The Derelict Airfield: Beaulieu, New Forest

14:34:00 The Lanky Runner 0 Comments

Start Point: Carparks either off the B3054 or B3055
Distance: 5.1 km (3.1 mi)
Difficulty Level: Easy
My Time: 00:29:12 HRC* (Pace: 05:43/km or 09:12/mi)


RAF Beaulieu was once a hub of aircraft activity, between 1942 and 1959 being used for bombers and fighter jets heading out on wartime missions. These days, it's a peaceful site surrounded by a 5 km loop of flat tarmac and gravel trails, often visited by walkers, cyclists, and the New Forest's most notable residents, horses.


The run can be started either off the B3054 (if you're heading towards Beaulieu from Lymington) or off the B3055 (if you're coming from either Brockenhurst or Beaulieu).

From your start point, head away from the road and choose your direction as you reach the T-junction ahead: being a pentagonal loop, you have the choice of going clockwise or anti-clockwise. Follow the course around it's perimeter, taking in the multiple surfaces - tarmac on the northeast stretch and loose gravel on the southwest - and the wildlife which you will inevitably spot on your way around. This course is dead flat, so just keep heading around the course until you get back to your start point, where you can either call it a day or throw in another lap.

The best part of this route is the fact you can easily do multiple laps in either direction, knowing that it's roughly four laps for a half marathon, or eight for a full. Additionally, this loop can be used for interval training, running individual stretches of the route at target pace to help improve overall performance.

I would recommend avoiding this trail in the midst of a wet winter or immediately after a big downpour - unless you enjoy mud.

If you've had a go at this route, drop a comment below and let me know how you got on!

End Point: Where you started.

Terrain: a mixture of tarmac and loose gravel trails

The Highs: quiet, undisturbed pathway surrounded by New Forest ponies, cows and donkeys.

The Lows: negotiating the sometimes unavoidable puddles.

Hints: Use the downwind legs for pace and the headwind legs for resistance training.

Conclusion: An easy loop around a disused piece of history, surrounded by wildlife and peaceful heathland. 

*HRC = Heart Rate Control. Run at a slow pace to improve aerobic capacity.

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Hurst Spit: The Marine to Hurst Castle, And Back.

20:43:00 The Lanky Runner 0 Comments

Start Point: The Marine Restaurant, Milford on Sea, Hampshire
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

Terrain: loose gravel and stone.

 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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Movement. Motivation. Music.

20:38:00 The Lanky Runner 0 Comments

In the world we live in music is now more accessible than ever. Gone are the days of lugging around big heavy objects carrying cassettes and CDs. With our obsession with technology, we have MP3's and streaming services readily available almost anywhere, any time, with almost any song imaginable at our fingertips.
Add to this the fact that music has an almost unmatched ability to get people moving, and tell me why you wouldn't want to run with music?

Simply load up your smartphone, MP3 player, or whatever device you have at your disposal, throw on some sports headphones, and get out and run. Load up a bunch of motivational tracks which energise you, keep you moving, keep you focused and alert, and, most importantly, do not annoy or aggravate you. Make sure your playlist or music collection is long enough to last at least as long as your longest runs, or be prepared to listen to your songs on repeat - then again, they'll all be tracks you love and energise you, so no real loss there.

If you're a Premium subscriber of a streaming service like Spotify or Deezer, you'll have unlimited access to tonnes of pre-loaded running playlists, or make your own, and access your music while you're out and about. If you're an urban runner you might be lucky enough to stream while you're out on your run.

I tend to choose songs which have a big, repetitive beat at a high bpm - for example drum and bass, electro, and rock. Monotonous down-tempo songs and acoustic ballads I've found to be the most detrimental to my flow and have me reaching for that device to skip to whatever is up next. However, everyone is different and has different motivations, so find the music that works best for you.

Equipment selection is also crucial - no one wants to take their 10" tablet out for a run - so choose something small and light (the iPod Shuffle is possibly the best device for runners) and pick some in-ear headphones which are comfortable and made for sports, and you'll have the best experience you can. I've had numerous phones fall through my short pockets on a run, and can advise not to try over-ear headphones unless you keep your head pretty still on a run. If you find the cable getting in the way, either run the cable underneath your top or invest in some decent bluetooth headphones, to minimise the intrusive nature of a wandering cable when on a sprint.

By being smart about your music selection, you'll find extra motivation in those times you really need it, when you're digging in deep and pushing through in those last few miles or going for a personal best. I'm not saying this is the only way to get out and motivate yourself out there, but you've really got nothing to lose here, so, what are you waiting for?

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A Coastal Path and a bit of Coffee: Milford on Sea to Barton on Sea

20:24:00 The Lanky Runner 0 Comments

Start Point: Needles Eye Cafe, Milford on Sea, Hampshire

 Distance: 5.70 km (3.54 mi)
Difficulty Level: Easy
My Time: 00:35:55 HRC* (Pace: 06:17/km or 10:07/mi)



In the quiet coastal villages of Milford on Sea and Barton on Sea, in Hampshire, are two quaint coffee shops, conveniently connected by a cliff-top coastal trail.


Starting at the Needles Eye Cafe in Milford on Sea, you head due west, along the paved coastal pathway which meanders gently along the cliff tops, with the stunning sights of the English Channel on your left, the Isle of Wight over your left shoulder. The first few hundred metres are dead flat, with a little drop as you pass the white walled housing complex on your right.

As you start to climb the hill, passing the multi-million-quid luxury beach homes and storm-ravaged beach huts, you start to gain elevation and you'll see Bournemouth in the distance on a good day.Carry on along the paved walkway until it abruptly comes to an end and turns into a dirt path , careful not to crash into the bushes on the left as you squeeze past them. The path that carves through the countryside over the cliff tops is tricky, so keep an eye on the changing terrain, and try not to fall off the where the storms of February 2013 annihilated the coastline and washed away huge portions of the cliffs.

Follow the path as it gently falls and rises, passing the golf course and starts to descend into a gorse-lined path, keeping left as the path forks a couple of times. You'll start rising up a gentle but tricky hill straight after the gorse forest - be careful here as this is a prime spot to roll your ankle if you're not paying attention, but if you keep to the left or the right of the grassy area you'll minimise the risk of any injuries. 

The final section of this route is a flat stretch of Marine Drive East to the Beachcomber Cafe, where this route either ends, or starts again. If the weather is nice, why not take a moment to sit outside and enjoy a warm drink in the sun and soak up some of the South Coast's finest rays. before turning back and doing it all over again!

End Point: Beachcomber Cafe, Barton On Sea, Hampshire

Terrain: a mixture of paved walkways, worn-down paths, and grassy hills.

The Highs: the calmness in the middle, the coffee at the end.

The Lows: the tricky ascent immediately after the gorse forest.

Hints: best times to run this are early morning or around sunset, when the walkways are less populated and the sunlight turns the scenery into a photograph.

Alternatives: if this is too short, turn around and try it again. If you're looking for even more of a challenge, start at Barton on Sea, run over to Milford on Sea, throw in the Hurst Spit route, then head back to Barton on Sea!


Conclusion: A scenic coastal trail with it's fair share of challenges and rewards.

*HRC = Heart Rate Control. Run at a slow pace to improve aerobic capacity.

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