Running in Oxford - Part 3

I've left East Oxford until last. I'm defining E Oxford as anywhere east of Magdalen Bridge; as this is home to some 60% of Oxford's residents, it's last but certainly not least.

Let's start by following the left hand fork at the Plain (just east of the bridge); this winds through St Clement's which at first sight looks unpromising for the would-be jogger, but just as you get to the foot of the hill leading up to Oxford Brookes and Headington a vista of parks opens up before you on both sides of the road: on the left is Headington Hill Park and on the right is South Park. If you want to be under the trees and enjoy a bit of exclusion I'd go for the former; South Park on the other hand is much more open and has splendid views back over the dreaming spires. You also won't be alone there - the university train there in the winter as do Headington Road Runners. Both of these parks are suitable for hill training, if you like that sort of thing.

Neither of the other 2 roads leading off the Plain (Cowley Road and Iffley Road) are quite so alluring for runners, at least not for those who like solitude or green pastures. Florence Park (between the two) is fine once you get there, but you need to go further out to get to perhaps the best running locally. I'm referring to Shotover Country Park; this is reached by following Old Road to the end, at the top of the hill. Old Road was the original road to London. Be warned though - you've got quite a climb to get to into the park at all... no wonder they abandoned this route to the capital in favour of the A40! Anyway, once you've arrived at Shotover the options are plentiful and the running as challenging as you want. There are different coloured trails of varying lengths. In fact I would recommend following one of these as otherwise it's pretty easy to get lost as it's quite a big place. Plenty of blackberries around too - or there will be shortly.

If you're in the Iffley Road there is a nice loop for runners to follow, made famous by the so-called Teddy Hall Relays, the largest mid-week road relay race in the country. It starts at the University athletics track (where Sir Roger Bannister was the first man to run one mile in under 4 minutes) which is just off the Iffley Road. Run south along the Iffley Road, turning down Meadow Lane and then following through the fields to Donnington Bridge; cross the Thames here, and turn right along the tow-path following the river upstream to Folly Bridge (you'll see the 'Head of the River' pub opposite). Run over the bridge and into Christ Church Meadow at the back of the pub. Exit the meadow in Rose Lane, turn right and it's a simple run back to Iffley Road across Magdalen Bridge.

If you are further out along the Iffley Road, in Rose Hill or Iffley Village, then try to make your way to Iffley lock; there's plenty of good running there along the Thames, both up or downstream.

Good luck and stay fit!

Running in Oxford - Part 2

I've been trying to describe where visitors to Oxford (such as our students) might find nice places to run after slaving away on the present continuous all day, and I've already made a few suggestions for people living or staying in North Oxford or the City Centre. By the way we sometimes get a very famous jogger in the City Centre, and that's Bill Clinton who does his jogging (complete with bodyguards) from the Randolph Hotel when he's in town - but I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly where he goes. Perhaps we could discreetly follow him and his entourage next time!

WEST OXFORD

Again I would recommend Port Meadow if you're not too far out of town; just follow the path beside the various Thames bridges to the north of Botley Road and you should get there, or you can go along Binsey Lane, which is also off the Botley Road to the north, not so far from Oxford Station. After the excitement of seeing the OISE head office you can stop off for raspberries at the 'Pick Your Own' at Medley Manor Farm, or a drink at the Perch; but as I said last time if you run around the whole Meadow (i.e. via the Trout Inn) it's quite a way back to West Oxford via Wolvercote.

If you are further out there is Cumnor Hill to exercise the lungs, or, especially if you would like to see the dreaming spires, head for Raleigh Park. This used to be a famous viewing point in the 19th century, but now you have to look over the industrial buildings of Osney to see the ancient towers and spires of the University. Incidentally, talking of views, the view of St Barnabas Church and the University beyond from Port Meadow have sadly been affected by the erection by the University itself (of all people) of those ghastly flats near Oxford Station.

SOUTH OXFORD

If you're anywhere near the River Thames then there is a convenient access point to the tow-path at Folly Bridge. The tow-path is an ancient track beside the river which has fairly recently been made into a proper footpath all the way to London, if you head downstream. You first follow the river along towards Iffley Lock, passing the college boathouses and various canoe and rowing clubs. In fact it's a hive of activity until you get downstream of the lock when you very suddenly find yourself in deep countryside. If you're very fit you can run to the attractive old town of Abingdon, but then you've got to get back again so it might be better to put your feet up and go by Salter's Steamers which do regular trips from Folly Bridge.

