Everyone has their well-trodden local routes but there’s nothing quite like breaking loose from the city and training along the coastline or in the countryside under big, open skies to freshen up your routine.
We asked two regular marathon runners and a wheelchair racer to suggest their favourite half marathon routes outside of the capital, and here are their selections.
The Downs Link
Suggested by Alice Sunderland, a personal trainer, running coach and elite marathon runner, who is currently ranked first in her age group in the UK.
“I run a spring and autumn marathon each year and several half-marathons in between, so I’m always looking for new routes for my long training runs. While staying with friends, I was overjoyed to discover The Downs Link, a 37-mile disused railway line that begins on Martha’s Hill, just under three miles from Guildford in Surrey, and runs to Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.
“It’s a gloriously flat, wide, and well-marked route that weaves its way through ancient woodland and farmland, beside rivers and lakes, past abandoned platforms and under bridges, including the historic Double Bridge in Rudgwick.
“With plenty of pit stops in case you need to refuel en route and Christ’s Hospital train station at the halfway point, The Downs Link allows you to do a straight run in either direction and catch a train back to London, rather than having to retrace your steps.”
Guildford is about 35 minutes by train from London Waterloo; Christ’s Hospital is one hour 20 minutes to London Victoria; Shoreham-by-Sea is one hour 20 minutes from London Victoria.
Brighton seafront
Suggested by Pete Cooper, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Coopah, the Run Coaching App and a passionate marathon runner.
“I love going down to Brighton and running along the seafront – it’s my go-to run outside of London and a real escape from the city streets. I get the train and then run straight down the hill to the sea from the station. Then, I’ll either turn left and run along the seafront past the Brighton Palace Pier and up the hill towards Rottingdean, before turning back towards Brighton, when I’ve covered half my mileage. Or I’ll turn right and run towards Hove and Shoreham Power Station in the other direction.
“I love the sea air – you just can’t beat it. I like to take a bag down, with a towel and some swimming trunks, leave it in a bag drop, and then after my run, jump in the sea. That cold-water dip gives you the perfect instant recovery.”
Brighton is about one hour 20 minutes by train from London Victoria.
Bushy Park
Suggested by Claudia Burrough, competitive wheelchair racer and holder of seven Ultra & Marathon World Records.
“I like the Royal Parks as the surfaces tend to be good and in the case of Bushy Park, it’s closed to cars (except for access to the car parks), so I do a lot of my training there. It’s much nicer to train away from built-up environments as you don’t have to worry about crossing roads and stopping at lights, which can disrupt the flow of a training run.
“I often head out super early in the morning so it’s not too busy with visitors, and I have a set 5K route that I will do several laps of. Bushy Park is quite flat so if I want to mix up my training with some hills, I’ll head to Richmond Park instead.”
Bushy Park is a mile from Teddington train station, which is about 30 minutes from London Waterloo and has step-free access to both platforms from separate entrances.
The Chilterns
Run on undulating trails deep in the heart of the Chilterns, weaving through the estate of Stonor Park, an 850-year-old country house. In July, Stonor Park will host the Maverick X Series Chilterns and the event’s middle 22K route offers a great training loop for runners visiting at other times.
Stonor Park is a short taxi ride from Henley-on-Thames station, which is 50 minutes from London Paddington.
The Guided Busway, Cambridge
This smooth, straight, and wide tarmac path, which is wheelchair accessible, runs through the countryside alongside a bus track and is a great long training run. If you join the Guided Busway at Cambridge North train station, the route to St Ives is about 22K.
Cambridge North station, which has step free access to all platforms, is about one hour by train from London Kings Cross.
The Kent Downs
Start in the pretty village of Chilham and follow the Pilgrims Cycle Trail through the Kent Downs to Canterbury, before heading back along the River Stour. This 22K route (about 11K each way) is mostly off-road, with some enjoyable but manageable ups and downs along the way. Just be wary of cyclists also enjoying this picturesque route.
Chilham is one hour 30 minutes from London Bridge.
Written by Sam Haddad. Sam is a freelance journalist based in Brighton, she's been writing about sport and the outdoors for over 20 years.