A few weeks ago I tweeted that I was a huge fan of the new cycle superhighways that we have in London but maybe Boris should consider implementing running superhighways. Many a true word is tweeted in jest and I’m beginning to think my idea is more than necessary.

I’m a one world without borders kind of person and so the seperation of highways into spaces for cars, spaces for cyclists and spaces for pedestrians is against my natural urge. But this three-way division of space leaves no real place for the runner. Runners aren’t like walking pedestrians. We travel faster and (generally) in one direction as opposed to randomly stopping to look at shop windows or stepping to the side. And we don’t run along texting or reading a book. We’re also not a bike or a car.

As I was running home along the Thames tonight on a path with the river on one side and a busy road on the other I came to a group of pedestrians and so, as no bikes were coming at that point, ran in the cycle lane for a while. A minute later, three cyclists came past rining their bells and tutting at me for being in the cycle lane. Maybe they had a point. As a runner I don’t feel I belong with the pedestrians or the cyclists. SO maybe we need another lane?

Less than 100m later the cycle lane ended but the path continued. And the cyclists continued to cycle along the path: some chatting on their mobile phones and one cycling without using his hands. But I didn’t tut. Sooner or later, we have to live together without boundaries.