As the lockdown started wearing down in May 2020, I decided to do more running in order to reduce the stress (and flab) that had built up.
Cambourne has some good running routes, including a good (if sometimes muddy) perimeter path. However I was fairly bored of these paths, and so I started venturing further afield.
I had long wanted to run south along the ancient road to Royston, but the traffic had always put me off. However the roads were quiet after lockdown, and so I spent some early Sunday mornings following the romans down the A1198. Once that was done, it only seemed sensible to follow them north to Huntingdon.
A crazy idea slowly started forming in my head: to run a diamond-shape from Huntingdon southeast to Cambridge, then southwest towards Royston, then northwest towards Sandy, and finally north back to Huntingdon.
This seemed reasonable: the Great Ouse and A1 provided a corridor between Huntingdon and Sandy, whilst local roads would lead on to Royston. The A10 would provide a link to Cambridge, and the guided busway and the Great Ouse would complete the loop to Huntingdon.
I then decided to run *every* path and road within that loop, where feasible. This includes permissive paths (which are not official, but the landowner allows access), but no deliberate trespass (I did make a few mistakes though, and got lost on a few occasions).
I had been logging all my runs since the beginning of the year, so I decided to backdate it to January 2020.
Was I successful that first year? No - but it was always going to be a multi-year project, especially as the November and December lockdowns prevented me from driving to do runs. But I am very happy with the result.
Moving onto 2021, we were back in lockdown and I was home schooling our son. I needed time to myself, so I decided to do a Run Every Day (RED) January, often getting up in he dark so I could be home in time for the little 'un to wake up.
At the end of January 2021, I decided to get to 100 days consecutive running. When I was on my coastal walk, I walked for 91 consecutive days, and I have always been annoyed that I did not get to 100. So I decided to run for 100 instead.
When I reached 100 days of cosecutive running in Aril 2021, I continued, doing at least one run every day in 2021.
And I still have not finished...
Ommissions
This is a list of the roads and paths that I have chosen not to run, along with the reasons. There are many others remaining to be completed...
Roads
A428 dual carriageway, Cambridge to Cambourne. A busy dual carriageway that has a safe local road alongside for much of its route.
A14 dual carriageway, Huntingdon to Cambridge. I do not have a death wish.
M11. See above.
Paths
Graveley FP9 (See Rights of Way in Graveley Parish) This short path cuts the corner off a bridleway that carries the Pathfinder Way. There was no obvious way onto the path from the south, so I started from the northern end near Home Farm. I was halfway across the field when a farmer called me back, saying the path had not been in use since the 1960s. Since it was a short path, with a perfectly viable alternative, it felt pointless to argue.
Abbotsley FP16 (See Rights of Way in Abbotsley Parish). This path had been cut off by the A428 road and the new Wintringham housing development. I ran it from its eastern end to the A428, but there was no way through the hedge down to the road. I did not bother to find a route, as the building works blocked the path on the other side.
Abbotsley FP21 (See Rights of Way in Abbotsley Parish). I could find no way through a hedge from eastern junction with bridleway BY7. Instead, I ran it along it its western end, but could not link it directly to BY7. This was not a great loss, as FP19 is only a few metres to the south and accessible.
Abbotsley FP11 (See Rights of Way in Abbotsley Parish). I tried running this from both ends. The southern end leads off from FP10 across a golf course; there was no sign of it, and I did not want to get in the way of golfers (although I have learnt that the course has actually been closed for some time). The northern end is shown as going through farm buildings; it was easy to divert around these and head down across a field to reach a footbridge over a stream at TL20205733. The footbridge was in poor condition and overgrown; the woodland on the other side proved impassable with fallen trees. As the golf course was beyond, I decided not to battle through. A great shame, as this path could provide a useful shortcut.
Cambourne FP279 (See Rights of Way in Cambourne Parish). This is inaccessible due to building work related to the Cambourne East development. This is an annoying omission, as work started after January 2020, so I could have run it. I have lived in the village for years without ever having done it, mainly because it was a dead-end path across a field leading to a farm. Perhaps I'll try and trace it once the houses have been built, even though it appears to head across a newly-formed lake ...
Caldecote FP 9 (see Rights of Way in Caldecote Parish). This is a dead-end path to the east of Caldecote, heading north to an area of woodland from the Harcamlow/Wimpole Way long-distance paths. The first half was runnable (if muddy after rain), but became blocked by a brand-new ditch at TL35905867 that had been cut for a housing development. The ditch was deep and steep-sided, with no obvious alternative route around it. I ran this again in the autumn of 2021, and dicovered the builders had created a bridge over the ditch, allowing access to the rest of the footpath.
Swavesey FP 13 (see Rights of Way in Swavesey Parish). This dead-end path heads for a short distance across a field; there was no obvious way into the field of crops, and no marker. Perhaps one to try once the field crops have been cut down, and the vegetation on the verge allows easier access into the field.)
Potton (TL21735034 to TL22295008). As far as I can tell, the western end of this footpath has been totally obliterated by an extension to the sandpit to the north. The local online maps show this as FP12, and it appears to have been diverted north at it western end to meet up with BW13
Potton (TL23574942 to TL24604977). There was no trace of this footpath on the ground, although it is marked on the OS maps. A far better (although longer) alternative is available on FP3. On local maps, this is ahown as FPA3 (the path I followed is FP3). There is no way through the hedge or across the ditch at the two places FP A3 crosses FP3.
Royston (TL340240700 to TL34204061) . I ran the footpath from TL33344103, across a field to the A505, then across a smalle field to the railway line, and across the line. However the southern side of the footpath is blocked by the building works for the Hedera Gardens estate. Hopefully when this is completed it will be possible to continue the short distance to the Baldock Road.
Guilden Morden FP 44 (see Rights of Way in Guilden Morden Parish). The route led from a house into a back garden, and out once more, but the route to the farm and BW17 were not obvious. Only a short sistance (?100 metres?) missed.
Offord Cluny and Offord Darcy FP 11 (see Rights of Way in Offord Cluny and Offord D'Arcy Parish). This 0.8-mile long footpath heads north from the parish's southern boundary, roughly paralleling the railway line. I'd love to run this, but there appears to be no public right-of-way that can be used to reach it - it is totally cut off from roads and other footpaths.
Hemingford Abbots FP 1: (See Rights of Way in Hemingford Abbots Parish). This heads south towards the old A14, although apparently not onto it. It is runnable a certain way south, but there is no footbridge over the Longmarsh Brook - a steep-sided ditch - and a farmer was ploughing the field beyond, so I chickened out.
The future
I will not be running every day in 2022: my body needs to rest! However, I think I can finish off the main area of runs. After that, I have other plans ...