Routes from downtown Montreal

[Joe Dwarf]

I'm off to Montreal for a week, staying first at the Novotel and then switching to the Sheraton. Any suggestions for where to run? Downtown didn't seem all that run-friendly last I was there, can I take the metro somewhere better?

[ian]

If you have the time & fitness to do something a bit longer, a run up the mountain is a must-do for an out-of-towner. If I recall, the best entrance is on the northeast side (Parc), probably about 10 minutes of sidewalk running from most downtown locations. From there, you'll have a wide shady shale multiuse road winding uphill (but not too steep to run). There's a lovely park about halfway up, and near the top is a chalet with a ridiculous view over downtown. I'd budget almost 2 hours to get back to your hotel, which includes a break at the top and doesn't assume anything faster than a relaxed jog. According to my running log, it was about a 16K round trip to do this starting from the other side of the mountain (UdM), and which also included an extra loop of the road which runs past the chalet around the top.

[bruyere]

Ian covered Mont Royal... I second the recommendation. The road is actually an old tramway, so it really is not steep. If you're feeling a smidge more adventurous, pop into some of the smaller trails you see along the way. Some very pretty spots.

Another great option is to head to the water. There's a bike path from Old Montreal, along the Lachine Canal, right on out to Parc Rene levesque (sorry, too lazy for accents on my laptop right now) in the west. Lots of people, a bit of history, new development, some art in the park, pretty... Check it out on Google Maps.

You could also take the Metro to Parc Ile Ste-Helene and run around there... neat views of the city... old Expo Pavilions, etc.

Parc Lafontaine is also quite lovely, and you can run in the surrounding 'hood a bit, too.

For a shorter run around lovely tree-lined streets, and an option to end at a bagel cafe, my old 'hood of Notre Dame de Grace is a great one. Take the metro to Villa-Maria. Get off, and head down Monkland. Meander around the side streets and a few parks, and on your way back, stop in at St. Viateur bagel cafe on Monkland before heading back to the Metro.

Alternatively, for a much hillier and challenging run around some mansions, from Villa Maria, go north on Decarie, and then right up Cote-St-Luc (say hi to my old apartment building on your left). Take your first left, and then a right, and explore. Look at a map and plan to get all the way up to Summit Circle. A tough one, but a good one! Beautiful homes, views, and a park to top it all of!

Hope that helps!

[Dr. S]

Check this thread for other ideas: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47367&p=1442096&hilit=running+montreal#p1442096

I would actually avoid Parc Lafontaine right now as there are lots of road blocks and closure right now. It's à nightmare at rush hour times.

[Joe Dwarf]

Had a lovely time getting lost on Mount Royal today. Took Peel, had to walk some as it was too steep for this out of shape flatlander. Somehow ended up in the residential section, then the Shriners Hospital, then took a little trail straight up and finally found the road Ian was talking about. Ran to the Chalet and looked around, then all the way back down the main trail which ended up at the McGill sports centre. That's where we've been having Kendo nationals these last few days so no trouble finding the hotel from there. 11.7 km on my watch. Hot!