Any big city in developing countries during the heat and humidity of the summer creates serious challenges. Generally, the streets and roads are like the wild west and there are normally no emission standards so the air quality is not good either.
I can think of several I have experienced, but Vientiane, Laos (capital) in June was up there. Brutal.
Chicago, on the lakefront trail. Not the city's fault, though. I slipped on some ice in the dark and broke my arm nearly in two. Imagine trying to get back to the hotel or flag down someone on the Chicago lakefront trail at 5:00am with a bone sticking out of your arm. This was pre mobile phone.
Detroit in the middle of winter, when my professional schedule went from breakfast to after dinner, so the only time I could possibly run was very early in the morning. It was totally dark, below freezing, snow on the ground, and heavy vehicle traffic on the streets outside my downtown hotel. I ended up doing 100 laps of a tiny "track" on the roof of the hotel. Boring as heck but safe.
New Orleans kind of sucked. No runner specific routes or trails available early AM. There is a remote bike path that is at least lighted all night. Staying at a hotel in downtown New Orleans, when I start running at 4:30 or 5am there are lots of homeless and drug addicts active on the corners talking to themselves.
I don’t think they’re used to seeing runners. I concealed carry a firearm during these runs to be safe.
I have run in many major US and international cities. The worst by far was a fairly recent jaunt in Alexander, Egypt. The worst shi*hole I have ever seen, probably because I was right in the heart of the ghetto. All eyes were on me, maybe because they couldn’t believe what I was doing in their city!
The most unpleasant- was running near the Indianapolis airport on a hot July afternoon.
It was very hot and humid. There was no pedestrian or bicycle infrastructure. No grass or trees. Lots of windy freeway type roads, with no exits and high fences, and lots of rude monsters trucksters.
The most difficult was rush hour in Paris. There were just too many pedestrians, cars, traffic lights and e bikes.
My experiences running in developing world cities has been better.
Any big city in developing countries during the heat and humidity of the summer creates serious challenges. Generally, the streets and roads are like the wild west and there are normally no emission standards so the air quality is not good either.
I can think of several I have experienced, but Vientiane, Laos (capital) in June was up there. Brutal.
Cycling world's this year will be in Kigali, of all places.
Kansas Freaking City. Nothing but broken concrete and homeless toilets. (Note: There might be some nice outlying areas, but I was downtown and covered a lot of miles and never found a decent run.)
I have run in many major US and international cities. The worst by far was a fairly recent jaunt in Alexander, Egypt. The worst shi*hole I have ever seen, probably because I was right in the heart of the ghetto. All eyes were on me, maybe because they couldn’t believe what I was doing in their city!
I had a similar experience in Yerington, NV.
It is rather clean, but very small.
I got the impression that eveyone wondered what caused me to come to Yerington, let alone run there.
Any big city in developing countries during the heat and humidity of the summer creates serious challenges. Generally, the streets and roads are like the wild west and there are normally no emission standards so the air quality is not good either.
I can think of several I have experienced, but Vientiane, Laos (capital) in June was up there. Brutal.
Cycling world's this year will be in Kigali, of all places.
I did not enjoy Elkins, WV. I was working and living at a state park in the summer and it was the closest "city". Downtown and the university are nice, but if you're going more than 3 miles or so, you quickly get out into the country where its total hickville. Occasional dogs would come from yards without fences to try to attack me or prevent my passage. The summer I was there, the highway I ran along was littered with mountain dew cans. I guess some guy threw them out his window on the way to work or something and had been doing so for months. I only ran there a handful of times before finding a forest road that was a bit less crazy.