Best Running Routes in Manchester?

I'm so excited to say that I'm working with the team behind the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run to bring you running content, inspiration and motivation in the lead up to the big event on Sunday 20th May.

The Great Run team are putting on a 10k and half marathon. I'm going to be running the half marathon distance - those of you who follow me on social might remember the Manchester half I ran in October, PBing at 1:49:46 (whoooo), so I'm excited to see if I can meet (or beat) this time, this time round!

Manchester Half Marathon Oct 2017 - PB!

As part of this collaboration, I'm going to be creating a few pieces of content on running over the next few months, and I'm really excited to share the first piece with you...

This post comprises of some of my favourite running routes in Manchester. These running courses are the pavements, parks, riverside routes, muddy walk ways (and more) that sparked my love of running, and the routes that keep me coming back for more each week. I really hope that if you're thinking of running the Great Manchester Run, or are looking for new running routes, that this post inspires you to get out and get running.

In no particular order, here are a few of my faves.

1) Chorlton Water Park

One of the reasons I love this place is because it's pretty much a 1 mile loop round the park, so it's great for speed training and for breaking the miles down clearly. Want to run three miles? Jog round three times. Etc. There's loads to see so it doesn't get boring.

It's also really pretty and very easy to get to, especially if you live in South Manc or near the city centre.


2) The River Mersey

Having lived in various areas in South Manchester for the past six years or so, the River Mersey has been one of my go-to running routes, especially on weekends. Obviously, it's huge, so the routes I tend to run along either start around Sale, Chorlton or Didsbury (Chorlton Water Park and Fletcher Moss Gardens (see number 6)) are also just off the River Mersey route).

Map of River Mersey

I love it because it feels like you're in the depths of the countryside. There are always lots of other runners, cyclists and dog walkers making it a very friendly place to get your miles in.

I tend to use these routes for my long runs, running six/seven miles on one side of the river before crossing back over one of the bridges and running back along the other side.

When it's sunny, this is hands down my favourite place to run in Manchester.

Sunny, podcast, running = happy place (greasy hair not optional at 6 miles in)

3) Manchester Ship Canal

If however, it's not sunny (this is Manchester after all), but I want to be able to get some long miles done, I'll head out on to the canal path.

I tend to run from Stretford, turning right along the canal past Sale, Timperley and Altrincham. It's a lovely route (flat and tarmac for most), passing canal boats, marinas and plenty of dog walkers and cyclists (and also some pretty nice looking waterside pubs, should you need a pit-stop or a place to end up!). This route takes you right out to Dunham Massey too.

If you go the other way it will take you to MediaCity, which is exactly what James and I did one summer afternoon. It was around 5 miles, and we had a pint of Ting in the sunshine outside Dockyard as our post-workout fuel (wild).

4) Salford Quays
Speaking of MediaCity, I also frequently run around the quays.

There's no strict route that I follow as such here, just in and out of the quay peninsulas, over the bridges and up and round MediaCity.

There's also a great local running group - Great Run Local Salford Quays - who meet at the Helly Hanson centre at 6.45pm each Thursday. If you're not familiar with the area, this group would be great to join.

Red bridges in Salford Quays

There's something quite soothing about running near water (all these routes have featured some sort of water landmark so far!), but I also love running in parks, too.

5) Local Running Groups

I mentioned the Great Run Local above, and I'm also a huge fan of Park Run. I love the atmosphere and spirit embedded into large group running, as much as I love plugging in my headphones and having an hour of running as 'me' time, too.

I find these timed runs a great way to focus on speed training, and find the communal 'race' environment really motivating and fun. Don't worry though, they're not in any way intimidating. There are (obviously) keen athletes at the front, but this ranges all the way to your light joggers, parents with prams, dogs, groups of friends and people who do a mix of running and walking the course.

If you live near the city centre, Lululemon Manchester do a group run on a Thursday at 6pm and SweatShop do one on at 6.45pm Tuesday (I've been to both - both are great). I also did a quick Google and found this article from TimeOut on other running clubs in Manc. It's from 2015 though so might be worth checking if any have changed.

6) Parks

Some of my favourite parks to run around in South Manchester are: Longford Park, Chorlton Park, Fog Lane Park, Fletcher Moss Gardens and Plattfields Park. All offer really nice routes and loops for you to clock up miles.

Longford Park in the beautiful golden autumn light

I used to do a fair bit of running with SweatShop around Peel Park in Salford, too. It's a lovely green space and great to practise speed drills.

Circuits with Lululemon 

Heaton Park is also lusssh to run around. It's in North Manchester and really easy to get to by car or tram. It's huge. I've run a 10k race there before, but there are plenty of shorter routes you could do, too.

Heaton Park Movember 10k race

7) Ladybower Reservoir

Ok, so not technically Manchester but if you live on the Eastern fringes of the city, Ladybower isn't too far in the car and makes for an absolutely stunning run. It's relatively flat compared to other routes in the Peak District, and is just beautiful. I think the circumference of the reservoir is around 13 miles(?) - could be wrong there - but you could easily pick one quarter of it and do a lovely four mile route along the water.

As well as running, it's a great place to get out on a bike, so if you're looking for a cross-training route, I'd highly recommend!

These are my current favourite routes. I really hope they inspire you to put your trainers on and get clocking those miles up...

If you know of any other routes you think I should check out, let me know!

If you fancy entering the Simplyhealth Great Manchester run, click here.