Upstream along the tow-path is also an attractive run these days; what used to be a rather scruffy part of Oxford has now been renovated and it's quite fun following the various twists of the river to Botley Road and beyond.

The main park in South Oxford is Hinksey Park; this has lots of paths and trails and is off the Abingdon Road not far south of Folly Bridge. It's got one great advantage if this warm weather continues: it's got a swimming pool!

If you are a little further out of town on the south side of the city, I would strongly recommend Boar's Hill; this provides tremendous views over the ancient university and is the spot where the poet Matthew Arnold coined the phrase "dreaming spires".

I'll cover East Oxford next time and meanwhile good luck with your running!

Running In Oxford

I once read an article about how business people try to keep fit on a business trip. Hotel gyms are normally boring affairs. Usually you are the only person there, and there isn't much to raise the heart rate except for those mind-numbingly boring running machines. So the article went on to talk about going for a run in a strange city. There were a few do's and don'ts, like not taking your shirt off in case the locals were offended, but the main part consisted of suggested jogging routes for various cities. I remember Singapore was one - it told you that everybody goes to the MacRitchie Reservoirs and to avoid running on public streets (of course I ignored that when I was there).

Oxford was unsurprisingly not included in the article, but it is an especially good place to go running, almost wherever you are, or wherever your hotel or host family is located. It's not too big, and has plenty of green spaces. Some might say it's a little lacking in hills, but others will be glad to potter along on the level.....

Let's take some of the key areas:

CENTRAL OXFORD.
Although there's no park right in the city centre, there are two fantastic running places within very easy reach of even the unfittest jogger. But first I suppose we need to decide what's the difference between a runner and a jogger. Some years ago when they used to have the 'Sunday Times Fun Run' in Hyde Park in London, I heard it said that anyone who couldn't complete a marathon in under 3 hours 40 minutes could consider themselves a mere jogger. I'm definitely a 'mere' jogger then - especially nowadays! All the suggested routes in this article suit the jogger as well as more serious runners.

Back to the two fantastic places. First there is the University Parks. This lies between the Banbury Road and the River Cherwell; you can't do a lap (about 10 mins at my pace) without seeing stacks of other runners - mostly female, whether in term or out. Very scenic and safe, and you can run on the grass as well as the paths; in this respect the Parks differs from the other popular run, which is around Christ Church Meadow , and where you do stick to the paths. It's slightly shorter than the Parks, but you get tremendous views of both of Oxford's rivers: in fact the Cherwell (famous for punting) meets the Thames (famous for rowing and motor boats) in the Meadow. The Parks at the moment close at 9.30pm while the Meadow just says 'dusk' - about the same time, I suppose. Both of them give instructions to the runner who accidentally gets locked in - you needn't worry - you won't have to spend a night there clad only in your sweaty shorts.

NORTH OXFORD
For those of you lucky enough to live amongst the so-called 'North Oxford Toffs' there are two areas where you can go for quite decent runs. First there's Port Meadow: this has access points from lots of places such as Wolvercote or Jericho. It's a lovely run along the Thames north-west of Oxford. But be warned - it's quite far and there aren't many bridges, so don't try to be too ambitious! Then there is Cutteslowe Park, the largest public park in Oxford, located just outside the ring road, to the north of the city. You can get there easily from the Banbury Road roundabout. Cutteslowe Park also hosts Oxford's Parkrun, an international organisation which puts on 5k runs; these are free and start at 9am every Saturday morning: it's just a case of getting out of bed on time!

The Four Minute Mile - Kit Villiers

Lots of things happen in May in Oxford. With the university disappearing on its endless Long Vacation in early June, May is the month for summer balls, Eights Week (28th to 31st), exams, and of course the traditional start of spring with May Morning at Magdalen Bridge (see earlier article).

