Globetrotting

It's happened many times. I'm packing for a reporting trip, thinking I'll travel ultralight. Then I see my running shoes, and the plan changes. Maybe there won't be time, or the air will be too foul (Manila or Bangkok, say), or it's unsafe (Baghdad). But a slim chance to run is reason enough. As an American living in Asia for six years, now in Delhi, I find running to be a routine that travels well, a way to create constancy in a life of motion, and a wonderful way to see places at a slower pace. I hope to add Kabul and the Mongolian countryside to the list of far-flung places where I've managed to run. But for now, here are six standout choices for the discerning globetrotter.

New York City: Being a city boy, I admit my bias, but there's nothing like running Central Park's 9.6-km loop (on dirt trails when possible) or a few times around the reservoir. The best times of all are on cold weekdays, when most people are at work, and on spring weekends.

Istanbul: It's concrete, there's cracked pavement and you need to watch traffic. But running the shores of the Golden Horn (below Sultanah-met) or along the Bosphorus (above Ortaköy) is special. Take in the views of the water, the stunning architecture and the old men playing cards.

Madrid: Options are a good thing, and Retiro Park has many. There's a dirt trail that passes around the park's outer edge, and concrete paths that weave through sculpture gardens and around ponds, so you can run short or long and still make time for the Prado and dinner.

Islamabad: In Pakistan's capital, Fatima Jinnah Park is popular with locals for evening walks. The Margallah Hills' Trail 3 is more challenging, with long, uphill and sometimes rocky stretches and well-maintained vista points. Women are advised not to go alone; everyone should dress modestly.

Portland, Oregon: You can really run here, from the downtown area, on the streets of the riverfront district, along the Willamette River itself, back across the university, and up to the shaded dirt trails of Forest Park. Long or short, trail or street, the routes are there, and often many people are too.

Dili: In 2003, starting from a waterfront motel in East Timor's capital, I ran north along the seaside boulevard until pavement gave way to dirt and downtown gave way to field, with the aroma of grilled fish being prepared at seaside restaurants wafting past. Magical.