I’ve visited London many times, but mostly stay outside of the City. So when I finally attended a conference that took place in a down town hotel I just had to schedule time for a run through Hyde Park. I couldn’t pass the opportunity to cross it off my list.
It was late in the afternoon so I quickly checked in at my hotel, changed into my running gear and walked over to Marble Arch which was the start of my run. I wanted to run a full circle, but as you can see from the picture below, I got ‘lost’ while running around the Serpentine and took the ‘wrong’ way home. So I ran 7k and then walked another 3 back to my hotel. Oh well.
I didn’t have a set plan in mind when I started at Marble Arch so I followed the signs to the Serpentine. Once I reached the water I took a right and just ran around. At the end you’ll circle the Italian Gardens and halfway down the other end you can visit the Memorial Fountain. The path is nice but watch for ducks and other water birds – they are quite tame and don’t get out the way quickly. The park is a popular place to run, and you’ll meet lots of fellow runners as well as bikers and walkers.
I ran all around the Serpentine and then started back towards Marble Arch (or so I thought). Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn and ended up at the other side of the Park near the Rose Garden. It was dark by the time I finished and I wasn’t wearing lights, so I decided to walk back to the hotel and consider it my cooling down.
Happy Running!
