonnade.  We’ll meet at the Starbucks inside the building on the right, next to the DLR station.  After a much earned coffee, we’ll head to the Canary Wharf Tube station [Jubilee Line] and tube it home to SJW.  Congratulations!

The Wall 6 miles:

Run South on Finchley/Wellington Road to the SJW Church Roundabout, follow the sidewalk to the left and cross Prince Albert Road at the crosswalk just beyond the SJW Church.  Continue east and enter the canal at the Charlbert entrance.  Run east [left], cutting through the Camden Lock Market until you run out of canal path at Islington.  Touch the canal boat tunnel wall—this is The Wall!—then turn around and re-trace your steps back to SJW.  When you come off the canal at Regents Park, take Charlbert to Allitsen to SJW High Street to Starbucks.

Big Ben 4 miles:

Remember we’ll meet at 9:45 at Barclays to head down to Westminster to see the Queen’s procession.  We’ll follow the regular Big Ben route until we find a good place to watch.

 

Friday May 29th—That Hill!

It’s “Friday 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:  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

Hi Everyone,

Following our theme of good runs that end with good coffee and good food, we have two excellent routes this week that meet that goal. On Monday we head to the Whole Foods on the Kensington High Street but we pass through the Brompton Cemetery on the way. The Brompton Cemetery is one of those unique London gems that is fun to discover. Friday we head to Borough Market, another London treasure. We keep things local on Wednesday with a route that crosses Regents Park and Belsize Park. I know it’s so busy at this time of year, but come join us!

Royal Parks Half Marathon or another Fall Half?

I think we have a growing group of runners who are planning to do the Royal Parks Half Marathon on October 11. Can you let me know if you are planning to do the race (or another half in the fall) so I can get a sense of our group? Next week we’ll post a summer training plan for those planning to do an autumn half marathon race.

Save the Date

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 at Richoux

Monday 8 June- Big Ben

Wednesday 10 June- Last official run of the year

That’ all for now – keep running,

Jane

ROUTES

Monday, May 18th – Whole Foods via Brompton Cemetery (6.5+ miles)

Today we’ll earn our post-run treat by ending at Whole Foods on the Kensington High Street!  Bring your shopping list if you want.

We start out the normal way to Hyde Park.  Once you enter the park, turn left and run along the east side of the park.  At Hyde Park Corner turn right and run along the south side exiting at the gate at Sloane Street.  Cross the street, take a right.  Turn left at Brompton Road (just past the tube) and take Brompton  (admiring Harrods as you pass); Brompton will split before the V&A Museum but stay to the right (still Brompton Road) and stay on it as it becomes Fulham Road.  Continue on Fulham to Brompton Cemetery.  Turn right to enter the cemetery.  Run through the cemetery and turn right onto Old Brompton Road.  Turn left onto Earls Court Road. Turn right onto Cromwell Road and then turn left onto Marloes Road. Continue north on Marloes making your way through the streets to Kensington High Street.  Whole Foods will be to your right.

 

Wednesday, May 20th – Camden Left to Regents Park – 6 miles

Head out the Canal east again, but exit RIGHT at Camden Market, taking the bridge to cross over over the Canal and make a LEFT onto Chalk Farm Hill Road.  Take this road north, past Adelaide, past England’s Lane to Belsize Grove [before the Belsize Tube Stn] and make a left.  Left again on Belsize Park Gardens.  Take this all the way to Primrose Hill Park.  Enter the PH Park and follow the north side path until it ends; make a left and continue to the Ormonde Terrace entrance, make a left and zig zag to the other side of the park and back to the main entrance on Prince Albert Road.  Exit PH Park, cross Prince Albert and go across the bridge and across the Ring Road into Regents Park.  Follow the interior path alongside the Zoo and as it curls onto the Broadwalk.  Go right and follow the Broadwalk to just beyond The Smokehouse.  Make a right onto the main path and take it across the park, exiting at the Charlbert entrance.  Head up to St Johns Wood Terrace, make a left and head to Starbucks.