More by way of a one-off occurred at the Iffley Road running track on 6 May 1954. On that windy afternoon, at 6pm to be precise, one R.G. Bannister, running for the Amateur Athletic Association against his old Alma Mater, Oxford University, made history. He became the first person in the world to run a mile in under 4 minutes, achieving the feat in 3.59.4. About 2,000 spectators were at the track that day, although if all those who claim they saw Bannister breasting the tape were speaking the truth, there would have been approximately 10 times that number! I'm almost one of those fibbers. I was actually about one mile away, assiduously doing my 'prep' at New College School in Savile Road when the epic event took place, and heard about it only the next morning.

Why was it such a big deal? Before it was broken, the 4 minute barrier was held in some mystique; some doctors said that the human body just wasn't capable of running so fast. But Bannister (a doctor himself) thought it only a matter of time before someone did it. The Swedes had got awfully close during the wear when not much athletics took place, and now John Landy in Australia and one or two others were threatening too.

So the AAA put together a fantastic team for this normally fairly low key match in Oxford: Chris Brasher (the founder of the London Marathon) would set the pace for the first 2 laps, then Chris Chataway (later the Mo Farah of the day, and an MP)  would take over for the third, leaving Sir Roger to make his bid for life time fame over the fourth, and final, lap. The rest is history.... and Bannister is a household name and will be for the rest of his life for this one achievement, now 60 years in the past.

I suppose Sir Roger is particularly well-known in Oxford: he was an undergraduate at Exeter College, much later Master of Pembroke College and still lives here.  But, judging by my asking a few of our learners at OISE and some other non-Brits, he seems to be almost totally unknown abroad. I suppose this might be because the mile is now a rarely run event, as we've all gone metric now. 1500 metres is the equivalent Olympic distance, and it's quite easy to run that in under 4 minutes - or so I'm told!

On the other hand great crowds showed up at Iffley Road for both the 40 and 50 year anniversaries, and even this year (the sixtieth) the Oxford Mail was reliving the whole event yet again; it also gave great prominence to Sir Roger's recent announcement that he has Alzheimer's and sadly has difficulty in walking. Certainly for English people of a certain age, whether they are runners or not, Bannister is a household name, but perhaps less so for younger people. I read somewhere that Bannister has the unusual distinction of having a road named after him in Oxford while still alive. They've changed the name of the track too.

In fact, despite the fuss, Bannister's world record didn't last long: it was broken by Landy shortly afterwards. But it's still Bannister whom we remember, at least for now. But perhaps when he and his generation are no longer with us, the four minute mile will just fade into history. After all, who nowadays remembers the awesome breaking of the 6 foot barrier in the high jump, which took place in Marston in the 19th century? Answer - almost nobody!

By Kit Villiers

Running Dogs by Kit Villiers

Oh no! A large white Labrador blocked my way. It was last Sunday morning and I was jogging along the muddy path between Wolfson College and the University Parks. The dog owner seemed to be about to throw a ball into the adjoining field, but then realised that there was no question of his great hound ever getting over the fence. I was forced to squeeze past; he then yelled at me saying I might at least thank him for trying to get his dog out of the way. I hadn't realised the whole charade with the ball had allegedly been for my benefit, but I did manage to croak out "Thanks" and put the experience behind me as yet one more 'dog incident' in a long and varied running career. At least I hadn't been bitten that time.

I hadn't always been so lucky.  Let's go back to the beginning, many decades before....

There was a sudden pain at the back of my calf. I was about 11, and was sprinting across the school playground ahead of a gang of small boys. The dog had singled me out, perhaps because I was in the lead.   Luckily it wasn't serious and Matron soon sorted me out, telling me to run more slowly next time. I didn't dare argue with her assessment of the situation, but I remember thinking what a stupid dog it must have been to overtake all the others for the pleasure of sinking its fangs into me. The experience didn't put me off running though.

The next occasion was when I was working in Papua New Guinea, running amongst the palm oil trees in the company's plantation. I don't now recall the precise circumstances, but somehow I got bitten by some local's dog. My immediate concern was: "My gosh, I'm going to get rabies!" Here's the strange thing, though. Wherever you get bitten (I mean whichever country, not what part of the anatomy) that country and yours are the only two countries in the world where there's no rabies. The doctor (an Australian) confirmed this strange fact as he administered some antibiotic, opining something on the lines of: "You'll be right, mate - only PNG and good old Aussie are rabies free. Good thing you weren't bitten in Indonesia next door!" 

