By Briana Hayes
Staff Writer
Whether rain or shine, snow or thunder, a blizzard during a long New England winter or a blistering summer day, when you are walking along the side walks in Boston you are bound to see runners.
Decked out in Garmin watches and the newest injury-preventing running leggings or just a t-shirt and shorts kind of runner, there is no limit as to who is running and when they are running.
Boston has a rich history with this particular endurance sport. In 1924 the first official Boston Marathon took place with the starting point in Hopkinton and the finish line in Copley Square. Before then, the race was a shorter distance and has been occurring since 1897.
From 1897-1968, the Boston Marathon was held on Patriots’ Day, April 19, a holiday commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War and recognized only in Massachusetts and Maine. When Patriot’s Day was moved to the third Monday in April, Marathon Monday was born and the rest is history.
Running brings together the people of Boston and, luckily enough, there are plenty of locations in this historic city with awesome running routes.
Boston Magazine has mapped running routes out using Garmin Connect. They determined that the most popular route was around the Charles River along the Esplanade.
The Charles River is a great scenic run. As you run on paved roads you pass couples picnicking and sailboats sailing with the great wind that reaches you as you run next to the water that has just a little sparkle. If that scene doesn’t inspire you to lace up your running shoes, not much will.
During the spring, this particular running route is the perfect combination of sunny and shady with flowers blooming in the trees as you run over small, brick-laid bridges.
During the fall, the changing of the seasons is evident in the sun still shining and a crisp, autumn breeze.
Riverway is another popular running route nearby. Serving as a border between Boston and Brookline, the Riverway is very narrow with paths that run in a loop around the Muddy River.
Riverway is very naturalistic and if you can ignore the nearby sirens with headphones, it almost feels like you are running in woods. There are also some great hills to add into your run along the sides of the paved course.
As you run in Riverway you pass multiple stone bridges and wooden benches where you can frequently see photographers capturing the natural beauty of this environment.
This route can be repetitive at times since it is an oval shape that doesn’t take up too much time. However, if you get tired of stopping at intersections, it is a great location.
A location that is very near Simmons College is the Fens. The Fens has a lot of activity going on so if you prefer to run without headphones you can still be entertained. You can run past pick-up basketball games, soccer games, and a lot of dog walkers.
The intertwining paths within the Fens allow for a lot of path changes so you don’t always have to go the same way. There is also an option for a shorter circle and a longer circle if you go through the Boston Public Gardens.
If you really want to get a feel for Boston there is no other route than the very Boston Marathon route.
This historic running course allows the runner to see it all. Of course, if you don’t want to run all 26.1 miles you can start at any point that is convenient for you.
A great street to choose is Beacon Street, which continues to Kenmore Square and follows Commonwealth Avenue inbound. Once you are on Boylston you can go towards Copley and finish at the actual finish line near the John Hancock Tower.
This is a route that may cause you to start and stop but definitely allows you to get a feel for Boston. Stopping in Copley is also great because there is almost always a food truck near the T stop.
Put some money in your shoes (obviously not change) and go treated yourself to a Roxy’s Grilled Cheese or a cupcake from a food truck. After all, you just ran.
