I started long-distance running in 2020 and set out with a friend to complete the Six World Major Marathons. Over the last three and a half years, we ran the 2021 New York Marathon, 2022 Boston Marathon, 2022 Chicago Marathon, 2023 Berlin Marathon, and 2024 London Marathon. So, when I received lottery entry to run the 2025 Tokyo Marathon, I knew I couldn’t pass up the special opportunity to complete the final of the world major marathons. Over the last three months, I’ve been training with Ulster University Sports Service to prepare for the race. I’ve now run hundreds of miles all across Belfast (and Dublin), and I wanted to use this blog post to rank my favorite long run trails in Beal Feirste!
#1 Lagan Towpath through the Lagan Valley Area of Natural Outstanding Beauty
From my student accommodation on York Street, I run to the Lagan River, passing the Big Fish statue and then continuing along the riverside trail. I cross the Ormeau Road and pass Queen’s University then soon enter the part of the trail where the Belfast cityscape fades into wilderness. This is where the path becomes most beautiful, and I begin to run on auto-pilot, not having to worry about crossing traffic intersections or avoiding road construction. Depending on how long I’m looking to run, I’ll usually turn back on this trail around the halfway point of my target mileage. The farthest I’ve ran along this trail is about 11 miles for my 21-mile training run, but I believe it continues on through Lisburn well beyond that point. Some highlights of the trail include seeing all of the ducks, magpies, swans, and swallows, plus a wild assortment of bird nests clustered in a few trees (pictured below).
#2 Upper Newtownards Road to Stormont Estate
This trail takes me along the Upper Newtownards Road through East Belfast until I arrive at Stormont Estate. From my student accommodation, I cross over the Lagan River and continue until I reach the Upper Newtownards Road. I pass a number of loyalist murals until I am mainly running in a residential area. When I get to the gates of Stormont Estate, this is where the most difficult stretch of the run commences as I proceed to run the mile-long steady uphill path to the front steps of the Parliamentary Buildings. The hardest part of the hill is the last ~400m where the incline drastically increases!
#3 Crumlin Road towards Cavehill and back down Antrim Road
This is a lovely trail, but the difficulty of running in North or West Belfast is how many traffic intersections you encounter plus the nearly consistent uphill/downhill running. Especially for long runs, I prefer mostly flat trails as it puts less stress on my knees and quads. Nonetheless, this is a beautiful run that offers great views of Cavehill. From my student accommodation, I run west until I connect with the Crumlin Road. I run along the Crumlin Road past Crumlin Road Gaol until I determine a good crossing point, either along Ballysillan Road or before, and then head northeast until I connect with the Antrim Road and then run back south towards city centre. My favorite detour along this trail is the path around the Waterworks along the Antrim Road. A bit elevated from the road, this short loop offers great views of Cavehill.
2025 Tokyo Marathon!
On the weekend of March 2nd, I flew to Tokyo and completed the 2025 Tokyo Marathon! Although the race day weather was a bit hot (it got close to 70 degrees towards the end of the race), it was an incredible experience finishing the race and receiving my Six Star Medal. It was also particularly special to represent Ulster University Sports Services on race day. Many thanks to Ruth and Poddy, trainers from UU Sports Services, for their support throughout training!
