Running in Madrid

Last week I was in Madrid with work, and what a hectic time to be there - as 1.5 million pilgrims descended on the city to see the Pope as he visited Spain. There were nuns, priests and pilgrims everywhere, and to say it was surreal would be something of an understatement, particularly when I found myself in the middle of a Catholic fiesta that was as big (and loud) as any festival I've been to.

I was staying really close to Jardines del Buen Retiro - a large park in the city centre, so once the sun had sunk a little I joined hundreds of other runners and made my way around the edge of the park.

On my run I wore: sports bra, vest, shorts and iD trainers all by Nike

I should have realised the scale of the park by paying a bit more attention to this

It turned out that the park is rather larger than I'd anticipated, and by half way I could really feel it - especially as it was sooooo hot

Views like this made the journey a little more bearable though!

There were a lot of Madrid Marathon t-shirts on display (but I couldn't get a steady shot of any) Anyway, it got me thinking that maybe it might be quite a nice marathon to run. Then I thought better of it!

And couldn't help but wish I was sitting here rather than running past it

Scenes like this made me feel like I could be in the gardens of Versailles

It's such an amazing space - with manicured gardens, ponds, secret seats and so many people to see. I love that it seemed as though everyone was there just enjoying their evening - be it on rollerskates, whilst walking the dog or lifting weights

If you're in Madrid then I definitely recommend checking out the lovely Jardines del Buen Retiro, and after your run I think your totally justified in admired the setting sun with a self-congratulatory glass of wine.

Thanks Madrid!

I stayed at the Hotel Hospes - so close to the park, it's perfect for runners.

Hospes Madrid

Plaza de la Independencia 3  

28001 Madrid

Spain
Te: +34 914 32 29 11

www.hospes.com