TOTR: The best city I ever ran in is…

By | November 12, 2018

I love Tuesdays on the Run. And I love having the “cheat sheet” of the topics early so I can get these written at the weekend. This week? This best city I ever ran in is…

Linking up with: Erika at MCM Mama, Marcia at Marcia’s Healthy Slice, and Patty at No Guilt Life.

And I’m going to cheat and purely look at destinations, because otherwise there’s no way I answer this as anything but home. There are so many great places to run around Manhattan, especially Central Park. And it has been true for two hundred + years! 😀

“Look around, look around at how
Lucky we are to be alive right now!

History is happening in Manhattan and we just happen to be
In the greatest city in the world!

I’m only counting cities where I’ve run outside (so no Amsterdam or Reykjavik) and actual cities, so no Nyack, Avon, NJ, Palm Springs or my friend’s subdivision in suburban LA. (Yes, Palm Springs is a city but I only ran on the resort grounds, so it doesn’t count). My Birmingham adventures with Liz feel like a hybrid as we took a bus from the city center to her neighborhood but our running route had a decidedly suburban feel so I’m putting that in the same bucket as Nyack, Avon. If the question were places, this would be a lot harder.

So that said…Montreal, London, Washington, D.C.,  Santa Monica, Fort Lauderdale.

Ugh. This is hard.

I think off the bat I’m ruling out Fort Lauderdale since none of the runs felt like city runs. The half marathon is great and I look forward to running it again in 2019, but to me it’s against the spirit of the question. True the hotel fun run did run down a major thoroughfare, but… It has to go.

By the same token, I’m throwing out Santa Monica. It’s heartbreaking to think about the Woolsey Fire in Malibu as I ran just south of that from the Santa Monica pier north to Pacific Palisades and then back down to Venice before finishing on the Pier. But it was a paved path on the beach, so that isn’t a city.

So that leaves London, Montreal, and Washington D.C.

Each has really good things about it. Montreal was a way to explore the area near the hotel and get the lay of the land. Washington D.C. was cherry blossoms! Can’t imagine a more beautiful race course, yes cherry blossoms > oceanfront somehow. London is… London. Running through history.

peekaboo Victoria Tower, I see you!

Yeah, that’s my answer. From the day I arrived where I sightran along the Thames to get the lay of the city to a short run for a view, to my pre-airport farewell, London was nothing but magic. Weather was perfect, it was easy to add distance when seeing new things, and the city’s architecture is just out of this world.

What’s your favorite city?
Is there a city/race you recommend?

32 thoughts on “TOTR: The best city I ever ran in is…

  1. Chocolaterunsjudy

    I don’t have a favorite, and one of my favorite places to run basically has no cities: Kauai. Maui ain’t bad either.Running along the clifs above the ocean at sunrise . . . magic!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      ooh that would be gorgeous.
      I did a cliffside run in Carlsbad, CA and it was just gorgeous. Can’t wait for some sunrise runs in Florida

      Reply
  2. Marcia

    I did that very same run in Santa Monica over spring break this year and I’m just sick to think about the fires. Whoops! I’d totally forgotten about Montreal. I agree London is epic. SO looking forward to “going home” for the marathon!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      You forgot about Montreal and I forgot about Carlsbad, LOL. We get benefit beyond entertainment from reading one another

      Reply
  3. Wendy

    So many beautiful cities–it makes it tough to choose! But for me, there’s no place like home…

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Yep, that’s why I had to throw that out. Otherwise there is no question

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      If you enjoy reading about running, Running the Smoke is a great one about the London marathon and its people/sites. Never watched the Paris one, but I should for the same reason you cited

      Reply
  4. Laurie

    I have never been to London, but now it has moved closer to the top of my list, since I know there are great places to run! 🙂

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Do it. It’s a magical city for so many reasons. And you’re on the east coast, right? It’s not a bad flight at all

      Reply
  5. RunCanvas

    I haven’t traveled much, except for Boston. Im excited to head to Sacramento a few weeks from now and I have 3 travel races for 2019. Cherry Blossoms in DC is definitely on my short list of races to see and do!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      What are your 2019 ones?
      Cherry Blossom lottery opens soon, it’s no risk. Do it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Darlene

    Well definitely NYC. But number 1 is Paris.

    But there are so many cities I’ve yet to explore.

    I lived running in Santa Monica.

    And those Florida sunrises.

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      One day. Especially after seeing all the running bloggers’ photos

      Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Which one are you thinking of in DC? I’d like to do the Army 10 or the GW Parkway one that CoCo posted about

      Reply
  7. Liz Dexter

    Nice idea for a post! I never ran through London enough when I lived there. I have run into the city and back out again so I’ll take you there next time!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      I always love Marcia/Erika’s themes, even if I never get them posted
      I know the stars didn’t align for it this year, but love the idea of your city bus route marathon

      Reply
  8. Debbie @ Deb Runs

    My husband and I just signed up for the Bike New York Five Boro Tour on May 5th so I’ll be up your way! Perhaps I can go for my first run in NYC while we’re there!

    Reply
    1. cari Post author

      Oh yes! I should be in town this year as a conference I sometimes attend is later in the month. Our office sometimes has a 5 Borough team. Loved supporting them one year – such a fun course
      Would love to connect if you’ll have time — either the email I use commenting on your blog or Insta is fine.

      Reply
  9. Lisa @ Mile by Mile

    I studied abroad in London and loved running there! It was before i was even a “runner” but and I think it really got me more interested in running to explore new places.

    Reply
  10. Coco

    Now I’m trying to remember why I didn’t run when I was in London. I do remember using the hotel gym ….

    Reply

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