City running tours allow visitors to see the sights on-the-run …. and we do mean that literally. Running tours are the hot new way for runners (even fast walkers) to see the city sights.
One of the great things about guided running tours? Sometimes you get to go where masses of other ‘soles’ have not tread.
Here are four of the top running tour companies:
City Running Tours – New York, Washington, D.C., San Diego
New York City-based City Running Tours is one of the largest running tour companies is owned by Michael Gazaleh, a practicing chiropractor who was working in a small New York gym when he launched the company in early 2007. Since then the business has branched out to include Chicago and Washington, D.C., Austin, Charleston and San Diego with a roster of about 40 running guides.
The company offers about a dozen standard routes, which they will customize upon request so ‘every run is just a bit different,’ says Gazaleh.
Off’ N Running – Los Angeles
Los Angeles-based Off’N Running appears to have been the ‘fore-runner.’ Owner Cheryl Anker says she launched the company 14 years ago to cater to business travellers who needed to get a run in but didn’t want to be stuck on a treadmill. The company offers a number of tours in the 6-8K range, plus the recently introduced ‘Running from the Paparazzi,’ a 90-minute event that takes participants along Robertson Blvd. past many of the shops and boutiques known for celebrity spotting. ‘The street itself is usually lined with paparazzi, and they often become the highlight of the tour,’ says Anker.
Sight Jogging Tours – Rome
Carolina Gasparetto, director of the Rome-based Sight Jogging Tours, says her three-year-old business caters mostly to a middle-aged clientele from North America, Britain and Germany. She explains that the company’s 15 tour guides undergo a training period to test both their fitness level and cultural capabilities. ‘They have to be fit, educated, responsible and, of course, fluent in at least one language other than Italian,’ says Gasparetto. Sight Jogging Tours is currently working to expand the business into other Italian cities.
SightRunning – Berlin
Mike’s SightRunning in Berlin is the newcomer amid a handful of similar German-speaking tour companies in the country. Owner Michael Horstmann says he and his guides are experienced marathon runners and all run on a regular basis year-round. Tours include the area around the Berlin Cathedral, another that follows the River Spree to the city’s historical centre, and others that include the government district and the most popular tourist attractions. According to Horstmann, attractions such as the summer residence of the Prussian Kings ‘are lined up like pearls on a string along the riverside.’
He says the tours are perfect for Berlin visitors, who plan to tour the German capital for a short time and wish to keep their personal fitness but also experience Berlin and its many sights. The company has plans to expand, but at the moment has ‘assigned priority to co-operations with Berlin’s five-star hotels wanting to expand their wellness programs,’ says Horstmann.
Now if you’re a plus-size runner who’s planning a running tour soon, you may want to make sure to carry a hydration pack on your run. You can check out an interesting article on hydration packs for overweight runners here.