Busy main road (admittedly fairly wide) with unobstructed pavements on either side with a fairly smooth surface. Why would you choose to run in the road instead of the pavement? Just seems like you’re unnecessarily putting yourself in danger. At least they were running towards oncoming traffic!

Tarmac has more give than concrete.

Undulations on pavements (dropped Kerbs etc) are stressful on the joints for runnerists too

Up and down kerbs to trip on, uneven surface…basically the same reasons as why many experienced cyclists prefer the road to cycle lanes and paths.

Well he/she doesn’t pay road tax so yes I agree, should be hung drawn and possibly halved.

Run on the pavement if its reasonable quality

Running on the road if an acceptable alternative is available is usually done by runners who want to wind people up.

I’m not suggesting that people should never run in the road, just that in this situation the risk/benefit ratio seems pretty highly skewed towards risk. I’ve run on the pavement she was avoiding and it’s fine, pretty even all the way along. In contrast, it’s a busy road in a built up area, so i don’t see why you’d choose to run there.

Up and down kerbs to trip on, uneven surface…basically the same reasons as why many experienced cyclists prefer the road to cycle lanes and paths.

Well I hope they never take up trail running then as they’ll be paralysed with fear at the sight of a root.

As a runner who sticks to the pavement, it’s fine: I don’t think I’ve ever tripped because of the pavement surface or feature and I agree people should not run on the road.

I appreciate there are circumstances where you have to, but the route should be planned to keep those to a minimum.

Probably too many cyclists on the pavement. Anyway, I agree the runner should be killed

Anyway, I agree the runner should be killed

Yep, my thoughts exactly, well done. /sarcasm

It is a bit daft. I used to run a lot and the only time you’d think about running on a road instead of a good pavement is if it’s really in horrnedous condition, or if you’re doing really intense intervals, but you would always find somewhere quieter to do the latter anyway to avoid distractions.

Maybe they don’t like having to stop every 20 yards or so to give way to traffic turning in/out of side streets?

I occasionally run on the road, but only if there’s no pavement and still find myself having to leap into the hedge when an oncoming car decides they’d rather not move out slightly.

Maybe they don’t like having to stop every 20 yards or so to give way to traffic turning in/out of side streets?

How would running on the road remove this. Cars will simply pull out anyway.

I don’t understand why you’d want a pancake flat surface unless you were racing on the track. I used to do a lot of trail running so a few undulations and kerbs wouldn’t bother me.

Running on a road isn’t flat.

Its cambered which means you’re running on a constant side slope which I find way more stressful on my knees than the odd kerb.

So I run down the middle…

Maybe they don’t like having to stop every 20 yards or so to give way to traffic turning in/out of side streets?
How would running on the road remove this. Cars will simply pull out anyway.

I would have thought junctions would be even more dangerous if you’re in the road. Again, having run on the same pavement I’m struggling to see why they would have chosen to run in the road instead – if they were really concerned about getting a pb/didn’t like the surface of the pavement then there is a big park literally on that road that they could go run in which would be much more pleasant (Heaton park, for those as know Manchester). Admittedly they could have been running home after being in the park, or they may have some very good reason for running in the road that I’m not aware of, but it just seems like too much risk for too little gain.

I should point out that they didn’t get in my way and they didn’t annoy me, I just saw them and wondered “why?”.

Runner has Rocky Balboa fantasies.

More of an issues, theres me at 1am the other night on a callout, cautiously walking down a 40mph dual carriageway in class 3 hivis (full trousers and legs) with a floodlight and constantly watching the traffic over my shoulder for drunken oiks ragging past, and what passes in the other direction, a jogger in full black head to toe, not even a Nike Swish’s worth of Scotchlite to be seen. Most cyclists wouldn’t dream of it (we’re not in a town centre) yet seems fairly common for joggers to go out in stealth mode.

(Granted, its normally streetlit but the reason I was there is the streetlights were being replaced and were off, and the guys digging the new holes hadn’t bothered tracking the existing cables and had hit the ducts)

Most cyclists wouldn’t dream of it

My experience is the opposite, roadies in stealth black (must be slimming) and runners fluro yellow/orange/pink etc. Hideous.

Running club around the corner from me are annoying. Go out in a group of 25 plus hogging the road and pavements, PITA

I find myself running on the roads on certain parts of my route mainly due to over hanging hedges which otherwise would have you doubled over. The pavements are uneven too which isn’t too bad when you can see them but in poor light catch you off guard and stumbling before you know it. Other areas it’s just the usual ignorant people parking so far on the paths that you have no choice but to go on the road. Empty bins left blocking the paths is also a pain to navigate especially as the owners tend to park on the path right next to them.
I don’t enjoy running on the road as despite being covered in reflective material drivers tend to pass as close as the can even though they have plenty of space to pass safely and the camber of the road isn’t great for my ankles.

Even roadies in black generally have some lights at night though.

