What Running Places Are There in Foreign Lands?

I guess one can say that I've been to places. To date, I've visited 191 major cities in 47 countries, across 6 continents, many for multiple times that I have lost count (above photo).

No, I am not a jet-setter, an airline pilot, or a seaman. Nor have I spent a personal fortune globe-trotting. For material wealth I have none. It just happened that my jobs involve(d) extensive international travel. They require(d) me to monitor projects in villages some so poor and remote that you wouldn't have believed they existed. Of course, there were those trips to mega-cities, to attend meetings, present research findings, even represent the country. The tie that bound these trips together were the itineraries. All were so business-like that one had to be innovative to be able to play tourist. I remember being always on the move - managing to buy presents, if at all, only at the last minute, and mostly at departure lounges of airports. But then I digress.

In hindsight, I wish I made these trips before the running bug bit me. There would have been more stories to blog about, more running places to describe, more pictures to share. For I did manage to run while on the road. Some of the routes taken were simply no-brainers, others were improvised. Running allowed me to play tourist, even if only fleetingly. Sleep patterns disrupted by jet lag often improved. Rewards more than enough to offset the extra bulk my flavor-of-the-trip sneakers claimed in my travel-lite bags.

Paved Roads
If you ever visit Tanzania or Kenya, look for their long and winding roads. Very good for training with the rolling terrain and very little traffic. The snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, is a sight to behold, even if only from a distance. Just beware of lion crossings. And don't expect the same in Nigeria.

Beach Fronts
At the several kilometer-long beachfront in Bang Sean, Thailand, one can choose whether to run on white sand or concrete coconut tree-lined pavement. That the city is part of Thailand’s car racing circuit should thus attract beach combers, runners, and speed fanatics alike. Moreover, the famous Pattaya Beach is only an hour or so away.

Boardwalks
The wooden-then-concrete esplanade in Cairns, Australia is a perfect place to do long runs while soaking in the sights of the South Pacific. At the end of this several-kilometer trail lies the ferry terminal for cruises bound for the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest reef system in the Corral Sea, so large that it can be seen from space!

Sea Fronts
There is not much choice in terms of where to run in struggling Dili, East Timor. But a narrow and winding concrete trail facing the sea provides a descent running track if you don’t mind going back and forth. One can go further to the villages at one end of the trail, of course. Just be careful of stray dogs! And at times who knows what else?

River Banks
The Meewasin Valley Trail along the banks of the Saskatoon River in Saskatchewan, Canada offers some of the more interesting running places in the country that can be combined with runs over seven bridges criss-crossing the Saskatoon River. A run from downtown to the U of S campus is particularly inviting.

Around Lakes
In a country with several famous man-made lakes, the West Lake in silk-city Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China is a standout. Offering a 15-km running path, the lake could simply be describe as breathtaking in springtime - an artist’s perspective of its beauty landing in the back of China’s basic currency – the one Yuan.

Hills
A former vassal state of the old Soviet empire, Tajikistan with its capital in Dushanbe teems with rolling hills and formerly concrete but now unpaved roads. Perfect for trail running if you don’t mind the heat and dust in the summer, not to mention, the Soviet-era airline transport system.

Public Parks
With a world-renowned rapid transit system, Curitiba is the most-livable city in Brazil and is one of the best-planned urban areas in the world. With a citizenry so mindful of the import of biodiversity, one can easily find a number of public parks and running/walking trails, including the famed Jardim Botânico de Curitiba.

Botanical Gardens
Christchurch in New Zealand is one of the few places on earth where a sporty soul can go skiing, cycling, running, swimming, and then wind-surfing all in the same day. Referred to as the Garden City, Christchurch boasts of the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park, with dog-friendly fitness tracks, perfect for man and best friend.

Around Monuments
Who says it is forbidden to wear shorts in the land of the Pharaohs? Running the Great Pyramids of the Giza Necropolis, from the famed sculpture of The Sphinx to the Great Pyramid of Khufu transports one into times forgotten, full of awe and wonder. If you can brave the heat, this run could be most exhilirating.

Stone Pavements
The cobblestone pavements typical of European cities such as Rome, Stockholm, Vienna and the Vatican are also perfect venues for running, particularly in the summer. In Rome, you can run from the Colosseum to the Pantheon to Piazza Navona or even retrace the steps and decode the hidden symbols of the Path to Illumination as Robert Langdon did in Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, all on foot!

Metro Tracks
Where does one run in downtowns? Big cities such as Houston (above) in the US or Geneva (left) in Europe have paths along railroad tracks that can be deserted during weekends and usable for running.



And there are other places. But I reserve a special spot for my favorite city - San Francisco! A run in SF's harbor provides magnificent views of Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, Pier 39, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Running from the Embarcadero to the Golden Gate Bridge is an experience probably second to none! Which is why I signed up for the SF Marathon. But again, I digress.

And where not to run and in which city? It's in the streets of another favorite city of mine - Hanoi.
Demure, yet unspoiled, laid-back, and mysterious to a fault, the city is perfectly fine by most standards. But not for running. I'm letting the photo above do the explaining!