Hurst Spit: The Marine to Hurst Castle, And Back.
Start Point: The Marine Restaurant, Milford on Sea, Hampshire
Distance: 5.2 km (3.2 mi)
Distance: 5.2 km (3.2 mi)
Difficulty Level: Tough
My Time: 00:31:41 (Pace: 06:07/km or 09:49/mi)
Running on loose stone and gravel is a brilliant way to build strength in your calf muscles and improve the strength in stabilisers around your ankles and thighs, and this route in Milford On Sea in Hampshire is a brilliant test bed. With the added benefit of stunning views of The Solent and the Isle of Wight, as well as a decent restaurant at the start and end of the run, the Hurst Spit run is an almost completely dead flat run which will test both your calf muscles and your physical stamina.
Start from the gate directly outside The Marine Restaurant and head out towards Hurst Castle by choosing either the high or the low road. The high road is up a short rise to the right of the gate, climbing quickly then levelling out. As soon as you're up on top of the built-up sea wall, you've got stunning views out across The Solent towards the Isle of Wight, The Needles out to the right, and behind you is the view over to Bournemouth. Also up here, you have the added advantage of being able to use the prevailing winds to help push you along and hopefully reduce some of the effort needed to navigate this tricky path. If you're out on day where the wind isn't very influential, you might prefer to go for the low road, which has the advantage of being a more solid surface and a little less used by the families and couples out for casual walks along Hurst Spit.
Navigate either the high or the low road for the first few hundred metres until you have no choice but to soldier along the primary footpath out to Hurst Castle. The loose stone surface is testing at times where it can be quite deep, so you might find yourself dancing from side to side, finding the areas where the stone has been compacted more and trodden into an easier path to take.
On your left as you head out towards the castle is the harbour outside of Keyhaven, with small yachts moored along the river. You'll often see people using these shallow, protected waters to sail their dinghies or go kite-surfing.
There aren't many waypoints on this run, but you'll eventually reach Hurst Castle, a big concrete-clad fortification built in 1541 for Henry VIII to defend the approach to Southampton, an important naval city, from the invasion of the French. I like to make sure I run to the first gun tower (directly ahead as you approach the castle) and turn as I reach the concrete wall. Those feeling adventurous can carry on around the side of the castle to loop back around, but it does turn into a bit of an obstacle course on the far side of the castle.
From here, you'll have to return along the same stony track all the way back to The Marine. The tough bit here (unless you're lucky enough to find a wind-free day to run this) is the often breezy headwind you'll probably encounter when you switch direction. So make sure you save some decent energy reserves for the return trip, as this is where the real test quite often begins.
When you get back to your start point, you'll have completed a good test of your muscle strength and your stamina. If you're keen enough to give this a go, let me know how you got on in the comments below.
End Point: The Marine Restaurant, Milford on Sea, Hampshire
Navigate either the high or the low road for the first few hundred metres until you have no choice but to soldier along the primary footpath out to Hurst Castle. The loose stone surface is testing at times where it can be quite deep, so you might find yourself dancing from side to side, finding the areas where the stone has been compacted more and trodden into an easier path to take.
On your left as you head out towards the castle is the harbour outside of Keyhaven, with small yachts moored along the river. You'll often see people using these shallow, protected waters to sail their dinghies or go kite-surfing.
There aren't many waypoints on this run, but you'll eventually reach Hurst Castle, a big concrete-clad fortification built in 1541 for Henry VIII to defend the approach to Southampton, an important naval city, from the invasion of the French. I like to make sure I run to the first gun tower (directly ahead as you approach the castle) and turn as I reach the concrete wall. Those feeling adventurous can carry on around the side of the castle to loop back around, but it does turn into a bit of an obstacle course on the far side of the castle.
From here, you'll have to return along the same stony track all the way back to The Marine. The tough bit here (unless you're lucky enough to find a wind-free day to run this) is the often breezy headwind you'll probably encounter when you switch direction. So make sure you save some decent energy reserves for the return trip, as this is where the real test quite often begins.
When you get back to your start point, you'll have completed a good test of your muscle strength and your stamina. If you're keen enough to give this a go, let me know how you got on in the comments below.
End Point: The Marine Restaurant, Milford on Sea, Hampshire
Terrain: loose gravel and stone.
The Highs: the coastal scenery.
The Highs: the coastal scenery.
The Lows: navigating the sometimes deep loose stone and the headwind on the return trip.
Hints: use the low road to your advantage on either the out or return trip, depending on the weather and your confidence on loose stone.
Alternatives: for a real test, head further down towards the water's edge and really push hard through constantly changing camber and deeper, looser stone.
Conclusion: A tough route designed to test calf strength and improve the effectiveness of your stabilisers, with the added bonus of stunning coastal scenery.
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