Franks x

Why I love: Walking

I used to really dislike walking as a form of exercise. In fact, I never used to consider it 'exercise' at all, thinking it was 'just' a scaled down version of running, and something you did on hangover free weekends with friends and family (or something your parents would force you to do each Sunday until the day you left home!).

Now though, I'm a total convert. I'm not pretending I've taken up hiking holidays or anything like that, but I've started walking my commute. I know, groundbreaking. It's not a fresh mountain view hike or anything remotely half as beautiful as the picture above would suggest, but it's become a morning ritual (and evening, some days) for me now and I love it.

It takes the same time to walk as it does to get public transport (give or take 5 minutes), and by walking I've found I can reap a whole host of benefits.

Here's why I'm loving walking to work:

1 'Me time' 

I'm absolutely loving having 45 minutes in the morning to walk and wake up, mull over my thoughts, stresses and to-do lists.

I feel like I gain a lot of clarity on my walk, I have time to really think things through and it feels amazing.

I've been trying to walk 'handsfree' as I'd noticed I was glued to my phone and carrying it *all* the time, and every time I've done this I've been amazed at what it feels like to have two hands swinging by my side, rather than one wrapped around my phone, slave to my headphones wrapping themselves around it. It makes me realise how addicted I am to just holding my phone.

I also looveeee listening to podcasts on the way in. Educational, health, funny, smutty, murder / crime thrillers - you name it, I've probably subscribed. Current faves include:

- My Dad Wrote A Porno (the.best. I've never laughed out loud so uncontrollably in public before).
- The Inquiry (really good 20 min podcasts on news and current affair topics, it has four opinions on one subject)
- Don't Salt My Game (Laura Thomas is a Registered Nutritionist and is calling bullshit on the diet industry / fake wellness era we live in)

I'm planning on doing a podcast post, so will leave this here for now..!

It also means I have 45 mins to chat to my family & best friends who don't live near me. This is especially good in the evening when you've got a load of dirty goss to catch up on and couldn't possibly do this on the train with everyone listening. Bliss.

Headspace is a massive plus to walking in, too. In a world where we're bombarded with so much information (see addicted to phone point above), it's nice to have this time to myself.

When I get to work, I'm not annoyed at having been squished on a tram carriage with loads of other people or sat stuck in traffic, I've had 45 minutes to do my own thing, let my mind play out scenarios, plan the day ahead, workout my priorities and just get 'ready' for the day. I've found I come in to work alert, motivated and really refreshed - not groggy or half asleep.


2 Exercise / Fitness

I wear a Fitbit and immediately I noticed the impact walking to (and most days, from) work had on my step count and calorie burn. This really isn't about calories burnt or steps taken, but it's definitely had an impact. The walk is around 5km and I burn around 300/350kcals (obvs this will be totally different for everyone according to distance, body weight, heart rate etc etc etc). I'm also, for the majority of the walk, in the 'fat burning zone', which is different from my usual running / HIIT / strength /  circuits based workouts I do, so a great addition to add to my workouts for the week.

It's great because if I know I'm going to have a busy week and will struggle to maintain my usual workout plan I know I'm still getting 45 minutes (90 if I walk home) of activity in my day.

3 General health

There are a load of other health benefits to walking - including reducing the risk of chronic illnesses (like heart disease, asthma), improving physical health, helping mental health, improving joint and back pain. You can find them all listed on the NHS website here and Bupa here.

4 Getting outdoors

I spend the majority of my time inside. I work in an office. I go to the gym. I cook in the kitchen and chill in my living room most evenings. I go out for dinner (and sit inside) and bars and shops and go to events with friends and dates and most of the time, it's all inside.

On weekends I try and spend as much time outside as possible and during the week, when we're lucky enough to get 'ok' weather, I do really try and make a real effort to get out as much as I can, but living in the UK means this isn't always achievable.

So, walking to work in all weather is another way to make sure I spend some time outside (bear in mind I'm writing this in August and might be telling a different story in November ha).

Lucy Mountain aka @thefashionfitnessfoodie has said so many times on her Instagram that she walks anywhere that takes an hour or less, and that's something that's stuck with me for the past few months. It's very typical in London to walk 45 / 60 minutes as a standard way of getting around and not think about it, but in Manchester / Bristol / other places it's a lot less typical. So I'm trying my best to make it the norm!

I do also have some top tips on how to stick at it, too.

SHOES AND CLOTHES
Firstly, don't like I did, try and walk to work in brand new, rigid, heel-skin ripping, blister inducing shoes. Stick to your good old trusty trainers. Yes, you might look like a bit of a knob in a dress and Nike free runs, but such is life.

Secondly, upgrade your dress-meets-trainer look and walk to work in gym kit. I've started doing it and get changed as soon as I'm at work. I found when walking in normal clothes I'd get in the office and the heat of the walk would finally catch up with me and I'd end up half-drenched making lift small talk (gross). Not.the.one.

Also, get a raincoat. Seriously. Pride, style and fashion sense must go out the window. One day I think I'll invest in a lush, sleek looking waterproof that will make me look like something out of the Lululemon brochure but for now I'm wearing a massive old Berghaus raincoat that was James's about fifteen years ago (school label in it and everything).

I do have a lush Sweaty Betty rucksack though which is amazing as it fits clothes, shoes, towel, lunch, breakfast, shower stuff, makeup, purse etc etc in it... It's the All Sport rucksack here.

I want to inspire you to walk a little bit more to see the benefits. I'm really really enjoying it, and think you will too. Other people that post a lot about walking and the benefits include my pal Spamella, and Twins in Trainers (these two girls did a really good post here about walking and its benefits).


Long live #LISS.