 

Friday, May 22nd – Borough Market – 6 miles

OK, it’s Friday, but we are NOT going up that hill! We are going to start at the regular time and run down to Borough Market, where we can have coffee and get some good eats for there or to take home.  Then will tube home from London Bridge Station.  We start out down Circus Road to Charlbert and into Regent’s Park, where we will take the Outer Loop around to the left and cross out of the park at Portland Place.  We’ll run down Portland Place, which becomes Regent Street, to Oxford Circus and make a left onto Oxford Street.  We’ll run down Oxford Street to Kingsway and make a right and take that to the end, which is Aldwych. Now turn right onto Aldwych and cross over The Strand and down to the Thames, where we’ll cross at the Waterloo Bridge.  Once across the river, we’ll make a left and run along the Thames (river will be on your left) to Bank End/Park Street, where we’ll leave the river and run to the Market.

 

Hi Everyone,

Another great week of running! Thanks again to Kathy for writing our Shaun the Sheep route – it was lots of fun!

I’m looking at the calendar and it’s hard to believe we only have 5 more weeks of official routes before our summer holiday. I know this time of year is so busy, but try to give yourself a break from everyday stuff and schedule the time to run. We have some fun runs on the calendar, join us!

This Monday we have a great run to Brick Lane Coffee and the Beigel Bake. Great bagels and coffee in a funky, cool neighbourhood – what more could you ask for? (Make sure you check out the slightly inappropriate, but funny posters and sayings on the walls at Brick Lane Coffee.) Also, take a minute to look at the route because we wind through East London to get to Beigel Bake. We’re doing an old favourite, Notting Hill, on Wednesday and back to the Heath on Friday.

Trying a new thing- 9:15am start option?

I know we have some members who can’t make it to the 8:15 start for a variety of reasons. Leah Neenan has agreed to be the contact person for any runners who would be interested in joining a WRW group that starts running at 9:15am. The plan would be that the 9:15am group would do the same routes as the main group. At this point, we’re trying to measure the interest and see if we have enough runners at a similar pace to make a group. Can you email me and Leah ([email protected]) if you are interested? Also if you have a friend that may be interested, please let them know to email Leah. Thanks so much!

Save the Date

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 at Richoux

Monday 8 June- Big Ben

Wednesday 10 June- Last official run of the year

Are you moving this summer?

If you are moving this summer, or you have a good friend that is moving, can you let us know?  We want to make sure that we can properly recognise you at our Leavers Coffee on June 5. (We’ll miss you!)

Keep running,

Jane

ROUTES

Monday, May 11th

Brick Lane Coffee/Beigel Bake  5.7 miles

This is a fun and funky destination run!  We will head out in the same way as though we are running to The Wall and Canary Wharf. [Canal east to the Wall—go up ramp to Muriel Street, take a right and then an almost immediate left up a path that winds between the apartment buildings.  Keep going straight on the path and it will become Maygood Street.  When you get to the intersection of a main road (Barnsbury Road) turn right.  Run until you make the second left onto Chapel Market.  (There is a metal archway saying Chapel Market and a zebra crossing at the intersection.)  Follow Chapel Market until the end.   Turn right at Liverpool Street to the major road Upper Street.  Cross Upper Street and turn RIGHT  (NB:  Angel Tube Station is to your right if you are going home from here.)]  Go past Angel Tube Station and then go LEFT on City Road.  We will take City Road all the way into Shoreditch, going past the Old Street Tube [the Silicon Roundabout for those of you techies!], heading onto Great Eastern Street from the Roundabout and then crossing Shoreditch High Street to get to Bethnal Green Road before turning right on Brick Lane.  Brick Lane Coffee and Beigel Bake are both on your right.  They are FUNKY so bring your cool attitudes!

To get home, walk down Brick Lane [it is an interesting street!] and turn right on Hanbury Street.  Proceed past [or through] Spitalfields Market to Bishopsgate, turn left and head to Liverpool Street Tube Station.

 

Wednesday, May 13th – Notting Hill 6 miles

Channel your inner Hugh Grant/Julia Roberts as we head to Notting Hill.  Run out the canal to the west and exit at Ladbroke Grove.  Run to Elgin Crescent and make a left.  Continue to Ledbury and go right and then left at Westbourne Grove.  Run down Westbourne Grove over Bishop’s Bridge and down the steps into Sheldon Square.  Go back along the canal and out where you entered and back to Starbucks.

 

Friday, May 15th – The Heath!

It’s 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

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