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I was recently listening to an interview of Luke Tyburski on the Running for Real Podcast by Tina Muir and immediately latched on to a term he used to describe himself: “endurance adventurer”. That was exactly the term I had been trying to come up with to describe my lifestyle and mode of seeing the world. Since college, my favorite means of site-seeing has included my running shoes and a small pack. From Hamburg to Copenhagen to Singapore to London, I’ve discovered the beauty of nooks and crannies I would never have seen on a bus or in a car. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the ability to use my own legs to take me all over this world and I hope I can help share my adventures and routes with you to aid in your own endurance adventuring!
My most recent trip took me through the idyllic towns of the Cotswolds in England. My motivation to finish my grad school paper early was promising myself I would take the day to explore the Cotswolds on foot. My goal was to make it from Moreton-in-Marsh to Cirencester hitting as many of the small towns in between as possible. After doing some research, I was lucky enough to stumble across this map which has so many trails marked and was my go to throughout the day. Here’s a link to it and thank you to mac’s adventure for posting it! https://your.macsadventure.com/en/tour/hiking-trail/moreton-in-marsh-to-bourton-on-the-water-via-stow-on-the-wold-/27403513/#dm=1
For the purpose of where I wanted to go, I stayed primarily on the Monarch trail, but there are many options for longer or shorter runs/hikes depending on where and how far you want to go. My total mileage for the day was around 35 miles which was further than I expected, but definitely doable at any easy pace!
I booked my train ticket from Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh the night before which was about 12 euro and a 35min train ride. I’ve streamlined what I pack, so I now only bring my nathan hydration vest with a 1.5 liter bladder, arm warmers, extra long sleeve (I’m always cold), honey stinger bars and waffles, nuun, a bit of cash, credit card, ID, and an extra pair of spandex. My plan was to stop and grab food and water along the way as I needed it, so I’d get the chance to try out some of the local foods too.
The next morning I made sure I had everything and jogged to the train station which is about two miles from my apartment. I often get pretty funny looks traveling places with all my running gear on since I look a bit like a bionic woman, but I figure it’s all part of the adventure. Getting off the train, I started running through the town to find the Monarch Trail. It was a bit tricky finding the trails through towns because the signage stops and doesn’t have much direction to pick it up again on the other side. It just takes a bit of navigation and figuring out what road the trail is off of and then you’re golden. Once I found the trail, I was floored at the beauty of the English countryside. I was running across cow and horse pastures, on bridges, past gorgeous old churches and through wheat fields that shimmered in the sunlight. I love that England allows trails to go through private property and the only requirement is to make sure the gate is shut behind you. This sense of trust and sharing of land is quite beautiful and I appreciate the respect I am given to tread lightly on another’s property in exchange for following an incredible path.
It was about 6.5 miles to get from Moreton-in-Marsh to Stow-on-the-Wold and quite easy terrain. I would definitely recommend this for a shorter hike/run as there are two towns, Longborough and Broadwall in between that are definitely worth seeing for their churches, thatch roof homes and small pubs. Stow-on-the-Wold was quite busy when I arrived, but there were many options for food, shopping and sightseeing. I did a quick tour around the main streets before heading on my way. It’s a bit tricky heading out as you run along a main road before taking a right off of that into the countryside again, but pretty soon you come out next to a working horse farm and traverse more fields and pastures. My next goal was to get to Bourton-on-the-Water as I had read this was considered the “Venice” of the Cotswolds. The town itself is based around a gorgeous river with bridges running over it and old English buildings surrounding it. The river area was quite packed with tourists which surprised me on a Wednesday morning, but there was a lively energy with a violinist playing outside and kids playing in the river. At this point I was already 20 miles in so I grabbed a sandwich, electrolytes and more water. My legs were definitely feeling on the tired side from my race a couple weeks ago, but I wanted to see more of the trails and make it to Cirencester where the public transport to get back to Oxford would be much easier and faster. I will warn that after Bourton-on-the-Water, the options for buses and public transport are sparse, so if you’re going to follow my route, it’s minimum another 13-15 miles past Bourton-on-the-Water.
Next up was Clapton-on-the-Hill and Northleach. At this point I was trying to stay on the Monarch, but there are a lot of trails that criss-cross and often don’t have markers until the far sides of fields. I ended up going off the Monarch trail a few times, but most of the trails will lead you to the towns pretty easily. Checking the map relatively frequently is a good idea just to make sure you’re headed in the right direction. The scenery reminded me so much of my college town in Western Mass with the long rolling hills, small towns with just a church and a pub, wooden gates, wide-open views and hay fields. One of my favorite parts was running through the wheat fields as the farmers had cut a path for the trail to go through and the wheat would whistle past my legs. It’s hard to explain the freedom of flying along a trail with no cares except to make it back home at some point that day.
By the time I made it to Northleach, I was in sore need of some fuel and a pick-me-up. Luckily, Northleach is one of the bigger small towns and had a co-op to get water and coke zero and the Black Cat Cafe for two giant warm scones to go with a container of fresh raspberry jam. At this point I had decided I was going to take the most direct route possible on the back roads as the trails start to become more scarce getting into Cirencester, and I was starting to feel the 25 miles I’d already put on my legs. There’s nothing quite as cliche british feeling as jogging along a road dunking warm scones into a cup full of jam as the countryside trickles past. I couldn’t take the silly grin off my face both at the deliciousness of the scones and the belief that I was getting to have this experience. I’m often asked what I eat while I’m running and I’m definitely putting scones and jam at the top of the list.
With the help of increased blood sugar and calories, I continued through Coln St Dennis, Coln Rogers, Foss Cross and Calmsden. What amazed me through these towns was the care and attention payed to the beauty of the churches. In a tiny town without even a store, there was always a gorgeous stone church with incredibly detailed stained glass windows and intricate architecture. It struck me how important the role of the church is in these small communities and how faith unites us to overcome the hardships we face. If there is any reason to do a run through the Cotswolds, it is to see these churches for yourself.
I started seeing the spires of Cirencester from about 3 kilometers out. It felt like the end of a race I had created for myself with the finish line in reach and the prize a memory I will never forget. When I finally stopped, hitting 35 miles almost exactly, I touched the church in the center of town and said a simple thank you for another day of exploration and adventure. The bus came within a few minutes taking me to Swindon where I caught a 40min train back to Oxford. There is something deeply satisfying about sitting and feeling the fatigue in your legs, the rumble of your hungry stomach and the salty sweat clinging to your face. I am so fortunate to have the ability to travel this way and hope you are able to as well. If you have any questions on the route or would like to ask me anything about this trip please feel free and I’d be happy to help!
Wander on,
Alyssa