Nottingham towpaths sprint to glory

The magazine, Runner’s World rated the 20 biggest UK cities by population to find the best one for running and Nottingham came out on top, seeing off competition from London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham.

The waterside routes along the Nottingham Canal to Attenborough Nature Reserve, and along the River Trent between the city centre and Colwick Country Park, are among the many attractions the magazine recognised in making the award.

British Waterways’ Business Development Manager for the East Midlands, Kim Dale says: “It’s great to hear that these towpaths and waterside routes have been recognised as some of the best environments for running, not only in Nottingham but the UK. British Waterways and local authorities have invested a great deal of time, money and effort in developing these paths into areas where people actively want to spend their leisure time.”

Over £500,000 has been spent on towpath improvement projects along the length of the Nottingham Canal, which stretches from Meadow Lane to Beeston Lock. The projects have involved the help of British Waterways, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, the Environment Agency, the Greater Nottingham Partnership, Broxtowe Borough Council and the East Midlands Development Agency.

Local runner, Kate Else says: “The canal in Nottingham city centre is a great place to run. I leave the office and in a few seconds I’m able to run in a quiet, tranquil environment away from all the traffic and car fumes”.

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