San Francisco: David Paul Ohmer (flickr)

I have long been a runner. I find running a great way to stay in shape while also giving me an opportunity to clear my mind and reduce stress. However, maintaining a running schedule while traveling can be very difficult. Especially if the majority of your travel is through cities. Some cities are quite runner friendly (Europe, the US, and Canada), but many others make it extremely difficult to find refuge as a runner. There isn’t a green area within 50 miles, many roads don’t have sidewalks, traffic doesn’t respect the pedestrian, sidewalks are overrun with people, air pollution is suffocating, etc. These are just a few of the problems facing runners in many global cities, and the problems are compounded by the fact that you are new in the city and don’t know how to get around.

Many times I have found myself running down crowded city streets, dodging traffic, sucking car exhaust, and getting myself lost as I was totally unfamiliar with the area as a runner. Luckily, however, like so many others the internet has found a way to resolve this problem.

There are a few new sites on the web where users can map and post their favorite international running routes. This way visitors to a new city looking for a place to run can just consult the website and pick out a run that matches their interests and skill level.

Obviously some routes are better than others, and some cities have better coverage than others, but if your looking for a place to run, these sites are a great place to start!

• Map My Run: Seems to be the largest database, though not by much. Lots of good run descriptions from destinations around the world.
• Run the Planet: Also features an interesting e-zine on the homepage regarding running and training abroad.
• Run.com: Sister site of Run the Planet, is still in beta, but has an attractive interface and seems to be growing quickly.

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