Running is a great way to stay healthy and fit. It doesn’t require an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment–just some sneakers and a little motivation.
Jogging through the city can be frustrating when you have to deal with busy sidewalks, crazy drivers, and of course when you have to pause at every intersection to wait for the crosswalk light to change. Here are my top three favorite jogging routes:
1. Charles River
This is a popular route for joggers, so you’ll see plenty of fellow runners if you follow this path. From the Residence campus, simply run straight down Park Drive towards BU, turn right on to St Mary’s St. to cross the bridge, get across Commonwealth Ave and go through the chapel area, then cross a second bridge to get to the running path (the official name is the Dr. Paul White Dudley Bike Path). Then you just need to keep jogging until you come to the River Street Bridge, cross over to Cambridge, and keep following the river until you get to the bridge at MIT (Massachusetts Ave). Eventually you’ll find yourself back at the bridge you crossed to get on to the bike path, and then it’s just a short distance back to Simmons!
I like this route because it provides great views of the Charles River, it’s simple to follow, and there’s always other people around. It takes me just over an hour to run the whole loop, and the total distance is about 6 miles.
2. Jamaica Pond
The route to Jamaica Pond starts in the Longwood park behind Simmons’s residence campus and finishes at the beautiful pond. You just have to run along the grassy area in between the two sides of the road and after about 2.5 miles you’ll find yourself at the water. You’ll probably even see a swan or two! I like this route because there’s a lot of variety in the scenery, and the pond is gorgeous (especially on a sunny day). The neighborhood around the pond is beautiful too, so go exploring if you’re not too exhausted from running! I’ve finished the whole loop in under an hour, so it’s between 5-6 miles total.
3. Back Bay Fens/Muddy River
If you’re looking for a quick jog, this is the route for you. You simply run a loop around the Fens park, which is right outside the MCB. You can choose to make this route shorter or longer, because you can cut through the park to finish early or you could push yourself to run multiple laps around the whole park. It takes me 20 minutes or so to complete one lap, about 2 miles. If you need a rest, check out the rose garden near the athletic field, or stop at the bridge near Charlesgate and Boylston to get a view of the Muddy River. Just be sure to watch out for the geese!