So, I’m looking for a little bit of input from you runners over in the motherland – what exactly is running etiquette in the UK, specifically England? I’m over here for business, and, after surviving the drive out of Heathrow and finding my absolutely wonderful (and that’s not sarcasm, the hotel I’m in is exceptional) hotel, I went for a run today.
The hotel’s in what I guess you’d call a city center, smaller town out in the Cotswalds, and, until I got past the parks, etc, I felt like I may have been out of place running on the sidewalk. It wasn’t exceptionally crowded, and I tried to avoid shops as much as possible, but I still felt like I was invading someone’s space. Am I just overly self-conscious ’cause I don’t want to appear rude in what’s got to be the most polite place I’ve ever been, or are there rules about where it is and isn’t appropriate to sweat like a pig?
Other than feeling kind of akward, which may have been a side effect of my continued disorentation about driving on the wrong side of the road, the run was great. Good sidewalks, predictable drivers, great weather… What’s not to love? The five miles were over too quickly, though I felt every yard of the last mile.
I see you’re back from the UK and this might not be helpful anymore-but in the case that you’re ever back over there for business/pleasure
I spent a few months living in London and found that people really didn’t mind me running on the sidewalks much at all. I saw a lot of people running home from work at night. I ran mostly in the parks because I was only a few blocks from Hyde Park but those times I was on the sidewalk we’re just as good. Much less catcalling in the UK too…