Running skills
BEGINNERS’ GUIDE TO TRAIL RUNNING
You’ve heard about all the benefits of running off-road, and it seems so appealing when you see the pictures of women running up hills, but the idea of choosing footpath over pavement can also be a bit scary. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered
Words: Anna Harding
Happiness quotas go sky high when it comes to trail running. All the joys of road running plus views like this!
W ith the weather getting better and summer just around the corner, there’s no better time to get started with trail running. If you’re already a runner who enjoys heading out in the fresh air for your regular hit of endorphins and dopamine, but you haven’t taken your love of the hobby offroad and into nature, here’s everything you need to know to get started. This article comes with a warning though: once you try trail running, it’s likely you won’t want to go back to the roads!
The terrain
What counts as trail running? According to the book, The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running, a trail requires three of the following four qualities:
1) unpaved
2) natural obstacles
3) significant elevation gain/loss
4) scenery
The main thing to remember here is that trail running doesn’t have to be limited to the wild and rocky mountains you often see in YouTube documentaries or magazine spreads about global ultrarunning races like the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc.
You may have a local parkrun that is run partly or entirely off-pavement and on a school field or through woodland. That’s trail running. It could be that you live near a beach and have thought about or already run on the sand. That’s also trail running. Realistically, anything that isn’t a pavement or road is classed as trail running.
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May 2023
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