Naomi Phillips @NaomiPhillips95

As we’ve all been confined to our houses, keen runners and complete running newbies alike have been making the most of the sunny weather and taking the opportunity to get out of the house and get their legs moving. However, just as I’ve grown very bored of my room, my usual routes are quickly losing their charm. I’m used to having most of my routes planned for me (shout out to Run Wild and parkrun!) so having to think up interesting routes has been a new experience for me but it’s been fun finding new places to explore and add a bit of variety to repetitive lockdown life. So, whether you’re running 5km or pushing yourself a bit further here’s some places that I’ve been enjoying running the past few months…

5km – A pilgrimage to Platt Fields Park

In normal times I have my (almost) weekly pilgrimage to Platt Fields for parkrun on a Saturday morning, so I couldn’t not give it a mention. On days when my brain is tired it’s a good option as I can autopilot round the parkrun route, but I’ve also tried to explore the bits I don’t usually go to, such as Shakespeare’s garden and Cathedral Arch. On days when I’ve got a lot of pent up energy, some speedy half laps of the lake or a sprint along the tree lined path on the way out can really do wonders for brain and body. The downside to Platt Fields is that it can be quite busy, especially in the early evenings, but the paths are usually wide enough to social distance you just need to be prepared to give people a wide berth or stop to let people pass.

10km – A trip into town

One of the more surreal lockdown running experiences has been the eerie emptiness of the city centre. It was completely dead, even at 8:30am! Although a bit strange, it’s meant that it has been really easy to social distance, however in recent weeks its started getting a bit busier which I imagine will continue as shops reopen. My city centre runs often end up as me piecing together little bits depending on how I’m feeling but there’s a lot of opportunity for variety from the canals by Castlefield Bowl or New Islington to running through the Northern Quarter dreaming of which restaurant I want to visit first. The homeward stretch down Oxford Road also gives chance to check in on campus which feels as quiet as it normally does on a Sunday morning.

15km – A run along the river  

A novel discovery for me as I’ve started pushing my distance above 10km has been heading south through either Chorlton or Didsbury to the paths that run along the River Mersey. For me the first bit is a little boring, but once I’m by the river it’s worth it. It really satisfies that craving for a change of scenery and gives chance for a variety of terrains if you’re bored of pounding pavements with sand, gravel and even a bit of trail to be found. There’s always opportunity for a little bit of dream house hunting too! Sadly, the paths along the river can be a little busy, especially around Chorlton Water Park, but they’re mostly wide enough to make social distancing not too much of a challenge.

15km+ – Sunset over Salford Quays

The progression to longer distances has also opened up Salford Quays as a new favourite destination, particularly at the end of a beautiful sunny day. I usually join the canal around Castlefield and just carry on until I get the Quays making it also a good route for a tired brain. I always find running along the canals a bit hillier than I expect with the bridges to go over, which take it out of me a bit on the way back. Once I get to the Quays, which is about 5-6km for me, I usually make the decision of how much to add on to the route depending on how I’m feeling. In the first few weeks of lockdown I ended up running my first half marathon by doing a loop of the majority of Salford Quays and home through town. I think I just didn’t want to go back inside! More regularly I go for a 2-3km loop around Media City then head home back the way I came. Social distancing along the canals has become more of a struggle due to the narrow paths getting busier, especially on nice sunny evenings, but I’ve found the mornings to be much quieter and usually only populated by other runners so would recommend going then if you can.

Getting outside and doing some exercise has been vital for maintaining a sense of routine and has really helped with my mental health as it gave me a reason to escape the four walls of my bedroom and just listen to a podcast or some music for an hour or so when things were getting a bit too much. I hope these routes give a bit of inspiration to those in need of a change of scene. Happy running!

Sport Manchester has some advice about how to get started, running in Manchester and information on the running groups available around uni (post lockdown). You can also join the Virtual Purple Wave in place of the Great Manchester Run this year to help complete a lap around the world!

If you’re looking for 5km routes, although parkrun isn’t running right now, you could use their routes as inspiration. There’s over 20 parkruns to choose from around Greater Manchester!

If you’re wanting to start running the NHS Couch to 5K programme is a good place to start and gradually builds up to get you running for 30 minutes without stopping. It’s what I started with a few years ago.

If you want to interact with other runners, track your runs and get other route ideas, Strava is great. Run Wild MCR and Purple Wave 2020 both have clubs you can join.

All pictures taken by me during my runs and routes taken from my Strava account.