More than 100 volunteers apply to protect iconic London footpaths

A new volunteer scheme hopes to help maintain, improve and promote two iconic London walking routes – London Loop and The Capital Ring.

More than 100 volunteers have applied to become “guardian rangers” for sections of both trails to cover the more than 230 miles of footpaths that the routes span.

Jackie Gower a new Capital Ring Ranger says:

“The Capital Ring and the London Loop are such a great asset for people who love exploring in and around London. I’m really excited to help as many people as possible discover them and hopefully get as much enjoyment out of them as I do.”

London Loop covers 150 miles alone and circles the city linking parks, country footpaths and ancient woodland together.

The Capital Ring is more central, covering 78 miles of open space, nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The volunteers will monitor their respective sections and bring attention to any deterioration, missing signposts and undergrowth.

Trail running – Mountains Need Not Apply

Take living in London for example, the closest respectable hills to London are the Chilterns, an appropriately named area of docile green farmland which reaches up only 250 meters (875 ft) at its highest point. As a Londoner myself, I naturally stick to the trails immediately available to me in the city.

Yes, it is a far call from the dramatic mountain backdrops which dominate the sport’s online social media presence, but for many of us, it is all we know. In fact, running on flat trails offers a wholly underappreciated and underrepresented experience.

Canals trails often link green spaces across cities.

Recent studies show that time in nature leads to better mental health. Anecdotally, I can vouch for my meandering runs through the flat terrain of South East England as being cathartic experiences.

Mentally, I gain a lot from running on the trails in my area which cannot be said for running on the roads. A forested section of trail along the river might not be as dramatic or photogenic as bombing down a slope in the San Juan Mountains but it offers a moment of calm and meditation which is valuable in and of itself.

Taken on the London Loop. A quiet trail running 150 miles around Greater London

In a time where 55% of the world’s population lives in cities with projections suggesting that the planets city-dwelling population will increase to 68% by 2050, remote mountain trails are simply out of the reach of many runners all over the world. Trail running in unexotic, urban and flat locations is often the only option for the average runner and urban trail running is, in my opinion, the next frontier for the sport.

Urban trail running might sound like an oxymoron, but our cities are increasingly tied together by green spaces. London is encircled by countryside (the “greenbelt”) and 17.8% of Greater London is public “open space”.

Furthermore, 19.3% of the Greater London area consists of important wildlife conservation sites. If you look hard enough, even in cities as urbanised and dense as London, you will find areas ripe for long training runs and even trail races.

As the world’s cities continue to grow the importance of green space is increasingly evident. Environmental benefits, mental health improvements and routes for alternative traffic (cycle paths for example) are just a handful of reasons why cities are beginning to focus on protecting and increasing their green space.

Runners should capitalise on the trails that they likely have access to in their city. Search for remote stretches of greenspace regardless of whether they offer mountain vistas and appreciate the respite from the busy, paved streets that encompass day to day life.

References:

https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html

https://www.gigl.org.uk/keyfigures/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180706102842.htm

Urban Trails – The Thames Path, Reading

In the three years that I spent living in Reading, I never thought that the countryside was so close until I stumbled across the Thames Path. Initially, I was running on roads and mainly ran repeated loops of the University Campus in the dead of night – it was bleak to put it lightly. In a desperate search for running routes that didn’t entail repetitive loops alongside traffic, I started to explore the footpaths in and around town. I started mapping out all of the trails in and around town – one of my favourites being the Thames Path.

THE PATH ITSELF

Going eastbound from the town centre to Sonning on the path will gradually take you out into the countryside proper.

If you are familiar with the Reading Parkrun course you’ll recognise the first half of the route as it takes you through the riverside fields beside the Thames Valley Rowing Club. Once you leave the fields, the grassy track gives way to a more definite trail of dirt and stone for the rest of the way to Sonning.

Along the route, you will have a couple of opportunities to explore surrounding trails which branch off from the Thames Path. Just after the fields on the outskirts of Reading the Path borders a maze of well-kept and wooded systems of trail which loop around a handful of Ponds between the river and the Thames Valley Park office complex.

With the waning of summer, I find myself exploring the Thames Path far more before Autumn settles in. With Spring and autumn rain, the further along the path to Sonning the more the trail turns to a muddy slush. On bad days running the path is akin to trying to run on an ice rink. Bringing trail running shoes is recommended. In summer, however, you can take a casual stroll, ride or run along the path without having to don a pair of wellies.

If you’re not short for time you can enjoy a drink along the riverside at Coppa Club, a surprisingly trendy bar and restaurant. Or if a cosier, pub atmosphere is what you are after The Bull Inn further into the village offers a more traditional experience.