– a memorable experience
Author: Randy Chafy
(Editor: Harold P) (Note: cover image generated by AI!)
A few months ago, Ifi and I explored where to go for our 25th wedding anniversary. It’s a big number, so we wanted to go someplace new and nice. For years, we had planned to celebrate this anniversary in Newfoundland – someplace we’ve never been, although we have been to the Maritimes. But when the time came to make reservations at a nice hotel, nothing really jumped out as special enough for our 25th. I also wanted to go big on this one, and worry about the costs after the trip. One destination that fit the bill was Bermuda; we’ve never been there or anywhere in the Caribbean, and for a flying weeny (such as myself), the 1:44 flight time from NYC was very do-able.
So, we set our sets on this subtropical island, where anniversary celebrants were as common as the people setting to left, to the right, and behind you at the restaurant. The sun, the beaches, the island colors, the quaint towns, the novelty of it all – a paradise in so many ways. But would it be a running paradise? We were hopeful. In the end, I managed to squeeze five runs into our nine nights away from home, including four in Bermuda. Read on for our experiences….
Run #1: In NYC’s Central Park
Before flying to Bermuda, we took the train from Syracuse to New York’s Penn Station. It was my first trip to the Big Apple. On our second day there, after seeing lots of sites on day 1 (Ifi really packed in the walking time there), we set out for a run in Central Park. Unfortunately, it was stinking hot – 29C with a humidex of 40. By the time we did the 1.5 mile (2 km) jog to the park, I was already overheating. We both managed to finish the semi-hilly 6 mile (10 km) loop and the jog back through the city to our hotel, but slower than anticipated. Running in Central Park was pretty good, with tons of runners and walkers; with all the people, it felt a bit like being in a race.
Although it was hot, I couldn’t figure out why I felt super-hot during the whole workout. Later, I remembered that I had applied some sunscreen before my run. But, without thinking, I went ahead and used the only sunscreen Ifi had packed – a zinc-based mineral sunscreen. I rarely use that, and this particular product was goopy and seemed like applying a thin layer of plastic over my skin. It didn’t even wash off easily after the run. It certainly worked well in terms of not getting a sunburn, but I also think it affected my heat tolerance. Note to self: no more mineral sunscreens on hot-day runs!
Run #2: In Hamilton, Bermuda
Before we left Ottawa, Ifi and I researched running routes in Bermuda. There was not a lot of information online, but a few routes were recommended. Our hotel was located at the edge of Hamilton, and one of the recommended routes involved running through the town. We arrived too late on our first day to do a proper run, so we strolled along the quiet main street on a lazy Monday evening. It was the perfect start to our adventure.
So, on our first full day in sunny Bermuda, Ifi and I headed out for an “easy” 5 mile (8 km) out-and-back run. It seemed like a good, low-key way to see the main drag and some of the main streets. The first thing we noticed was the traffic – hmmm, there was almost no traffic the night before, but it appeared there was a thriving morning rush-hour in Hamilton. Perplexing to us, because it’s listed as having a population of 854 (in 2016, more recent information seems unavailable).
We quickly realized several things about Hamilton:
- Road signs were rare, very low, and virtually non-existent off the main street (Front Street).
- Sidewalks, where they existed, were usually on only one side of the road (outside of the downtown shopping area) and quickly disappeared for a stretch, only to reappear, sometimes on the other side of the road.
- Running or even walking on non-sidewalked roads was treacherous. Most roads are very narrow, often with low stone walls and no shoulder, and drivers (cars, scooters, buses) could be aggressive. The national speed limit of 20 mph/35 kmh was laughable; I noticed our cab driver was going 70 km/h at one point.
- Crosswalks, where they existed, were confusing to us. The crossing lights were weird, and it sometimes appeared that we should be crossing when the sign was red.
- Quickly crossing roads in a left-hand driving country proved challenging for us. No matter how many times we told ourselves “look to the right,” inevitably, we’d start to look left. Not good. Ifi and I both almost got hit on our initial run (no, really), despite trying to be extra-careful.
- Directions from locals were vague. Not sure if it was just a Bermudian thing, but we’d get general answers like “go to the flagpole,” “that way,” or even “that road isn’t in this town” (it was).
