For a few years I imagined a half marathon that follows the Thames Path in London crossing every bridge along the way. On a chilly day in November, with only minor route planning on Google Maps, I gave it a go.

The route starts at Westminster Bridge, heading east towards Tower Bridge. The rules are that every accessible bridge must be crossed and each side of the river covered. This means a zig-zagging route up to Tower Bridge, then the opposite zig-zag back to Westminster and onwards to Chelsea Bridge. This marks the final turn back eastwards, finishing at County Hall on the South side of Westminster Bridge.

My Garmin read 14.1 miles at the end, 1 mile over a true half. Staying tighter to the river would have carved off most of that extra mile. I made this first attempt on a busy Saturday afternoon, and the crowds around Tower Hill and County Hall meant that a diversion was needed at times. My run took nearly 3 hours, mostly due to lack of carbs the day before and a very crowded route that became a slow walk in some parts. An early-morning crowdless route would be do-able in under 2hrs.

Its a great route for views of London and never boring. Its unlikely to be practical to be run as a large organised event due to the many road crossings and narrow alleys, but it works well for small groups.

Here's the details... (N) and (S) indicate North or South direction of travel across the bridge.