Unforgettable run in New York

Because there’s more than Central Park

Running in New York… When you hear ‘run’ and ‘New York’ in the same sentence, 91% of the time (according to one study never carried out), you also hear ‘marathon’ or ‘Central Park’ in the same sentence…

But you can also, and should, run in New York when it’s not a marathon, and get out of Central Park.
A run in this iconic park is definitely worthwhile and should be on your running CV, and urbirun has even created a .gpx route so you don’t miss out on the best of the Park…

NYC is iconic for sure

On the other hand, here’s THE self-audio-guided route to take in the sights. So don’t be afraid, get out of the park, and don’t worry, you’ll experience an unforgettable moment, especially if you run with urbirun (which offers 3 audioguided routes in NYC)…

You can start the tour wherever you like, but Canal Street is a good place to start. It’s in the heart of Chinatown’s souvenir shops, but above all there are plenty of metro lines coming in from there, so it’s a convenient starting point (location).

So don’t worry, despite appearances, you’re still in New York, and with a bit of luck you’ll still be able to spot the Little Italy sign on your left, at the end of a street, which is gradually disappearing, devoured by the Chinese faster than a bowl of noodles, Chinese noodles…

The first bridge

So you’re heading east, towards the East River (what an original name!), and you’re about to leave Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge (what an original name!). It’s that big blue bridge you’ve probably seen so often on TV.

So like all the bridges in NYC, it goes up a bit. You should be able to take it easy and enjoy the beautiful views. Mind you, somewhere along the 2km, you’re likely to hit a runner’s high, so let me know how it goes…
And don’t forget to look to the right: the Brooklyn Bridge is right next door (according to NY standards, but in reality it’s true, it’s 300m away), with lower Manhattan in the background. If you don’t stop and take 2–3 photos, I don’t get it.

DUMBO, it’s huge

At the end of the bridge, you’ll be in Brooklyn, the most densely populated of New York’s 5 boroughs. Let yourself be guided towards the rough cobblestones, old rails and grey and red bricks of DUMBO, which isn’t an elephant, but the Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass, DUMBO, literally translated it means ‘Under the Manhattan Bridge Road’ (what an original name), but SRPM, it doesn’t sound so good in French).

So at DUMBO, watch your ankles, because in this former docklands district undergoing major redevelopment, the cobblestones are large, over a hundred years old and not very well fitted, and the old rails can be tricky.

The wooden promenade along the East River is very well laid out, and you’ll find yourself under the bridges.

But first, we’re going to take you on a little diversions, so that you can enjoy one of the most legendary views in NYC (but we won’t tell you, we’ll save the surprise for your run), and then you can continue along the promenade.

You then pass under the Brooklyn Bridge, so you can really see it from every angle, and believe me, it’s worth it.

I know you’re chomping at the bit to go running across this bridge, but keep yourself in check and continue along the river, there’s plenty to see on the old piers (jetties), which have been refurbished and offer magnificent views of the bridges and Manhattan.

Then it’s on to The Bridge, with 2 capital B

To get to the bridge, we thought it would be fun to take you down one of Brooklyn’s classic streets, with its red-brick houses with staircases in front of the door, where you’ve seen people kissing in countless films…

But I can tell you want to go over the bridge, so here we go. Keep following your guide: you go through a small park, turn left, and there you are in a tunnel. Listen to urbirun, who points out the little staircase on the left. Don’t worry, it doesn’t look like it, but there it is, the bridge that will take you back to Manhattan.
A few steps down a narrow corridor and you’re finally there, on the Brooklyn Bridge…

So enjoy the moment, it’s a crossing you won’t soon forget… and so I’ll shut up and let you enjoy the view… (and if you go early enough, you won’t be too bothered by the selfie sticks)… Just be careful, the bikes are riding like crazy…

This bridge is over 100 years old and made of planks, but don’t worry, you can run in peace, because to reassure the population, it was crossed by a herd of elephants when it was opened… and it held.
So go for it… but don’t overdo it.
Enjoy the moment, enjoy the scenery…
You know there are some runs you just can’t forget.
And I know you’re going to add this one to your list…

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And if you don’t like bridges, we’ll also tell you what it’s like to run in Munich, for example, or in Chicago, or in Miami, and even in Florence or in San Francisco (both places where there’s also a famous bridge) or in Amsterdam (where there are lots of bridges).