Stories from the run commute: Running downtown Edmonton

Murray Meads can speak about the perks of running to and from work. The Edmonton runner got back into running and fairly soon afterwards began to entertain the idea of using running as means to get to work rather than walking or driving. Now, on weekday mornings, he packs his backpack and gets into his running clothes without giving it a second thought.

“I had already been walking to and from work for a couple of years on a fairly consistent basis for the exercise,” he says. “Around that time I became re-involved in running.” That’s how it started. Run commuters each have their own way of organizing their week. For Meads, he’s running five days each week, to and from work, year-round, rain or shine.

Most runners can easily understand the convenience of run commuting. Run late to work one day or get stuck in traffic and runners are often thinking “I’d be there by now if I ran there.” Meads doesn’t have that problem.

The run every morning and evening is quite convenient. The route is 5K one way. He leaves his Edmonton home and runs this distance to his work downtown Edmonton at Alberta Justice. The way there follows a major artery but just before he gets there, he whips into the paths of MacEwan University around a recently added arena on campus. It’s a great way to avoid congestion from cars and cyclists.

The campus section of the run lasts for a kilometre before he arrives at work. Once there, the office is equipped with showers and lockers for the employees. In his locker Meads stashes away changes of clean clothes for upcoming work days. The runner has two backpacks: one for clothes and lunch and a smaller one on days he’s just bringing lunch.

Keeping this kind of running schedule has plenty of advantages. Meads also races — his favourite is the Banff-Jasper relay which he travels to with friends every year. Having races on the schedule means training has to happen but cluttered work weeks often get in the way for many runners. With run commuting, Meads’ schedule is so much easier.

“It let’s me sneak in an extra 50K a week,” he says. “When the weather is bad (like the first major snowfall of winter for example) I can beat the traffic. What would take over an hour to drive I can do in under 30 minutes.”