We eventually managed to pick our way through the town, stopping a lot, sprinting through intersections, and asking directions. After running up a large hill, we could see water again – having run from one side of the island to the other in less than 2.5 miles (4 km). At that point, we decided we’d had enough and turned back to the hotel, cutting our run a bit short, but it was the safest option.
Run #3: At the Arboretum
Unfortunately for Ifi, the large hill in our Hamilton run took its toll on her previously injured quad. She reinjured it the next day walking to the top of a lighthouse. Her running days in Bermuda were over; swimming would have to do.
The next day, a stroke of luck – at the hotel pool, we crossed paths with a local Bermudian who also happened to be a runner. She recommended that I head to the Arboretum to do a hilly loop on the pathway – “where all the serious runners go.”
So, I mapped out my route to the Arboretum with hopes of a good workout. It was a bit hotter that day, with a humidex of around 40. I planned to jog the first 1.25 miles (2 km) to the Arboretum and run the hills at a faster pace. I left the Front Street main road after about a mile, then had to go up a laneway with no sidewalks and buzzing vehicles to get to the road to the Arboretum. Once there, I jogged along the small sidewalk as the vehicles buzzed by every second or so. And buzz they did, because a high percentage of vehicles are two-cycle scooters, which can be noisy and billow out smoke. One of our taxi drivers lamented the driving habits of the scooter people, who regularly pass down the middle between vehicles: “most of the time they make it!”
Bermuda may have a small population, but there are also only a few significant roads, so those roads are heavily travelled. At one point on my jog, the sidewalk just ended at a narrow bridge – something I would come to see throughout the island. A high concrete wall effectively obscured traffic from seeing any pedestrian. I stopped at the barrier, popped my head out every few seconds and waited for a few second break in traffic, just to enter the bridge without getting whacked. Once there, with vehicles missing me by what felt like inches, I could see the sidewalk started up again on the other side of the road! So much for us crazy-ass pedestrians thinking we could use our legs to get around safely.
Finally, after asking for directions a couple more times, I happened upon the gated-up and unidentified Arboretum. Once I figured out how to enter the park, I had some trouble finding the pathways. Yes, there were pathways, but not what I expected – instead of being paved, they were a combination of grass, narrowly worn grass, single lane dirt, and wide dirt/rock paths. I tentatively started by running the outermost loop of the park, which took me through beautiful jungle-like greenery, but also a very rugged trail of rocks, tree roots, and extreme inclines. I just couldn’t run it safely at any speed, so I abandoned that idea after one loop. For subsequent loops, I managed to find to a somewhat more passable trail. I still had to be careful, but I managed to get through 4 x 1 km in the severe heat.
I also had some company in the Arboretum. Only one runner (a guy doing windsprints up a grassy hill, impressively wearing track pants and a jacket) was there, but I had the company of many chickens and their chicks. Feral chickens are a big problem in Bermuda, to the point were the government encourages them to be killed. They are very tame, with no predators, and so I accidentally grazed one with my foot while running the path. At another point, a mother hen and about ten chicks crossed right in front of me. Chickens were everywhere, on the trails and in populated tourist areas.
And there were other visitors – Bermuda, although it has a high GDP and is fairly wealthy, has some issues with public drunkenness (and probably drug abuse). We witnessed this in the town a few times, although nobody was the slightest bit threatening to us. But it was sad to see an adolescent openly drinking and another man shouting unintelligible comments at the Arboretum. Still, Bermuda felt quite safe overall; I felt no qualms about heading out for my runs to unknown places.
Run #4: On the southern Railway Trail
This was the main run that I was looking forward to. Bermuda had a railroad that closed in 1948, and the remnants of the rail line were converted to a natural trail. I planned to do 10 miles (16 km) in the heat that day – maybe 38 C or so humidex.
