new York runners, is there anything wrong with running clockwise around the main central park road on the weekends? Most people seem to go counter clockwise but I really want to do a lap going each direction.
new York runners, is there anything wrong with running clockwise around the main central park road on the weekends? Most people seem to go counter clockwise but I really want to do a lap going each direction.
Assuming you mean clockwise as viewed from above--that's actually the *legal* direction to run in CP! You'll notice signs that indicate runners/walkers are supposed to go clockwise and bicyclists are supposed to go counterclockwise.
So no, there's nothing wrong with running clockwise! Running counterclockwise is actually a violation (and dangerous, because vehicular traffic is going the same direction).
I do a few training runs there every season and I always run clockwise, but this puts me in the minority. I used to wonder if other runners resented me, but then I noticed that the signs indicate that clockwise is the right direction for runners and other pedestrians.
I'm not sure why 95% of the runners are running the wrong way. NYRR races almost always run the park counterclockwise, with the exception of the More Full/Half Marathon (which I run, which is why I train clockwise).
Plenty of people run clockwise but you're making life tough for yourself if you attempt this in primetime hours. Very tough if you have a training partner since you'll both be avoiding people.
I read a study once that said that almost everyone who enters a department store immediately turns right. Maybe this is the same phenomenon. Most people instinctually turn right when they enter a location.Personally, I enter the park and turn left on the bridal path to avoid all you suckers.
Pfitzinger Pfan wrote:
I'm not sure why 95% of the runners are running the wrong way. NYRR races almost always run the park counterclockwise, with the exception of the More Full/Half Marathon (which I run, which is why I train clockwise).
my playground wrote:
Personally, I enter the park and turn left on the bridal path to avoid all you suckers.
Umm, it's the *bridle* path. Granted, there aren't horses there any more, but it was named for them, not for women getting married.
which is the bridle path? i saw plenty horses this morning on the road inside the park. I ended up going counter clockwise to make life easier and I got to pass all the non-road bikers (and some roadees) on the uphills.
The easiest place to pick up the bridle path is the Reservoir. The bridle path is the circular path below the reservoir. It extends north to 102nd and along the west side to nearly the bottom of the park.