A London Lockdown Marathon
The BBC News website recently featured an article by Sophie Raworth in which she wrote about how quiet it was running in the centre of London. It was accompanied by photographs of deserted streets. Now, that was just what I was looking for, and the last place I ever expected to find it.
So on Sunday I headed out at 6:30am from my home in Lewisham and headed north. My route took me first of all to Blackheath, a steady climb to the wide open spaces and grassy common. There were a few runners dotted around, but as the sun rose all I could hear were birds.
I crossed the heath and the empty A2 and entered Greenwich Park. Wow. I love that place for the memories of starting two London Marathons there. On this day it was the beauty of a spring morning. The sun filtered soft early morning rays through the cherry tree blossom. Huge trees with twisted and gnarly trunks lined the paths. The calls of parakeets, blackbirds, tits and finches assailed me with their morning song.
When I reached the viewing point by the Royal Observatory I stopped to take in the scene. The white walls of the National Maritime Museum below, the River Thames beyond it with the masts of the Cutty Sark like exclamation marks on it's bank. The glass towers of Canary Wharf on the distance, their shiny, silver shapes in contrast to the blue sky behind.
After descending the hill I looped around Cutty Sark and joined the Jubilee Greenway which was completed in 2012 to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games. Section seven follows the south bank of the Thames from Greenwich to Tower Bridge.
There were a few joggers around but no one else so I could run with my thoughts and keep my eyes on the sights of which there were many. It was already getting warmer.
Along with multiple canons and anchors there were a few particular items of interest. As I passed Deptford I ran through a small park. Sayes Court Garden was planted by John Evelyn in the 17th Century. All that is left is a small square of grass and in the centre an aging mulberry bush. Apparently it is over 300 years old and was planted by Tsar Peter 1 - Peter The Great.
Back on the path beside the river I noticed the large wooden structures emerging from the river bed that remained from the days when ships used to unload. I descended some steps onto the 'beach' and took in the scene from the bank. The water was still and the level low. Birds skimmed over the mirrored surface and the giant buildings reflected upon it. The sun was rising now and the air was still and quiet.
Further on I came across a piece of modern art - The Curlicue by William Pye. There was a small building just beyond which was the Tide Gauge House. As I passed over bridges and locks I noticed how industrial this area was and how in tune with the river those who worked on it had been in the past.
As I entered Rotherhithe the path occasionally left the river to weave around nearby housing developments. The signs were good and I managed to find my way (most of the time).
Rotherhithe was fascinating, lots of blue plaques to Derek Jarman and others. Also several statues. One that intrigued me was called Dr Salter's Daydream. It was made up of four statues; a woman standing, a man sat on a bench, a cat on a wall and a little girl.
As I rounded the bend in the river I could see Tower Bridge coming closer. Before long I was climbing stone steps onto the bridge and running across it's span. The last time I did so it was thronged with cheering crowds, their shouts deafening and I had the biggest smile on my face. This time I had a similarly wide grin but there were no spectators, just a solitary cyclist taking their photos in front of the empty road.
On the other side I headed past the Tower of London with the spike of The Shard behind it. Two towers - two different eras. I decided to go inland and take in the Bank of England, St Pauls and the Gherkin. Here the stark reality of carless streets was most powerfully felt. Apart from cyclists, joggers and red buses there was no one around. Admittedly it was 9am on a Sunday, but it still felt like a ghost town.
Although I wanted to see the main sites I was drawn to the small, winding alleyways and took may of them. I was exploring the ancient city within the modern metropolis. I came upon tiny gardens,
hidden sculptures and narrow paths. Secret London.
Eventually I arrived at Trafalgar Square. No street artists, no touts, no tourists, no music and no fountains. Two photographers and a man in a high viz. I continued through Admiralty Arch and along the Mall before cutting through the glorious St James Park. I stopped to take a photo of a heron just yards away and a squirrel approached tamely seeking food.
At the end of the park I passed Buckingham Palace where cyclists were stopping to take selfies. From there I entered Green Park, ran under Wellington Arch, past Hyde Park Corner and into Hyde Park.
This was the busiest part of the route with literally hundreds of people out jogging, but all keeping their distance on the wide paths. I felt at home with these people. The sun glinted off the Serpentine and sprinklers were watering the bright green grass. The sunlight caught the water droplets and created a rainbow in the air reminding me of the many tributes to NHS workers in windows throughout the Capital.
My knee had started hurting and I was aware I should start heading back. I turned south towards the river. Unfortunately I was further west than I expected and arrived at Chelsea Bridge instead of Vauxhall Bridge. The soreness in my knee was aggravating and I began to worry I may have to walk all the way back to Lewisham. I passed Battersea Power Station covered in scaffolding and draped in nets then turned right onto the bridge and the road that would take me all the way back to Lewisham.
The route back was shorter as it was more direct, I reckoned around 6-8 miles. I passed the Oval and arrived at Camberwell. By now my knee was causing me to limp. By Peckham I had to stop. After some stretching I bought some water and Ibuprofen tablets and these seemed to kick in pretty quickly taking away the worst of the pain.
At New Cross I took a right past Goldsmiths University. A red phone box had been converted into a library so I used a quick browse as an excuse for a little rest. By now I was at 23 miles although I had run 23.5 but forgot to un-pause my watch for half a mile after buying the ibuprofen!
Back on home turf I headed for Ladywell Fields through which the Ravenbourne River runs. A couple of laps and I was clear to make it home to complete 26.2 miles as I arrived at my front door.
I was out for 3:45, but during this time I had seen less than 100 people and come no closer than 3/4 metres to any of them. I had found the quietest place to run and seen so much.
I was disappointed with many of the runners who didn't respond to my smile and wave. I am used to people returning the greeting in Folkestone. Only three other runners responded out of the dozens I had seen. It won't stop me trying to show solidarity and friendship though.
After the lockdown the streets will once again be packed and running will once again be hazardous and more disrupted, but I can't help longing for those days. I look forward to getting back into the centre and searching for more hidden places.
For now I need to give my knee some rest and do some serious stretching on my right hip, hip flexor and thigh.
CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE RUN HERE: My photo blog
