Edinburgh & the Lothians

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According to Robert Louis Stevenson, "Edinburgh is what Paris ought to be". Emotive words from one of the Capital's favourite sons. But heading east, it is not just Edinburgh that boasts stunning scenery and a real sense of Scottish history - the towns and countryside of East, West and Midlothian all have their own unique landscapes - from the coast to the Pentlands, pretty much every type of terrain is covered!

Running is popular in Edinburgh, indeed the city is host to a great many of Scotland's big events. Biggest of all is the Edinburgh Marathon Festival of Running, which is held in May and now includes a fun run, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, full Marathon and Hairy Haggis Team Relay! Phew, that's one hell of an event!

Other notable races in Edinburgh include the Edinburgh Half Marathon, as well as Bupa's two events: the Great Scottish Run and Great Winter Run - not to mention the more unusual events such as the Men's Health Survival of the Fittest and Urbanathlon.
Inhabitants of Edinburgh, particularly those who enjoy running are a lucky bunch! Considering Edinburgh's position as 'number one' city in Scotland, it is certainly not your typical capital! For a start it has more of a 'town feel' with quiet, quaint streets a real pleasure to meander your way around on a steady training run. Add to this the sheer amount of green space both in and around the city centre and you have a recipe for some great urban running!

Moving away from the city and towards the surrounding areas, these historic counties boast coast and countryside. Runners living in and around these areas are well placed to enjoy beach runs, country trail runs, parkland trails around the grounds of numerous stately homes or indeed a heady hill run up the Pentlands!

The Lothians have their fair share of some decent races - not allowing Edinburgh to take all the credit for all the top racing events on the east coast! There are plenty of 10Ks and 10 Milers as well as numerous trail and hill events that make the most of the contrasting landscapes on offer.

It would seem that those running in the east really do have it all - fab scenery, great events and a real mixture of terrains, meaning that no run is a boring one...

Have a look through the sections below to find out more about the running community in the area!

Poll - Where Do You Run

We want to find out where you do most of your running.