10 NEW EASY-TO-FOLLOW RUNNING ROUTES WITH FULL MAPS!
WONDROUS TRAILS TO HELP YOU GO THAT EXTRA MILE
‘Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee,’ begins the hymn which, according to local legend, the Reverend Augustus Montague Toplady was inspired to write in 1763 while sheltering from a storm in a rocky cleft in Somerset’s Mendip Hills.
Scribbling the lyrics down on a playing card, the Reverend returned home to nearby Blagdon to complete the hymn, now regarded as one of the four great Anglican hymns of the 19th century and a favourite of Prince Albert. If it’s one you’re not familiar with, we recommend giving the Johnny Cash version a go. If you’re keen to visit the famous rock itself – out of curiosity or simply a need for shelter – you’ll find it in Burrington Combe, at the start of our first route.
Like the Mendip Hills, route-finding is full of interesting, and often surprising discoveries. Covering the ground more quickly than walking and affording a far greater ability to access the nooks and crannies of the landscape than cycling, running is a great way to unearth the treasures of a place.
In this issue alone you’ll find routes that follow the Serpent through Surrey; discover follies, grottos and waterfalls in North Yorkshire; and visit the birthplace of contour lines in Scotland. You might even find yourself inspired to pen your own hymn…
173 MILES OF DISCOVERY
1 BURRINGTON COMBE, SOMERSET An 11.8km for the ages...
2 GREENWICH, LONDON Pan-flat two-miler
3 SERPENT TRAIL, SURREY Get high in the South Downs
4 SERPENT TRAIL, HAMPSHIRE A longer day down south
5 HACKFALL WOOD, NORTH YORKSHIRE Short, but mighty!
6 ENNERDALE-ESKDALE, THE LAKE DISTRICT Punishing route, stunning scenery
7 ROWND MYNYDD DU, BLACK MOUNTAINS Whopping multi-day adventure
8 ULTRA TRAIL SNOWDONIA Follow the race route...
9 SCHIEHALLION, PERTHSHIRE Perfect 10km out-and-back
10 BEINN MHEADHOIN Three Cairngorms peaks
GO YOUR OWN WAY
DISTANCE 11.8k ASCENT 397m DIFFICULTY
From the Rock of Ages in Burrington Combe, it’s straight into the climbing, making your way up to the ridge to join the Limestone Link, a
