One of life’s biggest joys has to be closing your laptop for the day and running in nature.
Open, magical, tranquil places, hidden from the modern world. More poetic than pavements. A passport stamp to inner peace.
It’s no exaggeration to say running has deepened my personal relationship with nature.
Adventures in the natural world are an opportunity to step back into a world that is raw, exciting and full of stimulation and surprises. Every turn a lyrical immersion in wild fauna and flora. Running in nature also poses new challenges for runners, including the feel of different terrain under foot, nature’s obstacles to side-step, and pick-your-own-adventure style routes.
Good weather can often be a catalyst for rewilding your runs, making this the perfect Joy Run theme this week.
How to run this theme: running in nature
If you live in the countryside, you’re a lucky soul.
If not, try to find a little slice of nature you can run to. Examples of nature-rich runs include:
- start trail running through sprawling fields
- the joy of trees and forest running
- the elevation of rolling hills
- the vastness of moorland trails
- the serenity of running by the sea
- the joy of running in parks
- hugging the shoreline on a coastal path
- tree-lined boulevards
- the botanical grounds of a stately home
Or simply head out for a free range run and see what natural thrills find you.
Remember to post your discoveries and how they made you feel on Instagram and/or TikTok, tagging in Joy Runs.
I’m excited to see where the joy of running takes you!
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10 benefits of running in nature – more fun & fulfilling
City centres can be treeless deserts, so a trip to the trails is always appealing. Running in nature brings many benefits:
- Fresher air and quieter routes – no cars or crowds to contend with
- Instant mood booster – one of life’s best coping mechanisms for stressful days
- Nature cures running boredom – untapped visual and visceral stimulation
- Best views of natural phenomenon – really feel golden hour runs, rainbows, frost and fog
- Running in nature is a great leveller – different terrains require a different skillset to road running
- A better workout – uneven terrain and varying elevations force your body to work harder, engaging more muscle groups and improving balance, strength, and agility
- Better for joints – softer ground can reduce the impact on your joints, reducing the risk of injury
- Seasonal variation – spring renewal, lush summers, colourful autumns & barren winters
- Character building – become more resilient to unfavorable race conditions
- Creative problem solving – more free-flowing ideas when you unplug on a run
Being immersed in nature and rawdogging on a run can be a wonderful tonic to the busyness of modern life, acting as a small but mighty act of self-care.
I always find the great outdoors plugs a gap when I get that feeling that something is missing in my life. The therapeutic effect of a simple life filled with simple pleasures. Close contact with nature sets a tone for the rest of my week.
I’m reminded of the Yeats poem, The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Even in against the city’s noise, he is able to hear his dream in his heart and the soothing sound of the lake waves “lapping” on isle of Innisfree’s shore. A happy life is one enriched by nature.
“I will arise and go now, for always night and day. I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore; While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, I hear it in the deep heart’s core.”
My favourite runs in nature – winding rivers & sky high forests
The Joy Runs weekly run themes are a manifesto for the life I want to live – one outdoors and full of adventure.
My first go-to is running in a forest. Offering giant levels of awe, shelter, perspective and childlike adventures. Settings for fairy tales and epic trail runs alike. I’ll always make a beeline for dense woodland in the distance.
I also instantly feel at home running near bodies of water. It could be running by the sea, following bendy rivers or coastal paths, or crossing a bridge joining two sides of a town or city. Water is both calming and ferocious in equal measure – a place of life, danger and dazzle. It also makes for a great navigational tool if you’re running somewhere new.
I’m also a big fan of running in green spaces, such as parks. Pockets of birdsong and play. Places to pause and dream. Charismatic oases of nature that are open to all.
I love plotting runs in places where sculpture is inscribed on the landscape, such as the UEA campus & Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
We’ve ventured on Joy Runs on all of these, that you’re free to rerun at your leisure.
There’s also been runs dedicated to small elements of these vast themes, such as Leaves, Berries & Trees.
Rewilding your runs is slightly rebellious. A free-spirited way of running with spontaneous encounters and no set route in mind. Much more my thing than pre-planned training schedules.
Running in nature can also be incorporated with ‘Plogging‘ – picking up litter on a run to give back to the trails that make it all possible.
Runners for nature – the Right to Roam
Running is one of the greenest hobbies going – well done!
There is currently a right to roam over just 8% of England. The Right to Roam group are campaigning for more open access akin to Scotland’s default right to access land and water responsibly, with a shared outdoor access code.
Led by botanists, ornithologists, astronomers, dancers, singers, citizen scientists, outdoors specialists and poets, it’s about repairing our relationship with nature and protecting its future.
As well as fighting the good fight, they’re rebuilding a culture of care and connection with the natural world. Check out their efforts and be a fellow guardian of the countryside when running in nature.
→ Other ‘Running in Nature‘ themes
