Five Running Routes from Lisvane

Lisvane running routes offer a superb mix of urban and countryside, but be warned - level ground is a rarity. Popular sights include the appropriately named Caerphilly Mountain, the Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs, and Roath Park.

I've been exploring this area extensively, and below are five different north Cardiff running routes to try out. Feel free to mix and combine to make your own unique versions.

Lisvane and Llanishen Reservoirs

Starting point: Llanishen Reservoir Visitor Centre Distance: 2.5 km per lap Elevation: 24 metres Surface: Mainly gravel, some tarmac Best for: Recovery runs Be careful of: Walkers on busy days, opening hours, the wind, no dogs allowed

The obvious starting point for any runner in Lisvane is the reservoirs. They sit side by side; the larger, Llanishen, is also used for open water swim training by triathletes, while the smaller (Lisvane) is a bird sanctuary I wouldn't want to swim in.

Navigation is easy - pick your direction and follow the water's edge. A lap of both is 2,500 metres, while a lap of just the larger reservoir saves 500 metres, perfect for mixing and matching. In summer the reservoirs are open until 8pm (although the gates for the smaller reservoir are often closed earlier). In winter, though, the small reservoir is always gated off and the main reservoir open from just 9am to 4pm, making this route less than ideal for anyone with a job.

The vast majority of the path is hard gravel. Expect plenty of puddles after heavy rain in summer and throughout winter. At about a metre and a half wide, the path is wide enough for three abreast, but passing walkers can be frustrating in summer on nice days - take note of the many signs saying to keep off the grass.

Given the exposed nature of the reservoir and the paths, be prepared for the elements. The visitor centre offers indoor toilets and a handy café with reasonable coffee, cold drinks and shade (or heat) depending on the season.

Around the reservoir itself there's no shade at all in summer, and while the wind is great for the yachts it can mean some harsh headwind sections - thankfully always followed by tailwind returns. This is a great route to start out on, with the benefit of being essentially impossible to get lost. It's surprisingly more enjoyable in winter, splashing through puddles; in summer, avoiding strolling families is stressful.

Roath Park Loop

Starting point: Llanishen train station Distance: 6.3 km Elevation: 59 metres Surface: Tarmac Best for: Easy runs, tempo Be careful of: Walkers on busy days, uphill second half

Lisvane is lucky to be close to not one but two bodies of water that are perfect for running around - a strange claim to fame, but a claim nonetheless. Roath Park is one of Cardiff's most famous parks, and also one of its most popular running routes. Expect to see plenty of runners out at all times of the day.

Head to Llanishen station, just south of Lisvane, and take the footpath next to Court Field parallel to the train line. Fidlas Road's wide footpaths and slight downhill make up for the ugly sight of traffic and tarmac, and it won't be long before you're at the top of Roath Park via Llandennis Oval.

There are two options for running around Roath Park: the pavement alongside the surrounding road, or the footpath by the lake through the park itself. The latter is prettier and has better views, but means swerving both aggressive geese and unaware walkers. Both options will see you running slightly downhill to the bottom of the park and then fighting back up the slope on the return; the grade doesn't look like much on paper, but it definitely feels steeper in person.

Retrace your steps to the start, or take a detour through Nant Fawr woods and trails to add some distance on. This is one of my favourite easy runs - it's inspiring seeing so many other runners - but it's also great for training slight uphills and downhills at tempo for half and full marathons.

Craig Llanishen

Starting point: Lisvane and Thornhill train station Distance: 11 km Elevation: 310 metres Surface: Half tarmac, half trail Best for: Trail runs, hills Be careful of: Steep hills, mud, poor quality surface

The M4, running across the north of Lisvane, provides an effective boundary between city and countryside, meaning easy access to proper trail runs. The Cardiff Ridgeway dominates the skyline and offers exactly the terrain it suggests: hilly trail running routes through ancient woods, with views back across Cardiff Bay.

This route is one of my favourites, but be warned if you don't like hills. Starting at Lisvane train station, follow Cherry Orchard Road until it ends, then turn left onto Graig Road. The climbing starts almost immediately - gradual at first, before peaking at over 20% past the Ty Mawr pub. Over 100 metres of climbing between 1 km and 2 km are a brutal warm up.

Keep following the road as it twists and undulates. It's a farm road with infrequent traffic, but it's narrow, so keep an ear out for both cars and gravel bikes. Just before the 4 km mark, look for a gate on your left and turn onto a narrow path through quiet woods. Get ready for more climbing, again starting easy and getting steeper, with plenty of mud underfoot pretty much all year round.

Eventually you'll pop out onto Thornhill Road by the Travellers' Rest. One last short climb takes you over Caerphilly Mountain, and then the long descent down. Be careful here - the path is overgrown and uneven, and becomes a stream after heavy rain.

At the roundabout, turn left onto Excalibur Drive and follow this back to the train station. The big Sainsbury's is a good spot to stop and stock up on post-run recovery drinks or snacks if needed.

