evergreen runner wrote:
I will be taking a two week trip that goes through Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Ranakpur, and Udaipur.
I have heard that finding places to run in India is difficult and that there are a lot of stray dogs. Does anyone know the areas I listed and can you give me an idea of what kind of running I might be able to do? Are there any expanses of non-densly populated urban landscape that I can run on in these areas? And what about dogs, thugs, police, etc?
I lived in India for a while and traveled to some of those locations. There are some good rural roads outside of Jodhpur as you go north out of the city, behind Mehrangarh Fort. Mostly camel carts and there are some small lakes to connect the roads. Be warned, it is really confusing to get through all the streets in Jodhpur to get outside the city.
Jaipur I found a bit tougher as it is pretty packed, and a bit tougher, but I ran in Central Park there (small park, so plan on laps).
Varanasi is a nightmare for running. I suspect there are better places than where I ran, but good luck. Try the forest across the river from the city.
Delhi has parks and you could try to run around (not in) the Red Fort. Behind the Red Fort there is Golden Jubilee Park. I didn't run there, but it looks promising if you can cross the busy roads. Delhi also has some good sports groups who might do runs.
Dogs: yep, lots of them. I was chased a few times, but for the most part they left me alone. Got chased more by wild pigs than dogs. Thugs: yep, just like in the US. Don't be an idiot when choosing your route but it's not like thugs are hiding on forest trails just waiting for you. Police: never had an issue. Cars: THEY WILL NOT STOP FOR YOU. EVER. They also drive wherever they want, "sidewalks" included. This is your absolute greatest enemy. Monkeys: They will follow you and will not be scared of you.
My overall suggestion: embrace the beautiful madness. You're not there to run on a treadmill. Plus, good luck finding a treadmill anyway.