The Looking Glass World

I am trying to finalise my marathon route at the moment, and spent a considerable amount of time last weekend up on Wimbledon Common, familiarising myself with the paths. I am conscious of the fact that I have to devise a route that others can easily follow too. And the Common is not as easy to navigate as it would seem. I armed myself with a satellite view map, with the paths I wanted to explore marked on it, and set off. I went to the corner which is nearest Richmond Park, checked the orientation and took the path which would lead to the southern end of the Common. I emerged from the woods onto a golf fairway, crossed that, passed by some trees and over another fairway and back into woods again. A few hundred meters later I came out the other side to find myself at the windmill, slap in the middle of the Common. WHAT? How on earth could I be here? I was about half a mile away from where I ought to be! I couldn't believe it. Try again. I took the main path, straight as a ruler right through the centre of the Common. Followed a path round the southern reaches by Wimbledon Village, where the smart set walk their dogs. Back towards the centre then turned right to head to the western edge where Parkside Avenue sharply divides the wilderness from the suburb. Then to my bafflement, I saw the windmill dead ahead again. It shouldn't be there! It should be on my left and behind me. This was like Alice Through The Looking Glass, where whenever she runs away from the house she comes straight back to it.
Anyway, anyone interested in attempting my route should be assured that I found the right way eventually.
I also found that it is quite possible to link from Wimbledon Common to Putney Heath, via Tibbets Corner. I went and explored it on my second run of the weekend. I had never been there before. It would be nice If it could be included in the route as well, but seems a bit lacking in obvious landmarks to guide people by. If any reader knows this area well and can suggest a short route starting and finishing at Tibbets Corner, that would stay off roads as much as possible, I am keen to receive suggestions. Please leave a reply to this posting.

Why did you call it that? A marathon must be 26.2 miles!

If you ask what is the world's largest marathon, most people (at the time of writing) would answer New York (these things can change). Tokyo, Berlin and London are pretty big too. Well this is the opposite of that. When I run it, it will probably just be myself and a friend running the whole distance. (Others have said they may like to join us for some of the way, for support). This is designed to be able to be run by someone on their own, not for glory, just personal satisfaction.

South West London Green Spaces Marathon

This site has been created to document my attempts to design a marathon route and run it. The idea is that the route should include as many of the green spaces of south west London as possible.
I enjoy running for the health benefits and its own sake. I am a slow runner and do not usually enter races, preferring the sociable side of running with others in my running club and the chance it gives me to get out in my local parks.
South west London is particularly blessed with an abundance of green spaces, notably Richmond Park, Wimbledon Common, Bushy Park and Home Park, and it occurred to me that I should be able to link them up with a route that involved as little road running as possible. Many of my club-mates have run the London Marathon, but it is notoriously hard to get in to, so I have decided to create an alternative marathon which anyone like me can have a go at. It's not a race, there is no entry fee, no form to fill in, just a challenge to set yourself and do. It is just a feasible circular route, designed with water points, car parks and safe road crossings in mind. You can start where you like on the route, and if you have any supporters, they can rendezvous at a variety of places.
Maybe this will also inspire others to design their own marathon routes in other parts of the country (or the world).