A few years later I was jogging on a path on Lantau Island in Hong Kong when I failed to spot, lying across the path,  the tail of a large dog. Whoops! Another bite... and an agonising delay before  I reached civilisation (an hour or more's walk, an hour on the ferry, and finally a taxi to the Queen Mary Hospital). When I finally saw the doctor he said I'd been very lucky as of course Hong Kong and the UK were the only rabies free countries in the world. "Good thing you weren't bitten in China!" he jested. Unfortunately this tale had a twist in the tail, to coin a phrase. To be on the safe side, he suggested I place the dog under observation, and if it didn't die within 7 days I should be OK too. As well as being somewhat unreassuring, this advice proved rather hard to put into practice, and meant a whole day off work. Eventually I had to enlist the marine police to manhandle the beast into a police launch and to placate the dogowner (my Cantonese is not strong). As you can imagine, I didn't sleep well that week.

I'll end not with a bite (nor with a bang) but with a word of caution for those running a little more locally. Watch out for these people who either have a pack of their own or who exercise other folk's dogs, apparently an increasing phenomenon.  I was running past the Vicky Arms one day when a brace of large dogs suddenly came prancing towards me. Naturally there was no sign of anybody in charge. There is a wall dividing the pub garden from the path, and at least three more dogs appeared from behind it to join the fun, i.e. leaping up and trying to knock me over. Then, just when I thought I was about to expire on the banks of the Cherwell, the 'owner' finally appeared.  Often in this situation he (or she) tries to maintain that his 'pets' are just a little playful today, or that they got slightly carried away by seeing some idiot running. Clearly neither was the case here, but even though the owner laid about him with a large stick it was a while before I managed to get away. The presence of the stick convinced me that this was a professional dog walker, and an unfriendly one too!

I suppose one must keep things in perspective: these are a few incidents in a long career as a jogger, so keep vigilant and keep running!

A possible future blog may consider the cultural awareness of dogs...do keep tuned into the blog...

Angkor Wat Half Marathon

By OISE Oxford tutor Kit Villiers

Was that an elephant I see before me? I had reached about the 20k mark when I noticed that there was a slight delay ahead; a couple, possibly French, who had just passed me, were slowing right down, together with about 3 other runners ahead. We were near the back of the field, and I supposed that the course had been re-opened to traffic: sure enough, a mini-bus was trying to get through the narrow gate of one of the lesser temples which surround Angkor Wat, and which the course seemed to be taking us through. Slightly irritated, the 6 of us paused as it squeezed past, but then, hard behind the bus was an elephant; nobody seemed to be riding it, and as far as I knew it might have been a wild one fresh out of the surrounding jungle. Anyway we were still on the narrow causeway inside the temple so there was little choice but to run on and hope one wasn't scooped up in its trunk or, in the alternative, crushed under its large feet. Well, we survived, slightly startled but intact, and shuffled on towards the finish, all of us no doubt reflecting that we had one more  'animal encounter'  story to add to our respective collections. There were lots of monkeys too....

I was in Cambodia for the Angkor Wat half Marathon, the 18th running of which was on Sunday 1 December. It seemed a great idea when we conceived it a few months ago - seeing a new country, experiencing an exotic tropical location, and joining one of the most international fields you could imagine sounded like fun too. My mate Steve had suggested that we fly out the Friday before the race,  meaning we could have the pleasure of working the whole week beforehand(!?)  Steve then pulled out, leaving me (with great assistance from Jo) to battle on with the arrangements alone.

The issues with flying in to a strange country with a race to run the next morning became apparent even before I left England, and I more than once soundly cursed Steve for his somewhat optimistic last-minutism.  I was going to arrive at Siem Reap (the airport for Angkor Wat) too late to register. You had to collect your racepack the night before, before 8pm. I didn't land until 8.20pm, and then needed to get my visa and find my hotel. After a mad flurry of emails to the organisers and my hotel beforehand, luckily the hotel had come up trumps and for the cost of a return taxi fare, they sent some unfortunate minion to register on my behalf. You can imagine the sigh of relief when they handed my number and chip over when I checked in, and without demur I handed over the $12 they requested for the minion's time and trouble.

