A lap of the Mary Peters track in Belfast is the most popular running route in Northern Ireland.
A recent study by Physiosupplies Ireland has revealed the top five most popular routes here.
By using data extracted from Strava Segment Explorer, we were able to find the most popular running routes in Northern Ireland in terms of the number of attempts done on each running route. Once the data was gathered, we recorded this data in a table to show the most popular running route names, including the location, distance, elevation and number of attempts.
From this, the study has identified Co Antrim in first place and Armagh in fifth.
The most popular Northern Irish runs are:
| County | Name | Distance (mi) | Elevation Difference (ft) | Attempts |
| Antrim | Lap of Mary Peters | 0.26 | 26 | 144,654 |
| Tyrone | 400m Lap | 0.27 | 11 | 80,203 |
| Fermanagh | Forum Track | 0.26 | 5 | 35,261 |
| Londonderry | Peace Bridge | 0.21 | 20 | 32,564 |
| Armagh | Round The Mall | 0.57 | 17 | 29,177 |
1. Lap of Mary Peters, Co Antrim, 144,654 attempts
Not only is the lap of Mary Peters the most popular in Northern Ireland, but it also sits at the top of all of the Irish counties with 144,654 attempts. The lap takes you around the Mary Peters athletic track, with the fastest lap time coming in at 53 seconds.
2. 400m Lap, Tyrone, 80,203 attempts
The 400m lap of Gortgonis playing fields is another popular route for running. While it is only 0.27 miles in length, there have been over 80,000 attempts, and the number of tries continues to grow.
3. Forum Track, Fermanagh, 35,261 attempts
Laps make for the most popular types of running routes on Strava, as they give runners the chance to focus on beating their own times. It isn’t surprising that the forum track in Enniskillen has had 35,519 laps recorded on Strava.
4. Peace Bridge, Derry/Londonderry, 32,564 attempts
When you think of landmarks in Derry/Londonderry, the chances are you’ll think of the Peace Bridge, and many runners have been testing themselves by running across the bridge. Over 30,000 attempts have been made, and this is not only the shortest route on the top five list, but it is also the only one that isn’t a lap.
5. Round the Mall, Armagh, 29,177 attempts
The top five most popular running routes for Northern Ireland finishes off with another lap. Round the Mall takes you, unsurprisingly, around The Mall in Armagh. Just under 30,000 attempts have been made on this route, and at over half a mile long, it is proving to be a fun challenge for runners, with a current best time of 2:42.
So what?
As everyone knows, a new year entails new resolutions to keep ourselves healthier and fitter, and Northern Ireland is no different. According to Google Trends, there is already an increase in searches regarding “exercise” and its other variations (crunches exercise, belly fat burning exercise, breathing exercise, etc.), with “exercise” expected to rise in the next few months by 50%.
In addition to this, the study should be relevant in the coming months of 2022 due to the correlation between exercise and stress. In earlier studies, regular exercise has often been associated with decreased stress, and with the recent rise in new cases in Northern Ireland of COVID-19, stress levels across the nation are at a potential all-time high in response to the uncertainty that COVID-19 poses.
Additional research from exercise equipment experts (Physiosupplies Ireland)
Those who commenced this study have expressed their own advice regarding the benefits of running, and how people can be better motivated to go running.
“COVID-19 has produced higher levels of stress across the globe, with necessary implementations such as lockdowns, limited access to shops and face masks applied to nearly every country in the world.
Because more and more people are opting to try exercising in the new year, we advise gearing up correctly when running outdoors. While most of these routes are popular in terms of attempts, the risk of injury is never zero when running outdoors due to inconsistent roads and pavements. Proper running shoes, socks, and attire overall are recommended when outdoor running!
With that being said, there are plenty of benefits to running outdoors too, such as increased tension for the legs (and increased muscle mass as a result) and not to mention a more entertaining run. As long as you are equipped with the right things, running becomes an exciting exercise to do.”