To get to the trail, I needed to take a different route out of town, crossing two roundabouts on the way. When I got to the first roundabout, I noticed two things: the sidewalk changed sides (again), and there were no crosswalks! That’s not a problem for light traffic, but this was heavy traffic. I came to a complete stop and wasn’t sure how or where to cross this thing; it was a challenge! After getting through that, I was happily on a sidewalk again, until I came upon a group of men blocking the sidewalk with vehicles and large coolers of fish. They were (illegally?) selling fish from the side of the road. So, I looked right (correctly this time), stepped gingerly onto the road, and made my way around the impromptu shopping location.
Having navigated my way through the fish, the next roundabout, and crossing the busy road onto the trail, I finally was on my way. The trail had some similarities to the Arboretum. Virtually none of it was paved, except sections where I had to run on the roadway. The trail was, in fact, not continuous, but rather a bunch of trails that crossed roads, sometimes with signaled crosswalks, usually not, or became roads or small parking lots, only to pick up the trail again. Much of the trail was rugged, with uneven rocks, and was surprisingly hilly, but overall was a more runnable than the Arboretum. Still, I had to pay attention to my foot-plant more than I wanted to; it didn’t seem like an even enough base for a railway, so I’m not sure how they managed that back in the 1930s and 40s.
The biggest challenge I had on this run was the crosswalks, which were frequent, in some cases every few meters. All of these crossing points had big gates, like the kind used to prevent vehicles from driving on a path, with a small opening for pedestrians. Unfortunately, the pedestrian openings also had a horizontal bar a foot or two off the ground; it was just high enough and the terrain was uneven enough, to force me to walk through them rather than jump over. I’m guessing I crossed a couple dozen or so of those bars during my run. And dodged a few chickens as well.
Other than the bars and the occasionally busy crosswalk, the trail was runnable, and I got to see a few other runners (no cyclists) and walkers. But it was pretty one-dimensional in terms of scenery, with some lush greenery but no views or water. Supposedly, the trail did eventually did hit water, but not during my run. At times, the trail got dark, either from the lush overhead foliage or tunnels. One tunnel was so dark that I had to slow to a walk to get through it without tripping on the rocks. The biggest plus was the shade, which made for a more do-able workout in the Bermudian heat. Even still, I ran 30 seconds per mile slower than normal for the effort level.
Run #5: On Front Street
On our last day, I went for a short 2.5-mile (4 km) run along the main street. It was my most successful run. By that point (our sixth day on the island), I was getting the hang of the crosswalks and the traffic. And I was able to run at a much faster pace, but only because I stayed on the water-facing side of the main road. Still, I had to weave in and out of walkers – a heavily travelled strip. Had I tried to run even 5 km, I would have had to come to a complete stop at the roundabout.
Final thoughts
Runners planning on a trip to Bermuda should strongly consider doing their runs on the hotel treadmill and limiting outdoor running to very limited locations (such as the railway trail). Running in the town could be both frustrating and dangerous. Leaving town was even worse, because of areas with no sidewalks. Even walking on non-sidewalked roads was crazy; Ifi and I tried to take a short walk and a gave up after about 200 meters.
Cycling seemed even worse. We saw exactly three cyclists during our entire trip – all seemed to be hardened, grizzled veterans riding about the same speed as the traffic. We saw no recreational cyclists or kids on bikes.
But surely, there must be good running areas somewhere on the island? Maybe. The aforementioned Bermudian runner mentioned the “Devonshire” area. We found it on the map, but couldn’t identify any clear trails or good running areas. We travelled all over the island (by taxi, ferry, and bus), and didn’t see anything better than what we encountered in and around Hamilton. The north shore Railway Trail looked promising in parts, some of it runs along the water, but it also looked more exposed to the sun. I suspect that running anywhere in Bermuda would be similar to what we encountered. The island just doesn’t have the infrastructure to support runners, cyclists, or even walkers.
It’s a beautiful island (well, series of islands), but the biggest downside to running in Bermuda was the need to be constantly aware and vigilant of my surroundings. Whether I was running on a busy road, navigating confusing crosswalks, avoiding walkers or chickens, or just trying not to trip on a rugged trail, there was no relaxation on any of my runs. There was rarely a time when I could just run. I can’t imagine marathon training in Bermuda! That said, Ifi and I loved the island, and would love to go back and would recommend it to anyone.
It was a paradise in so many ways. But a running paradise? Not so much.
Run K2J 