If they live in Stretford, they’re probably fed up with all the dog **** on the pavements

How come those driving a lethal weapon reckon that they have full and exclusive rights to own the road. Surely they have responsibility to drive within their capabilities and the conditions in the road. Isn’t it reasonable to expect them to be concentrating and anticipating other road users.

In history other users pedestrians, horses etc would have preceded cars on the road. At what point did it become acceptable to blame the victim for getting in the way of the drivers
murder weapon.

Anyone who’s passed the runner from on the A6108 from Richmond to Grinton will know what the OP is trying to say , ‘how’ he’s still alive is beyond me .

How come those driving a lethal weapon reckon that they have full and exclusive rights to own the road. Surely they have responsibility to drive within their capabilities and the conditions in the road. Isn’t it reasonable to expect them to be concentrating and anticipating other road users.

In history other users pedestrians, horses etc would have preceded cars on the road. At what point did it become acceptable to blame the victim for getting in the way of the drivers
murder weapon.

A whole day? I’m surprised it took as long.

Fact is there are runners out there who have absolutely no sense of self preservation or, hence, regard for other road users and insist on running in the dark with absolutely no illumination or reflective gear on at all.

Therefore, as I’m driving along in my murder weapon on an unlit trunk road with blind bends, dips and narrow lanes that I’m concentrating on the last thing I need is some ninja dickhead suddenly appearing off my bumper that I then need to swerve to avoid, possibly putting myself and my passengers in danger.

Full and exclusive rights? Not so much, in case you missed the point this is a cyclists website. We all know fine and well that roads are not exclusive to motorised vehicles. But we are also (mostly) not so arrogant to think that just because we can use the roads it relieves us of courtesy to our peers (ie. other road users). High vis and such is for everyone elses safety as well as your own, if someone swerves to avoid you and ends up causing an accident then really that’s on your own head if you haven’t taken what would be regarded as fairly reasonable precautions.

If you have to run in the road, then highly reflective gear is essential. If you stick to pavements, then you can wear whatever you like.

I do it sometimes for a combination of: the undulations of the dropped kerbs are getting on my nerves*, wheelie bins, dog biscuits etc, if I feel I might get caught out by people reversing out of their driveways (because they stop and look before the road, not the pavement, obviously), or if it’s that hard sort of concrete slap surface.

That said, it would need to be a pretty quiet road. Any sort of volume of traffic would easily balance out any of the above.

*For the “better not go trail running then” brigade: It’s not the same thing at all, is it? It’s not engaging or part of the challenge, it’s just tedious and a bit annoying.
Similarly, while I enjoy riding my MTB over rough ground, I don’t really like stuff like that boardwalk bit made out of logs they have (or at least used to have) at Llandegla. It’s not difficult, it’s not fun, it’s just bumping over stuff and it adds nothing.

we have a regular runner here who goes out at night with no lights or hivis kit on a single track unlit road and runs down the wrong side. He whinges about my headtorch when I see him while I am out walking the dog and deliberately runs really close past me. I haven’t said anything to him as I don’t think I could manage to be civil, and really it is only his own stupid life that he is putting in danger. I reckon it is only a matter of time beofore somebody hits him.

Or swerves into a ditch to avoid him.

driving along on an unlit trunk road with blind bends, dips and narrow lanes…..
[A person] suddenly appearing off my bumper that I then need to swerve to avoid

Right.

Slow down, maybe?

There’s lots of rural roads with no pavements and, while you’d expect someone walking or running these to help by making themselves clearly visible, there’s no excuse for drivers speeding around blind bends unable to stop in the distance they can see to be clear. It could just as easily be a tractor, a wild animal or a tree.

How come those driving a lethal weapon reckon that they have full and exclusive rights to own the road.

These hands are a lethal weapon, baby

basically the same reasons as why many experienced cyclists prefer the road to cycle lanes and paths

How silly. If I choose a road over a cycle path it’s because the cycle path has junctions which impede my progress, or because there are potentially pedestrians in the way. Not because of unobstructed pavements on either side with a fairly smooth surface!

It’s a bugger when slower moving folk get in the way of progress, eh?

It’s a bugger when slower moving folk get in the way of progress, eh?

It certainly is – it’s also quite dangerous at times. One clever cycle path on my old commute was past a school. It was impossible to ride on being full of school kids ambling their was to school (also pretty pointless), so I used to go on the road.
Your sarcasm is nowhere near as smart as you think it is.

It’s a common objection of cycle path users. I can imagine runners have the same problem with slower moving pedestrians.

Have you read the OPs message? Which I also quoted? IT was unobstructed.
Again, not as smart as you think you are eh?

I can imagine runners have the same problem with slower moving pedestrians.

Its not speed its unpredictability

I like to run in the road when moving faster than the traffic, especially the final mile or so to work which is all up a significant hill. I also try to look happy and relaxed which just rubs it in for the drivers even more and increases my sense of smug self satisfaction.