Running in City Parks with author Christopher Beanland

London-based journalist, author, and marathon runner, Christopher Beanland speaks to me about the occasionally illegal joys of running in urban areas and the green spaces within them.

Welcome to Running Sucks, a running blog where I talk to interesting people in the running world to find out how to make running suck less.

City Parks is the latest book from British author and London Marathon veteran, Chris Beanland. Over 80% of Americans live in a city and parks are an essential green break from the concrete-and-asphalt monotony in which most of us live. Taking in 50 parks around the world, the book discusses these urban havens in glorious, technicolor detail.

(l-r) The man, the myth, Christopher Beanland; the cover of City Parks; his podcast, Park Date is the origin story for the book, and a great listen - check it out.

As someone who primarily runs on city roads and is also fond of being surrounded by greenery, I thought Chris would be an interesting interviewee.

What’s your favorite park to run in, Chris?

“Hampstead Heath is my number one park to run in - from my house in Camden to Parliament Hill and around the edge. I think the wildness is very appealing. On the bac…