The start being at 6.30am and not having a clue where to go or how I was going to go to wherever it was,  the next thing was to get a really early morning call organised, and I plumped for 4.30am. I'd also worried in the plane as to what I could eat or drink before the start, as I was clearly going to be too early for the hotel breakfast, and I presumed tap-water would definitely be out. Fortunately in the room there were two complimentary bananas and two bottles of water. So what this nourishing fare  together with half a Yorkie bar left over from Heathrow I hoped I had just enough inside me to get at least to the first water station. In the event getting to the race proved no problem as the lobby soon filled with runners of all descriptions, and all the tuk tuk drivers had clearly got up early too so there was plenty of transport.

Apart from a slightly messy start, which might have been caused by the semi-darkness and the fact that there were other races to set off (including, this being Cambodia, divisions for amputees as well as the more normal wheelchairs),  I really enjoyed the race. The temperature naturally climbed as the sun rose, but it never got too hot nor too humid. Even so, jet lag and lack of fitness told in the later stages, although I finished in one piece, sharing a tuk tuk back to the hotel with an Australian girl who just pipped me at the end.

Would I do it again? Certainly! Although I didn't see it in the dark, to start at Angkor itself could hardly be more exotic. Later on we passed innumerable other temples and runners would dash over and get a picture before carrying on through the treelined course, telling their friends back in the US, or wherever, all about it on their devices....Very friendly, and worth the trip. My hotel even kept its buffet breakfast going for the less talented runners (e.g. me) and the beers are cheap in Cambodia too!

5 Ways to Keep Fit in Oxford!

Running has to be one of the easiest ways of keeping fit. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you're set. One of the great things about Oxford is that there are so many open green areas, all within a short distance of the city centre. A great place to start is the University Parks. Running along the river towards Summertown is my favorite route. The scenery is simply delightful; Punters, weeping willows and great open fields. 

If you're looking to beef up your upper body muscles, why not grab a few of your classmates and go punting. It's not the easiest of activities to master but with a bit of practice you'll get there. The secret to beginning punting is not to worry about the speed, but more about the direction - trees are the most common obstacle! If you need any tips, just ask one of the OISE Oxford students, most of them have reached pro level standard.

If you're into your swimming, there are a number of indoor and outdoor pools for you to try. Starting with outdoor pools, there's the Hinksey Heated Outdoor pool. Like most outdoor pools, It's currently closed for the winter, but will reopen again on May 3. There are also a number of leisure centers with indoor pools in and around the centre of town. Right in the centre there's LA fitness, and then heading north of Oxford there's the Marston Ferry pool. If you're looking for something a little more up market, there's the Virgin Active Health and Racquets Club.

Last but not least there's golf. There are many golf courses in and around Oxfordshire. In the UK, compared with the rest of Europe, the price for a round of golf is relatively cheap (average £15 - £30). This is probably because we have more rain to keep the grass green! Near to Oxford there's Hinksey Heights (inexpensive, but a little rough around the edges), North Oxford Golf course (well looked after but a little narrow), and Southfield Golf Club. To reach the more picturesque courses, you really need to have your own form of transport as they are out in the sticks. My personal favorite is Rye Hill, as it has excellent drainage for those oh so frequent rainy English days!

Running Shoes at the ready

So this weekend is just all about running in Oxford.  

Tomorrow, four of our most athletic students will be heading to Oxford University Parks to take part in the Oxford Fun Run, organised by Oxford Rotary Club.  These four intrepid runners/keen English language students will be running 5km.  The race will be followed by a slap up BBQ.  So there are just so many reasons to go and watch or possibly partake.  Get to the University Parks before 11am to be involved.

This race will be followed on Sunday by the Oxford Town and Gown.  Voted one of the best road races in the UK, the Oxford Town and Gown gives runners the unique opportunity to run through the closed streets of Oxford city centre, passing historic sites and ending in the beautiful university parks.  This race is typically very popular with OISE members.  Our very own, Kit Villiers, is always a very keen participant (though sadly not this year, due to holiday commitments, boo).  All the best to the OISE runners, a special mentions goes to Ward Lincoln!  It is looking like a very popular running option this year, with more than double the number of runners compared to last year.  

For all Oxford runners this weekend, perhaps read this article about one of the greatest runners in history, Haile Gebreslassie, to be inspired.

Get your trainers on.