End on a high. One of the phrases which comes to mind when you’re approaching the final weeks of the year. Unfortunately this year, I wasn’t able to follow this annual ritual after coming down with a nasty cold which turned into a four week stint of Bronchitis. One positive note of being bedridden, however, was having plenty of time to reflect on some of the highlights of the year which was about to draw to a close.
When reflecting back over the previous 365 days, it’s impossible to pinpoint the exact moments which set themselves aside from the rest. For some, it may be completing races, achieving a personal best or increasing mileage. For me, it was mainly discovering amazing parts of the world, whilst rediscovering a hobby which I'd previously fallen out of love with.
My running year got off to a fairly slow start after I hit the brakes on running back in 2022, due to shin splints. Sadly I never fully fixed the injury and it still rears it's ugly head, just as I think I've finally figured out the magic cure. During the winter of 2022, I was also busy converting my camper van which seemed to consume every daylight hour. Excuses I know, but it sometimes is the reality of life.
1. New Zealand 🇳🇿 - Te Anau and Wanaka
One of the first running highlights, has to be picking up running again, in no other place than the exceptionally beautiful New Zealand. A trip which will forever stay with me and a place which took my breath away in the so many different ways. Like in many western countries, the popular weekly running event 'park run’ takes place in a range of locations every Saturday morning and I was fortunate to ‘join’ both the Te Anau and Wanaka park runs during my stay.
Sadly, for the Te Anau park run, I didn’t quite get the memo about the 8am start, so I rocked up at 8.30 to be early enough to warm up, but instead to find everyone hot and sweaty, and about the cross the finish line. I still ran the course but the feeling isn’t quite the same when you start 30 minutes after everybody else.
Nonetheless, both Te Anau and Wanaka were ideal places to fall back in love with trail running. Wanaka in particular won my heart over, with the course running beside its glistening lake, rugged mountains and glaciers which could be seen in the distance. The course was an out and back, and attracted tourists from all around the globe, including runners from my hometown, making it seem like a very small world, despite being thousands of miles away from 'home'.
(Photos are not exclusively from the park run course, but from the Wanaka and Te Anau region)
2. Austria 🇦🇹 - Voralberg
A particular high for the year, has to be completing my first run of the summer in the European Alps and at the same time, completing a half marathon distance, something I hadn’t pushed myself to achieve for over 18 months. Austria was the first stop of my 2 month road trip and I couldn’t think of a better way to kickstart the journey than by running some of the incredible trails in this spectacular region of the Alps.
In hindsight, with very little preparation, I hit the trails on a hot Saturday morning and started to weave on the trail towards the higher altitudes. With over 900m of climbing, it felt hard (I won't lie!) and I had to slow my pace to a fast walk. Despite the burning sensation in my legs, I was rewarded with panoramic views of the valley below, with traditional rustic buildings perched on the mountainside. Half way up the trail, I waved to tourists being transported up the mountain in the ski lift which in that moment, looked incredibly tempting, but I knew deep down it would have been cheating.
Continuing to climb, I came into the first ski resort before picking up a flatter trail which took me in-between the rugged peaks, deep into the valley and seemingly away from society and civilisation. Fully immersed in nature, I stopped to see birds of prey circling above and to weave from herds of cows from the Alp. With the flatter, wider trail in this section, I was able to fully take in the surroundings before looping back around, across ski fields to start my decent back down the mountain. Arriving back in the small village where I was staying, I felt immensely proud that I pushed myself to complete my longest run in a few years and probably my most challenging one to date.
3. Switzerland 🇨🇭 - Valle Maggia
I’ve already written at length about my wonderful time exploring the rustic canton of Ticino in Switzerland and running in this untamed paradise absolutely has to be one of my favourite moments of the year. I started my journey in Ticino, running the length of the Valle Verzaska which sparked my appetite, to run the length of another valley in this incredible part of the world. Valle Maggia, stretches 36km from Bignasco in the North to the popular cliff jumping spot, Ponte Brolla in the south. It seemed the perfect route and excuse to lace up my running shoes on what I knew were going to be spectacular trails.
This rustic valley is everything a trail running enthusiast could ask for. Insanely beautiful landscapes. Technical and fun terrain. Plenty of pit stops for refreshments and fresh water straight from the mountain. The crystal clear Maggia river, sourced by the Cristillina peak, runs beside the whole trail with plenty of opportunities for a mid-run swim.
This area of Switzerland completely stole my heart. Every corner of the trail seemed to reveal another breathtaking waterfall or majestic rock face, which left me completely lost for words. Running the length of this authentic, rustic and magical valley, has to be one of my highlights of the year.
4. England 🇬🇧 - South West Coast Path 🌊
The South West Coast Path is a gem which I have been very late to the party to discover. I can’t say I’ve run a vast amount of it, but I have hiked over 200km of this impressive path, which hugs the rugged coastline for over 1000km.
Every year, hundreds of runners race along the harsh and undulating coastal path in one of Britain's most famous ultra marathon races, The Arc of Attrition.
Cornwall has become a second home to me over the past 18 months, but until the later part of 2023, I had not taken the opportunity to lace up my running shoes on the coastal path which I’d grown massively fond of. There is no protection from the elements, running at the coast, so choosing to run on this particularly exposed section in high winds, certainly wasn’t the best idea I'd ever had. But I desperately needed to scratch the itch I’d had, to run along this magnificent coastline.
The section of the coast path I chose is probably the easiest part of the brutal Arc of Attrition 100 mile race, but this did not deflect from the beauty at all. Stepping foot on the cliff face at Godrevy, famous for its picture perfect lighthouse and cove where seals flock in their hundreds, I was accompanied with the brutal wind which almost swept me off my feet. Alongside the elements, I was also greeted with breathtaking views of the untamed coastline, sheer cliff faces and crashing waves below. The power of the sea humbled me instantly as I picked up the pace, bracing myself to be battered by the ongoing headwind.
This section isn’t the most technical, but like all of this incredible coastal path, it is undulating with rugged terrain. In addition to the brutal elements, this makes keeping a decent pace challenging, but of course adds to the fun.
5. My Home Run 🇬🇧 - Knole Park 🦌
Growing up and living in the same geographical area of Kent, it is easy to forget the natural beauty right on your doorstep. Having travelled a lot in 2023, coming ‘home’ always felt bittersweet. Initially, the underwhelming feeling, that the Kent countryside doesn’t quite compare to the rugged peaks of mountain regions, followed seeing the beauty through a more humbled lens.
Knole Park is just a stones throw from London, yet this vast park with its deer inhabitants is mainly known for being the filming location for The Beatles Strawberry Fields. Although the 1,000 acre parkland attracts thousands of visitors every year, it is very easy to escape the crowds and quickly be immersed in nature, in one of it's many woodlands or valleys.
Although I'd visited this place countless times, running along these beautiful trails felt very special to me, particularly during Autumn with the most spectacular display of autumn colours amongst the century old oak trees towering above. Being 'home' wasn't so bad after all!
Finishing a year and starting a new one can unleash a range of emotions. I certainly wasn't ending 2023 how I envisaged it, taking a significant break from running, but reflecting on my journey made me realise what I special year it had been.
Now I've told you about my favourite places to run in 2023 - which one would you chose?
New Zealand 🇳🇿
Austria 🇦🇹
Switzerland 🇨🇭
England 🇬🇧 - SW Coast Path
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