The Benefits of Running While Traveling
I woke up early on a chilly late summer morning in Chipping Campden, a village in England’s Cotswolds, with plans to go for a run. But where?
I plotted out a route the day before, but I wasn’t really sure where I was going. Routes here seemed to rely on relatively obscure landmarks for people from out of town. “Go about 500 feet, then turn between the white and blue houses.” That type of thing.
No matter. We had plans, but nothing we had to be at by any specific time. If I got lost, I’d eventually find my way back to the hotel. Besides, how many more chances in my life would I get to go for a run through the English countryside?
I laced up my shoes, took an unpleasant drink of water from the tap and headed outside. The air was crisp. It was mid-September, but it was cold enough to see my breath. The small village was just waking up with only a handful people out starting their daily business.
I started running towards the church where the first turn should be. Success! This turn took me onto a side road filled with local residences of varying size and color. It didn’t look much different from a typical street in Smalltown, USA. After running up the road for a minute or so, it became apparent I was already lost.
Starting to think I was going to miss out on this opportunity and would just run through town instead, I turned around with a keen eye to my left for where the trail leading to The Cotswold Way should be. Finally, there between two houses on what at first glance I mistook for a driveway was a sign indicating the trail!
It was worth doubling back to find. The trail took me up a narrow lane before turning on to a bigger field where a sign told me I was at the site where they hold the Cotswolds Olimpick Games, an event dating back to 1642.
From here, I ran through my first kissing gates, over creeks bridged by wood planks and through open farmland, encountering many farm animals along the way.
Over each hill and through each gate, I never knew what was coming next. The landscape was foreign to me. Similar yet different from America. Maybe some of this was in my head, but it had a rustic feel to it, as if it was untouched by modernity.
The trees seemed more untamed, the animals roamed freely just feet away from me, even the ground I ran on felt older. It was unique from anything I’ve felt in America.
Updated November 2024
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a small commission. This occurs at no added cost to you.
Perks of Running While Traveling
Why was my run so special that it became one of my favorite travel memories? Because let’s be serious, I can see farm animals just about anywhere. I didn’t need to go running while traveling for that.
But I wouldn’t have seen farm animals right there in that moment. The experience of running right alongside these animals in the English countryside is what made it unique. Where else can I ever do that? It felt like I was running through the Shire from “The Lord of the Rings.”
Had I not gone for a run that morning, I would never have experienced that. A 5-mile walk through Cotswolds’ farms was definitely not on our itinerary that day.
So, what exactly are all the benefits of running while traveling?
- Experiences you wouldn’t otherwise get
- See more of where you’re at than you can by normal sightseeing
- See heavily-touristed areas before they get crowded
- Burn off some of those calories from trying all the local food
- Start the day off on a high note
Unique Experiences
With the exception of local residents, how many people can say they’ve gone for a run through the idyllic English countryside replete with animals? What about getting up early enough to run next to a ruined church while the sun rises over the emerald-green fields of Ireland?
And those are just two examples of things I’ve seen when running while traveling. What you experience can be anything. Get up and see where your feet take you. You’re bound to see and experience something you wouldn’t get to through normal touristy things.
Personally, I try to run somewhere unique to the area I wouldn’t get to see in my local area. It can be a neighborhood with a specific flair, an interesting landscape or even somewhere with some type of local industry (think running along a popular fishing wharf or street markets as people are setting up shop). That way, you’re all but guaranteed to see at least something new.
See More of Where You’re Visiting
You don’t have to go for a long run to reap this benefit. Consider a normal day visiting a city. You’ll probably do a fair amount of walking, but much of it will be from one popular location to the next. A lot of it will likely be inside buildings.
In other words, you see the touristy things. While there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s so much more to travel than just that. Going for even a short run can help you to see more of wherever it is you are.
Take those cute side streets you passed on the way to the museum yesterday. Go on the walkway along the river all the way to the end. Find a trail that leads out of the city into the local countryside.
The options are endless and just depend on how far you’d like to go. You’ll be surprised at how much you can see that you almost certainly wouldn’t otherwise.
See the Sights Without All the People
This benefit is probably my favorite part of running while traveling and is the main reason I do it.
When I run, I go early in the morning. You’ll likely want to do the same while traveling since the day will be spent sightseeing. Because of this, you get the opportunity to see all those famous sights without the crowds.
One of my favorite things I did in Paris was wake up early to run along the Seine towards the Eiffel Tower. There were only a handful of other people out getting some early morning exercise, giving me the chance to see many of Paris’ iconic bridges and the Eiffel Tower in a much more intimate setting than I did later in the day.
Health Benefits of Running While Traveling
This isn’t a health blog, so I won’t bore you with all the details about the benefits of exercise. However, there are two worth mentioning that may interest you if you’ll be running while traveling.
Burn Some Calories
Despite popular belief, you don’t burn that many calories when you go for a run (unless you’re routinely running half marathons). Still, running while traveling can be helpful with your waistline.
For starters, at the very least you will burn enough calories to account for those couple glasses of wine with dinner last night. It may not seem like much, but when you also add in all the walking you’re doing while sightseeing, you will burn a fair number of calories.
Beyond that, going for a morning run will simply help you feel better. We’ve all been there when traveling: a night out with a big meal and multiple drinks. You just feel sluggish the next morning.
A morning run helps you sweat some of that out and gets you feeling more like you.
Exercise Makes You Happy
Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel happy. It’s a pretty simple formula. These endorphins make for a great way to start your day.
In fact, I don’t see a better way to start a full day of sightseeing than by getting in a quick run in the morning. It may be a little hard to drag yourself out of bed if you’ve been traipsing around all of wherever, but you’ll feel better for it once you’re done.
It’s the perfect way to start a long day ahead of you. Set yourself up right by being in a great mood before you even get out on the road.
Packing Recommendations for Running While Traveling
Here are a few considerations when packing running gear when you travel via backpacking. You need to be conscientious of what you bring because that limited space is precious.
For starters, don’t bring extra underwear or socks just for running. I just use the underwear and socks from the day before. You’re going to sweat anyway, so there’s no need for new clothes.
Shoes are the biggest culprits for taking up space. Consider where you’ll be visiting and what types of meals you’ll be having. You can likely get away with just two pairs of shoes if you know you’ll be having a fancy dinner somewhere: nice running sneakers and a pair of dressy shoes. Even then, you’d probably be okay with just a pair of nice running shoes unless you’re going somewhere very fancy.
However, some people might like having the option of a casual sneaker that is in between running shoes and dress shoes. If that’s the case, you have to be pretty tight with your packing. Use empty shoes to stuff socks and undies in, press out all the air of your packing cubes and wear as many layers on the plane as you can.
Shorts and shirts don’t take up too much space. You can get away with just one pair of shorts and maybe one or two lightweight shirts. If you’re afraid of them smelling, let them air dry during the day and make sure to have access to laundry services sometime in the middle of your trip if it is a longer visit.
One last thing I’m throwing in is a good Garmin watch. I like having this to track my runs, but it’s also nice to see how many steps I’ve taken on a long day of sightseeing. If you go on any hikes, you can track this as well to see the route you took in a new place.
Thank you for reading this post. Paul Passing Through is a labor of love to which I’ve dedicated a lot of free time. If you’d like to show your support for my blog, you can Buy Me a Coffee to help fund the future of Paul Passing Through. I appreciate any contributions!
Resources to Book Your Next Trip
Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your next trip!
Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!
Search Flights
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out my travel essentials pages for more of my recommendations.
Pin This Post!