Cardiff Castle via the Taff Trail

Starting point: Llanishen train station Distance: 12 km Elevation: 54 metres Surface: Pavements and footpaths Best for: Long runs, fartlek Be careful of: Bikes on the Taff Trail, road crossings, slippy stairs at Rhiwbina

The downside to Lisvane's location in north Cardiff is the lack of direct access to the Taff Trail. This running route is the best I've found - it takes about 7 km to reach the Trail, and with a number of road crossings is best used as a long warm up or easy run. After that, the Trail is perfect for intervals and tempo work.

An underrated section in Lisvane is Copperfield. Starting from Llanishen train station, go over the rail bridge, take the first left, and then follow the footpath away from the road and across the next rail bridge. Turn right for the start of Copperfield Park - just under 2 km of undulating footpath. Popular with dog walkers, it crosses Heol Hir half way (with a zebra crossing available), and is a great spot for hill reps or hilly intervals.

At the end of Copperfield, turn left down Thornhill Road, then right at Morristons. Straight over the traffic-lit crossroads at Rhiwbina, then fork left into Rhiwbina station. Over the railway bridge stairs (be careful in the wet, they can be slippy) and then right past the football pitches.

Cross Manor Way - this can be a frustrating wait when traffic is busy - then wind through Whitchurch and down Church Road. Over one last rail bridge by Llandaf station, and turn through the houses to come out in Hailey Park car park.

This is the section that makes the first bit worth it. Six kilometres of wide shared cycle and footpath all the way into Cardiff. It's flat, fast, slightly downhill (15 metres total descent from here) and always popular with runners.

Brodies on the Wall is a great coffee shop to finish at, with a lovely garden and free public toilets. Or keep going - along the river to the International Pool, or through the centre and down David Lloyd George Avenue to the barrage. For my longest Saturday runs of a training block, I do this and then keep going down the coastal path to Cosmeston, a total of 20 km, and try to time my arrival to coincide with parkrun.

Ty Glas Loop

Starting point: Corner of Parc Ty Glas and Lambourne Crescent Distance: 700 metres Elevation: 5 metres Surface: Roads and pavements Best for: Intervals, speedwork Be careful of: Learner drivers, other runners

As mentioned in the opening, Lisvane has a drought of flat land. Benefits: hills in races seem easy, massive calves. Drawbacks: finding somewhere to do intervals and speedwork.

I'm still on the lookout for the ideal place, but Ty Glas is the best I've found so far. This loop is commonly used by both Heathwood Tri and Les Croupiers Running Club, which suggests it may be the best of a bad bunch.

Ty Glas industrial estate is well lit and has no through traffic. The favoured loop tends to start on the corner of Parc Ty Glas and Lambourne Crescent, at the end opposite Bannatyne's Health Club. Run to the end of Lambourne Crescent, then turn right. A slight downhill, round the corner, past the Heathwood Tri training facility, and then follow the road to the right as it curves. Turn right again at the T-junction, cross Cleeve Drive, and you're back where you started.

The presence of the practical driving test centre at the end of Lambourne Crescent means that, even at night, learner drivers crawl their way around these roads, awkwardly practising reversing manoeuvres while constantly being startled by packs of runners. The crossing at Cleeve Drive is wide and visibility is good, but avoid loud headphones just in case.

A longer loop around the former tax office site is also popular, and measures nearly exactly a mile. It's not as flat, though, so be careful of the narrow pavement with a near-blind turn onto Ty Glas Road by Morrisons.

Extra information

Parking: Both Lisvane and Thornhill and Llanishen train stations have free car parks. Expect them to be busy in the week and quiet at weekends. The reservoir car park is free for up to 90 minutes and then chargeable beyond, and has a number of electric chargers; it fills up on weekends, though.

Public transport: Lisvane benefits from easy access to two train stations - Lisvane and Thornhill in the north, and Llanishen in the south. They're a few minutes apart on the train and about 15 minutes from Cardiff Central and Queen Street. All trains are Transport for Wales, so Tap & Go offers great value around south Wales. Services generally run every 10 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 30 minutes on Sundays, but check for engineering work first. Roath Park is a short walk from Heath High Level and Low Level, which between them provide access to most of Cardiff.

Winter vs summer: I tend to prefer the reservoir in winter, as it's quiet when the weather is bad; trail shoes are recommended if it's very wet. I'd also recommend trail shoes for most of the year for any runs into the countryside to the north, although in summer road shoes should be fine if you stick to the main paths.

After dark: Unfortunately, with the reservoir's early closing time, it's generally not an option after dark. Avoid Copperfield too, as it's not well lit. Roath Park is busy with runners every evening, whatever the weather, and is a safe choice, as the roads surrounding it are well lit. The nearby stations of Heath Low Level and Heath High Level offer easy public transport to and from.