In the green corner, we have trails and, fighting in the grey corner, it’s roads. Yes, it’s time to settle that age-old running debate… and declare a winner once and for all!

Words Laura Briggs

I’ll fess up before we start pitting trails and road running against each other: I am an all-out, nocompromise, 100-percent-trails-till-I-die kinda gal. I thrive on muddy paths and love beating my way through a trail-less-ordinary, getting completely and utterly lost in the woods, and stopping to take a breather, eat and snap some pretty pictures at any available opportunity.

I like the idea of being switched off from real life and running where nobody else is going to be. I love sharing my path with wild animals rather than people (although when I say wild, I’m talking sheep, cows and deer, not so much mountain lions or rattlesnakes).

I enjoy the feeling of throwing myself into the unknown, battling against myself and feeling absolutely epic when I've scaled a big hill, descended into a valley, or managed to stay on my feet through a slippery mud bath. BUT… I do know that trails aren’t for everyone. For many, road is where their passion lies. It’s the place where PBs are made, new trainers are paraded, and the buzz of urban life is ever-present.

|| For many people, the word ‘run’ is synonymous with smooth terrain. Those people think it’s a mystery why anyone would want to attempt fells, woods and forests and get covered in mud ||

Trail running doesn't get half as much exposure in the media either. Contests on mainstream channels are usually held on track or road, and for many people, the word ‘run’ is synonymous with a smooth terrain. Those people think it’s a mystery why anyone would want to attempt fells, woods and forests, and inevitably get covered in mud.

It’s easier to measure a nice flat 10K, half or full marathon, that’s for sure, but trail offers something different. There’s less speed, certainly, but perhaps more adventure. There might be run-ins with pheasants, badgers, and various other wildlife and a bit of navigation here and there. A trail run often becomes an outing rather than a ‘grab your trainers and head out the door’ type of run.

So, how do we settle (or at least thrash out) a debate over these two very different terrains? We’ve pitted one trail bunny, Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, co-founder of Black Trail Runners, ultrarunner, author and this issue’s Warrior, against road runner Laura Donnelly, a PE teacher who loves to smash goals on roads. Let’s see which side of the tracks we end up.

Images stock.adobe.com

Trail running may not be about speed, but it's fantastic for building strength and agility

Training

If speed training is important to you, road running can be a simpler way to improve your form. Laura says: “I love seeing how much I can push my body and I love seeing how training can have a positive effect on my running times. Although my Tuesday track sessions with Herne Hill are my hardest sessions of the week, they are definitely the most rewarding and the ones which have had the most positive effect on my running times.”

But what if you’re not interested in speed? Sabrina has a lot to say on this.“When I was a road runner, speed was really important to me – to the point where it became a way to hurt myself mentally and physically. I was chasing PBs constantly and mentally destroying myself when I felt I hadn’t gone quick enough.