Runner’s World UK – September 2019

068 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK SEPTEMBER 2019

THINKING ABOUT TAKING YOUR RUNS off the beaten path? You should, at some

point. You will work a greater range of muscles than you do in road

running, you put less pressure on individual muscles and joints (as your

gait and foot strike have to change frequently) and running in nature

can help boost your mental wellbeing more than running on asphalt. It’s also fun.

Although running on trails is similar to running on the roads, there are some

differences to make note of before you go offroad. To help you get started, I pulled

together a list of my best trail-running tips to guide you. There are 12, which may

sound a lot, but they’re not hard to do. Most importantly, make sure you have fun.

Fair warning: they say that once you hit the dirt, you never go back.

1. Adapt to all kinds of terrain

Every trail has its own unique terrain

and challenge. There are groomed

trails that are wide and often even

in surface, which makes for a great

introduction to running offroad. And

then there are narrow ‘singletrack’

trails with a variety of obstacles,

including tree roots, rocks, sand, hills,

mud and more. Singletrack trails tend

to be more challenging in nature and

offer a dynamic running experience.

2. Stay safe

When heading out to the trails, run

with a partner if possible, or tell

someone where you are going, and

take a mobile phone with you for

safety. Leave a note with your

BLAZE A TRAIL

New to running offroad? Here’s what you need

to know before you take to the trails and hills,

says running coach Jenny Hadfield

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NATURE’S WAY

Running offroad

is one of the great

joys of our sport