Eggs Florentine, a mysterious package, a romantic liaison ... there are plenty of good incentives to get out of bed in the morning, but the prospect of a run at silly o'clock isnt usually one of them. Nonetheless at 7am last Tuesday I found myself with a rendezvous with London's latest exercise craze: sightseeing runs.
Already a hit in the States, the concept of running and sightseeing at the same time is being pioneered in the UK by London Sightseeing Runs (londonsightseeingruns.com). Costing £25 a pop, there are five routes to choose from: river view run, royal parks and palaces, historic East End, maritime Greenwich and London canals. All runs stretch from five to eight kilometres; bespoke routes and power walking are also available.
The river view run group meets at Tower Hill Tube station. Last Tuesday there were three of us: myself, another twenty-something woman, and a sparky, out-doors type — our guide, Atlanta. After a brief introduction Atlanta wasted no time in getting started, and we set off past the Tower of London and over Tower Bridge. Armed with all sorts of intriguing facts and trivia (did you know that the Kray twins were among the last prisoners to be held in the Tower in 1952?), Atlanta barely had a second to breathe whilst we zoomed (ok, trotted) past London's cultural gems. There was plenty of scope for asking questions, but it was also a relief to be able to listen without having to respond.
After 35 minutes, with five kilometres in the bag and our destination (Westminster) reached, we paused, full of beans, for a stretch and a pat on the back before heading our separate ways. I'm used to the sights and sounds of the city and the other member of my group was also a local - but it was still a pleasure to refresh my local knowledge, and exercising with a buddy is definitely easier. Best of all I was able to focus on my pace and enjoy watching London wake up to a glorious day without being distracted by thoughts of stopping before I'd even started.
If you could do without the historical chat but still want some company to keep you motivated, check out joggingbuddy.com. The site promises to link you up with a running partner anywhere in the world which means there's no excuse to leave the regime at home, and you might even make a new friend.
