4 pedestrian-friendly picks with interval workouts to match
When New Yorker and eight-time marathoner Darcy Budworth, 36, organized her first race across the city’s Queensboro Bridge in 2015, she didn’t anticipate that the unsanctioned event would evolve into the full-fledged series it is today: Take the Bridge.
Budworth has since organized two dozen races around the world. They’re not your typical one-milers or 5Ks. Instead, each starts on one side of a bridge and ends on the other, with distances ranging from 1.2 miles (for the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City) to 4.4 miles (for which runners crossed two bridges in Portland, Oregon). Eager runners have flocked to those cities as well as Chicago, Austin, London, and beyond to participate in the races, which often sell out within minutes.
Sure, the views are alluring. But with their inclines, bridges also double as the perfect terrain for interval and speed work, says Diana Katsikaris, a Precision Run coach at Equinox Chestnut Hill in Boston. This makes them a great addition to any fitness program, whether you’re training for a race or trying to build muscle power.
Below, Budworth shares her favorite locations. To help you make the most of every bridge run, Katsikaris created specific interval workouts to match.
Williamsburg Bridge, New York City
Tilikum Crossing, Portland, Oregon
Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver
